Saturday 12th June 2021
A diesel Ford Focus hire car is our chariot for the week - and very nice it is too. I’m told it’s the more powerful model, and the one he would want, by the man handing over the key fob.
Setting off at 10.00AM stopped at Abbey Parks for a lunch of sausage sandwiches and lattes. A young mum already in the restaurant warned us that her baby would probably want to wave at us - thanks for the warning, but it didn’t happen!
Satnav took us the rest of the way to Owl Cotes Barn (well to within a couple of hundred metres anyway) in the middle of nowhere, where the owner leapt up to open the gate for us. Although marketed as a property without wifi we found they had recently had it installed so maybe we wouldn’t have to speak to each other after all :-)
Went out to the Co-Op in Cross Hills to get provisions, but completely missed it and ended up finding an Aldi on the edge of Skipton. Back at the cottage just about managed to work out the combi-oven and enjoyed a cottage pie we had brought from our local butchers and defrosted on the way. Although we had success with the oven, the Velux skylight was a bit more taxing, as was remembering to step over the really loud creaky floorboard in the bedroom doorway.
Muriel’s Wedding on DVD provided some entertainment for the evening.
Sunday 13th June 2021
Crumpets for breakfast, which didn’t quite fit in the toaster, so Michelle’s came out a bit shredded but still tasted fine. Also discovered there was no hot water so decided to go out for a walk without getting a shower.
We followed the track at the back of the barn which took us across a buttercup meadow until it dropped down to Lothersdale Beck via a couple of awkward stiles designed for skinny people without backpacks. Followed the beck in the sunshine past the sewage works until we reached the village of Lothersdale at a tall industrial looking chimney attached to some kind of mill. After a quick look round the tiny village, which appeared to have one pub and nothing else, we set off on The Pennine Way up the other side of the valley before turning towards Tow Top Moor. It was hot and sticky work but the views over the valley were great - very green and very Yorkshire. As we reached the moor and started to make our way back down to the village it started to cloud over quite a bit but was still nice and warm. Sunday lunch at The Hare and Hound consisted of Beef topside with all the trimmings, followed by an epic caramel and chocolate sundae. A bit further up the road there was The Pennine Way heading in the other direction so we used this to head back towards the cottage. We stopped quite soon as we found a bench which appeared to be made of recycled plastic and had a great view of the village and down the valley. It was the perfect spot to let our lunch go down, so we sat and chatted for a while. With a bit of help from the Ordnance Survey maps app we navigated our way via a mown field, a smelly pig farm and the lane our cottage was on back to base for a well earned cup of tea.
By this time we had worked out how to get hot water so we treated ourselves to showers which were definitely needed after quite a sticky day. Refreshed and relaxed we had three cheese tortellini with sauce, a couple of beers and State of Play starring Russell Crowe on DVD.
Monday 14th June 2021
7.30AM rise to drive to Knaresborough - and first stop is Old Mother Shipton’s Cave for a pandemic related two and a half hour slot. Satnav was perfect and the drive took just short of an hour to get us to the gates just before opening time. Once we had reversed to let the two ladies on a huge touring motorcycle through the gateway first, we then squeezed through ourselves (it was quite narrow to be taking an unfamiliar car through). It was a nice stroll through the trees with Alice in Wonderland themed sculptures from the car park at the viaduct which spanned the River Nidd into the town of Knaresborough, until we spotted refreshments. Sandwiches and coffee from a camper van consumed at a nearby picnic table until my sandwich wrapper disappeared in the breeze. Fortunately, a young Mum was able to abandon her child in a buggy to intercept the wrapper and kindly disposed of it before I could reach her.
We reached the petrifying well and the cave with petrified objects (hats, shoes, teddy bears, camera etc.) and listened to the automated narration in the sunshine before heading to the gift shop. Somehow we ended up with crystals, a guide to crystals and a fairy dust rock (I’ve no idea). A few photos were taken on the way back through the woodland including a double set of stocks - one for the village idiot and one for the village drunk - I don’t think anything else needs to be said here.
