Walking the Wharfe (ode to a Yorkshire river)

Walking the Wharfe is by local boy Johno Ellison, who returns from living abroad to walk the entire length of the waterway where he grew up.

Retracing the steps of Victorian writer Edmund Bogg, he begins in the Vale of York, walking upstream to find Victorian spa towns and rare red kites that have returned, thanks to conservation initiatives.

He is seduced into wild swimming a chilly river (not the section notorious for reportedly drowning everyone who has ever tumbled into it). And seeks refuge in a candlelit pub, during a power blackout.

River Wharfe winds for 65 miles through the heart of Yorkshire. It begins in the village of Buckden, then flows through beautiful countryside, before joining the River Ouse.

The river is home to otters, kingfishers and herons, looking for fish. Rare wildflowers and mosses thrive on this river’s limestone edges.

Stay away from The Strid, a dangerous gorge where the river is forced through a gap of 12 feet. With underwater caverns, it has 100% mortality rate, for anyone who falls in. The water can rise 5 feet in minutes, and never increases in temperature, even in summer.

Out walking? Follow the Countryside Code to keep all creatures safe. Keep dogs away from steep banks, mushrooms (and other toxic plants/trees) and on leads during nesting season (and near barnyard friends and wild ponies).

At the coast, keep away from nesting birds and never walk on sand dunes. Learn how to keep dogs safe by the seaside (check beach bans before travel).

How to upright an overturned sheep

If when out walking you see a sheep on its back (due to pregnancy or rain-soaked wool), just firmly right it back (or it will die) then stay with it, until the rain has drained off.