Thursday 8th July.    10.5 miles.

   You may wonder how we then found ourselves atop of a windmill.

   In hot sunshine we had been walking uphill on a minor road for about 5 miles when we decamped into a field for some lunch. I suggested to Sir Hugh that today’s post would be fairly short as little had happened, he wondered if anything exciting would occur towards the end.  We eventually left the road and found a footpath going in our direction, don’t forget we are following a straight line as close as possible to latitude Northing 438. This we gratefully followed onto the golf course and whilst getting our bearings got into conversation with a friendly chap walking across the course. We asked for the best way to cross towards a windmill we had seen marked on the map. Having explained what we were doing, he wanted to discuss the long distance paths he had walked and also suggested to us the best pub in Beverley – the gas lit Nellie’s.(the White Horse) His wife and friend had by now walked away,  we parted and approached the windmill which was surrounded by a large herd of cattle, so we didn’t get up close. Beverley Minster could be seen down below through the trees. We now made a b-line to the clubhouse, where our car was parked, and whilst photographing the windmill there our man approached again and asked if we would like to go up it. Turns out Brendon is President of the club! He tells us of the history of the course, founded in 1889 and the unusual nature of it being on common land with the cows wandering freely. There are local rules for if your ball lands in a hoof mark or even worse cow dung, apparently the greens are fenced around to keep them free of animals. Next thing we were all climbing the rickety stairs up the inside of the mill, We paused on the second floor to admire the clock mechanism gently ticking away. Once on the top parapet, we had views of the surrounding countryside in all directions. 

 

 

 

A strange but interesting meeting. 

***

   The day had started back at North Cliffe where we parked next to the church, we are using two cars to facilitate this linear walk. The church and hall caretaker appears, so we get some history of the estate and the church. He has been doing this work for 50 odd years and lives in an estate house opposite, we saw the Lodge yesterday – all of a similar architecture. Most interesting is that the founder of the estate was a Samuel Fox, who invented a steel ribbed umbrella superior to his competitors. He went on to establish a large steel producing complex. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Fox_(industrialist)  Mr Fox funded the building of this little church, dedicated to St John,  and was buried in its graveyard shortly after its completion in 1887.

The path out of North Cliffe doesn’t exactly go up a cliff, but does climb quite steeply up an escarpment which is the beginnings of the Yorkshire Wolds and into the pretty village of North Newbald. Old cottages surround a village green, complete with church and pub., quintessential English. We investigate a house on the green which had been the village school, the owners appear to give us some history and suggest cups of tea, we politely decline – if we had known what was coming on the road walk we would have accepted their offer.

 

It was then we began our hot  and sweaty ascent on minor roads farther into the Wolds. I walked the Wolds Way with Mel way back in 1999, no wonder I don’t recognise it. All up and down between extensive fields.

 

We eventually escape onto the golf course…

*****