Of Swaledale, James Herriot wrote: "On the empty moors, with the curlews crying, I have been able to find peace and tranquillity. It is a land of pure air, rocky streams and hidden waterfalls.”
Richmond is full of great walks. There are walks that allow for socialising and chatter with friends; walks that exercise bits of us that we only remember when they ache the next day; walks that entertain and exhaust summer holiday children (which makes them very important indeed for parents, grandparents and carers); and walks that simply invigorate the soul.
The gentle stroll to Easby Abbey via The Station with its café, shop and ice cream parlour presents a good option for the first type of walk. The meander around the Castle Walk and an exploration of Richmond’s wynds and lanes falls into this group too, as does a peaceful wander along Westfields (once you get up the hill, that is).
Then there’s the somewhat more challenging walk to Round Howe, which you might feel by the evening (and certainly by the morning); a walk to Whitcliffe Scar and Willance’s Leap (that of the now legendary dead horse incident), will have a similar effect.
Then there’s the Richmond Racecourse Walk. Great for socialising, equally good for stretching muscles, joints and bones, and a fabulous spot for exercising dogs and exhausting children (and vice versa).
Of course, those who enjoy that aching feeling brought on by taking the hard way can choose to access the Racecourse via Hurgill Road or Barrack Hill. Either way, there’s a great big, very steep hill to climb. (Your dog won’t thank you. Don’t say you weren’t warned.)
But when you do get up there - to what is the top of the world here - it’s then that you understand what Herriot means.
Look up the hill slightly and you’ll see Beacon Hill - 1,047ft above sea level; the highest point above Richmond, the location was used for sending messages in days gone by. Sweeping anti-clockwise, Swaledale opens up and the panoramic view leads the eye right over into the heart of Swaledale. You’ll then see Catterick Garrison (look for Phoenix House on the hillside), before the Vale of York comes into view to the south-east (and yes, you can see the towers of York Minster forty miles away – on a very clear day). Turning further, you’ll see right over the flatlands towards the North Yorks Moors before a further turn brings the Cleveland Hills and Teesside into view. In 1934, those chroniclers of the Dales, Ella Pontefract and Marie Hartley, wrote that it was possible to see Hartlepool Church tower from the Racecourse. (A strong case of knowing just where to look for that.)
Having done the Wow! factor, then there’s Richmond Racecourse itself – and well, where to start?
There’s been horseracing in Richmond since at least 1512 with racing on High Moor until 1765, when it moved to its current location on Low Moor. (No one seems to know where High Moor race course actually was but maybe you could see as far as Lincoln Cathedral from there!). The incredible stand, designed in 1777 by John Carr (of Harewood House fame), stands as a eulogy to a bygone age of Georgian opulence, though time and vegetation has now taken over (with extra thanks to the pilfering of stonework).
The former race track is now a narrow circuitous footpath, full of wildlife and fauna, with plenty for children to eye-spy. Hide and seek opportunities abound in the hillocks that punctuate the landscape, which is very useful for burning off that extra energy.
Not that the sounds of children and dogs will interrupt the peace – there’s enough open space, pure air and towering sky above for tranquillity to reign. A certain stillness pervades, only interrupted by the weather.
And most certainly not should the ever-changing weather put anyone off a walk around Richmond. Remember the words of the Big Yin: ‘I hate all those weathermen, too, who tell you that rain is bad weather. There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing.’ (Billy Connolly)