Travelling North Part Two - Cumbria and Yorkshire

14th October, 2000
15th October, 2000
16th October, 2000
17th October, 2000
18th October, 2000
19th October, 2000
20th October, 2000
21st October, 2000
22nd October, 2000

Saturday, 14th October, 2000

Drop Cap e left Corbridge on another fine, but slightly dull day, heading toward the Lakes District. On the way, while driving through truly spectacular scenery and over one of the highest passes in England, we came upon a pottery and craft shop with a cafe. Here we stopped for the inevitable morning tea. Mac had tea, I had coffee, Geoff had coffee and chocolate cake. We also bought a little silver box and Geoff bought some polished semi-precious gemstones and a ring made of haematite.

Long Meg photograph

Mac with Long Meg and her Daughters



Drop Cap oving on into Cumbria we went looking for "Long Meg and her Daughters", a very large stone circle in a couple of very soggy fields full of what Mac calls "crap circles" (sheep and cow droppings). Long Meg is about fifteen feet high and has circular patterns incised on it. It makes her look as if she has eyes and a mouth. There is a large number of stones in the circle and legend says you can't count the same number twice. If you do, the devil appears (or something).

Castlerigg Stone Circle photograph

Castlerigg Stone Circle



Drop Cap fter lunch at Burger King near Keswick we found ourselves close to the Castlerigg Stone Circle, looking quite impressive although not as big as Long Meg's lot, but in a very scenic spot with the cloud misted fells behind it. So we had quite a megalithic day.

Dunmail House photograph

Dunmail House, Grasmere



Drop Cap e found our B & B in Grasmere quite easily but no-one was home, so we went to have a look at the village, which was chaotic and nowhere to park, so we drove on to Ambleside which was even more so. But by the time we got back to Grasmere they were open for business. We have two very small rooms - ours has its own toilet and shower, Geoff has a toilet and a shower room just outside his door. Don't know if he has to share them. Our hostess, Lesley Bulcock, offered us coffee and biscuits in the guest's sitting room, which is very cosy.

Drop Cap e had a pleasant dinner in what seems to be the only cafe in town which stays open for dinner. Mac is still feeling the effect of yesterday's traumas, but I hope he settles down soon.

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Sunday, 15th October, 2000

Honister Pass photograph

Honister Pass, Cumbria

Drop Cap he view from our window was closed by mist, or at least low cloud this morning, but by the time we were ready to go out the sky was turning blue. It was a really lovely day, quite special. We made a magical mystery tour, starting back to Keswick and through, along the side of Derwentwater, and then along and down the steep slate and sheep strewn Honister Pass. We stopped for morning tea at a reluctant cafe in Buttermere, protesting that she wasn't open yet, she still managed to serve several tables, including us. Along beside Buttermere and Crummock Water and along Lufton Vale, through Cockermouth and alongside Bassenthwaite Lake towards Penrith.

Cockermouth photograph

Roadside near Cockermouth, Cumbria

Drop Cap efore we reached Penrith we dived off the A66 down towards Watermillock alongside Ullswater, which was seething with sailing boats. We stopped at a National Trust Car Park for Aira Force, a waterfall, which we didn't get to because of the steepness of the track. However, it had a lovely tearoom where we got a more than adequate inexpensive lunch. We went on through stupendous scenery, up and down Kirkstone Pass and continued through to Ambleside. Rather than going home which we had intended, we decided to do a round trip over Wrynose and Hard Knott Passes into Ravenglass, and back to Ambleside by another, easier road.

Esk River photograph

The Esk River, Dalegarth, Cumbria



Drop Cap ather surprisingly, there was a fair amount of traffic over the passes, high, extremely narrow and twisting, and it was a bit of a strain. The scenery, though, was breathtaking. We found a lovely little spot by a rushing beck at Dalegarth (or Beckfoot) right beside the little Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, where we had afternoon tea, cooling a bottle of coke by dangling it in the stream. (Mac tells me it is the Esk River).

Bridge House, Ambleside, photograph

The Bridge House, Ambleside, Cumbria



Drop Cap e finished the trip via Ambleside, where we stopped for dinner at Sheila's Cottage. The food was very good, the service not so good. First time I have not left a tip. Back home again at about 8.30. It has been a lovely day, fine, warm and sunny. I can't quite believe it.

