Reeth to Richmond – 18 February 2023
A month after our last visit to Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales where we finished in Leyburn, we are back again but a little further north into Swaledale, where all routes come together, well at least for us anyway. We are walking west to east again, this time from Reeth to Richmond although the shortest route of the three planned routes doesn’t quite make it to Reeth.
After the planned finish in Richmond, this time around we will have finished in both places exactly eight times over the years. Most of the time we have walked from Richmond into Reeth but have had a variety of routes when finishing in Richmond. The last time we did the routes from Richmond to Reeth was in October 2018 and the last time from Reeth to Richmond was on 16 February 2013. So ten years later we are back for another go.
The 8-mile route starts on the road between Richmond and Reeth at Downholme Bridge where the route crosses the River Swale and heads west towards Hollins Farm before turning east towards the village of Marske. The route then starts to climb under Whitcliffe Scar and goes through Whitcliffe Wood before heading downhill on a track and then a minor road into Richmond.
The 10.5-mile route starts from Reeth and follows the course of the River Swale until the route reaches Marrick Abbey where it turns northeast towards the village of Marrick. The route then heads towards the village of Marske where it then follows the 8-mile route into Richmond.
The 11.5-mile route also gets off in Reeth and climbs up onto Fremington Edge and heads northeast over Marrick Moor before turning southeast at the disused Prys Lead Mine. The route uses a combination of paths to come down and across Marske Beck at Pillimire Bridge and into Marske where it also follows the other two routes into Richmond.
The same as when we finished in Leyburn we have the benefit of a variety of shops including a number of cafes and it makes it easier for the return journey. So if you would like to see where all the routes come together and have a nice day out with a finish in Richmond you can get in touch with us from our Contact Page. You can also download the walk descriptions below and the GPS routes here.
The image for this post was taken in February 2013 on that last walk from Reeth to Richmond on the way up to Fremington Edge with the remains of winter snow still around.
