Eavestone Lake

We discovered this " Secret" lake on our walk from High Grantley.
Also discovered that the Sportive, Tour de Yorkshire Ride for amateur cyclists was coming through the tiny village of High Grantley which is where we set off from.
Not just hundreds, but thousands of cyclists from all over the UK!
It did make the journey for some of us rather difficult, but we all got there even if a little late for our start.
You can imagine following that lot in a car, up and down the winding roads.

Fortunately we soon left them all behind, as we started out across the fields.Many full of sheep and lambs. 
Heard a cuckoo, a wood pecker, and heard and saw some curlews who were nesting near by.
We came across this lake half way round the walk.
What a beautiful peaceful spot.
Created in Medieval times by the monks of Fountains Abbey, for fish.
Not now owned by Grantley Hall.
As well as the lake, my collage shows the ramshackle boat house, and stone foot bridge.
We also came across a couple wild swimming. ( see extra)
and a gorgeous new born calf and mum. ( see extra) 
A really lovey walk ( see map)
 It seemed  to have it all.  Woods full of bluebells and wild garlic .Fields full of lambs, and some very frisky young heifers.  (which we managed to avoid). Beautiful yellow gorse, and hedgerows full of wild flowers, and of course the lake.
The weather was dull all the time, but not cold.

Finished off with a shandy in The Grantley Arms before driving home.
We avoided the cyclists by coming back down the A1 and M62.
Will now watch the highlights of the race later on TV.