JANUARY 2014
We started our walking year in early January with a cold and windy walk alongside the Pocklington Canal.
Pocklington Canal
In spite of icy blasts of wind and flurries of sleet, along the way we were surprised to see a batch of newborn lambs.
Very early lambs
FEBRUARY
In February we took a snowy Yorkshire Wolds circular walk, starting out with a climb out of the village of Thixendale.
Snowy Thixendale
The walk took a little longer than we'd anticipated and the sun had set long before we got back to our car, making us thankful that we'd had the sense to pack our head torches.
Sunset over the Yorkshire Wolds
MARCH
Early in March we set out from Goathland on a bright and sunny but very windy day for a circular walk over the moors.
Route of the Lyke Wake Walk above Goathland
Towards the end of the walk the clouds suddenly gathered and before we had got back to our car the ground was already thickly carpeted with snow, leaving us with something of a slippery drive out of the village and back to the clearer main road.
Snow settles on Goathland
A week later and we were back in the North York Moors National Park, starting out from Ravenscar with a lovely view over to Robin Hood's Bay.
Robin Hood's Bay from Ravenscar
The route took us through woodlands and along the edge of Jugger Howe. We didn't pass another person for the entirety of this walk and it was very peaceful.
Boardwalks below Jugger Howe
Towards the end of the month we visited Robin Hood's Bay and walked along the clifftop route of the Cleveland Way to Whitby.
On the Cleveland Way between Robin Hoods' Bay and Whitby
The day had been cloudy to begin with but had brightened by the time we reached Whitby, which was crowded with visitors. Our return route was via the "Cinder Track", the cycle track which was once the route of the old Scarborough to Whitby railway line.
Whitby's 199 Steps
APRIL
In early April we visited the moorland village of Egton Bridge from where we struck out on a circular walk, starting by the side of the River Esk where daffodils gave us the first signs of Spring.
Spring by the River Esk
We then continued to the higher moors, walking along Glaisdale Rigg before returning to Egton Bridge via Egton High Moor.
On Glaisdale Rigg
The following week we enjoyed a short break in the Yorkshire Dales and a walk from the Wensleydale village of Bainbridge.
Bainbridge in Wensleydale
This route took us along a former Roman road before returning to Bainbridge via the shorts of Semerwater.
Semerwater
In mid April we returned to the North York Moors for a walk from the National Park Centre at Danby in search of the Hanging Stone which can be found on the moors above the village of Botton.
The Hanging Stone
We concluded April with a visit to the Derbyshire Peak District where we spent a couple of nights in the village of Castleton. On the first day we set out from Castleton and walked through the very picturesque Cave Dale.
Cave Dale
We then climbed Mam Tor and walked along the Great Ridge before returning to Castleton via Hope.
Along the Great Ridge from Mam Tor
On the second day we walked from Castleton to the start of Pennine Way in the village of Edale from where we enjoyed a rocky ascent of Kinder Scout.
Climbing Kinder Scout
On the top of Kinder Downfall there were magnificent views.
On top of Kinder Downfall
And our return route to Castleton was via Rushup Edge.
Rushup Edge
MAY
We began May by completing our first long distance walk of the year - the 20 mile long Headland Way which follows the coast between Bridlington in East Yorkshire and Filey in North Yorkshire.
Flamborough Head
In mid May we visited the little market town of Helmsley where we parked by the castle.
Helmsley Castle
And from where we set off to follow a section of the Cleveland Way before turning into Bilsdale.
Bilsdale
June was all about the Dales Way. We set out on the 13th and spent a full week covering the 80 or so miles of this long distance path from Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere.
The Dales Way
Along the way we enjoyed some spectacular Dales scenery.
Wharfedale
And, on the whole, the weather was very kind to us.
Deepdale
JULY
In July we returned to the North York Moors. The heather was just beginning to flower as we set off on a circular walk from the Hole of Horcum on the Pickering to Whitby road.
The Hole of Horcum
Along the way we visited Mauley Cross, one of several stone crosses to be found around the moors.
Mauley Cross
In July I celebrated my birthday with a short break on the North York Moors, beginning with a stay at Cropton and a visit to the nearby site of Cawthorn Roman Camps.
