After chatting over breakfast with the other Dales Way walkers staying at Manor House (Dorothy, Mary, Anne and Shirley, whose company we enjoyed every day of the route despite Bruce's joking determination to "grind them into the grit"--i.e., to reach Bowness first!), we set off into misty rain. Fortunately the rain paused long enough for us to enjoy a walk around Grassington, including a lunch of outstanding fish & chips. Rain moved in as we left Grassington and ascended to the higher and more exposed ground. Sadly, this obscured the marvelous views that we enjoyed from this section on our first walk of the Dales Way in 2000, but the walking was enjoyable nonetheless. We reached Kettlewell wet, but a cup of tea at our B&B, Littlebeck, picked us all up. We were joined later by friends who live in Eaglescliffe and Darlington (and went above and beyond the call of duty to drive all the way to Kettlewell to meet us!), and all enjoyed a good meal and great conversation at the Blue Bell...enlivened by pints of Old Peculier. They set off for home under clear skies and a crescent moon; tomorrow we've been told to expect a heat wave!

River Wharfe, leaving Burnsall

Riverside path lined with huge chestnut trees

Linton village, with falls

                
Narrow footbridge across the Wharfe                    Leaving Grassington

The path takes to higher, open ground north of Grassington

An especially good view of the pavement

Conistone Pie

On to Day Three

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