Burnsall to Buckden: Day 2

A good night of sleep energized us, and we set off on Day 2. Chuck and Susy took a wrong turn and ended up visiting the town of Hebden and getting a nice panoramic view of the area before arriving in Grassington and meeting John and me. Grassington is a very appealing town, touristy but in a good way. The town square is the filming location for the most recent “All Creatures Great and Small” series, so we recognized various storefronts. Although the filming must create many inconveniences for the locals, the town seems to have really capitalized on the link to the books and the TV series, as many businesses have names related to Herriot’s characters. 


Chuck and Susy decided to linger in Grassington and take the bus to our lodging in Buckden rather than walk the distance. John and I started the upward trek into Yorkshire’s version of big sky country. The views were more vast and spectacular the higher we got. The weather was again gorgeous, and numerous locals reminded us of how lucky we were, as the weather is usually “rubbish,” they say.

A long series of stiles confronted us as we approached Kettlewell. These stiles are built into the dry stone walls between pastures and generally require stepping up on a few large protruding stones, then climbing over the top through a narrow break and climbing down. The stiles keep cattle from escaping, and to ensure sheep also remain contained, they usually add a small gate or two at the top that are heavily spring-loaded and will whack you on the backside if you’re not careful after you pass through.


So, John and I arrived in Kettlewell in need of a short break after climbing over the stiles. We found a park bench and sat down and said hello to another couple sitting nearby. We must have looked pretty tired, because the couple asked us how much further we had to go and worriedly suggested we might be able to find a bus to get us there. We had a nice chat about the senseless felling of the iconic tree along Hadrian’s Wall, among other things. “Hope you make it,” they said as we left.

We stopped in Starbotton, a little short of our destination, because we were out of water, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t make it without a refill. Fortified, we went on to the Buck Inn in Buckden, where Chuck and Susy were waiting.

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