Easter is a bit different for us this year. Now that I have finished teaching, we have planned to holiday outside of the school holidays when we can. Also, this year we are holidaying in Yorkshire instead of Scotland. This is because we need to take Phoenix to the motorhome dealer where we bought it to have the annual habitation check, and also to have a bumper replaced that had damage when we purchased it. The weather was sunny when we left home and continued until we arrived at the site when the heavens opened! More heavy rain in forecast over the next few days but things look better for our second week.
Holme Valley Camping and Caravan Park is about 20 minutes away from the dealer and only a couple of miles from Holmfirth (where BBC Comedy, 'The Last of the Summer Wine' was filmed). The site is situated close to the River Holme and our pitch overlooked the pond which it at the centre of the site. There is a new toilet and shower block which was very clean at all times. There are glamping pods and also long-stay season pitches which are situated around the pond area. There is a camping field for tents. The old toilet block and reception area are currently being redeveloped.
We settled in for the night as the rain became very heavy and the wind picked up, but we both managed to sleep well.
Sunshine and heavy showers continued this morning and more heavy rain was forecast for the afternoon. We decided to take a trip in the van to Holmfirth but we were unable to find suitable parking and had to go back to the site. On our way back in, we noticed there was a bus stop at the site entrance so we left the van on the pitch and walked back to see if we could get a bus. There is a bus service to Holmfirth which also goes on to Huddersfield.
We arrived in Holmfirth and dodged in and out of the showers looking at the local shops, many of which were individual and more specialist. A traditional ironmongers and hardware shop still had the original chests of drawers containing all kinds of hardware for repairing and fixing things in the home. There was a lovely little shop selling craft materials from paints to wool as well as local craftwork including some lovely art. Neither of us are familiar with much of ‘The Last of the Summer Wine’ series and, as the weather was so awful and was getting worse, we did not walk around Holmfirth to view key sites used in the programme. We had lunch in a little bakery café, popped into Sainsbury’s for some bits and pieces, then got the bus back to the site. It is nice to see signs of spring everywhere – daffodils, trees coming into bud and lots of birdsong. We saw a mother duck keeping a watchful eye on her three ducklings which were investigating the site – new life is such an appealing sign of spring. I sent a little video of the ducklings to Aurora.
We relaxed inside for the rest of the afternoon as the rain was very heavy at times and continued to be very heavy overnight. We have to be up in the morning to take the van into the dealer.
We drove to the dealer to drop off the van and then caught a bus to Huddersfield. We need to buy walking boots to replace those lost in the fire so that we can go walking this holiday. The day was again full of sunshine and showers but we still managed to have a wander around Huddersfield. Like many towns, businesses have closed as a result of the Covid pandemic and the town centre looked pretty bleak and unloved in parts. A quick Google search showed that there was not much for tourists to do within Huddersfield itself. There was one nice little arcade – the Byram Arcade – which dates back to 1881. It had a fantastic fabric and haberdashery shop. I bought some Minnie Mouse fabric to use in a bag for Aurora.
We bought some boots for Kevin but couldn’t get any that were waterproof in my size – I will have to keep looking. We also bought new trainers for our summer holidays. After exhausting the shops, we walked to the Huddersfield Open Market which sold all sorts of things including fruit and vegetables as well as clothing, homewares, haberdashery, and beautiful saris, costume jewellery and Indian fabrics to cater for the Asian community within Huddersfield.
We went to the Lost Property Coffee Shop and Kitchen which was just along from the market, and had a lovely lunch which was very filling. They did some wonderful afternoon teas which looked enormous! We went back into the town for another bit of shopping, and then the dealer phoned to say the van was ready which was quite a relief. It was getting very cold and the showers were getting heavier so we were glad to get the bus back and pick up the van. We got back to the site at about 3.30pm and then just read and watched TV – it was too wet and cold to go out. Hopefully the weather will start to improve from tomorrow.
Today we set off for our second site of this holiday. The weather today was the wettest yet which isn’t great when travelling. We had to call at the dealer’s again as we have a problem with the microwave which we mentioned yesterday – it keeps switching itself off during cooking. They have agreed to replace it and will send a new one to home so that we don’t have to drive all the way back to Huddersfield (again!).
We took a slight detour so that we can call into Bury and look for walking boots for me. There was a lot of surface water on the motorway, and spray from other vehicles. There were plenty of places to look including Go Outdoors which is right next door to Asda. Parking was more of a challenge as most carparks had height barriers but we managed to park in the Asda carpark. It was worth the detour as I got fixed up so I now have some sturdy and waterproof footwear for walking in the Dales.
