Topcliffe to Asenby and the Swale

Three and a half miles across the Swale to Asenby and back down the far bank, an hour and a half, flat riverside and field path with two gates, one stile and a steep little pull up from the bridge. Start at Topcliffe bridge where there is roadside parking by the village hall, and the 70 bus between Thirsk and Ripon stops in the village; there is a well-known inn at Asenby if you want a halfway stop. The riverside pastures are grazed by cattle from May to October and a herd with calves is by far the most serious hazard here, so read each field before you unclip; the Swale is deep, fast and cold with steep banks either side of the bridge, so it is a river for drinking rather than swimming, and the meadows flood readily and stay wet well into spring.