Herriot Way in Four Days

May 16, 2022

A four-day round on the Herriot Way, stitched together from three recordings after the watch saved one activity overnight. Across the full trip we covered 82.68 km with 5305.2 m of ascent, with a good mix of steady walking, memorable stops, and a wet finish.

Quick Summary

This was one Herriot Way trip spread across four days, from 13 to 16 May 2022. It felt like a straightforward multi-day round, but each day had its own character.

Day 1-2

The opening half of the trip packed in a lot. We settled into the rhythm of the route quickly, with the usual mix of long stretches of path, changing views, and the small stops that make a multi-day walk feel more human.

A cake stop in Askrigg was one of those easy highlights that lifted the day at exactly the right time. We also ended up rescuing a sheep and a lamb that had got stuck in a feeder, which was completely unplanned and is still one of the moments I remember most clearly from the whole walk.

Day 3

Day 3 sounds like one of the best sections of the route. The paths from Keld to Muker were especially good, and the stretch after Muker included a river crossing that was fun in the moment, even if taking the bridge would probably have been the smarter call.

We also picked up traybakes from the tea room in Gunnerside, which felt like another very solid decision on a long day out.

Day 4

The final morning started with rain. It cleared before we set off, gave us a dry enough window to get moving, and then returned for the last few miles, which felt like a fairly fitting end to the trip.

Even with the wet finish, this was the kind of route I would happily come back to. Apedale in particular stood out as somewhere I would like to spend more time.