Epworth, Belton, and Carrhouse

Today's walk has been an easy four miles; I went walking with friends from Leeds, two of whom only come along for a natter and refreshments in the pub or tearooms, en route or at the end of the walk. I was picked up in the car at Warmsworth, just off the A1(M) and we travelled the twenty miles or so to Epworth on the Isle of Axholme, just over the county boundary in Lincolnshire.

Epworth is a good place to start a walk, there's free parking and free toilets in the town centre. We headed up to the church and ate our sandwiches in the churchyard - it was eleven thirty by the time we'd got there.

We didn't go inside the church; it was open but we could hear the congregation singing hymns for the Easter service and so obviously didn't go inside...it was a wonderful addition to our experience in the churchyard though, the music competing with some quite noisy and lively birdsong.

We continued across the fields, passing a watertower and two windmills until we reached the old railway line leading to Belton.

The Easter celebrations had just finished at Belton church and I was welcomed inside and given a brief tour as my friends sat outside finishing off the rest of their sandwiches.

Conveniently the village pub is right next to the church; we popped in for something to drink before continuing with the walk, heading westwards towards Carrhouse.

We then turned south back towards Epworth; there was an option of adding an additional two miles to the walk but Maureen and Jonathon were struggling in the heat...and when I mentioned the possibility of tea and cakes, that was their preferred option. The cafes in the town were closed and so we drove up to the Lemon Tree Tearooms at the garden centre - that was closed as well today though.