Gone Walking: Recent Episodes
Gareth Walker
is a podcast. Journeys in word and sound. In each episode Gareth Walker goes for walks in the countryside and town. Throughout life we face obstacles some, beyond our control. Others caused by inner doubts and demons. Where does resilience come from? For one man, for as long as he can remember, it has been from the simple act of going for a walk. This process of walking, talking and writing reflect him coming to terms, finding well being and empowerment. Life he believes is about the journey, the choices we make along the way, not the destination. Join him navigating his way from day to day.
In today's episode I take a walk around Temple Newsam Park in the East of Leeds. This Tudor Jacobean house and estate was privately owned until the 1920's when it came into the ownership of the city council. There are miles of footpaths around the estates gardens, parkland and woods. It is a place that has been a part of my life since childhood and I return there often to walk alone, with friends or my dogs. In the busy period just before Christmas it seemed like a good time to take the podcast there. I'm sure there will be times in the future when we return to explore the park again, maybe in a different season. I talk about ancient trees, childhood memories and introduce my new dog to a place I have visited often with former canine pals.
I make it finally to Golden Acre Park in north west Leeds. I am travelling anti clockwise around the outskirts of the city and have now completed the first main section of about eighteen miles from Garforth in the east to the park. In this short section I walk from the village of Eccup, passed the reservoir of the same name. Along the edge of the Harewood Estate and through a local nature reserve to the park. I see a Fox but can't hear it and hear a helicopter but can't see it (due to thick cloud). Along the way I talk about TV soaps, ghosts, dogs, tea and an awful lot about the weather. A pleasant walk on a pleasant day as autumn draws to a close.
A walk that involves some rail travel is always a bonus for me. Today I walk from Woodlesford Lock on the outskirts of Leeds all the way to Leeds city centre. Here in the lower Aire valley river, canal and railway run side by side. I walk into the city alongside the Aire and Calder Navigation Canal and River Aire. I return to my start by train on the Leeds to Sheffield line. The walk goes from rural to urban with industrial and post industrial landscapes in between. Along the way I talk about motorways, service stations, water taxis, footbridges, trams and find myself following my ancestors migration route into Leeds.
I head out for the day without a plan. I eventually find myself around the woodland, fields and lanes on the outskirts of the small market town of Knaresborough. Autumn has now taken a hold and the woodland scenery I come across is beautiful. We encounter the River Nidd for the first time on the podcast and walk along its south bank for a while. I find myself growing increasingly excited to visit on my walk a garden called Plumpton Rocks. It has been described as 'the finest 18th century garden in Britain, thirty acres of parkland with tranquil lakeside walks'. Turned out it was closed on the day I visited! It was a grand day out in an area I haven't visited much before, I will be back. I talk of cats eyes, military helicopters, ferns, trespassing and say delightful quite a lot!
I spend a nice Autumn day exploring Allerthorpe Common in the heart of the Vale of York. A mix of woodland and field paths. I pass through the village of Allerthorpe and then spend some time in the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Reserve of the same name. There are lovely mature Oaks, rare heathland, and I find myself waxing lyrical about Yorkshire!
A nice walk through the grounds and beautiful woodland of the Harewood Estate, north of Leeds. I get as far as the small village of Eccup and return to my start point following a short section of the Ebor Way through more of Harewood's stunning woodland. The autumn weather seems to be setting in with the day being mainly being wet and grey. There was plenty to brighten things though with the lovely autumn colours. I became ill on the walk, passed the set of the TV programme 'Emmerdale', negotiated a busy country lane and found myself in watery wonderland. I've come this far, I'm determined now to reach the end of this walk around Leeds!
A visit to Tadcaster takes me north of the town onto the banks of the River Wharfe. A lovely early autumn walk takes me passed the village of Newton Kyme before I reach the outskirts of Boston Spa. Crossing a disused railway bridge. I return to the famous brewing town along the opposite bank. A dreamy morning and early afternoon wandering by this meandering waterway along lanes, through fields and woodland.
A pleasant circular walk connecting with a few more miles of the Leeds Country Way taking me as far as the Harewood Estate on the northern edge of Leeds. The walk goes through the estate woodland to the village of Harewood. From there a pleasant track leads down to the River Wharfe , this section follows the Ebor Way. From the river I head uphill and across rolling countryside to the point I reached on my last trip out on the Lees Country Way. Another few miles ticked off as I make my way towards my start point. There are pleasant woodlands, fabulous views, riverside paths and another rainy day!
