AS a frequent walker and runner on the wonderful hills roughly above Thirsk and Great Broughton, I've always thought there could be more refreshment stops along the way.
Of course, one would have to be mindful not to damage this stunning landscape on the edge of the North York Moors with any new facilities, but unless venturing into busy Osmotherley, or down to the lowlands of Swainby, the only snack-stop options not miles off-track have been Boltby's High Paradise Farm to the south, or Lordstones café, near Carlton Bank, further north – both well worth a visit.
Recently, though, several friends have mentioned the new café at Thimbleby clay pigeon shooting ground's clubhouse, which is open to the public.
So on a recent, freezing Sunday, my sister and I planned a short, circular walk through the woods from nearby Over Silton, below the dramatic hanging stone between the two villages, with a stop for lunch at the shooting ground.
But to misquote Robbie Burns, the best laid schemes of mice, men, and hungry walkers in search of food reviews, gang aft agley. And so it was, that despite having done that very same route many, many times, on this occasion, I got us on the wrong path, and what should have been a half-hour stroll turned into nearly two hours of walking round in circles on icy forestry tracks.
In the end, such was my navigational failure, we literally stumbled across the hanging stone by accident, having given up on the map and walked directly towards the near-constant sound of clay-shooting.
All of which meant by the time we got to the shooting ground, ravenous, very cold, and more than a little grumpy, it was well-past lunchtime and many items on the menu had sold out.
The clubhouse at Thimbleby Shooting Ground includes a cafe and shop selling clay shooting accessories
Grateful to be back in civilisation, we quickly ordered what we could and took a seat, finally having chance for a proper look at the surroundings. The café is housed in half of the new clubhouse, which was completed in April 2021, with the other side devoted to a shop selling shooting accessories. From the outside, it looks plain, but functional, but the interior is very smart, with plenty of glass allowing views over the rolling countryside, high beams, and a toasty woodburner at the far end.
Inside the cafe at Thimbleby Shooting Ground
We weren't initially sure of the ordering system, which is sort of half self-service and half table-service. We followed others in helping ourselves to hot drinks, but weren't advised that once cakes were paid for, you grabbed them yourself. We'll know for next time.
The lunch menu, served from 12.30pm, had a variety of sandwich platters, all coming with salad and coleslaw, including several vegetarian fillings, plus jacket potatoes, a pie of the day, soup of the day, and beef or chicken stew, among other a few options.
It was a stew kind of day, but on asking for the beef, it turned out there was none left, and no pies to be had either, so I chose ham, egg and chips (£9.50) and Claire went for the Thimbleby chicken and bacon club sandwich (£7).
Our meals arrived, thankfully, given our depleted state, fairly quickly, and we dived in. My plateful, which also included a pot of piccalilli, was a proper treat – I don't care what anyone says, done well, ham, egg and chips is the food of champions.
Ham, egg and chips at Thimbleby Shooting Ground cafe
The three thick slices of oven-cooked ham melted in the mouth, while the two fried eggs were perfectly cooked with runny yolks, but not too soft as to be underdone. The chips, or more accurately fries, were salty, plentiful and delicious.
Claire's club sandwich was packed with filling, while the no-frills side salad and coleslaw were nicely fresh and a solid accompaniment.
The club sandwich with salad at Thimbleby Shooting Ground cafe
For afters, we shared a large chunk of Mars Bar slice (having asked its whereabouts and being informed we should have taken it when we paid). It was definitely worth tracking down, and great energy food after a woodland ramble – or a long shooting session, I would imagine.
The bill, which included two cups of tea each, came to £25.90, decent value for a good quality lunch for two. Service was friendly, and prompt, but a little more guidance on the serving system would have been appreciated – if the Mars Bar slices had sold out by the time we retrieved ours, it would have been most disappointing.
Fully replete, we left the warmth of the café and headed back into the chilly woods. We found the return path to Over Silton with no problem, and reflected that such a hearty lunch was just what was needed to restore mind and body after our trek-gone-wrong. The shooting ground café is certainly a welcome addition to the refreshment scene of this fabulous stretch of countryside.
Thimbleby Shooting Ground,
Thimbleby, Northallerton, DL6 3PY
01609 883401
https://www.thimblebyshoot.com/
Ratings (out of ten): Surroundings 8 Food quality 8 Service 7 Value 8
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