The morning we left Richmond last November was beautifully sunny so, rather than go straight home, we decided to do the Drummer Boy Walk in the morning, a three mile round trip along the River Swale to Easby Abbey returning along the old railway track.

The legend of the Drummer Boy possibly dates back to the end of the 18th century when soldiers discovered the opening to a small tunnel under the Richmond Castle keep. A regimental drummer boy was lowered down and told to follow the passage beating his drum as he went so that soldiers could hear the route of the tunnel. They followed the sound of drumming alongside the river towards Easby until, half a mile from the abbey, it stopped. The drummer boy was never seen again. True? Who knows, but it’s touching to see floral tributes left on the commemorative stone which marks the alleged spot.

Before long we reached Easby with (left to right above) the old abbey gatehouse, St Agatha’s Church, and the ruins of the abbey itself spread out before us. We decided to visit the church first.

St Agatha’s, the oldest parts of which date to the 1150s, is still an active parish church. The most striking feature is its 13th century wall paintings, which were rediscovered and restored in the 19th century. They are absolutely beautiful.

Easby Abbey was founded in 1152 and closed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536. Within two years most of its buildings had been stripped and demolished with the ruins later becoming a favourite subject for artists, including JMW Turner. I can see why – they are very picturesque.

After a thorough exploration we crossed the River Swale and walked along the old railway track to Richmond where we had lunch in The Station Café before heading back to our car and setting off for Glasgow.

I’ve now caught up with our 2025 trips, and haven’t yet been anywhere of note in 2026, so it’s time to travel back again to the black hole of 2023/4 which still needs a lot of filling in!

Linked to Jo’s Monday Walk.