Ribblehead to Millthrop/Sedbergh: Day 4

I woke up early this morning after a fitful night of sleep where I’d found it hard to settle down after yesterday’s intense hike. I told John I wanted to take a rest day with Chuck and Susy, and he agreed it was a good idea but hoped to walk the next leg himself anyway. 

Our thought was to take a train to the little town of Dent, not too far from our destination, and enjoy the town a bit before finding our way to our lodging in Sedbergh via taxi or bus. We were at the  station waiting for the train to Dent when one of the people working there pointed out that the Dent train station is four miles outside of town, with no way to get to town other than on foot. More importantly, there was no easy way to proceed on to Sedbergh, as the bus going there runs only once a week (yesterday, of course). How about a taxi? “Oh, you won’t be getting a taxi in Yorkshire,” he said. According to him, folks are very reluctant to part with their money—“A Yorkshireman is just a Scotsman deprived of his generosity.” We went back to our inn anyway, and John called and persuaded a taxi service to come and rescue us. We had a wonderfully scenic ride through Dentdale, with commentary from the driver. By the time we’d gotten transportation arranged for the day, it was too late for John to do the whole hike, but the driver obligingly dropped him off in Dent so he could walk the rest of the way. He walked for the last 6-7 miles. It was quite a contrast to yesterday’s obstacle course, and as a bonus, John got to walk at his faster preferred speed rather than wait for the rest of us.

Meanwhile, the rest of us enjoyed the charming village of Sedbergh, gave some local shops some business, and had lunch. Portions in Yorkshire are generous, to say the least. We think the local people who’ve helped us at every turn are generous, too, despite what the guy at the train station says!