W1: A Linear Walk from Castle Bolton to Richmond Castle
Leave Station car park 9.15am. We will transfer to our start point at Castle Bolton by private bus, the charge for which is included in the ticket price. 15 miles. Hard. £12
Following the success of this walk in 2021, we are bringing it back for 2025. The walk links two noble castles situated in neighbouring dales. A bus will take us to the imposing Bolton Castle where we head up onto open moorland that once rang with the sounds of lead mining but today the cry of lapwings, curlew and grouse greet us. As we descend into Swaledale we enjoy splendid views of Reeth nestling under Calver Hill. We take the Coast-to-Coast route, now designated as a National Trail, back to Richmond following the River Swale as it flows through meadows and woods, past a priory and smelt mill to our destination of Richmond Castle. Expect to return to Richmond around 5.30pm.
W2: Visit to Altberg Factory and walk to Willance’s Leap
Meet at Altberg Factory Shop, 2B Racecourse Road, Gallowfields Trading Estate DL10 4TG ( What3Words: ///wound.rinsed.clerk) at 10.00am. 6.5 Miles. Moderate. £7
Our traditional “Start of Festival” event is a good way to get to know one of the most popular short walks from Richmond, with the added interest of a visit to Altberg, the last remaining boot manufacturer in England. We will start the day at the factory to see how the boots are designed and made - for walking, the army and biking. There’s time for a cup of tea and a look round the excellent factory shop before a walk along Whitcliffe Scar, with great views over lower Swaledale, to hear about the famous but gruesome legend of Willance’s Leap.
Supported by: Altberg
E2: Bookbinding Workshop
The Station, Richmond, DL10 4LD | 10.00am to 1.00pm | £60 including materials | Café, bookstall, disabled access
Learn the art of bookbinding in this hands-on workshop. Have you ever wondered how fine and antiquarian books were made? The art and craft of book making dates back over two thousand years, but whether that’s works from ancient China, Japanese designs, the rich tradition of Islamic bookbinding, or the leather-bound volumes of stately-home libraries, the principles are similar: papers are sewn together and secured within a protective, often decorated, casing. In this workshop led by local bookbinder, Delphine Ruston, see for yourself how books start life by making two books of your own to take away – a 3-hole pamphlet (or chap book), and a single-section, hardback notebook. With a few materials, tools and simple skills, you can make attractive books to put to whatever use you wish.
E3: Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary Queen of Scots - Jade Scott
Richmond Town Hall, DL10 4QL| 4.00pm | £10 | Refreshments, bookstall, disabled access
For almost two decades before her execution at Fotheringhay Castle in 1587, Mary Queen of Scots was a prisoner. From her chambers, she wrote countless letters, many encrypted using complex ciphers to prevent her communications from being intercepted. In this way, she used language to exert her will and influence events.
Jade Scott, a historian and expert on Mary’s correspondence, explores the hundreds of letters Mary sent during her prison years to reveal how she navigated surveillance and suspicion. In Captive Queen she interrogates Mary’s complex relationships with friends and enemies throughout her long imprisonment, illuminating her strategic expertise, and bringing Mary’s captivity to life like never before.
E4: Teach the People: What we don’t know about China, and what they know about us - Tim Clissold
Richmond Town Hall, DL10 4QL| 7.30pm | £10 | Refreshments, bookstall, disabled access
Britain faces a deep contradiction on China; on one side, a security risk; on the other, enormous opportunities. The problem is that we don’t have the expertise to differentiate between the two or cope effectively with either. Each year, only three hundred UK students graduate in Chinese. Meanwhile, in China, millions are studying English. In two decades, their economy has grown to six times the size of ours. They know more about us than we know about them and that gives them a competitive advantage.
Tim Clissold lived in China for 25 years and has published four books on China and Chinese culture. His latest, Teach the People, tackles our ignorance about this global titan. Tim will be interviewed by Austin Lynch.