Cawthorn Roman Camps
From here we were treated to wonderful views across the forest and the moorland beyond.
Cropton Forest
The next day we stayed in Bilsdale and enjoyed a couple of days walking, starting out with a visit to the Wainstones.
The Wainstones
And the following day completing a long circular walk from Bilsdale and along a section of the Cleveland Way.
On the Cleveland Way
AUGUST
The highlight of August was our completion of the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge with our nephew Cameron. But first we had to do a spot of training and, for the second time in the year, we completed the Headland Way from Filey to Bridlington.
Back on the Headland Way
The day we chose to complete the Y3P was hot and sunny.
Peak No. 1 - Pen-y-Ghent
It was tough going at times, but 11 year old Cameron completed it with ease and we all thoroughly enjoyed the challenge.
Descending Peak No.3 - Ingleborough
SEPTEMBER
In early September we enjoyed a fantastic week's holiday in the Lake District, staying in Keswick, from where we started the week by completing a 16 mile circular walk taking in Causey Pike, Sail, Crag Hill and Grasmoor.
Causey Pike
The next day we ascended Blencathra via Scales Fell and descending via Blease Fell before walking back to Keswick.
Approaching Sharp Edge, Blencathra
On the third day we took a short trip by launch across Derwentwater to Brandelhow from where we walked to Grange and onwards for an ascent of Castle Crag. On the way up we had a wonderful view of Borrowdale.
Borrowdale viewed from Castle Crag
From Castle Crag we walked back to Keswick along the shores of Derwentwater, all the while enjoying beautiful views of Skiddaw.
Skiddaw from the shores of Derwentwater
Our fourth day should have been a rest day, but the glorious weather was set to continue and the mountains were calling. Setting out at 5 a.m. we climbed Skiddaw, in darkness by the light of headtorches to begin with. The cloud cover was low and as we reached the summit we walked out of the clouds to be greeted with a magnificent cloud inversion.
Cloud inversion from the summit of Skiddaw
And, for the first time in my life, I saw a Brocken Spectre - my shadow surrounded by a rainbow halo. It was truly magical.
My Brocken Spectre
For our final day of walking we took a bus from Keswick to Buttermere and then walked back, along the way climbing Robinson, Hindscarth, Dale Head, High Spy and Maiden Moor.
The magnificent cairn on the summit of Dale Head
It was an epic week of walking made all the more memorable by the fantastic weather.
Wonderful weather - Happy me!
At the end of September, as the nights began to draw in, we completed a circular walk of 20 miles starting out from Blakey Ridge and walking to Bloworth Crossing before turning to walk through Baysdale.
Baysdale
By the time we got back to Blakey Ridge the sun had set and a harvest moon was shining over Rosedale.
Harvest moon over Rosedale
OCTOBER
October began with a trip to West Yorkshire where we enjoyed a short break at Haworth. On the first day we walked alongside the Leeds Liverpool Canal from Bingley to Saltaire and back.
Leeds Liverpool Canal towpath
The next day we walked from Haworth to visit the Bronte Waterfalls and Top Withins, the ruined farmhouse which is supposed to have provided the inspiration for Wuthering Heights. It was a very bleak and drab day with the worst kind of lighting for photos.
Quite possibly the worst photo of Top Withins...ever!
NOVEMBER
Our walking year ended in November this year as work and family commitments prevented us from venturing far from home. Therefore our final walk of the year was in mid November when we paid our second visit of the year to Bilsdale. When we set off from Chop Gate to climb up to Barkers Crags the valley bottoms were filled with mist.
Mist in the valley
The day soon warmed up though and by the time we had reached the Lordstones we were wearing t-shirts and recorded a temperature of 21 degrees.
The Lordstones
DECEMBER
And so another year draws to a close. Although I didn't complete any lengthy walks this month I continued to walk around four miles every day and by the middle of the month I had completed my goal to walk 1,500 miles in the year. I hope to repeat this goal in 2016 and also to complete at least one long distance route in the year ahead.
All that remains is for me to wish all my readers and Facebook followers a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year 2016.
Happy New Year!
