Grassington

28th August - Grassington

Today we walked from Grassington to Hebden along the bank of the River Wharfe, and returned by a route a little above the river on the other bank.

Here are the Linton Falls, just after the start of the walk from Grassington car park.

... and here is Trish crossing the suspension bridge at the far end of the walk, at Hebden.

Fewston Reservoir

26th August - Fewston Reservoir

Today we walked around Fewston Reservoir.


The woods by the Swinsty Moor car park had the sun shining through a very light mist, giving a beautiful effect.





















Here is a view of the reservoir from the path on the south bank.

Ripley Castle

16th August 2013 - Ripley Castle

Ripley is a few miles north of Harrogate.  Its castle and grounds are always worth a visit.

The castle is the home of the Ingilby family.  The castle tour is excellent - the Ingilbys have resided at Ripley for over 700 years and have accumulated a few tales to tell.  You will even learn the origin of the phrase 'to push the boat out'!

There are extensive gardens with an old-style walled greenhouse.

Here are a couple of pictures from the garden: a lily ...

 ... and a large bed of Rudbekia 'Indian Summer'.

And here is an unusual sun-house: it is in need of repair but it is built on wheels that allow it to rotate so that it is always facing the sun!

Bolton Abbey

13th August 2013 - Bolton Abbey

Today we walked from The Strid car park to the Cavendish Pavilion, stopped for coffee, and then walked back to The Strid on the other bank of the River Wharfe.  The reflections of the trees on the water gave some nice pictures.

Newby Hall and Gardens

8th August 2013 - Newby Hall

Today we visited Newby Hall and Gardens.  The gardens are famous for their long herbaceous borders which run from the house down to the River Ure.

In a quiet memorial space, Sylvia's Garden, there are some nice Thalictrum plants.















There are many attractions for young children, not least the train!

A Trip to Beningbrough Hall

Last Friday we visited Beningbrough Hall and Gardens, a National Trust property to the north-west of York.

Getting there, from Burn Bridge, is a challenge.  The sign-posted route from the A59 Harrogate-York road leads you to Aldwark, a small village on the banks of the River Ure.  To cross the river, there is an 18th century toll bridge, the Aldwark Bridge - as the ticket shows, the toll is 40p (cheaper than the cost of a 25 mile detour!).


Beningbrough Hall itself is a large Georgian mansion, built in 1716 by the Bourchier family of York.  After a period of neglect, the house was bought in 1916, and subsequently restored, by a wealthy heiress, Lady Chesterfield. During the Second World War, it was occupied first by the RAF bomber crew stationed at Linton on Ouse, and then by the Canadian Air Force.  It passed to the National Trust in 1958, and now houses portraits from the National Portrait Gallery.





The gardens at Beningbrough are exceptional.  There is a large area devoted to the growing of fruit and vegetables, and a number of herbaceous borders, all very well presented.

East Formal Garden

Herbaceous Border

Lily in Herbaceous Border

Trip to Scotland

Last week, we enjoyed a visit to Scotland, with trips to St Andrews, Muirfield and Forfar sandwiched between two days in Edinburgh visiting Dad.  The weather was warm and sunny almost all the time - notice the blue skies!

Thursday 18th July

We visited our friends, Malcolm & Jean Bain, in St Andrews for lunch - they are old friends from our Leicester days when Malcolm and myself began work at the same time at the Leicester University Computer Centre.  Before driving home, we had a round of putting at the Himalayas, a challenging course bordering the Old Course.  This is Trish putting at the 18th.

Friday 19th July

Today I had a trip to Muirfield to watch day 2 of The Open.  The course was very dry after the prolonged hot spell.  No cameras were allowed, so these pictures were taken with my iPhone.

Here Tiger Woods prepares to play his second shot at the long 17th hole.







Below, Tom Watson and Fred Couples are on the 3rd green.

Phil Mickleson (centre), with Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama, wait on the 4th tee for the green to clear.  Mickleson went on to win the tournament.

 Saturday 20th July

Today we had a trip to Forfar, visiting our friends Alister and Mary Patullo.  On our way we visited Glamis Castle, home of the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.  A special feature is the Italian Gardens, shown here with the castle in the background.

A Day at Castle Howard

Friday 5th July 2013

We enjoyed a day trip to Castle Howard, one of Yorkshire's finest stately homes, still in private ownership by the Howard family.
 

A fire in 1940 destroyed a significant part of the house, and its central feature, the dome, collapsed.  The house is steadily being renovated and in 1960 the dome was re-built, and the 18th century painting The Fall of Phaeton by Antonio Pellegrini was re-created on the underside of the dome.












A centre-piece of the grounds is the Atlas fountain, created in 1850.

The house and grounds were used as a setting for television and film productions of Brideshead Revisited.  While we were there, filming of Death comes to Pemberley, the sequel to Pride and Prejudice by crime novelist PD James was taking place - to be shown Christmas 2013.

Three Days in the Lake District

Tuesday 18th June 2013

One of the classic short walks in the Lake District is the circuit of Grasmere.  At the far end of the lake from the village, you can climb to a vantage point on White Moss Moor that allows splendid views of Rydal Water.

On the return to Grasmere we pass Dove Cottage, home of the poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy from 1799 to 1808.

Wednesday 19th June

Ullswater is sometimes regarded as England's most beautiful lake.  After taking the steamer from Glenridding to Howtown, there is an enjoyable 7-mile walk back along the shore of the lake.  the view here is shortly after starting the walk, looking towards the far end of the lake at Pooley Bridge.

In the later part of the walk, as Patterdale is approached, we see views of Helvellyn and surrounding hills.

Driving back to Grasmere via 'The Struggle' there are excellent views of Lake Windermere.

We stayed at Lake View Country House in Grasmere.  Its garden is home to some badgers and they can be viewed from a bedroom window in the twilight.

Thursday 20th June

Another classic short walk in the Lake District is the path around Rydal Water.  This view is from the higher path on the south side of the lake.