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WALK 7 - Willance's Leap and Round Howe Most
of this beautiful walk lies outside the National
Park boundary. However, it offers an excellent
variety of scenery and is fairly easy after the
initial climb to Whitcliffe Scar. The
Monuments at Willance's Leap Richmond
Castle Richmond,
rightfully regarded as the capital of Swaledale, is
one of Yorkshire's most romantic and historic
towns. The castle, which dominates the town, was
built shortly after the Norman Conquest to
establish the permanency of Norman rule in the
North. It stands on a natural stronghold of rock,
the defences forming a triangle, one side made
impregnable by steep cliffs overhanging the river
Swale and the other two defended by strong, lofty
walls. The enormous keep was erected in 1146 and
its walls reach a height of almost 100 feet (30m).
According
to legend, King Arthur, with all his knights, rests
in a secret chamber beneath the castle; sleeping,
but ready to rise up should England need them
again. The tradition was, the king and his knights
would be aroused if a champion could find his way
into the chamber, blow a horn that was lying near
the king, and cut a garter with the sword lying
beside him. A story is told of a man called Potter
Thompson, who was exploring a cave under the castle
and found the slumbering knights. He began to draw
the sword from its scabbard, but, when the company
began to stir he put it hastily back and fled for
his life. No one has been able to find the cave
since. From
Richmond we follow a long, quiet road climbing
steadily to Whitcliffe Farm. After passing the farm
we ascend through the fields to Whitcliffe Scar.
The views are magnificent with the narrow gorge of
the river Swale winding its way between steep
wooded slopes. Looking back, there is a sensational
view of Richmond, with the Vale of Mowbray,
Hambleton Hills and the North York Moors
beyond. We
continue along the top of the scar to Willance's
Leap, where an amazing event took place in 1606.
Robert Willance, a Richmond draper, was out hunting
one day when a thick fog suddenly came down. His
horse, an inexperienced and nervous young mare,
bolted and leaped over the edge of Whitcliffe Scar,
falling 200 feet (60m). The horse was killed
instantly, but luck was on Willance's side, he
suffered only a broken leg, which unfortunately was
later amputated. Realising he would not be rescued
until the fog lifted, he cut open the horse's belly
and inserted his injured leg. This action most
likely saved his life, as the extra warmth would
have delayed the onset of gangrene. Three stones
mark the last three strides the horse made, each
bearing the inscription: '1606. Glory be to our
merciful God who miraculously preserved me from the
danger so great'. From
Willance's Leap we follow a clear path to the head
of Deepdale where we begin our descent to the banks
of the river Swale. Deepdale is a fine example of a
dry valley. At the end of the last Ice Age, the
ground remained partly frozen to great depths,
preventing water from sinking down. Vast quantities
of water from the melting ice surged down over the
frozen rock cutting wedge shaped gorges into the
valley sides. When the ground thawed out the water
sank down through the rocks leaving the gorges
dry. Our
route continues along the riverside to Whitcliffe
Woods. Many wild birds nest here including the
great spotted and the green woodpecker. The woods
are also a haven for a variety of wild flowers,
shrubs and trees. From Lownethwaite Farm a quiet
lane leads to the main road where we continue to
the car park at Round Howe, and cross a large
footbridge. Round
Howe is a conical hill rising out of an immense
basin of rock, the sides of which are covered with
trees. The river Swale originally flowed on the
opposite side of the howe, but the continual
erosion by the river gradually cut through the neck
of land on the north side, creating the present
channel. After this the old channel slowly silted
up to form this remarkable natural
phenomenon. After
a pleasant walk along the riverside we arrive at
Richmond Bridge and proceed via the market place
back to the car park. If time allows a visit to
Richmond Castle is a must, especially on a fine
day. |
