I set out to walk AppKir One - from Appleby to Kirkby Stephen - as described on the Slow Ways route map. Critically this differs in one respect from the route as walked and described in Stephen Walker’s review – it doesn’t follow the “A Pennine Journey” route from Appleby to Great Ormside, instead following a RoW roughly parallel and north east of the river over pastures, gradually dropping to meet the river opposite Ormside Hall. Certainly Slow Ways AppKir One, at least for some of the year, is not a viable route, because of this river crossing....

John Ockenden

After a mile and half to route leaves the road to follow an enclosed lane into Soulby. This section of footpath heading towards Little Musgrave was very wet and muddy on the day I walked. After crossing the lane west of Little Musgrave the path continues across [wet, muddy] fields to Ploughlands. After passing the end of Warcop Old Bridge the route continues on a surface lane alongside the river. At Blacksyke Bridge the route takes a right/left chicane to approach the farm, and then a waymarked lane climbs parallel with the river around Trickle Banks wood. After the threading through the riverside meadows the route joins a lane and climbs to join the road....

StephenWalker