The Herriot Way - 15 to 18 April 2023
"The peace which I always found in the silence and emptiness of the moors filled me utterly"
James Herriot
James Herriot
Introduction
At roughly 52 miles depending on choice of route, The Herriot Way is a circular walk that makes its way through the very heart of the Yorkshire Dales. The walk was inspired by the famous Yorkshire Dales Vet, James Herriot who under his real name of Alf Wight undertook a walking holiday in the late 1950s with his son Jimmy, staying at the Youth Hostels in Aysgarth, Keld & Reeth.
The walk is typically done over 4 days and can be started at any of the villages along the route but people normally set out from Aysgarth in a clockwise direction visiting Hawes, Keld & Reeth as overnight stops. It goes without saying that the walk showcases the very best of what the Yorkshire Dales has to offer - it climbs to the third highest point in the county, visits a historic castle and passes through areas which were once busy with lead mining but are now a ghostly and barren industrial wasteland.
For anybody wishing to cut their teeth on a multi day walk, the Herriot Way is an ideal starting point. It is not overly difficult either navigationally or physically, however it still provides the walker with a fantastic walking journey through a beautiful landscape.
Read on to see how we got on in both the planning stages and the walk itself.
The walk is typically done over 4 days and can be started at any of the villages along the route but people normally set out from Aysgarth in a clockwise direction visiting Hawes, Keld & Reeth as overnight stops. It goes without saying that the walk showcases the very best of what the Yorkshire Dales has to offer - it climbs to the third highest point in the county, visits a historic castle and passes through areas which were once busy with lead mining but are now a ghostly and barren industrial wasteland.
For anybody wishing to cut their teeth on a multi day walk, the Herriot Way is an ideal starting point. It is not overly difficult either navigationally or physically, however it still provides the walker with a fantastic walking journey through a beautiful landscape.
Read on to see how we got on in both the planning stages and the walk itself.
The summit of Great Shunner Fell which at 2349ft (716m) is the highest point on The Herriot Way and the 3rd highest mountain in Yorkshire. The route visits here on Day 2.
(Links to each individual day are below, however just click on "Itinerary, Planning & Preparation" below to start the story of the walk)
Herriot Way Itinerary, Planning & Preparation
Herriot Way Day 1 - Aysgarth to Hawes
Herriot Way Day 2 - Hawes to Keld
Herriot Way Day 3 - Keld to Reeth
Herriot Way Day 4 - Reeth to Aysgarth
Herriot Way - Thoughts in Conclusion
Herriot Way Day 1 - Aysgarth to Hawes
Herriot Way Day 2 - Hawes to Keld
Herriot Way Day 3 - Keld to Reeth
Herriot Way Day 4 - Reeth to Aysgarth
Herriot Way - Thoughts in Conclusion
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