Moved the car to a pay and display just over the river where a kind man gave us his ticket giving us all day parking and would have cost us the princely sum of £4. Heading down alongside the river we found the steep steps the girl at the entrance to Mother Shipton’s had told us about and made the climb up to the war memorial. Great views of the viaduct, the valley and the castle, and then we set off towards the market place and the shopping area where we spotted the Lavender Tearooms. Of course it was time for afternoon tea - although we did end up asking them to box up some of the cakes we couldn’t manage at that time. We also managed to acquire chutneys, jams etc before leaving the downstairs shop.
Heading back to base camp we stopped at the Co-Op in Cross Hills for more supplies (mainly wine) before retiring to our cottage for rest. James Corden in The History Boys provided the evening entertainment.
Tuesday 15th June 2021
Pastries, coffee and pineapple juice for the start of the day and then on the road to Hardcastle Crags (N.T.). It involved a hairy journey down some very narrow windy lanes through villages where the locals just didn’t slow down (didn’t they know we were in a hire car). However, the roads over the top of the moors were spectacular. We finally parked up and set off up the trail towards the 19th Century mill with the promise of refreshments. We followed Bridge Clough for quite some time through the woods in the sunshine until we could finally settle down to a banquet of sandwiches and lemonade on a bench outside the mill. We then had the added bonus of a green toilet which included a wormery.
Had a quick look in the mill and watched a short movie about “Slow the flow” water management. Further on we headed slightly off piste towards the crags - home to the Northern Hairy Wood Ant (apparently they have hairy eyebrows). We spent an unreasonable amount of time trying to capture stills and movies as we watched them carry items back to the nest - including spiders who didn’t look that keen to go. We eventually made it to the crags in hot sunshine and took some terrible selfies as usual.
Having run low on fluids it was time to head back down, but following the path proved more difficult as it petered out to a fairly sheer drop - well the path we followed did, so we retraced our steps back to the main trail. We then found an alternative path back towards the car park on the other side of the small valley, but we eventually lost track of this too and had to work our way through the jungle until we found the road.
When we finally reached the car we drove the short distance to Hebden Bridge for lattes. We had to pay £1.40 for parking today, and then cooked ourselves in the hot sun outside the coffee shop. Set off to explore the picturesque town centre, but found ourselves wandering out of town so using our “natural bearings” climbed up some ridiculously steep steps, and a bit further up a climbing road before O.S. maps persuaded us to take a very steep cobbled path back down to the bridge over the river. We took a few photos of the bridge and watched two little girls rescuing an injured bird.
On the drive back we encountered an incident at Ponden Resevoir which included at least 4 ambulance, 3 Fire and Rescue vehicles and Police so we had to turn round and find a different route. We later discovered that someone had got into trouble whilst swimming and sadly didn’t make it.
Got back to the cottage about 7PM and immediately tucked in to scotch egg, black pudding pork pie, cheese, meat, olives, gherkins, crackers, grapes - oh and wine! No DVD entertainment tonight.
Wednesday 16th June 2021
A nice relaxing morning in the cottage was called for, so we started it with pate on toast for breakfast before plotting a walk to Cowling. The O.S. maps app decided that today was a good time for the subscription to expire, so quickly had to remedy that before we ventured out into the wilds of Yorkshire. It didn’t help much as we took a footpath immediately across the road from the cottage, over a couple of stiles to the top of the field in very hot sunshine and couldn’t find any way out at the top. So we ended up doing a full circumnavigation of the field and ending up exactly where we started from. At this point we decided to follow the lane, which very shortly became one of the less popular stretches of The Pennine Way, turning into a path which took us over and around Cowling Hill before dropping down into Cowling village. Arriving at school pick up time we then raced a young woman who had 2 rugrats in a buggy and 3 other little ones in tow up a steep hill into the village. We won! Later on down the road we discovered that she could afford a TV, and was actually a nanny.
