Wolds Way Day 4: Greenwick Farm to North Grimston

We were struggling a bit by the time we reached North Grimston today, after fifteen miles. We arrived at the Middleton Arms to discover our bags hadn't arrived, but more of that later!

The landscape today was fabulous, pure Wolds. We kept expecting to bump in to David Hockney or have Sergeant Troy bear down on us from the valley side with his sabre flashing in the glorious sunshine and, no that is not a euphemism and yes I know Far from the Madding Crowd is set in Dorset but.....

We loved our Eco Pod and were loathe to leave it and Greenwick Farm this morning. Lovely Farmer Owen drove us back to the footpath and we set off straight away in to the most colourful palette of countryside with every shade of yellow and green, hedgerows and solitary trees galore. Too much to photograph!

By the time we reached Fridaythorpe, we had already enjoyed Horse Dale and Holm Dale. My blip here of Helen is taken at the Huggate Poetry Bench above Horse Dale with Holm Dale in the background. In Fridaythorpe we discovered the bus shelter which was built as part of the WANDER art project next to the pretty village pond and bordered with stunning flowers, a grand place to sit and wait for your bus! Also in Fridaythorpe is the pocket rocket Norman church of St Mary's.

Through Fridaythorpe and we were soon into the beautiful Thixendale with another artwork engineered on the valley floor called Time and Flow. Turning North up the Dale here, it was just a smashing walk with steep banks on either side of us and a cropped carpet of grass beneath our feet.

Farmer Owen had told us that Thixendale Village Hall did teas on Saturdays so we were in anticipation of these as we headed up the very pretty Main Street in this narrow Dale. Horrors! The teas have moved to Sundays! We found the Post Office in the back room of an elderly lady's house and bought apple juice and Eccles Cakes and sat at a picnic table outside the hall enjoying the comings and goings whilst we ate our lunch.

It was a steep climb out of Thixendale Village to regain the top of the escarpment but it gave us grand views back across the village. It was then a few miles to Wharram Percy, an English Heritage site of a medieval village where I took off my boots for a few minutes!

We were beginning to flag at this point so we were glad to be walking along a country lane for a while to Wharram le Street. From then on we had to keep up the conversation to avoid thinking about our tired feet and shins and calves and knees!

We arrived footsore, grubby and weary at the pub to no cases. It was then a couple of hours of phone calls going back and forth to finally locate them at the wrong B&B. I think Roy might be in a bit of bother when his boss gets through to him. Thankfully, cases arrived and showered and changed we enjoyed yummy fish cakes with new potatoes and veg with puddings to follow. And now to bed....when the regulars decide to go home!