…and despite the warmth, there’s plenty of visible steam*. It’s the weekend of the annual summer gala, and the weather forecast suggested Sunday would be the best day. It was – an excellent day out. Visit “Foxfield summer gala” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries for more photos and a short video clip (remember to turn up the volume!)
*I know – steam is invisible. The fluffy white stuff coming from the chimney is water droplets, suspended in the air, which don’t always form on warm days…
Out with a railway friend – travelling to the Fylde on a Northern Rail day rover. Our objective is to cross the Wyre from Fleetwood to Knott End – our reward, a pint at the Bourne Arms – and some wonderful extensive views across the shimmering (despite it not being particularly warm) sands. The train takes us to Blackpool North, a smart new tram to Fleetwood – and what must be the shortest ferry crossing in the British Isles to Knott End jetty.
For more railway and tramway photos visit “By rail to Knott End” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries
It’s Burton Brewery Locomotives day at Chasewater – three interesting old diesels are in action, the oldest built 87 years ago – and there’s a visiting steam locomotive on the passenger service – Rosyth No 1, from Blaenavon. We’d better have a day out! For more pictures and info on the event, visit “Brewery diesels” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries.
A last look at Yorkshire – and things hadn’t quite gone according to plan. We could have had the pleasure of 69023’s company – next time perhaps. Visit “Wensleydale – a passing glance” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries for (a little) more on our look at the Wensleydale Railway.
Wensleydale Railway official website
The river Skell is perhaps best known (if at all) for flowing through the valley of Fountains Abbey and the Studley Royal water gardens (a world heritage site, on account of the latter). It rises on the moors east of Nidderdale, and joins the Ure on the eastern edge of the city of Ripon (which is half the size of Beverley, the third-smallest city in England). We’ll start at the latter, for lunch down by the cathedral, followed by a visit to the restored canal basin. The canal, which takes its feed water from the Skell, closed in 1956 – forty years later, it had been re-connected to the inland waterways network.
It’s only a short drive to Fountains. The ruins need little introduction – the abbey is one of the largest and best-preserved of its kind, and particularly photogenic, even on a dull grey afternoon. There’s plenty to explore, and afterwards we walk the length of the water gardens, a very pleasant stroll which is concluded by fine views as we approach the abbey once more. Little more needs to be said – visit the NT site (below) for more.
Wednesday: We’re in Beverley, in the old East Riding, looking for somewhere to eat*. It’s an interesting old place, worth a longer look and closer attention than we were able to give. Holidays as a child, in Bridlington, too many years ago, were distinguished by the dark blue and cream East Yorkshire buses – with white, pointed roofs. How odd! The reason lay in Beverley – they had to get under a low, pointed arch. It’s still there, though the buses no longer have pointed roofs. Beverley has a magnificent minster, grander than many cathedrals – but it’s not a cathedral, so Beverley is a town. Round the back of the minster, there’s a “Lurk Lane”. Its phone boxes are a funny colour and there are fish embedded in the pavement.
* We find the Tudor Rose, whose menu offers Polish specialities. We’d better try it. Potato cakes with slow-cooked beef, and pork cutlets – excellent (won’t need anything else to eat today…)!
Tuesday pm: There’s a most attractive “Apedale” along the road from Much Wenlock to Church Stretton (are Shropshire’s dales England’s southernmost?), and another Apedale in Staffordshire, home of a splendid 2′ gauge railway. This one’s a very minor, little-known dale in Yorkshire, and the coincidence is just that – quite accidental. The rough track we’re walking would take us over to Swaledale: we’ll stop at the watershed, admire the views, and turn back (walked far enough for one day). We had thought of making a circular route, following the ridge (a flat peaty moor) back round, but there was no path and the going looked hard on deep tussocky grass.
Yorkshire’s Apedale was most enjoyable, and retracing our steps was no hardship. It’s not the most spectacular part of the dales, but it’s very quiet – the only sounds are those of the birds (there are hundreds of rabbits, but they’re silent, and the sheep aren’t saying much). And what birds! A cuckoo, several lapwings, and more curlews than I’ve seen and heard for many years. Their rising, bubbling cry screams “lonely places”, sending a real shiver down the spine (try it: listen to the recordings on the links below). Sadly, they don’t like having their picture taken.
British Birdsongs: Curlew
RSPB: Curlew
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=402010&Y=494612&A=Y&Z=120
Tuesday am: We’re in Yorkshire for a few days – Wensleydale today, starting with the magnificent ruins of Middleham castle. It’s more colourful than we’d imagined – there are masses of pinky-purple flowers all over the stonework (“erinus alpinus”, also know as alpine balsam and fairy foxglove. I didn’t know that at the time…). This castle has an amazing assortment of dark nooks and crannies, making for a fascinating exploration. Afterwards, lunch at a small cafe across the road, where, sitting outside, we watch local life pass by – including numerous racehorses heading for, or returning from, the gallops nearby.
Middleham Castle English Heritage
…it’s grown – about 40cm tall – and opened out.
Making good progress, as the school reports used to say (though probably not about me…)
(see previous post “Commonly spotted – accidental gardening“)
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