Roberts Rambles 11

Time to hit the trail again, shame to waste all of this good weather. Mrs Fox had other arrangements so a solo expedition was planned to take in my next four Trig Points around Beverley, East Yorkshire.

Just over an hours drive found me trying to find a place to park on the busiest road I've ever seen.... A very steep hill on the B1230 which I know very well from days gone by when my Honda 50 struggled up it many times on our way to the coast at the weekends. Back in the sixties you were lucky if you saw one car an hour, but today, it was one endless stream of lorries, caravans and cars. I diced with death several times as I slowed down and tried to find a place to park, only to be beeped at by some great quarry lorry tailgating me.

After several drive past's I chose what looked like a good spot and shot in head first, the only problem now was to turn the car round because it would be suicide to try and reverse out onto that road. I'm sure the farmer won't miss a few crops....
I was perhaps a few hundred yards from the 'Wolds Way Walk' which would lead me to the trig point at 'High Hunsley' the walk down the side of that road had my heart in mouth, it was pounding in my chest, and I was having to leap onto a small and very overgrown verge to avoid oncoming traffic every ten seconds.

I bet some drivers had a right laugh watching some old guy in shorts carrying a rucksack playing cat and mouse with the traffic. Anyway, I survived the road and was soon in the peace and tranquility of the country, what a relief, no way was I going back that way. A nice warm day without a breath of wind and such a good path alongside a high hedgerow to my right, and an oil seed rape field in full splendour to my left, all the world's problems just melted away. No covid here......

It was so overgrown with nettles and weeds I didn't spot the trig point until I was almost on top of it. Slightly off the main path and a few hundred yards down the side of a ploughed field I went to work tramping down the nettles......There were casualties....



It was very difficult to find a way in.....I did my best under the circumstances and a very prickly Hawthorn bush....



Driving out to my second trig was a pleasure, deserted undulating country roads offering some spectacular scenery. I soon happened upon a good parking place, and still part of the 'Wolds Way Walk' I'm actually thinking of ways to do this walk in it's entirety. More about that later....
A steep hill out of a valley led me to the next trig, but the higher I walked, the better was the scenery. These fellers were not on my map......



At the top of the hill I found what I was looking for, not as overgrown as the last one but you could cut the silence with a knife. I was reluctant to leave this place and had to pause for quite a while....Not necessarily to get my breath back after the steep climb...Honest...



Easier going down.....The path back to the car....



I wandered around an overgrown field side looking for the next with no success, I later discovered it was hidden in the undergrowth at the side of another very busy road. I guessed that's where it might have been, but with nettles and brambles it would have been impossible to access it five hundred yards along the verge, especially with traffic thundering past, so I will return, perhaps in October when the foliage has died back a bit....I couldn't even spot it from the car as I drove slowly past, much to the annoyance of the queue behind me...

So it was on to the last one...I was getting hungry now and as I drove past a village shop and post office I decided to call in. After all, a mars bar is better than nothing. So it was full of delight when the chap produced a large ham salad sandwich and a cup of Yorkshire Tea...I threw a mars bar in for good measure.....

Also sighted on a very busy main road but this one was easy. I spotted it as I was driving up the steep hill by the side of an enormous radio mast. There was a brilliant large layby to park in, so just a quick jaunt along a good track and there it was. It was a depressing sight, desolate, despairing and uncared for, and it looked like it had been struck by a tractor and was leaning to one side.....I doubt it will still be here the next time I pass this way.....

Re: Roberts Rambles 11

You are an intrepid explorer young man, and an excellent narrator.

Just one question; do you use a tripod to take the selfies?

Re: Roberts Rambles 11

Oooh I'm really getting into this challenge, Foxy, and rooting for you all the way! Those poor nettles though

Re: Roberts Rambles 11

That was quite an achievement today Bob, well done and I hope those legs weren't stung too much from the nettles.

Looking forward to the next Trig Point Challenge...

Re: Roberts Rambles 11

I think he uses a camera Fruitcake.

Re: Roberts Rambles 11

Ah, thanks for that. I thought it was a little Imp inside a box with a paintbrush, pallet, and canvas.

Re: Roberts Rambles 11

Thanks Fruitcake, yes it's just a small tripod that sometimes doesn't sit higher than the foliage, I've been thinking about carrying something a bit taller in future. Something similar to a shooting stick if you pardon the pun....

Re: Roberts Rambles 11

Thanks Pixie, yes the nettles are quite a problem this time of year, however, my next outing could be in the North Yorks Moors, and no nettles, just heather and snakes.....

Re: Roberts Rambles 11

Thanks Mags, I think I'm getting immune to the nettle stings now.... I'll be looking to do some climbing on the next outing, so not so much undergrowth on them thar hills...

Re: Roberts Rambles 11

I wish I could draw as well as Wainwright used to do, he wrote some fascinating travel books with illustrations Peripheral...