HAMBLETON HOBBLE DAY 3

Monday 07/12/2009. A good night with neither wind nor rain to cause concern or impinge on sleep so I was up a lot earlier than on Sunday morning despite having a short day's distance to walk I want to make sure there are no problems with catching the Stokesley to Middlesbrough bus connection given that these country services rarely run into the evening. So away just before eight am gave me plenty of time. But first I had to sort out my route and to my pleasure located a north bound track about 25 yards from my camp, I had walked past this in last night's darkness or would have taken it then as it clearly heads for the forest boundary. Still finding it saved me a long walk back to the last main north bound main junction. However I exited from the forest on the road just below the hamlet of Cowesby thus I was about a couple of miles off-route. My new GPS proved it's worth by giving me an accurate grid ref at my access point onto the roadway and it was a simple walk through Cowesby to regain the "official" route.

From here the going was straightforward although the ground was very muddy- and a slip had me rolling in cow muck! I made quite fast progress. On approaching Over Stilton to the north of Pen Hill I visited the lovely old church of St. Mary Magdalene which sits in isolated splendour, a tiny stone church in it's disproportionately large graveyard. (See picture above). After that rather than continue along the high level route through the forest I headed down into the valley level and walked along parallel to the road through Thimbleby and on to finish in Osmotherley market by way of the delightfully named "Paradise Row" With the best part of an hour to wait for the 13.15 bus to Stokesley I had time to clean up and enjoy a cup of coffee from the village shop and commiserate with the owner on the recent loss of her sub-postmistress business!

A good walk despite the wettish conditions and I have seen a lot more of the villages around Ryedale in the North York Moors National Park and so am getting to know my local hills that much better. The next walk I have in mind for this area is called the Shepherds Round which is a 40 miler. The Hambleton Hobble is given as 32 miles but I managed to up that to 35!