A midweek stroll along the Ripon Canal

What a perfect day it has been for a stroll along the Ripon Canal.
Being just 2.3 miles long it was originally built to provide a navigable route from the River Ure into the centre of Ripon.
When we reached the Ure, we had not anticipated the muddiness of the fields we then had to cross wade through to reach Bishop Monkton for an anticipated tasty lunch at the Mason's Arms.
Then, our anticipation of sustenance proved to be in vain when we discovered that both pubs in the village only serve food Wednesday - Sundays (today being Tuesday), and the village shop has now shut due to the owner being deceased.
There was nothing for it but the maintain a stiff upper lip and complete our hike back to Ripon where we had a very tasty late lunch at the lovely Rolling Pin café there.