Harrogate & District Walks
The Skell & Ure at Ripon
Date: 2nd September 2012
Distance: 2.8 miles
Ascent: None
Time: 2 hours
With: Lisa, Rhiannon, Val, Dave and Buddy
Start Grid Ref: SE313713
Walk Summary:
A short family walk along the banks of the Skell and Ure on the outskirts of Ripon.
Route Summary: Ripon Bus Station - Bondgate - Fisher Green - Ripon Rowel - North Street - Ripon Bus Station
Pictures:
1. The River Skell below Bondgate
2. Crossing the bridge above the ford at Firs Avenue
3. The River Skell
4. Crossing the stepping stones at Fisher Green
5. An overgrown section of path after the stepping stones
6. A zoom shot across the fields to Ripon Cathedral
7. Poppies
8. Rhiannon, Dave and Buddy on an enclosed section of path
9. The pebble beach at the bend in the Ure where we had our picnic
10. The front of Ripon Cathedral from the end of Kirkgate
Walk Detail: With our car temporarily out of action we caught the bus through to Ripon where we met Val, Dave and Buddy to start this short but delightful little family walk.
After passing the cathedral we dropped down the hill to Bondgate and after crossing the bridge headed east on the path alongside the Skell. The path we took crossed and re-crossed the Skell three more times, most memorably at the stepping stones at Fisher Green.
Once across the stepping stones the path was quite overgrown up to the point that the Skell flows into the Ure. From there we followed the west bank of the Ure northwards with a crop field on our left and the river on our right with good views back towards the cathedral. At a major bend in the river we dropped down to a wide pebble beach for a picnic and to allow Rhiannon to indulge in one of her favourite pastimes - throwing stones in rivers. For my part I was quite pleased with myself when I managed to get a stone to skim all the way across to the far bank.
After the picnic we played tig for the next stretch before arriving back at the northern end of Ripon and headed back into town via North Street. Technically we finished the walk at Val and Dave's house but as the sun was now out I continued back into the centre, a few minutes away, to take some more pictures of the cathedral.
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