A little further on we stopped for drinks at The Bay Horse where we sat outside in a kind of wooden pod. Google told us it was about 30 minutes to The Dog and Gun which was our ultimate aim for tea. Nondescript route down the main road to reach the pub where we sat at a table in a tent just outside the main door which had an automatic overhead heater. This proved quite uncomfortable on a hot day, and having not been served after 20 minutes we talked a member of staff into finding us a table on a raised terrace and bringing us some drinks. Food was needed shortly afterwards - Applewood chicken/ chicken tikka skewers both with chips - and the general consensus was very average. It was cooling off a bit now so we headed back to the heated tent for a couple more drinks then set off for the cottage.
Over half an hour (at our pace) along the very quiet lanes in the golden hour and got back about 9ish.
Thursday 17th June 2021
Pate on bread, coffee and pineapple juice to get the day started, then on the road to Ilkley. Parked in the centre of town and managed to scrape together enough actual cash to pay and display (not used to using cash these days).
Quickly found Avanti Coffee House - a small independent coffee shop run with an iron fist by an Italian lady - and enjoyed excellent coffee. We had a quick look round town before stumbling across Toast House. A limited food menu but we settled on onion bhaji on brioche bun with mango chutney, raita, tomato and salad. I soon broke into a sweat, but once Michelle pointed out that it was the chutney that was hot I was able to scrape most of it onto her plate so we could both enjoy the bhaji.
Once fed we needed to work it off, so we headed down to the River Wharfe and picked up The Dales Way which followed the river out of town past riverside gardens, tennis courts, golf club and many sheep in the direction of Bolton Abbey. We didn’t make it quite that far before turning back to retrace our steps as we couldn’t see a river crossing for several miles. On the way back we noticed a kissing gate which we had probably gone through on the outbound journey, but there was also a path that just went round it! Arriving back in town we bought a couple of plants for the garden from The Old Bridge Nursery and then crossed the bridge to walk the other side of the river until the next bridge.
A bit more exploration of the town followed, then The Ilkley Cafe company served us cake and lattes just before they closed. Then it was Marks and Spencers to stock up on booze to take back to the cottage.
127 hours on DVD.
Friday 18th June 2021
Toasted cheese sandwiches and coffee before heading for Skipton. Parked down near the Leeds and Liverpool Canal so had a quick look at the towpaths and Fred Trueman’s statue (Freddie Trueman Sports Ltd used to be based in the town) before looking for refreshments. Elsworth Kitchen did excellent chorizo potato cakes with aioli and chorizo crisps, but we still had to sit in the naughty corner. Good coffee too.
Set off for a walk along the towpath which took us past Skipton Castle and into Skipton Woods. Last time we were in the area we went into the castle to find that it was very well preserved, but basically empty - no furniture, paintings or wall decoration of any kind. Anyway, this time we just walked past it and into a really peaceful woodland setting with streams, small waterfalls and a couple of wicker sculptures.
We circled back to come out round the other side of the castle and eventually back onto the high street. Time to do a bit of browsing, then it was time for afternoon coffee and cake. Ended up in a small mall and a place called The Cake ‘Ole served us with bourbon/strawberry and cream cakes with tea/coffee. The cakes came with free ice-cream so we were quite full by the time we finished every last crumb. This meant we would have to have another walk along a different stretch of the towpath to work off some calories. When we had finally returned to our usual slim shapes we decided to call it a day as it had also clouded over a bit and was getting chilly.
Back at the cottage it was time to do a bit of packing and watch England v Scotland in the delayed Euro 2020 clash (what a waste of time that was!)
At least there was bottle of wine.
Saturday 19th June 2021
Having said good morning to the cottage owners whilst loading the car, they make themselves scarce as we finally depart. Oh well - probably never see them again.
A couple of miles down the road there was a road closure leaving us to find an alternative route. Programmed the satnav to find us a way out whilst avoiding motorways, and consequently spent the next five days trying to get out of Yorkshire (slight exaggeration). We eventually stopped near Doncaster at Daisy’s Coffee Shop, Tickhill after about 3 hours on the road - and then ordered breakfast!
The rest of the journey is a bit of a blur but it was faster than the first bit and we eventually arrived home.