Continuing my exploration of the Leeds Country way I spend some time exploring Hetchell Woods Nature reserve before picking up the Way again in Bardsey. I had intended to reach the Harewood Estate but didn't quite make it. The heavy rain and a fitness level not quite up to scratch brought the day to an close. Beautiful woodland, hidden paths, acorns, apples and rain were some of the highlights.
An unexpected ramble along familiar paths around Ledsham and the RSPB reserve at Fairburn Ings. Two nature reserves, and a 1200 year old church that was open for a moment of quiet reflection. A damp morning stroll in that quiet time of summer appreciating the flowers and insects along the way.
Continuing my walk around the Leeds Country Way I make my way across Thorner Moor to the village that bears its name. Following ancient routes that once linked our towns and villages. I see an Anglo Saxon Church, the disused Crossgates to Wetherby railways the beautiful nature reserve at Hetchell Woods.Starting from Barwick in Elmet and walking the few miles to Thorner. Not much progress along the LCW but a bracing walk packed with interest and long sections of lovely woodland walking from Bardsey to the outskirts of Bramham Park.
A linear walk linking two nature reserves that are run by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Leaving the side of the old Al, the walk drops downhill through Ledsham Bank Nature reserve to the village of Ledsham. The route then goes through fields and lanes to a small settlement on the edge of Leeds at Ledston Luck. This is the site of a former coal mine and land associated with the pit has now been transformed into a nature reserve. The return is the reverse of the route out except for a small diversion into a Woodland Trust wood still at Ledston Luck. Distant views East and West across the county, roman roads and the oldest building in West Yorkshire are just some of the highlights.
A short walk around the perimeter of St Aidans RSPB Reserve just south of Leeds. The site was previously an opencast coal mine and derelict for many years after it flooded. In recent years it has been taken over by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and has been transformed into a wonderful nature reserve. River, Canal and Railway follow the valley floor. The flooded mine alongside them is now a home for nature. On the day of the recording the wind gradually increased as it came off the Pennine Hills and was funneled into the valley. I hope that there is still a feel for the tension, excitement and cacophony of noise that can be a spring day in such places.
Today I continue my walk around the Leeds Country Way. Starting from Barwick in Elmet and walking the few miles to Thorner. This area is close to built up areas of East Leeds but passes through lovely countryside. I spend a while little exploring the rich and varied history of Barwick before exploring fields paths, tracks and beautiful woodland in the area. An iron age settlement, a Norman Castle, World War 2 observation post, bluebells steal the show. A far off glimpse of the Hambleton Hills, a disused railway, and a wander through an ecologically friendly farm.
In this episode I re-join the Cleveland Way near to Rievaulx Bridge for my second day walking it. I walk steadily uphill through Nettle Dale and Flassen Dale. Going from the valley of the River Rye to the top of Sutton Bank. An ancient horse racing track, empty moorland roads, pretty villages and isolated valleys. At Sutton Bank the walk meets the escarpment of the Hambleton Hills and further North the Cleveland Hills. There are some stunning views to come across the open countryside to the East of the hills. In the next episode I will explore the area around Sutton Bank before starting the journey North and West towards the sea.
In this episode I begin my walk around the Leeds Country Way. A 62 mile circular walk around the periphery of Leeds. The path is often in open countryside and said to be never more than 7 miles from City Square in the centre. I begin at the large suburb of Garforth and walk to the pleasant village of Barwick in Elmet. At first there are busy roads and urban development. These soon give way to lovely lanes, field paths and woodland. We walk through an ancient kingdom, here of tragedy in World War 1 and at Barwick find one of the biggest maypoles in the country down for restoration.
In this episode I embark upon the Cleveland Way, a 110 mile horseshoe shaped walk from Helmsley to Filey in North Yorkshire. It may take some time as I plan to do it as a series of circular day walks. I begin in the pleasant market town of Helmsley, following the Way to just beyond Rievaulx Abbey where I take a less trodden route back. Pristine waterways, wildflowers, ancient woodland and spring dominate this splendid day.
An exploration of the fields and lanes near the village of Aberford in West Yorkshire. Starting near the old chapel of St Mary, Lead, walking to Hazelwood Castle, then skirting the A1(M) before heading back to the start point. Woodland, wildlife, ancient earthworks and giant Yorkshire Puddings!
A saunter over the moorland between Greenhow and Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Skirting the shores of Grimwith Reservoir, reaching a high point on Nursery Knott, then following ancient moorland lanes to the valley of Skyreholme Beck. The highlight of the walk is a climb up the stunning limestone ravine of Trollers Ghyll.