We arrived at the site at about half past 2. It is a really lovely site with spacious, serviced pitches. There is a modern and very clean toilet/shower block, and we noticed that there are three luxury lodges on the site which can be hired. The site is a short walk from a fantastic farm/gift/coffee shop ‘Country Harvest’ which was very well stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables, local meat, cheeses and bakery produce. They also stock frozen ready meals that are also made locally. The gift shop had some different items and sold everything from toys to lamps (which were very nice). The only downside is getting across the A65 as the shop is situated at a very busy crossroads. I’m sure we will be visiting here again during our stay at Ingleton.
The weather improved as the evening went on so we are hoping for a dry day tomorrow, even if it is cloudy. We have started to watch the series ‘George Gently’ which we haven’t seen before after a lovely homemade fish pie and vegetables.
We woke up to blue skies this morning which was a relief after all of the rain we’ve had so far. We enjoyed a lazy morning just reading and catching up with news online. Kevin put up the new chairs outside and we sat outside for short time. It was warm when the sun was out but chilly when it went behind a cloud – still, it was nice to breathe in some fresh air.
We decided to take a walk to Ingleton village later on in the morning as we wanted to give our new walking boots a trial run before our longer walk later in the week to the Ingleton waterfalls. It is a pleasant walk into the village and there is a footpath all the way along the main road. The surrounding fields were full of spring lambs and daffodils.
The first striking landmark as you walk into the village is the Ingleton railway viaduct made up of 11 arches, and completed in 1860. It crosses over the River Greta and above a row of traditional Dales cottages. Holme Head Caravan Park is situated below the viaduct on both sides and is a blot on the landscape in my opinion, spoiling the very picturesque landscape. As you walk into the village, there are a number of gift shops, pubs and cafés as well as a small garden centre. St. Mary’s Parish Church lies at the heart of the village, and the existing building dates back to 1886. It is believed that a church has been on this site since Norman times as the church has an original font dating back to 1150. The bank it is build on dates back to the Ice Age and, as it is unstable, it has caused many structural problems for the building over the centuries. We looked in the window at the Ingleton Pottery which sold some lovely items including vases and lamp bases, then we crossed the river and headed back to our site. We walked past the entrance to the Waterfall Trail which we are going to follow later in the week.
We called into the Country Harvest shop for some fresh bread on the way back (Kevin also had his eye on a cherry loaf cake!) then walked back to the van to have our lunch. I went for a shower this afternoon – lovely and clean facilities and plenty of hot water! Tonight, we will continue with our binge watch of George Gently.
Today we are having a bit of a relaxation day. Kevin is working on some electronics for the van, and I am trying to pick up where I left off knitting a cardigan for Aurora – but I’m not sure where I’m up to!
The ewes and their lambs have been moved to the field in front of us and it has been funny watching the lambs jumping about and playing together. I sat for most of the afternoon trying to work out where I was in the pattern for Aurora’s cardigan and, frustratingly, seemed to be pulling a lot of sleeve I had been knitting out, I decided to pull it all out and start again, and have vowed not to leave it for so long next time because you just forget what you are doing.
It has been overcast today but we went out for a walk later in the afternoon. We came across the small village of Thornton-in-Lonsdale which has a pub (the Marton Arms), and an Anglican church (St. Oswald’s). The village has links to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author the Sherlock Holmes stories as he married his first wife, Louisia, in St. Oswald’s Church in 1885. His mother lived in Masongill Cottage for 30 years and Sir Arthur is known to have stayed with her on several occasions. Whilst there is no real evidence that inspiration for the Sherlock Holmes character came from this little village, it is said he would have travelled to Masongill by train via Holmes Head. Also, in the tower at St. Mary’s Church at Ingleton, there is a memorial stained-glass window dedicated to a man called Randal Hopley Sherlock who was killed by lightning at the railway station. This could have been the inspiration for Doyle’s most famous character.
We enjoyed a nice roast beef Sunday lunch when we returned to the van and continued our George Gently binge.
As the weather was going to be overcast all day today, we decided it would be a good time to visit White Scar Cave which is a place I have wanted to visit for a while. We have visited a number of caves over the years and they are all a bit quirky for one reason or another, not least because of the similarities of various rock formations to objects, animals and people. This one was no exception being Britain’s longest show cave. It was discovered 100 years ago in 1923 by Cambridge student, Christopher Long and J. H. Churchill, and the first public tours took place in 1925. He entered through a crack in the rock and, using candles attached to a bowler hat, and investigated the cave by crawling through narrow passages and taking many risks including swimming in deep, cold underwater river water. Long purchased the land surrounding the cave and miners were later employed to open up the entrance of the cave to allow visitors to enter.
