The Handbag Walks, Part 7 or Two Get Lost in Yorkshire

I think I should have known when we couldn't even find the first footpath that this was going to be one of 'those' walks. 'Interesting', a bit of an 'adventure'. I'm not sure we'd have found the path if V hadn't realised that she'd left her camera in the car and we were walking back for it. As we walked along, a car pulled up, and the driver offered us a lift. Clearly we don't look like serious walkers!

We were doing a walk out of an AA book, so you'd thing the directions would be pretty good. Not so. Of course, as always, we'd set off without an OS map, but I did have water and sun cream. I'm improving in that respect. I think the first clue that these were going to be 'creative' directions came when we hit a furrowed field, and were told to strike diagonally across it between two oak trees. Now, I have a little problem with trees as directional aids. There is a chance that they won't be there, or, as in this case, that the farmer has ploughed up the field and you can't tell which tree you're supposed to be aiming for.

Having succesfully navigated this, we found ourselves on a long and dusty track, looking for a crossing of a stream.

'I think that's a stream, not just a ditch, do you think it's a stream?'
'I think it's a ditch'

Hmmm, we crossed it, and then had to find a stile. No sign. Eventually we worked out where we thought it should be, and crossed the corner of a field, to find it hidden in the wood.

Back on our route, we headed across a field towards some farm buildings, which we were supposed to pass. As we approached we spotted the flaw in the plan. There was an electic fence across our path, and also a ditch. We spotted a bridge. It was the other side of the electric fence, and covered with nettles, clearly not used for some time. Summoning up all my farming knowledge I listened.
'I don't think it's on, it's not buzzing...it's only on if its buzzing...I think.'

I scrambled over, but then I have longer legs than V. She made it though, and we were soon over the bridge and into the field, trying to pick up on our route.

We hit a farm track, and tried and work out where we were. There was supposed to be a willow tree, but I couldn't see one. Finally, we had to trust to our sense of direction and decide which track to follow, just because it 'felt right'. Thankfully, it was right, and we eventually found our way back to somewhere we recognised.

While all of this was going on, we were getting hungrier, as we hadn't had the traditional coffee stop before we set off. So it was two very hungry and thirsty people who hit the pub just before two o'clock.

You can't say our walks aren't different!