A Walk near Rievaulx – in Glorious Technicolor or as Old School Newsreel

The other day, a friend and I took ourselves off to the Ryedale countryside to reconnoitre a route. It turned out to be not only the Longest Day, but the First Day of Summer, in the sense that the weather was wonderful – hot and sunny .

Setting off on a shaded woodland path, we criss-crossed a flowers-edged stream several times.

We forged our way up a steep – unending – hill. Is that even a path?

We exchanged woodland for fields and open views, with clouds above:

We met a ford which lapped along a long stretch of road. Luckily there was a footpath through a field nearby, and edged with iris too.

Sheep looked on, and ancient walls often marked our way.

And at last, below us the ancient ruined Cistercian Abbey of Rievaulx.

Now let’s run this in black and white.

We criss-crossed a stream:

… and later, the woods opened out into farmland. Crazy sky!

Luckily, we were able to dodge fording the ford: or testing our brakes.

As an alternative to sheep-watching, we chose shadow-watching on the narrow road that was part of our route.

And soon after that, Rievaulx Abbey was no longer below us, but alongside.

And as our walk finished, the road sign confirmed that we had indeed seen Rievaulx.

For Jo’s Monday Walk.

And for Leanne and Dawn‘s Monochrome Madness: Roads, Lanes, Paths and Tracks.

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

52 thoughts on “A Walk near Rievaulx – in Glorious Technicolor or as Old School Newsreel”

  1. Good solid stepping stones, Margaret- I can manage those. The bridge looks wonderfully ethereal in black and white and I love the view down onto Rievaulx and the irises, of course. Sapless sheep! Thanks so much for the wander.

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  3. So much lushness, given what to most of us feels like a poor spring. The trees seem laden with leaves. Must be all the CO2. No wonder greenhouse growers pump it into their houses to get things thriving.

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  8. A lovely walk and a clever doubling up of challenges! Your second monochrome shot with the gate and field is particularly effective as are the fern shadows 🙂 But I’m glad we got to see the lush greens too, and I prefer Rievaulx in colour I think!

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  14. I am glad you timed your excursion to the Ryedale countryside with the good weather. Looks like a wonderful walk. The black white photos are really atmospheric, but the colour photos show the summer landscape from its best side.Hopefully, we will get more nice days like that.

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  18. I love your unique post. You have some clever ideas Margaret. Last time I was at Rievaulx it was snowing, so we didn’t get out of the car. Looks like quite a long walk though and I would never get over the stream on those stepping stones. My sense of balance for doing that sort of thing has totally lost me now, I simply freeze! The north Yorkshire countryside does look marvellous, both in colour and in the 1950s.

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    1. Honestly Jude, those stepping stones were each about 3′ x3′. I am hopeless normally , but these were great! Ooh, snow at Rievaulx? Interesting. I’ve only ever been there in sunshine, though I’ve done Fountains Abbey in the snow. And every other kind of weather, actually.

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    1. Haha! Stroll, Teagan? I think not. It was over 9 miles, and much of it a hard yomp uphill! It was still A Grand Day Out though, in best Yorkshire tradition

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