THE DALES WAY

DAY SEVEN
Bowston to Bowness
(11 miles)

A short day to end the Dales Way.

We had a bit of a lay-in followed by a leisurely breakfast.   I should say a leisurely healthy breakfast. Muesli followed by fresh fruit and yoghurt. What a pleasant change to be given an option to full english.

We said our farewells to Mrs Evans then headed back down to Bowston to pick up the river once again.   And what a beautiful stretch.    Maybe we were mindful that this was our last day, but this was near-perfect.    Even the conversion of an old mill building into swanky flats seemed to have been done in a sympathetic manner - and how ofter can you say that?

Although the sky was blue for the time being, the forecast was not good.   Showers and heavier rain were expected mid-morning, so we pressed on making the most of the unexpected sunshine in this idyllic river valley.

We parted company with the river for the very last time at Staveley, just as the sky had started to cloud over.   After crossing under the railway line, then over the A591, a short climb brought us to a hilltop hay meadow where we stopped for a water break in the final patches of sunshine.

A long walk down a pretty country lane afforded distant views of several Lakeland fells, although we were still surrounded by fields of arable crops.   All the time the cloud cover was getting heavier and greyer, and by the time we left the road to head out onto a grassy track through more typical Lakeland terrain the temperature had dropped considerably and a strong wind was blowing.   Another mile further on, and the waterproofs came out as the first few spots of rain started to fall.

Occasionally, as we pass through life, one's spirit can be lifted immeasurably by a slice of good fortune - particularly if this occurs just when things are generally looking gloomy.   In this instance, barely half a mile after the first tiny drops, and just as the rain started to increase in both speed and intensity, we came upon the teashop at Hag End Farm.   A veritable haven in the wilderness, complete with the biggest mugs of hot tea and deliciously crumbly scones that fill a tea plate. Perfect.

By the time we had finished our tea and scones the rain had eased, but the grey skies promised much more to come.   We donned our waterproofs and set off in a hurry for the final couple of miles, stopping briefly after only a few hundred meters to pose for the now-obligatory 'turning the last page' photo.

As we approached Matson Ground, a mere kilometre from Bowness, the heavens really opened and we sheltered for ten minutes under trees overlooking a large duck pond until it eased off again.

A short walk through woods and we were on the final downhill track into Bowness.   Shortly after spotting the waters of Windermere for the first time we arrived at our official destination - the stone seat 'for those who walk the Dales Way'.   We took photos in the rain to mark the occasion then quickly headed down into town for a look around and to get some lunch.

And that was it. After waiting for many years we had completed the Dales Way.   It was a pity that the walk had to end in the rain, but we had been so lucky for the rest of the week - and at least we hadn't carried waterproofs all the way for no good reason....