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Monday, 16th October, 2000

Coniston Water photograph

The Pier at Coniston Water, Cumbria





Drop Cap he weather was misty and rather changeable today. It started out similar to yesterday and ended up raining on and off. Rather a pity, but pretty typical for here.

Steam Yacht 'Gondola'  photograph

Steam Yacht "Gondola" on Coniston Water





Drop Cap e started off going to Coniston, where we eventually found the pier. We parked and went for a cruise on the Steam Yacht "Gondola", a reconstructed Victorian lake steamer. The cruise was cold, but beautiful.

'Brantswood' photograph

"Brantswood", home of John Ruskin, Cumbria



Drop Cap oniston Water is lovely and we glided noiselessly across with lovely views on both sides. There was one stop at "Brantwood", former home of John Ruskin, painter, writer, philosopher etc. It was a beautiful house, with stunning views.

Hawkeshead Inn photograph

The Red Lion Inn, Hawkshead, Cumbria







Drop Cap fter lunch we went to Hawkshead, a lovely little historic village, where the poet Wordsworth went to school.

Inn Courtyard photograph

Inn Courtyard, Hawkshead, Cumbria



Drop Cap t is full of old inns with coaching courtyards etc., mostly cafes, souvenir shops and pubs. Unfortunately, for the second time, while visiting Hawkshead, it started to rain heavily and it was not much fun to wander, so we left.

Drop Cap e drove down the side of Windermere - spectacular woods, all turning autumnal now, passing the entrance to Silverholme, where we stayed last time, and down to the Stott Park Bobbin Mill.

Bobbin Mill brochure

Brochure for Stott Park Bobbin Mill





Drop Cap his is an English Heritage Industrial Museum and it was surprisingly interesting. There was only us and Bernard the Guide and they showed us how they made bobbins out of local coppice wood and exported millions of them to the Lancashire cotton mills. I like the idea of coppicing.. It means you can use and re-use the wood, without killing the tree, so you always get more. There was a very large workforce out in the forests making use of the natural resources and managing it better (in my opinion) than they do today.

Drop Cap fter this we drove through Windermere and walked through Bowness (the two towns have joined, really) and Mac bought me a little Halcyon Days box in the shape of a pillar box, at a jeweller. Mac is developing a very bad cold - again! I hope it runs its course before we have to get back on a plane.

Drop Cap inner in a nice little restaurant in Grasmere called the Wild Daffodil. They tried harder than Sheila's Cottage.

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Tuesday, 17th October, 2000

Drop Cap oday dawned fine, sunny and cool. The view (of sheep in pastures backed by high fells and autumn coloured foliage) was clear for the first time when we got up.

Hardraw Force photograph

Hardraw Force, near Hawes, Yorkshire Dales


Drop Cap e got away betimes, heading for Kendal and off up the rolling Yorkshire Dales. It was lovely, long rolling hills covered in green or autumn coloured bracken. We went through Settle on a market day, dodging the local populace, who seemed bent on suicide. Then Hawes, reputedly the highest market town in England, where we stopped at the Information Desk to ask how to get to Hardraw Force, the highest single drop waterfall in the country.
They gave us a map to Hardraw Village. One gets to the falls through the Green Dragon Inn (!) which charges 80p. It was an easy walk through dripping woods to the bottom of the fall, which was quite spectacular.
Apparently, since it falls in one drop and doesn't spread out on rocks, etc, you can walk right behind it and not get wet. We didn't, however. We walked back to the village and bought some sandwiches to take away and went on.

Drop Cap t the Hardraw Village shop where we bought our lunch, I bought myself a little woolly sheep pin, about the size of the badges I buy. Sheep seem to have been our motif for this trip - they were everywhere, especially on Skye, where we had to keep the gate shut to keep them out of the garden. Sheep were sprinkled on the bare brown hillsides of Skye, like sesame seeds on a Big Mac.!

Ribblehead viaduct photograph

Ribblehead Viaduct, Settle-Carlisle Railway





Drop Cap hrough Horton in Ribblesdale we found the Settle-Carlisle Railway line and even passed the mighty Ribblehead Viaduct, which has recently been renovated expensively by English Heritage.

