Right to roam

22/9/2017


Apart from canals, and the green belt,  this country has legislated to protect the right to roam,  and this is on top of the footpath system, signposted,  stiles, bridges, which covers the entire country.  Centuries old, a product of the only form of transport available to most people until public transport came along, that is, walking. 

So even when you have no map, and Google isn't playing ball, you can head off on a walk, keeping a church spire or other landmark in sight, and happily roam the countryside. The memoir 'Larks Rise to Candleford', by Flora Thompson, is a delightful introduction to traditional life,  including walking between villages.

A few days ago, in north Yorkshire,  I followed a little footpath beside the Royal Oak in Staveley, leading between houses to the countryside, and a route round the conservation area. We had previously explored a small part of this, where bird hides have been built for the avid twitchers. So this wasn't a rash venture into the unknown.

The new area led past a large lake, where Canada and Greylag geese were either saying hello very enthusiastically, or considering a territorial war.  A perfect sunny morning, the track wending over streams draining into the R Tutt. This in turn reaches the Ure, and thence the Ouse- so a month ago we were steaming up the Ouse to York, on water that flows from Staveley.

Today we took a gamble on a footpath emerging from the stone wall behind a church in Habersham,  as we crossed the grounds heading towards woodland and we hoped, Gawthorpe Hall, a tudor house owned by the National Trust. The path emerged, we happily followed it, and after 10 minutes or so it led us to the formal gardens of the Hall. We later mused that the servants of the house may have used that shortcut to Sunday services.

We are now half way to Liverpool, the Wigan flight of 20 locks the next challenge.

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