Up the Chevin

Today we conquered the Chevin. It's a giant hill which separates Otley from Yeadon, and a steep one at that. Local legend has it that boxers use the hill to train by running up and down regularly. We started at the top as we woke up in Yeadon, and it was actually pelting it down with rain at the time. However, it was the only way that I was going to get fed that day, so onward we went. At the very top is Jenny’s cottage which was once a small pub which sold refreshments and even in the winter draymen used to roll barrels of beer across the hill. Nowadays it’s less of a holiday point and business has declined and the pub torn down. There is a new pub behind it, but you can't see the views as it’s built further back on the hill. We counted over two hundred steps as we made the descent into Otley, but only 180 on the way back up. Still, at least the rain had stopped on the return journey so that we were able to appreciate the views.