Eight walkers set out on a 5¼-mile walk from Marske (pronounced "Mask") in Swaledale, on a beautiful sunny day. The one threatening rain cloud, forecast for 11am, sensibly failed to show up. Being a figure-of-eight route, we crossed Marske Beck no fewer than six times.
We began with a visit to the picturesque Norman church of St Edmund, with its striking box pews. Marske sits on the Coast to Coast path, and the church enterprisingly runs a tuck shop selling drinks, snacks, and even blister dressings for long-distance walkers. In a sign of the times, the church no longer relies on an honesty box for purchases — it now has a card reader!
Less than a mile into the walk, next to Pillimire Bridge, we spotted through the trees the remains of a waterwheel dating from the late 19th century. Standing in isolation, it's said to have been built to generate electricity for nearby Skelton Hall, though the scheme was never completed. Also yet to be completed was an impressive treehouse being built near the Hall.
The far point of our walk was Telfit Bridge, a reminder that this dale, like many in the region, was once served by a number of lead mines. This route carried pack horses and miners from the long-disused workings below Clints Scar, as well as from mines further away in Arkengarthdale, bringing ore for processing at the smelting works near Orgate.
Being a figure-of-eight walk, we not only crossed the beck six times but had to climb the short, steep hill near Orgate Bridge twice — though on the second ascent we followed the designated public right of way across the narrow footbridge instead.
The final stretch took us through Clints Woods, a welcome, shady respite from the sun after a warm day on the open dale.