Fountains Abbey photograph

Fountains Abbey Ruins, near Ripon, Yorkshire



Drop Cap e drove on through lovely Wensleydale, and Swaledale, passed Bolton Castle and stopped for our picnic lunch in Masham, which provided a car park and picnic tables. Heading on again, we drove round and round Ripon, looking for Fountains Abbey, which we eventually found.

Fountains Hall photograph

Elizabethan Fountains Hall, near Ripon, Yorkshire



Drop Cap am glad we got in free through English Heritage (although it is a National Trust site) because we didn't have time to see much of what was there, though we did see the ruins of the Abbey and Fountains Hall, a genuine Elizabethan mansion. Unfortunately, the ruins were very widespread and the stench of sheep dung was almost overpowering, so I wasn't too keen on stopping.

Drop Cap e moved on to York, arriving, as if by decree, at rush hour. Still, we found the station, booked our seats to London for Friday afternoon, found where the Hertz office is (in the station) and then went on to find Ascot House. Thank Heaven for Geoff's navigational skills. I would have been having kittens and probably ended up back in Ripon or something.

Ascot House photograph

Our room, Ascot House Hotel, York



Drop Cap e have a reasonably large triple, with some unusual features, like a wrought iron spiral fire escape, leading down from the floor above, right next to the bed, which is a pseudo four poster, hung with red velvet curtains from a wooden canopy. Geoff's bed, is however, fairly normal. The windows have red velvet drapes, there is antique style furniture and an ensuite bathroom with a good shower, for once. Quite nice, but a bit cluttered with all our luggage.

Drop Cap e walked (quite a walk) into the walled city to find dinner, which we found in a bistro called 19 Grape Alley, which was its address, of course, off Goodramgate. After walking back, Mac and Geoff both collapsed and are sleeping.
Oh, well, I hope I can tonight.

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Wednesday 18th October, 2000

Jorvik Activity photograph

Jorvik Viking Centre, York




Drop Cap t was a dull-looking day as we set off after breakfast, catching a bus into the city. We made straight for Coppergate and the Jorvik Viking Centre. This was just as interesting again and has been updated a bit with a slightly different exhibition. It was good, although the museum was full of school children doing projects, so Mac was unable to look as thoroughly as he wanted to.

York photograph

York Streetscene



Drop Cap hen we emerged from Jorvik we found the sun was out and a lovely day emerged from the cocoon. We strolled in the Shambles, unfortunately a lot of it is covered in scaffolding, but the major part of it certainly shows what it is like. I don't know how any of it keeps standing! We went into the market in the Little Shambles, where Geoff bought a new leather belt for about four pounds, as opposed to the sixteen to twenty pound ones in Marks and Spencer, which weren't big enough anyway.

York photograph

Gert and Henry's, Little Shambles, York







Drop Cap fter getting a bit footsore we decided to go home and drive to Whitby but were unable to get a bus (mainly because we didn't know where they were going) so we went and had some lunch and then caught a cab.

Whitby Abbey photograph

Whitby Abbey, Yorkshire



Drop Cap he drive to Whitby was fast, and took us over the North Yorkshire Moors via Pickering. We also passed Castle Howard in the distance. Some of the views were really panoramic, but I prefer the dales to the moors, really.

Drop Cap ut Whitby was lovely, straight out of "Heartbeat". The little harbour full of fishing boats (where Dracula came ashore) and the spectacular Abbey ruins on the headland. We wandered through the extensive ruins of the Abbey. So much of it is still there, and still showing signs of its decorations. It was lovely.

Whitby Harbour photograph

Whitby Harbour, Yorkshire





Drop Cap fterwards we had coffee in Whitby, on the waterfront, and drove home. It was still fine and warm. This weather is marvellous.

Drop Cap e walked to a local hotel and had a rather large dinner in their restaurant, then staggered home to finish packing etc. We have another large post pack we have to send off tomorrow, or before we leave.

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Thursday, 19th October, 2000

Drop Cap nother glorious day! The weather is really doing us proud.

