On Friday the weather was not good at all, very rainy due to storm Florence or Ali or Helen!? Who knows anymore, I can’t keep up!

But me and my dad set off anyway so as to not waste a day we could be out and about.

We headed to Skipton which is a popular town located in North Yorkshire. I’ve been here a few times as a child but more recently know the roads very well as it is where myself and many others took our driving test. So not the nicest of feelings I get when I’m around the place but at least I did pass the test eventually!

I’d definitely recommend Skipton as a place to visit but as I’ve not walked around it in a few years I’m not going to write about it in this post today.

On this trip we parked up in Skipton then headed straight for the Leeds and Liverpool canal. This canal stretches as far as the name suggests and is a great spot for walking and cycling. When I used to live in Kirkstall, just outside of Leeds, the canal ran through here and I absolutely loved cycling from here to Saltaire.

This time we were heading from Skipton to Gargrave; a part of the canal i’d never done before. The walk was listed as around 5 miles but looks to be around 8km according to my Fitbit tracker.

Walking the canal is nice and peaceful with very few people during the week besides occasional dog walkers and those tending to their barge.

It was likely quieter due to the weather that day. You can’t tell by my photos as I seemed to have somehow captured the blue sky every time!

If you like your wildlife this is a great place for a real taste of Yorkshire. You’ll come across sheep, cows and all kinds of birds along the way.

The walk ends in Gargrave which looked to me to be a very small village but it is described online as ‘very large’ so perhaps there is more to it than I saw.

We walked through the town and of course ended our walk, as we do all walks, in the local pub to enjoy a well deserved beverage.

We enjoyed drinks at The Masons Arms which you’ll come across once you leave the canal and head for the train station. We decided to get the train back to Skipton to end our walk. Trains are quite infrequent so time it right if you don’t want to head back the same way! We thought it would be best to jump on the train given how wet it was. You can probably tell by my choice of attire below!

I enjoyed our walk and whilst it’s not my favourite stretch of the canal, it is still a short quiet walk and great place for a stroll away from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding cities.