Leave Station car park at 9.00am. Start at Dufton Car Park (GR: NY 690 250, What3Words: ///terminal.relaxing.cashiers ) at 10.15am. 10 Miles. Hard. £7

Our walk takes us to one of the icons of the North Pennines, and one no serious walker should miss. From Dufton village we climb steadily to over 600m through disused mine workings on very good tracks. Once the climbing is complete, we traverse Blackstone Edge past the remote Great Rundale Tarn. Please note this section of the route is over rough ground which will be boggy in places. There are spectacular views in every direction. Approaching High Cup Nick from the west provides a ‘wow’ moment. We follow this ravine, using the Pennine Way, to descend back to Dufton.

Leave Station car park 9.15am. Start Langthwaite car park (charges) (GR: NZ 005 023, What3Words: ///ticket.until.yummy) at 10.00am. 10.5 Miles. Moderate. £7

Once a very industrial lead mining area, Arkengarthdale is now a peaceful valley with hill sheep farming and grouse moor being the main land use.  We will see evidence of Arkengarthdale’s industrial past, remote farms at the top of the Dale and Langthwaite’s “Waterloo” church. Most of the walk is on good tracks and bridleways but there are some short sections across exposed, open moorland.  Our route takes us north to Little Windeg before crossing the Stang Road and heading to Kitley Hill and on to Dale Head.  We return along the valley bottom following the delightful Arkle Beck.

Leave Station car park 9.15am.  Start at Cordilleras Farm (GR: NZ 096 037, What3Words: ///fights.couches.nicknames) at 9.45am. 8.5 Miles. Moderate. £7

We have featured this walk for a number of years, with two parties going clockwise and anti-clockwise round the route and it continues to be very popular, so please book early. We have special access to the MOD Feldom Ranges land, rarely walked, a mixture of heather moorland, scattered woods and deep cut valleys. This is an Army training area, not otherwise known to the rambler, and rich in archaeological remains, including a fine Hill Fort with impressive views to the northern dales; and some of the best cup and ring stones in the area.

Start at Tennants Auctioneers Car Park Leyburn DL8 5SG (GR: SE 121 901 What3Words: ///siesta.cyclones.slumped) at 10.00am. 4.5 Miles. Easy. Free just turn up on the day.

This walk is part of the Ramblers Wellbeing Walks programme. It highlights some of the best views from Lower Wensleydale featuring Penhill, Coverdale, Bishopdale and the Yoredale Hills. Starting from Tennant's Car Park we walk along the scarp slope and then meander through Leyburn’s lanes & ginnels before emerging on the moor top. A quiet lane brings us back past the surprising deep quarry lake, and the hidden Harmby Waterfall itself.

Start at The Dales Bike Centre at Fremington Near Reeth DL11 6AW (GR: SE 046 988, What3Words: ///sloping.studs.already) at 10.00am. Around 5 miles. £10

We are partnering with well-known author and walking guide Mark Reid FRGS (The Inn Way books) to bring you a day where you can learn and practise the basics of navigation.  After a briefing at the Bike Centre, the day will include a walk of around 5 miles following paths, tracks and Rights of Way through Swaledale, with rough, rocky and wet terrain in places, stiles, roads, hills, fields, riverside, woodland and moorland. Please bring a packed lunch and drinks and come prepared in your usual walking gear. Under 18s must be accompanied by a parent. The day will end at around 3.30pm with a debriefing at the Bike Centre, in plenty of time to indulge in some of their excellent coffee and cake! Full joining instructions will be provided to those booking a place, including details of the equipment you will need to bring.

The Station, Richmond DL10 4LD | 11:00am to midday | £8 | Café/restaurant, bookstall, disabled access

In 1823 George Stephenson was building the first public railway authorised to use locomotives, the Stockton & Darlington Railway. He and Edward Pease, the principal promoter of the railway, were so convinced about the future of this mode of transport they founded the world’s first locomotive factory, at Newcastle upon Tyne.

Aged 19, Robert Stephenson, the son of George, was made the Managing Partner charged with setting up the factory, winning orders and improving locomotive design. The firm was named Robert Stephenson & Co. Under Robert’s direction the company transformed the cumbersome colliery locomotive of the early 1820’s to produce the celebrated Rocket. Their further developments set the principles for future locomotive design.

Hugh Fenwick ‘s book summarises the activities of Robert Stephenson & Co. and its successors during their existence from 1823 to 1964. It has been produced to coincide with and commemorate the bicentenary of the establishment of the firm.

Sponsored by: The Station

Start at The Station, Richmond DL10 4LD | 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm | £7 not including refreshments |

Peter Robinson was the Festival’s patron for many years until his death in 2022. This event is a tribute to Peter. All proceeds from the event will go to the Peter Robinson Scholarship at the University of Leeds to provide financial assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have an interest in creative writing. This scholarship was established by Peter and his wife Sheila.

“Before the Poison” was the only one of Peter’s novels actually based in Richmond and tells the story of Grace Fox, hung in 1953 for poisoning her husband. In 2010 Hollywood composer Chris Lowndes returns to his Yorkshire birthplace and buys the house in Swaledale which once belonged to Grace. He becomes obsessed with finding out if Grace was guilty or innocent.

The group will meet at The Station for a coffee and then walk around Richmond visiting locations that appear in the book. We will return to the Station for afternoon tea and a discussion on “Before the Poison”.

Sponsored by Goosewing Gallery

Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond DL10 4DW | 7.30pm | £15 | tickets available from www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk  Bar, bookstall, disabled access

At the height of the Holocaust twenty-five young Jewish inmates of Auschwitz-Birkenau were selected to create beautiful fashions for elite Nazi women, in a dedicated salon established by the camp commandant’s wife. 

Join historian Lucy Adlington to find out more about their lives and fates as she discusses her bestselling book The Dressmakers of Auschwitz, a remarkable true story of resilience, cameraderie and quiet heroism in the most extreme circumstances.

Lucy will showcase garments from the era and will back up her talk with slides.

Richmond Brewing Company, The Station, DL10 4LD | 7:30pm | £8 | Bar, disabled access.

Prior to the performances there will be an opportunity for people to participate in an open mic. Poetry or prose can be shared (max three poems or one short piece of prose: max time 5 mins per-person). Please email office@booksandboots.org to reserve a place with the open mic. Priority will be given to those who email in advance.

Henry Raby is a punk poet and gig promoter from York. His work has been described as playful, highly-charged, passionate and anarchic! He’s performed at music, arts and literature festivals across the UK. Henry has been published by Burning Eye Books and co-runs York spoken word organisation Say Owt.

Sarah Wimbush’s first poetry collection, Shelling Peas with My Grandmother in the Gorgiolands, (Bloodaxe, 2022) is packed with Yorkshire tales of childhood, colliery villages and Gypsies and Travellers. Sarah lives in Leeds and is a grateful recipient of a Northern Writers' Award.

Olivia Mulligan, or Liv as she is known, was born and bred in North Yorkshire. After completing a degree in Drama and Creative Writing in London, and a spell working in the city, she could no longer resist the call of the Yorkshire Dales! In March 2021 Liv was invited to be ‘Poet Laureate’ for a weekly slot on BBC Radio York.