Yorkshire Dales Walks
Easby Abbey & Richmond Castle
Date: 16th June 2013
Distance: 3.5 miles
Ascent: negligible
Time: 2 hours 10 mins
With: Lisa & Rhiannon
Start Grid Ref: NZ173010
Walk Summary:
A nice walk from Richmond linking the remains of Easby Abbey and the impressive ruin of Richmond Castle.
Route Summary: Station Road - Easby Beck Road - Easby Abbey - Abbey Wood - Old Railway Line - Priory Villas - Richmond Bridge - Richmond Castle
Photos: Click on the photos below to enlarge.
Walk Detail: Just a day after a wonderful walk up Gunnerside Gill on to Rogan's Seat I was back in Swaledale for Father's Day. This time I was just outside the boundary of the Yorkshire Dales National Park for a gentle family stroll from Richmond to Easby Abbey ending with a visit to Richmond Castle.
The initial path out of Richmond was above and then alongside the north bank of the Swale. It was a pleasant walk, mainly woods, with the only slight disappointment being the lack of views of the river itself which was largely hidden by the tree-lined bank.
Leaving the woods we crossed a sheep pasture to arrive at Easby Abbey. It was a beautiful summer's day and there were not many other people about so it felt like we almost had the place to ourselves. Rhiannon in particular enjoyed exploring and when we sat down for our picnic she remarked, "Coming here was a good idea Daddy". Coming from someone who is not keen on going for walks that really made my day.
After leaving the abbey we continued along the river a short way before crossing over an old railway bridge and following the track bed of an old railway line back in to Richmond. Apart from a fragrant few minutes as the track passed a sewage works it was once again pleasant and extremely easy walking.
Once back in Richmond, Lisa and Rhiannon took the shortest route up to the castle while I continued along to Richmond Bridge so that I could get some photos of the castle above the river. After a short and steep pull up a cobbled street we were reunited and spent the next hour or so exploring what is one of the finest castles in the north of England and certainly one of the finest keeps. One of the most striking things I noticed was the amount of Red Campion that was growing amongst the ruins and even out of the very walls themselves.
This was a fabulous family day out and if you like a short walk that includes a visit to a castle or an abbey then this really is a must as you get all three.
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