A walk from Bolton Percy in North Yorkshire to the nearby village of Appleton Roebuck. Fields, lanes and briefly along the banks River Wharfe. An ancient church, planes, trains and a nature reserve.
A visit to the East Riding of Yorkshire where two rivers meet. A walk out along the Ouse and then back by the Derwent. Riverbank, fields, spring flowers and a disused railway.
A hike around the low hills of the Eastern Pennines between Harrogate and Otley. Taking in Norwood Edge, high above the Washburn Valley. Fields, lanes, forests, Millstone Grit outcrops and Bronze Age rock art.
(The first ten episodes of my podcast are snippets of sound. During the summer of 2021 I began to develop an interest in making sound recordings while on my walks. There is no speech in the episodes and they are quite short. I have included them mostly as they bring back pleasant memories for me of nice days out). I decided late in the afternoon to head out for a walk around a local nature reserve. An impressive murmation of Starlings can often be seen there in winter. The site is a reclaimed open caste coal mine, close to towns and cities. We waited but the starlings on this occasion went elsewhere to sleep. It was though lovely on the last day of the year to sit in nature and watch the sun set. What a wonderful waste of time! I'm not a fan of New Years Eve but this one turned out OK. I saw the sun come up while out with my dogs on the Vale of York. Later I watched it go down over the River Aire near Castleford. On this second occasion I had been visiting a local nature reserve. I walked back to my car along a wooded, watery area called Lin Dyke. By now it was pitch dark and I hoped to hear record some sounds of the night. A firework display in the nearby village was all I managed and solitary rockets going off in the nearby town.
(The first ten episodes of my podcast are snippets of sound. During the summer of 2021 I began to develop an interest in making sound recordings while on my walks. There is no speech in the episodes and they are quite short. I have included them mostly as they bring back pleasant memories for me of nice days out). I recently visited a nature reserve at Lammassaari in Finland. There are islands which are linked to the mainland by walkways through areas of reed beds. The reeds are above head height and quite beautiful as they move in the wind. The sound of it wind blowing through and against the reed is constant. This really is a beautiful place, almost in the heart of the city. I used the number 6 tram from the city centre to reach the start of the trail. Travelling back I sat near the part of the tram that pivots and lost myself in the sounds of the journey. Scrapes and bangs of the tram on its track. The doors opening and closing at each stop with the hustle and bustle of passengers. At one stop two elderly men got on and talked in loud voices, unusual for the normally quiet Finnish public transport. Soon their voices were lost as we reached the heart of this bustling capital.
(The first ten episodes of my podcast are snippets of sound. During the summer of 2021 I began to develop an interest in making sound recordings while on my walks. There is no speech in the episodes and they are quite short. I have included them mostly as they bring back pleasant memories for me of nice days out). I recently had a holiday in Finland. The area I stayed had been forest until fairly recently. Now it's almost all modern offices, shops and apartments. An area of woodland still exists near Tikkurila railway station. It was almost dark and as I passed. I was stopped in my tracks. Hundreds of crows were settling to roost for the night. It was an impressive sight and sound. I've not really experienced anything like it, not in a city. It was so loud, like a concert hall where everyone decides to talk at the same time. All quite Hitchcock!
(The first ten episodes of my podcast are snippets of sound. During the summer of 2021 I began to develop an interest in making sound recordings while on my walks. There is no speech in the episodes and they are quite short. I have included them mostly as they bring back pleasant memories for me of nice days out). With only enough time for a short walk I went nice and early to Barlow Common Nature Reserve in North Yorkshire for a little wander. Rather pleasant it was too. Before setting off home I had a coffee in the car park. There were no other cars or people. I was alone, well almost! There were so many birds in the trees around me all singing, calling and squawking. I wonder if it is just a human trait that we feel alone when in fact we're not. With birds, insect and probably mammals too I was surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of lifeforms.
(The first ten episodes of my podcast are snippets of sound. During the summer of 2021 I began to develop an interest in making sound recordings while on my walks. There is no speech in the episodes and they are quite short. I have included them mostly as they bring back pleasant memories for me of nice days out). In recent years, in the summer months I've got into the habit of going out walking with my dog early in the morning. Today I discovered as the year rolls swiftly on that it was still dark when I left home at my usual time. Twilight when I reached the woods just after 6.00am. It was delightful and I heard an owl quite a way off. I find hearing these birds quite thrilling as I've not heard them often in my life.