Games Workshop photograph

Ultramarines, Games Workshop Museum, Nottingham

Drop Cap e got away as early as possible, after confirming our flight for tomorrow night, and headed for the Games Workshop Museum and Headquarters in Nottingham, nearly 100 miles away. In spite of roadworks on the M1 and getting lost on the outskirts of Nottingham we made it in remarkably good time. We had coffee with Geoff at the Dwarf Bar there, then left him to it while we drove in to Nottingham city centre. There we found the "Tales of Robin Hood" close to Nottingham Castle, home of the villainous sheriff. Actually this version of the castle only dates from 1906 so it is hardly authentic.

Drop Cap he "Tales of Robin Hood" was quite fun, we were guided around by Friar Tuck and there was a dark ride, like at Jorvik, which was very well done. We had to look out for clues to answer questions on our Silver Arrows, to see if we qualified to become outlaws in Robin's band. In spite of answering one wrongly (I said I thought Robin Hood was fantasy) we both were judged worthy

Drop Cap fter this we wandered into the Market area of Nottingham and had lunch at Delifrance. We considered going further afield but it was 3 o'clock and we thought we'd see if Geoff was ready to go, which he was, having spent hugeous amounts of money on Games Workshop stuff and arranging to have it airmailed home.

Drop Cap he drive home was uneventful and that is the end of that. Tomorrow we leave York, and England and head for home. We have accomplished a lot of what we had planned, seen a lot of the country and had generally good weather throughout. We are tired and probably looking forward to getting home. Mac seems to have put on weight, his good black trousers don't fit any more. Geoff looks a bit slimmer, don't think I do. Geoff has grown a beard since we were on the canal and it has grown to a respectable length. My hair has also grown, too quickly. Still, we look enough like our passport photos to pass. Not looking forward to tomorrow, but time will pass

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Friday, 20th October, 2000

Drop Cap ur last day in Britain! We were up betimes, posted the box at the Post Office opposite, and returned the car to the Hertz office at the Station. We checked our large luggage at the Station and walked to the National Railway Museum ten minutes walk away in the no longer used engine sheds.

Royal Train postcard

Postcard of the Royal Trains, York Railway Museum



Drop Cap his was a magnificent way to fill in four hours, although Mac felt he could have stayed there a week! The exhibits were beautifully detailed and displayed and filled up two huge buildings. I was particularly impressed by the display of Royal Trains from Queen Victoria to the present day, or the 70's at least. Victoria's and Edward VII's were much plusher and more ornate than our Queen's. We saw a demonstration of a turntable with a large engine called "The City of Truro" going round. The turntable held some 26 engines. It is fantastic.

Drop Cap fter dragging Mac away we went back to the shemozzle of today's railways. After the fatal (four deaths) derailment of a train on this line on Tuesday, several trains were cancelled, all were delayed. However, anticipating large crowds on this one we organised the suitcases onto the Guard's van. Much easier and we only had to scare two people out of our reserved seats and all was well.

Drop Cap s we got into London it started raining and continued until we left (and well after that from what we saw on the news later). We taxied through the rushhour to Paddington, where we caught the new Heathrow Express and finally found Cathay Pacific's seething queues. We didn't have much time for a rather greasy meal. For a world class major airport Heathrow could certainly get its act together, nearly all the eating places were closing. Even Mascot does it better.

HOME

Drop Cap he flight to Hong Kong wasn't too bad, we slept a bit and it wasn't quite as hot as last time. At Hong Kong we got to our departure gate only to be told the aircraft was half an hour late and would go from Gate 31. As we were at Gate 4 it was quite a hike. I imagine it is now

Saturday, 21st October, 2000

Drop Cap aiting at Hong Kong for our plane. It is pouring with rain. Rain in London, rain at Hong Kong, I wonder what it will be in Sydney. The plane was delayed another hour before we left. Cathay provided refreshments and apologies at the airport.
The flight wasn't too bad, a tailwind pushing us quickly over Russia and China and only dying over Australia. We arrived at Mascot at about 8.45 a.m. on

Sunday 22nd October, 2000

Souvenirs photograph

Selection of Souvenirs



Drop Cap lthough nearly two hours late, we found our minibus driver waiting for us . Luckily he had checked before leaving home. It was fine and warm and by 10.30 we were home. No sign of Alan, but a pile of mail to be dealt with. The house was tidy and clean, however.

Drop Cap o it is all over but the talking, photo development and scrapbook making.
It may be a while before we go away again!


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