And the fair is all over

What a week, exhausted with relaxation and enjoying the social side and seeing friends that I've not seen since last years fair.

I haven't bought any horses but sold a trotter for Pat and flashed it up the flash road here at the fair, I've bought a few things and bought a trotting trap called a sulki to use back home for breaking in. 

The fair has finished, people are going home and it's very peaceful her on the field.

I'll be setting of first thing tomorrow morning and heading home for the first leg of the journey of 10 miles to Soulby, planning getting home Friday afternoon all being well.

My photography friend is joining me in the morning from Appleby to Soulby then my partners mam is joining me for the rest of the journey home.

What day is it today??

Its Tuesday of course and we have just covered 13.4 miles in two journeys stopping for breakfast after setting of at 5:45 am, we drove 8.3 miles then stopped on a piece of common land we call Wattyacks beside the River Eden for breakfast cooked by Pat on arrival.

We set off again 9:30 only a short length and arrived in Kirkby Stephen for shopping, we carried on a few more miles reaching Soulby which is our last camp before reaching Appleby itself tomorrow. 

We have covered 65.9 miles in 21 hours and drove 8 journeys tomorrow been our final one to cover 10 miles for 4 days of rest to begin the home journey on Monday 11th.

Tonight is a home cooked chicken curry and G&T's which I think Gill is cooking as she's the best.
The sad thing is Gill has to go back home tomorrow to Harrogate as she has work to go back to, she's a great friend and has a right good sense of humour and I will miss her company, I think she wants to do it all again next year this been her second trip with me, but I have a plan (I can't say until next year)...

Monday, day of rest

Monday and we all deserve a rest, and a sleep in which we all made sure we did, we started to rise around 9am Pat cooked us breakfast and we then got to doing things to keep us busy, Pat and Gill altered some curtains for Pats horse box while I kept the fire going baking a fruit cake in the flying pan hung on the chitty, it took 3.5 Hours and was very tasty with a little charcoal but that's good for our insides, I went for a walk and gathered some wood for the fire and seen to Peggy, we had a bbq for late lunch and then went for a walk to the Moorcock Inn for a look at the food menu to see if we fancied a pub meal for tea, we all agreed it was a pub tea which we didn't really need but it was convenient and we supported the pub. We set back to camp and have decided to have an early night for an 5:30 start in the morning for our next 11 miles to Kirkby Stephen.

 😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴💤💤💤😴😴💤💤😴😴

Hill's and more hill's

Sunday has arrived, we had a lie in this morning and set off at 8am from Swainithwaite and tackled the bank at Aysgarth which Peggy stuck her toes in all the way up the drag, we stopped at the top at Aysgarth garage for water and a strong coffee and chocolate, we then carried on through the Yorkshire dales to Bainbridge where we pulled through the village and pulled up for the day and to relax, my photography friend came for breakfast with her husband, I cooked Gloucester old spot sausages on the chitty over the fire, Peggy enjoyed the grass here, Pat came back to join us for a few days in her horse box with her 4 Dachunds.

We then pulled away mid afternoon further into the dales to Hawes where we stopped for a blow and an ice cream, we got Peggy water from a chippy and had many tourists coming up for a chat and to take photographs which I did try charge £5 per photo but no one would pay up, we set off again passing through this beautiful area which you don't appreciate in a vehicle as you see so much more going 3-4 miles per hour, we were glad when we could see the Moorcock Inn as this is our next camp and for to nights as its a beautiful place right beside a river with waterfalls, we're glad we're here for a rest as we are dizzy with hills and our legs are aiking.

 

In to Richmondshire

Day 3

A very early start today at 5am we were up packed away and were on the next length of the journey by 5:30, up out of Masham and heading into Richmondshire for a nice peaceful 9.8 miles to Wensley just below Layburn, we came through East Witton, Middleham and over the metal bridge (video below). The road was very quiet at this time of the morning and was very cool making it comfortable for both Peggy and us, we pulled up at Wensley, tethered Peggy out and set to making breakfast on the fire and chitty, Gill brough back half a dead tree which was good, one of my photography friends Melissa came along to see us for a cuppa and a chat in the Bowtop as it started raining, Melissa left us, me and Gill then had naps for most of the early part of the afternoon. Pat then landed with dinner and more water supplies, we then packed up camp and harnessed Peggy up all with waterproofs on as it's still raining and head further into the dales, we came up the long uphill drag into West Witton at the village shop for an ice cream but it was closed 😟😟

A lovely couple opposite the shop came out for a chat and offered us water which we needed as the water we had on board we needed to keep for our next stop here now at Swinithwaite right on the brow of Temple Bank on a grass verge with plenty of lush green grass for Peggy, we traveled 5.4 miles this evening with another early start tomorrow to go down Temple bank and up Heads bank at the other side which is steep and is a drag up.

Pics below from routes today and camps.

East Witton

Driving up through Middleham

Driving over the metal bridge below Middleham

  Camp at wensley

Brilliant photographs taken by Melissa Peakman, thanks Melissa

Late afternoon setting off in the rain

Tonight's camp

Into Nidderdale, Masham

Gill came to meet up with me this morning at 7:30, breakfast was in the pan over the fire just as Gill turned up, we set off just before 8:30 at a nice steady pace covering 13.6 Miles in a horrible muggy heat, we set of this morning from Hagpot (Newby Hall), drove round Ripons bypass and up out of Ripon for a blow (a blow is a rest) we hen carried on with a huge patient cue of traffic behind with double white lines in the centre, drove on past Light water valley and through South Stanley then stopped for another blow, we then carried on into West Tanfield and stopped at the church to talk to a lovely lady and got Peggy water from the church yard tap.

Now the biggest hill so far West Tanfield bank, it doesn't seem much of one in a vehicle but it's a drag and it goes on for around a mile, we made it and got to the top then it's all down hill to masham from  which is nice. We're now pulled onto a piece of common land right beside the bridge which is peaceful, all mod cons now I have Irish tunes playing and the two canaries are hung in a tree singing their heads off, defiantly not singing Irish.

Now a day of rest as we have an early start tomorrow 6am 🤔🤔 to drive in some cool weather before sunrise.

Today's route

Peggy and Gill in the River Ure at Masham

Peggy chilling

 Masham camp

Steady away

First day steady away, the shortest leg of our journey and just covered 7.5 miles to our first camp site just beside Newby Hall near Ripon on a piece of old common land with grass up to my chin me been 6,3ft. I met up with Pat here in her wagon, she was meant to be driving with us with her Bowtop is joining us along the way in her horse box instead, we've had steak on the BBQ and the chitty is out with the kettle on for pot washing and tea before bed, the gin and tonic was also out.

Peggy is happily tethered up nearby and is content with all the grass. 

As I lay in my bed typing this blog I can hear Peggy munching and the roaring traffic on the a1 less than half a mile away.

Gill is to meet us in the morning for an early breakfast and a steady plod through Ripon then onto  Masham for lunch.

Blog will continue tomorrow, good night all!!