The first thing you hear, as you move further into the cave, is the sound of an underground waterfall. The guide took us through low and narrow sections of the cave pointing out different formations in the flowstone (some of which were a bit dubious but fun nevertheless) including the Witch’s Fingers, The Judge’s Head and the Witch’s Hat. The tour ends at the Battalion Cavern, about half a mile inside the cave, which was made accessible to the public in 1991 by a firm of tin miners from Cornwall. There is still much more to discover at White Scar as cavers continue to investigate the cave.
After our visit to the cave, we drove to Ribbleshead Viaduct which is situated close to the Cumbrian border in the Yorkshire Dales, and is made up of 24 arches. It is very impressive from the main road. Building work began on the viaduct in 1869 and it was completed in 1874. It was built as a way of improving trade between England and Scotland by building a railway link between Settle to Carlisle. The information board explained that a brick factory was built on site to produce the 1.5 million bricks needed to build the viaduct, and that two mounds of stone close to the viaduct today show where the two large chimneys stood. Over 2500 men were employed to build the viaduct and there were many casualties. Records show that over 200 lost their lives in the construction process, and more to a smallpox outbreak. Shanty towns were set up around it’s base to house the workers and their families.
In 1980, the viaduct required costly repairs and British Rail proposed closure of the line. A campaign was started to save the line and the viaduct which was given Grade II listed status in 1988. It is possible to catch a steam train and travel along the Carlisle to Settle route today. We also saw a passenger train travelling across the viaduct towards Carlisle during a visit today, and another on the return journey towards Settle. It must be a great sight watching the steam trains travel over the bridge.
We drove back through the Dales with good views of the Three Peaks – Pen-Y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough – which many walkers climb to raise funds for different charities. We decided not to bother climbing them today as it takes 12 hours and it was already 2pm! Another day maybe … not!
Dan drove up from Liverpool today to spend the afternoon with us. The weather was sunny so he had a good drive up and got to the site at about 12.30pm. We had booked lunch at the Masons Freehouse in Ingleton for 1.30pm. We walked to the pub and discovered that new owners had just taken over that day, and that there was a new menu. Kevin and Dan chose the steak and ale pie, and I had fish and chips. The meals included ‘Yorkshire caviar’ which we worked out was mushy peas but they were freshly cooked and not out of a tin. The meals were excellent so it’s definitely a place to visit again when we come back to the Dales.
We walked into the village of Ingleton and returned to the site past the entrance to the Waterfall Train along Holme Head Farm Road. It was lovely to catch up with Dan’s news, and we are pleased that he has plenty of work after such a difficult time during the Covid period. He is always a breath of fresh air and it is good to have a laugh with him. He stayed for about another hour and then headed back to Liverpool before the traffic got too busy. We hope to see both him and Naomi again before they go on holiday to America at the end of May.
We didn’t need a big tea after eating a good lunch so just had a bacon sandwich supper with George Gently!
Today we drove to the village of Hawes with the intention of visiting the Dales Countryside Museum and then Bolton Castle. We have been to Hawes before as we stayed at the Hawes Caravan Club site which is close to the museum. We visited the Wensleydale Cheese Factory then and didn’t even notice the museum.
The museum is a very interesting one depicting life across the Dales. It has a lovely gift shop and there is a café but we didn’t visit on this occasion as we had the van with us. The museum is divided into sections with displays about the history of Dales, and is located in the former Goods Warehouse of Hawes Railway station. The museum has artefacts dating from the Bronze Age, and also a Viking ring which was found in nearby Sedbergh. Further displayed are houses in railway carriages outside which contain information about everyday life in the Dales and the importance of the village communities during the 16th Century onwards.
