James Herriots famous ‘Youth Hostel’ walk re-visited.
Alf Wight (aka James Herriot) wrote a book called ‘James Herriots Yorkshire‘ to show people all over the world the places that he loved most in Yorkshire and the places described in his famous books which the TV series are based on. In this book he describes a weekend walk that he did in August 1957 aged 40 with his son Jimmy and his friend Ian Brown. Ever since I first read that chapter, called ‘Youth Hostels’, I have wanted to trace his footsteps. I wanted to follow the exact route, stay in the same Youth Hostels and see the places that captivated me from the pictures of that book.
If you want to just dive in and read about the 4-Day route I revisited this week then follow these links for each day…
DAY 1 : Leyburn to Aysgarth
Click here to find out about Day 1
DAY 2: Aysgarth to Keld
Click here to find out about Day 2
DAY 3: Keld to Grinton
Click here to find out about Day 3
DAY 4: Grinton to Leyburn
Click her to find out about Day 4
And if you want to know the background to this walk then read on…
There is already a well known walking route called ‘The Herriot Way’ but curiously it follows a different route and my guess is that the creators of that route realised that much of it was on roads not footpaths. And the roads have got much busier since 1957 so a 52 mile route in the same area but on designated footpaths was created. It is very fine and popular walk with lots of resources guides and maps available for anyone wishing to complete it. BUT its not the exact route that Alf and Jim took. And I wanted to follow the exact same route that James Herriot took that weekend as described in the delightful book ‘James Herriots Yorkshire’.
I researched the exact route and I was faced with the same problem – how to travel on the road sections safely, much of which has no footpath?
I considered the options…
Motorbike: I have already travelled the route by motorcycle. It was a was brilliant couple of days but the scenery passes by quite quickly and you need to keep your wits about you on narrow windy roads so there’s not much opportunity to admire the scenery and let your imagination drift back to the pages of the books. And obviously not practical for the hill walking section.
Bicycle: This would allows safe travel on the road sections and will be quicker than walking but also not practical on the hill walking section.
Walking: This is the way Alf did it but much of the route is on busy road with no footpath so would be a bit dangerous in parts.
Bicycle + Walking: The best of both worlds! Yes, cycle the road sections and walk the wilder hill-walking section. With the added advantage that being a bit quicker than just walking will allow me to do one or two ‘excursions’ along the way. Sorted! Now for the plan; I would start on a summer Friday afternoon just like the intrepid three back in 1957.
I mapped out the 4 sections of the route on Google Earth to make sure I had the exact route of the original walk. I have been unable to include a link to the Google KMZ file for you to download but if you would like it then contact me and I can send you the file which you can read straight in to Google Earth.
I then created the bike sections in a web application called ‘KOMOOT’. If you want to follow the bike routes then create a (Free) account and access the routes using the links shown under each of the four sections of James Herriots walk.
Day 1, Leyburn to Aysgarth , (Bicycle)
The YHA at Aysgarth is now a private property so I will stay in a Hotel right next door.
Day 2, Aysgarth to Keld (Bicycle)
Staying overnight at Keld Lodge – this is also no longer a YHA but is still accommodation and pretty much unchanged.
Day 3, Keld to Grinton via Gunnerside (Walking + Cycling)
The bit has to be done on foot so I will have to leave the bike behind at Keld and take the bus back from Gunnerside to Keld to complete this section via Reeth and on to Grinton where there is still the same YHA Youth Hostel.
Day 4, Grinton to Leyburn, (Bicycle)
This completes the route and will pass the spot where James Herriot stopped on his first trip to the Dales and fell in love with it.
A couple challenges to deal with:
1. Day 3 Involves a mix of walking and cycling
My plan is to leave the bike at Keld, walk from Keld to Gunnerside via Crackpot Hall and the abandoned lead mines then double back to Keld by Bus and then cycle by road all the way on to Grinton.
2. Carrying spare Clothes and equipment on bikes
Large haversacks are not going to be possible so a pannier is going to be needed. I found a neat pannier from a company called ARKEL that doubles up as a backpack for the walking section – perfect. Plus a waterproof pack to sit on the back rack. Should be enough for 4 days.
3. Cycling
I am not a MAMIL or a frequent cyclist and my local landscape in Cambridge is pretty flat so I need to be prepared for some hills.
Booked and ready to go!
Accommodation booked? CHECK.
Time off work June 24/25/26/27 2022? CHECK.
Bike dusted down from the garage CHECK.
Ready for some steep hills? Let’s see!
Documenting the trip
I will be documenting the trip with plenty of pictures and a few little excursions for added interest. I will do this as I go along by posting a blog entry each day so that any James Herriot Fans can follow my progress and re-live the exact walk that James Herriot took all those years ago.
Most of all, I hope this will interest one or two folk in the UK or overseas that may be unable to visit the places mentioned in James Herriots ‘Youth Hostels’ story. It will in some very small way do what Alf wanted to do – bring a little bit of Yorkshire into their homes – or these days on to computer screens and smart phones. I really hope others will enjoy James Herriots ‘Youth Hostels’ walk as much as I will and that I can do it justice.
NOTE: The trip is now completed. Follow the links at the top of this page to see the daily blogs and please add comments or ask questions if you wish. THANK YOU.