Beamsley Beacon

Our walk headed south back towards Ilkley, but not before climbing a mound up to Beamsley Beacon. This hill is the highest point in the Lower Wharfdale area, at 1299 feet. You can certainly get a good view of the rolling hills and surrounding villages; and it proves once and for all that Yorkshire is indeed God’s country. This would have been a great stop for a picnic; but it was also less sheltered and meant that the rest of the walk would have had an anti-climax. After pausing for photographs our descent involved a lot of rocky steps, and my friend’s vertigo started to kick in which meant that we started to lag behind. Once we’d reached the bottom we began to walk back round the hill, but the heavens opened and we got hailed upon. Luckily, I’d packed some waterproof trousers which I was able to slide on top of my jeans. Once we’d returned to the field on lower ground we met up with a farmer who was herding some sheep, and our numbers helped him to move them in the right direction. But by the time we’d reached the road we elected to remain on solid ground rather than help him through the final field; and we soon reached the pub for some shelter.