Bedale to Exelby village loop

Three and a half miles out to the old green at Exelby and back, an hour and a half, flat field paths and quiet lanes with a handful of gates and one field that turns to porridge after rain. Start from Bedale Market Place beneath the market cross, where parking is free for two hours, and the 73 bus between Northallerton and Bedale stops on the main street. Sheep graze the fields between the two villages so leads go on across the pasture, and there is no reliable water on the route until you are back at Bedale Beck; the lane sections keep it doable in winter but the field paths are heavy going from December onwards, and Exelby's wide green is a pleasant place to let a dog stretch out under supervision.