(The first ten episodes of my podcast are snippets of sound. During the summer of 2021 I began to develop an interest in making sound recordings while on my walks. There is no speech in the episodes and they are quite short. I have included them mostly as they bring back pleasant memories for me of nice days out). The path on this walk around fields near Bolton Percy took me alongside the York to Leeds railway. Not far is the bridge over the River Wharfe and on the opposite bank the station at Ulleskelf. I saw a small Cesna type plane in the distance. Shortly afterwards a yellow maintenance train came by. The noise from the plane faded in then out as it passed overhead. Then the train as if orchestrated took its turn. All against the backdrop of a gently flowing river and birdsong. I was in the area as I had read that a World War Two Spitfire was based all week at the nearby airfiled. The field is now privately owned but was formerly RAF Church Fenton. The plane now provides rides for enthusiasts and presumably the rich and famous given the prices. I was happy to spend the afternoon walking through fields with this iconic plane coming and going. The noise was so distinctive, I felt thrilled to hear it. As if a moment in time was being preserved for my benefit. As I walked, I talked with a fellow hiker who said a woman in the village was a child during the war. She remembered playing near the airfield and seeing row upon row of the planes parked. It was a good day.
(The first ten episodes of my podcast are snippets of sound. During the summer of 2021 I began to develop an interest in making sound recordings while on my walks. There is no speech in the episodes and they are quite short. I have included them mostly as they bring back pleasant memories for me of nice days out). I was on a walk in the Yorkshire Wolds, a rather splendid one. I had visited several of the dry chalk valleys, the village of Thixendale and the abandoned medieval village of Wharram Percy. My day out was drawing to a close when I popped into the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve next to the disused railway. There is a chalk cliff and large flat area that has all been left to return to the wild. It is mostly grass and scrub with a few apple trees. I was tired and sat down propping myself against the cliff. It was delightful, one of the quietest places I've ever been. There was noise, a passing tractor, a distant plane. In the quiet moment though it was perfectly still and silent. When the only sound I could hear was that of insects and birds. I think I shall always remember that moment.
(The first ten episodes of my podcast are snippets of sound. During the summer of 2021 I began to develop an interest in making sound recordings while on my walks. There is no speech in the episodes and they are quite short. I have included them mostly as they bring back pleasant memories for me of nice days out). I grew up not far from the River Aire in Leeds. It was a place often of high adventure. Old building, islands, tunnels and mile after mile of riverbank. I stood for a while on a Sunday morning stroll around the city. Listening to the river, reminiscing about my childhood. It was a dirty, dangerous place to be in the 1960's. Now it is all apartments and hotels with riverside walks. The geography is still the same. The River Aire flowing gently through the city until it meets the weir. An island, a lock and Clarence Dock on the opposite bank. Nearest to me though the loud, harsh noise of water flowing fast. A little like a louder version of the white noise that comes from an untuned television. Leeds really has changed I realised. As I climbed the steps to take me away from the river I saw fig trees planted by the waters edge!
(The first ten episodes of my podcast are snippets of sound. During the summer of 2021 I began to develop an interest in making sound recordings while on my walks. There is no speech in the episodes and they are quite short. I have included them mostly as they bring back pleasant memories for me of nice days out). During the lighter months of the year I often take early strolls in woodland. I will leave home around five thirty and be at the woods for five forty five. In late summer 2021 I was at Bishop Wood near Selby the morning after it had rained all night. The woods were warm and saturated. The dripping water was falling from the trees where I first paused to listen to the silence near to a group of Oaks. I then paused in a forest clearing, it was so peaceful. Lastly I waited near a favourite Beech tree in the middle of the wood. It's a lovely spot to watch the sunrise! On this occasion I just leaned against a tree, closed my eyes and breathed in the wonderful atmosphere.
(The first ten episodes of my podcast are snippets of sound. During the summer of 2021 I began to develop an interest in making sound recordings while on my walks. There is no speech in the episodes and they are quite short. I have included them mostly as they bring back pleasant memories for me of nice days out). There's a small nature reserve owned by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust in the disused yard of Bolton Percy Railway Station. I visited at the end of a walk in the late summer of 2021. I sat on the ground surrounded by wild flowers and insects buzzing around me. I wondered whether I should begin to write about my time in the countryside the idea was then in the early stages of development. I made a few notes though and recorded some sounds on my phone as a reminder in case I decided to go ahead with the idea. The village church bell was ringing, a lone bell rhythmically sounding out its call. I had seen a wedding car as I passed through the village I think a wedding taking place. Children were practicing cricket at the local club. Large dark clouds were moving from the south towards me, a storm was brewing. Soon there were rumbles of thunder and shouts of excitement from the children as they ran to the pavilion. Soon the downpour came and I headed back to the village and the shelter of my car. Soaked but rather content with my afternoon wander.