We couldn't have asked for a better day and a more spectacular location to host our free day of walks exploring Great Asby. David Evans, Scheme manager said:

"For once the sun shone a little too strongly on Saturday 17^th July but although Asby Gill upstream was bone dry St. Helens Well in Great Asby village centre still flowed, as did refreshments at the Three Greyhounds. And despite the heat, plenty still enjoyed a variety of walks in and around Great Asby as part of the Westmorland Dales series of summer heritage walks.

"Local historian and Westmorland Dales volunteer Keith Cooper led a couple of the walks ably assisted by Penny. In the morning Keith led a gentle walk around the village looking at buildings and other features revealing its medieval village-scape and more recent history. In the afternoon he explored beyond the village through its medieval field system up to the Romano-British settlement on Holborn Hill, and back by Asby Gill.

Meanwhile I led a longer walk in the afternoon past the kettle holes of Asby Gill and past Pate Hole Mouth, the entrance to the only known cave in the Westmorland Dales, out to the former monastic granges at Grange Hall and Asby Grange, once part of Byland Abbey’s estate. And Amanda took the opportunity to talk to local people about how the village’s rich heritage could be interpreted for all to enjoy.

Pictures from a glorious day at Great Asby on Saturday 17th July. (Click on the image to view pictures from the day in our Facebook gallery)
 
"Finally it’s worth noting that on a day when much of the Lake District was over-run with visitors this quiet area of the Yorkshire Dales was a haven of peace. Great Asby is popular with discerning cyclists but we didn’t see a soul on our walks".