Marske to Easby Abbey
The final day of our pilgrimage walk was as hot and sunny
as any that had gone before – to the extent that Charles gave up the conflict
and decided to stay behind and rest at the hostel. The remainder of the group
were ferried by Norma back to Marske, where we made good speed eastwards down
the dale, keeping for the first couple of miles to the fellside just below the
prominent scars, and then dropping down to the Swale to follow the river all
the way to the Round Howe car park.
Here we met up with the bus, and were transported into
Richmond in time to be greeted by the minister and by Daphne and Sheila at the
Methodist Church. The coffee and biscuits were more than welcome by this stage
of the morning – and we were able to learn a little about this lively church’s
recent history, and its ongoing ministry in the town. Then it was quick dash
across the road to the Co-op supermarket to buy lunch, and a short drive back
to Round Howe to eat it under the trees in the picnic area.
Leaving the bus there, Norma joined us for the afternoon
walk – perhaps one of the most interesting stretches of the river as we made
our way close to the water through the National Trust woodland towards Richmond
Bridge. There were splendid views of the castle along the way, and from the
bridge itself; and having crossed it and continuing downstream we suddenly
experienced one of the greatest contrasts of the journey as we reached the
falls.
We had met hardly anyone during the morning walk; and
even on the latest stretch from Round Howe we had passed only a handful of
people. Now, we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by more people than we had
been aware of all week: the river thronged with mainly young people who were
out to enjoy the sunshine, and whose excited screams echoed across the valley
as the more daring plunged off the rim of the waterfall into the pool below.
The existence of an ice cream kiosk on our bank brought the whole scene up to
perfection.
Not lingering too long, most of the group walked on
towards Easby Abbey while Henry returned to the bus in order to meet us at the
end of the journey. Only a mile or so from the town, Easby is a magnificent ruined
Premonstratensian abbey, notable above all for its vast refectory. It’s
hard now to imagine how these extensive buildings must have looked in their
pristine state, and how busy and full of activity the whole scene would have
looked 500 years ago. Today the ruins just seem to find naturally and
comfortably into this beautiful rural setting. Equally stunning, and from much
the same period, are the frescoes in the chancel of the small parish church
next door – themselves well worth a detour on anyone’s journey.
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| Birth of Jesus |
So far as we pilgrims were concerned, this was journey’s
end. The minibus took us back into Richmond where we had an hour or so to
potter around, after which we gathered for a fine farewell Italian meal,
expressed our thanks to all who had made the week so full or riches and
sometimes surprises, before one family
made a quick get away in order fulfil their commitments the next day. The rest
of us went back to the hostel at Grinton, where Lis led us in a simple
communion service in which we were all able to give thanks for the journey and
for one another, and for the good God who was with us all along the way.
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| Journey's end at Easby |
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