There was a last minute change to the route of the Welcome to Yorkshire “Walkshire Walk of the Day” on 11th June and the focus shifted to “Lead Mines of Swaledale”, a six-miler that starts at Surrender Bridge and follows Old Gang Beck to the Old Gang Smelting Mills. Visitors are often surprised by how much of the old workings are still visible.  For those interested in learning more about everyday life in Swaledale when lead mining was a thriving industry, there is a very detailed fictional account in “Adam Brunskill”, a book, published in 1952, written by Thomas Armstrong, an author who lived in Swaledale for 30 years. 

However, on October 15th there is another “Walk of the Day” based in Swaledale, which will include Reeth, Arkengarthdale, Langthwaite and Fremington Edge. Those of you who are familiar with my book “Stone Tomb” will have spent time in Reeth and Arkengarthdale with Dr Mills Sanderson and gone to the Red Lion in Langthwaite with DS Nina Featherstone to talk to the landlady about a missing visitor.