Sowerby to Felixkirk and Thirsk

Sunday 21st July 2019

This was meant to be a 'Rekkie' for the forthcoming Summer Walk, but I'm afraid it failed to make the grade. The countryside walking was restricted as farmland had taken over the public footpaths and it was almost impossible to find them through the crop fields and overgrown stiles/missing signposts etc. There can't be many people who attempted the route I chose today as very little appeared to have been walked for years. I kept having to return to the roadside (A19) to make progress, especially between Sowerby and Bagby

In addition, part of the walk involved a walk between Bagby and Balk which was not a good idea as a narrow/busy country road and high sides full of nettles and thornbushes is not a good combination. One person negotiating this is challenging, but a large group of well oiled blokes could become quite dangerous. So I soon realised that this one was not going to work for our big walk coming up in August.

I pressed on with ever growing disappointment knowing that the next weekend would need to be a rekkie somewhere else instead of another trip to my favourite playground 'The Lakes'. Country lane walking was required between Sutton and Felixkirk which wasn't bad and there is a lovely pub at Felixkirk but other than that I have very little to praise.

Todays route (and I would advise you don't try it) was Sowerby to Bagby, then to Sutton under Whitestonecliffe, Felixkirk and then Thirsk town centre after a stretch on the A170 !.

Not a good day

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Distance: 11.5 miles

Duration: 3:30 hours

Ascent: 688 ft

Difficulty: Moderate

Accompanied By: On my Own

Weather: Warm & Sunny

3D outline of route

Parking

Nice start - Sowerby is a really lovely place on the outskirts of Thirsk - Pub looks good too

Warm sunny Sunday morning - I head off on what I had hoped would be a good walk

So far so good, but soon after it all went Pete Tong, After aborting my O/S route across farmland due to there being no path ! (conveniently allowed to disappear by the landowners). The odd broken sign was found and collapsed stile within the undergrowth - but certainly no route for the public. My only available route to Bagby involved a considerable stretch alongside the A19

Finally away from the road with a path to follow

Bagby - Nice effort

Bagby - St Mary Church

Pub with Turkish food - Sounds interesting, would have enjoyed a visit.

A mile or two of busy roads - Not a good idea (avoid)

A path of sorts ? - or more likely vehicle tracks - especially as following them takes you away from the fictional public footpath

I've found a gate - It doesn't open anymore, but at least I know where the path was meant to be

Uncomfortable walk towards a farm - I'm always wary of farm dogs in situations like this as they are generally unused to visitors and react accordingly. This visit went without incident fortunately - I even received a grunt from the farmer working the fields.