There and Back

Layham held a scarecrow festival this year with the theme of Dickens characters, and here are images from the ones near the church. The idea was raising funds for the church and I think about £200 was the total raised. The Spirit of Christmas Past appropriately surrounded by mist one morning The Old Curiosity Shop  More of  The Spirit of Christmas Past Great idea and my only wish, in hindsight, was that I had photographed more of them. Ah well, another time!   Home

Our last place to visit with Gra and Jane was Ripon, not far from our holiday home High Oak,  near Pickhill.  The doorways in the West end - and I missed the splendid Gothic façade I took very few images, which in hindsight was a mistake - I have learnt in the last few years what a wealth of history I have missed. A revisit is needed! The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, commonly known as Ripon Cathedral, is a cathedral in the North Yorkshire city of Ripon. Founded as a monastery by Scottish monks in the 660s, it was re-founded as a Benedictine monastery by St Wilfrid in 672 St Wilfrid, who built the stone church, with its still-surviving crypt, died in 710. Only four years later, an account of his life was written by a monk, known to us as Stephen of Ripon. He tells us that this was the first church to be built by Wilfrid, and that the church and its monastic community remained the favourite of all of his foundations. It was to Ripon that his body wa...

A glorious day when we headed for Malham. This was another area of Yorkshire we had heard so much about and were excited to see if it lived up to our expectations.  These were a couple of images as we walked from Malham village toward our first `port of call` - Janet's Foss. Behind the lovely waterfall of Janet’s Foss is a cave, hidden by the falling water. This is the home of Janet – Queen of the Fairies.There’s another cave close by called Janet’s Cave which visitors often mistake for the fairy’s home but this was just an unmagical overnight shelter for travelers and itinerant workers in past times. The pool below the falls was used as a sheep wash, the water thought to bless the sheep with good health. Charles Kingsley knew this place and its stories, and he drew inspiration for The Water Babies from here, Malham Tarn and Arncliffe . It’s a gorgeous spot but was a bit of a focus for deranged Victorian fairy hunters.  The famous Gordale S...

Studley Royal Park including the ruins of Fountains Abbey is a designated World Heritage Site in North Yorkshire, England. The site, which has an area of 323 hectares (800 acres) features an 18th-century landscaped garden, some of the largest Cistercian ruins in Europe, a Jacobean mansion and a Victorian church designed by William Burges. It was developed around the ruins of the Cistercian Fountains Abbey which is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. It is located approximately 3 miles (5 kilometres) south-west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, near to the village of Aldfield. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for 407 years becoming one of the wealthiest monasteries in England until its dissolution in 1539 under the order of Henry VIII. For a summary of its history visit this link . It is well worth a visit and we had a great day here. View of the ruins from one of the weirs Fountains Abbey Mill is the only 1...

What a sunrise we were greeted with today!. This the view from the kitchen window as we made an early morning cuppa. If you were asked to imagine the perfect English market town, then it'd probably look a lot like Helmsley! There's the bustling market square, the dramatic castle ruins, the charming tea rooms, the inviting inns; all surrounded by mile after mile of the beautiful North York Moors. Indeed, the Cleveland Way and Ebor Way both begin from here. We spent some of the morning here and had lunch in one of those tea rooms. One of the first things which strikes you as you arrive at the town square is a statue of William Duncombe, 2nd Baron Feversham. He was an important figure in many ways, hence the honour of the statue. Briefly: William Duncombe, 2nd Baron Feversham (14 January 1798 – 11 February 1867) was a British peer with a large estate in the North Riding of Yorkshire. He was prominent in the affairs of the Royal Agricultural Society and owner...

The holiday `cottage` we had chosen for this holiday was on a farm in Pickhill in North Yorkshire - one of the best we have stayed in. Great people, fabulous bungalow, great views. View from the kitchen window One of the aims for this holiday was to visit some of the historic ruins of Yorkshire, Jervaulx being fairly close to us, this was our first one to visit. Jervaulx Abbey ruins in East Witton near the city of Ripon, was one of the great Cistercian abbeys of Yorkshire, England, dedicated to St. Mary in 1156. It is the country's largest privately owned Cistercian Abbey The monastery was founded in 1156 as a daughter house of Byland Abbey. Apart from its historical significance and the beauty of the location, Jervaulx is known for its horticulture; over 180 varieties of wildflower grow in and on the abbey walls.  Jervaulx was originally based at Fors, a few miles distant, but the land there proved to be poor for farming and the Cistercian monks ...

Having spent a few days in Anglesey, we moved on to our next week in Yorkshire. On the way, we stopped at Caernarfon Castle and spent some time exploring. The site of this great castle wasn’t chosen by accident. It had previously been the location of a Norman motte and bailey castle and before that a Roman fort stood nearby. The lure of water and easy access to the sea made the banks of the River Seiont an ideal spot for Edward’s monster in masonry.  The River Seiont is the great river that serves as a channel where many can enjoy paddling, a riverbank picnic and other family activities. Generally accessed from the town of Caernarfon, this river referred to locally as Afon Seiont and flows northward towards the Menai Strait  Edward wasn’t one to miss on an opportunity to tighten his grip even further on the native population. The birth of his son, the first English Prince of Wales, in the castle in 1284, was a perfect device to stamp his supremacy. In 196...