W21: Buckden Pike
Leave Station car park at 9.00am. Start Buckden National Park Car Park (Charge £5.50/day). (GR: SD 942 772, What3Words: ///sports.unhelpful.outreach) at 10:00am. 9 miles, 1700 feet of climbing. Hard. £7
Buckden Pike (702 m) is the iconic mountain at the top of Wharfedale. We ascend from the south-west using the old miners’ route, passing the lead mine entrance and ruined buildings. From the summit, on a clear day, we will get good views of the Yorkshire 3 peaks and other recognisable Dales’ mountains. We descend on the new gravelled path to reach the hamlet of Cray. Then it’s east along the Limestone Pavement under Yokenthwaite Moor to pretty Hubberholme and back along the Wharfe to Buckden.
W22: Arkengarthdale and the Heggs-Castle Renaturing Project - Discovery Walk
Leave Station car park 9.30am. Start at parking opposite Reeth School DL11 6SP (GR: SE 034 992, What3Words: ///inert.holidays.roadblock) at 10.00am. 8 Miles. Moderate. £7
Following an early sell out in 2024 we repeat this opportunity to take part in a guided tour led by of the one of the landowners of the Heggs-Castle renaturing project. The project is a 200-acre collaborative scheme by 3 landowners to increase biodiversity and to develop a natural method of flood management. Starting from Reeth we walk up the beautiful valley of Arkengarthdale to Heggs Farm to begin the tour. Afterwards the route continues north, crossing the beck to the largely lost hamlet of Arkle Town, and highlighting two further renaturing sites. We make a steady climb up Calver Hill (487m) to enjoy the views of the Swale and Arkle valleys before descending back to Reeth.
Supported by: The Heggs-Castle Renaturing Project
T3: Richmond Town Guided Walk
Meet outside the Town Hall at 2.15pm. Free, just turn up on the day. Donations to Richmondshire Museum most welcome.
This walk around the central area of Richmond lasts for between one hour and one and a half hours and remains on level ground, as far as is possible in Richmond!
E18: 165 days – Prisoner of the Taliban - Asad Qureshi
Catterick Library, DL9 3EL | 4.30pm | £10 | Bookstall, disabled access
Asad Qureshi, a filmmaker and writer, works in dangerous places. When he sets off to interview Taliban commanders, he finds himself on the wrong side of the camera with a gun to his head and a ten million dollar ransom. 165 Days - Prisoner of the Taliban is his compelling account of his captivity. The emotional turmoil endured by those on the outside battling to save his life: his parents in failing health, a stoical brother facing down the terrorists. This is a haunting story of fear, loss, hope and the strength of the human spirit. The book offers unique behind-the-scenes insights into the workings of a notorious paramilitary network. Above all, it provides a stark reminder of the privilege of freedom.
E19: You Can Choose your Friends but not Your Families - Marina Kemp and Joanna Howat in conversation
Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, DL10 4DW| 7.30pm | £10 | From www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk | Bar, bookstall, disabled access
Why do families make such fertile ground for fiction? Novelists Marina Kemp and Joanna Howat will meet to discuss the joys and challenges of bringing a family to life in their work. Acclaimed author Marina Kemp will discuss her second novel, The Unwilding, a stunning literary work about power, desire, and family secrets. Described as ‘powerfully compelling’ by the Guardian and ‘subtle, complex and ambitious’ by The Times. Marina has been shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer and Times Breakthrough Artist Awards, and the Pat Kavanagh Prize. In conversation with Marina will be North Yorkshire-based author, Joanna Howat. Joanna is a former BBC journalist who lives near Bedale. Her debut novel, Crescendo, is a darkly funny literary tale of loss, redemption and complex family dynamics. Crescendo has been described as ‘this beautiful, intricately-woven novel will echo in your heart long after you turn the last page’.