We were lucky enough to be able to visit the exhibition on local dialect, grammar and vocabulary as it was ending today. I have always found this area of the English language really interesting, and the study by Leeds University which is part of the Dialect and Heritage Project is a really valuable one. The first studies began in 1946 and included a Survey of English Dialects. The Dialect and Heritage Project is now adding to their research and is again collecting information about differences in vocabulary and grammar. It’s interesting to learn where words you use originate – are they inherited from parents and grandparents, or are they part of the culture in your area? Very interesting …
We decided to go back to the van for a spot of lunch before returning to the museum so we had a quick look around Hawes to pick up bread etc. We realised we would not get to Bolton Castle today after all so will visit when we return to the area. The rest of the exhibitions gave information about farming, mining, and knitting industries. The knitting exhibition had a rare collection of ‘knitting sticks’ which I’d never heard of before. Knitting sticks have a hole in them and a knitting needle is inserted in the hole. The knitting stick was used to anchor the righthand needle and could be inserted in a waistband or belt. I don’t know why they aren’t still used as I have to put a cushion behind my right shoulder to stop the needle disappearing under my right arm! Overall the museum was very good and we learned a lot about the history of the Dales.
We drove back in the afternoon sunshine, past the Ribblehead viaduct and towards the site. We had a relaxing evening pottering and watching TV.
It has been very windy overnight and first thing this morning, and we were not sure if we’d get out for a Ingleton Waterfall Walk but we did. We set off late morning and walked to the starting point in Ingleton near the River Doe.
We did not really know what to expect in terms of the physical walk but it was alright for the most part however the middle section between Thornton Force and Beezley Falls is quite steep in parts. The views over the Dales at the top make the climb worthwhile though. It was a beautiful sunny day so we saw the waterfalls in all their glory – especially after the heavy rain of last week. There were plenty of places to stop and take photos, or a break – the area around Thornton Force was particularly stunning and it was possible to sit on the grass by the River Doe for a picnic. The steepest section towards Beezley Farm gives fantastic views of Ingleborough, one of the three peaks, and we could also see the White Scar Cave building below. It was easier to see the line of limestone rock which marked the position of the Battalion Cavern from this side.
We stopped to have lunch at Beezley Farm as there is a small café where you can pick up a hot drink and snacks as well as toilet facilities. We had taken our lunch so sat at the picnic tables provided and enjoyed the view. The walk from Beezley Falls is perhaps the trickiest as it is very uneven in parts due to the exposed slabs of slate. Eventually the path begins to descend which is a bit hard on the knees, and then levels off as your walk along the River Doe towards Ingleton. Towards the end of the route there are the remains of the old quarry. The trail is a very pretty and varied on but it is challenging in parts and you need a reasonable level of fitness to complete it. The advantage is that there is no pressure of to complete the trail in a certain time so you can take a rest when you need to, or go at a slower pace. The route ends at the opposite end of the village so we called into the shop to pick up our tea for tomorrow as we head up to Ellington for our last two nights of our Easter break. We walked back to the site and we were both ready for a sit down after that.
A nice hot shower, a bit of relaxation, tea with apple crumble and custard and George Gently to finish off our lovely day. What more could you want?
Potland Farm Cottage, Morpeth, Northumberland
We are leaving the Yorkshire Dales today and heading up to Northumberland to spend some time with Jonny, Holly and Aurora. It was quite windy when we set off up the M6 and along the A69 but it was sunny so the journey was not too bad. We stopped for a bit of lunch on the way.
We arrived at Potland at about 2.30pm and, after tea, Holly picked us up and we spent the evening with them all. Aurora has changed so much in less than two weeks when we last saw her. Her speech is so clear, and she is using many 4 and 5 word phrases – she is also fond of the word ‘No!’ which is funny! She was happy to see us and settled very quickly today, getting us involved in her play and encouraging Grandad to dance (and jump!) to the Disney Parade music. I have noticed that she is referring to us separately now rather than saying ‘Grandma, Grandad’. We had a lovely evening together catching up on their news, and finding out about their house sale and purchase. We left at about 9.00pm as they all have to be up for swimming tomorrow, and will then spend the day together to celebrate Kevin’s birthday.
Today Jonny and Holly picked us up to take us to see the showhouse of the house type they have reserved. It is a beautiful house and will be a lovely family home. Aurora made herself at home climbing into all the beds – she was like Goldilocks! After visiting the house, we drove to Longhoughton to have lunch at the Running Fox to celebrate Kevin’s birthday. We all had afternoon tea and the food was delicious.
We went back to Jonny and Holly’s and he disappeared off to get a ‘surprise’ for Kevin. He returned with Alma! We had a nice afternoon chatting and playing with Aurora. She loves spending time with her Grandad, and keeps him busy when we visit. We enjoyed an Indian takeaway for tea – carbs overload for me! Jonny dropped us off back at the van, and then took Alma home. It was a really nice end to our first holiday away in Phoenix. Looking forward to many more …