Memorable Malham

 Wednesday 24th July 2024.                Memorable Malham

It would be a group of seven of the Lads that took on the challenge of exploring one of the spectacles of Malham, a rural village nestled in the splendid countryside of North Yorkshire. Their objective was the scenic setting of Janet’s Foss,  a location not far from the heart of the village. It would be a journey of both train and bus before John, Colin, Brian, Malcolm, Mark, Derek and Dave would arrive at the bus stop in Malham just outside The Buck Inn. They thanked the minibus driver for delivering them safely as the roads leading to this rural spot can be somewhat daunting at times. A few moments familiarising their whereabouts and then their expedition began, the time was now almost 10:40.

The pathway leading to Janet’s Foss was soon located and with a signpost indicating it was 1 mile to their objective it was best foot forward, they soon found themselves in open countryside with splendid views of this locality, meadow upon meadow of grazing sheep with the odd few cows thrown in, clumps of ageing woodland and wildflowers by the side of the running stream, what a delightful place to be , here in this part of Yorkshire. 

As we ambled along without a so called care in the world, we suddenly realised how peaceful it was , only being interrupted with the odd birdsong and bleating sheep, plus the occasional burst of laughter from us lot. A few nods of the head and  helpful guides as we negotiate the many wishing gates along our way , leading to conversations with complete strangers all on our way to Janet’s Foss. The last few yards of our journey there proving a little difficult for some of us to negotiate, slippery rocks and tree roots on a uphill climb, nevertheless we all safely reach our target, a picturesque waterfall setting with a small pool surrounded by a woodland glade, quite a few others had taken this journey also and were enjoying its beauty.

We spent a short time here resting and admiring its charm before heading a little further up the rocky pathway towards our lunchtime destination, that of a picnic bench set beside a sandwich van ideally parked in a roadside lay-by. Some of the Lads purchasing food items from this said van before setting up residence on the bench etc.

John in the meantime, feeling a little more energetic went in search of Gordale Scar, supposedly half a mile further along the pathway. He returned some twenty minutes later to inform us of what he had discovered, another waterfall at the end of a vast cavernous rocky escarpment.

 

Should we consider this extension to our experience or not! With time being an important issue we decided it would be better to give this a miss on this occasion, instead we considered whether we returned to Malham village by the way we came or instead by the roadway connection. After much deliberation it was by the roadway journey we would return.

This proving somewhat taxing at the onset, a rather difficult uphill struggle at first to say the least, some ten minutes later we reached more level ground and a steady descent on towards the village, this roadway was very narrow at certain points with vehicles taking extra care when passing one another, we had to take refuge on the grass verges.We seemed to reach the village sooner than expected, so some time was spent enjoying our choice of Ice Cream whilst sat at a bench situated outside the Lister Arms public house. As per usual our thoughts now turned to railway timetables and what future arrangements can be put in place as to how we reach those destinations etc. Now with the time approaching ten past one we slowly made our way to the bus stop in order to catch our returning ride back to Skipton and then back towards Leeds by train.

Our bus journey from Malham back to Skipton was as frantic as the outward journey but at least we got to singalong with music coming from the drivers radio much to the delight of everyone on board. We only had a few minutes to spare as we leapt off the bus and quickly made our way to the waiting train. John leaving the train at Bingley, followed by Mark at Shipley the rest of us continued on to Leeds and then taking our respective homeward journeys.

Upon reflection today’s adventure was full of thrills and spills interspersed with endless enjoyment and fortitude in overcoming what lay before us, great things can be achieved if you try.

Cheers Everyone