April 18, 2010 - North Yorkshire Coast & Fountains Abbey

Hi YA (Liverpool Greeting)

We were up and at them early again this time to do some touring of the North Yorkshire Coast. We started out on the motorway to cut off some travel time and to get to see the most we can on our last day in the Yorkshire Area, before moving onto secondary and back roads. Once on the secondary roads we drove through some very pretty towns. It almost seemed like we were back in Ontario, as we passed through Picton, Scarborough, Pickering and stopped at the seaside town of Whitby. This was my first view of the North Sea and it was breathtaking as we came over the hill. The picture is from the town of Whitby. We then headed off to the North Yorkshire Moors.

The North York Moors (also known as the North Yorkshire Moors) is a national park. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. It covers an area of 1,436 km² (554 square miles), and it has a population of about 25,000. The North York Moors became a National Park in 1952, through the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949. Rugged and desolate looking in the spring but must be spectacular when the Heather is in bloom. The Yorkshire Moors were formed from sandstones, which erode slowly and form poor acid soils which are deficient in nutrients. They are less permeable to water, impeding drainage and encouraging the formation of bogs. Sphagnum moss bogs are common where there is abundant rain and poor drainage. Cotton grass is a distinctive plant which grows in the boggy areas. In the cold acid waters of peat bogs there is little decomposition of organic material with the result that the dead sphagnum moss gradually accumulates to form peat. This raises the levels of the bogs and they dry out. Heather then invades the area.

The Dales on the other hand are green upland pastures separated by dry-stone walls and grazed by sheep and cattle. The Dales themselves are 'U' and 'V' shaped valleys, which were enlarged and shaped by glaciers, mainly in the most recent, Devensian ice age.

Our last stop for the day is back in the Dales at Fountains Abbey and the Studley Royal. It is a ruined Cistercian monastery, founded in 1132. Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved Cistercian houses in England. It is a Grade I listed building and owned by the National Trust. Along with the adjacent Studley Royal Water Garden, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We only walk the Abbey and a short walk about a mile around the river and lake. We spent about three hours here and took numerous pictures of the ruins as well as the grounds as we walk. We did not make it to the Studley Royal or the deer park so it is worth another visit.

We take secondary roads back to the hotel and go through some very pretty hamlets and towns.

You can Wiki the sites visited today for more detailed information on the history, both natural and historical, of where we were.

The trip back to Liverpool on Monday started out in rainy weather and our drive through the Pennines was rather scary for me. The fog was very thick and there was snow on the hills in some spots. Narrow winding roads are not my favorite, especially when you can't see a foot in front of you. We arrived in Liverpool in sunny conditions. Just shows the micro climates we can experience in relatively short distances in the UK.

I will have more pictures posted on Facebook by the end of Thursday and Fred will have pictures posted to Flickr by the weekend.

This is the end of our blog in the UK for now as we are returning to Ontario for me to sort out a visa so I can remain in the UK without hassles.

Ta Ra for now.

Sandy & Fred

April 17, 2010 - The City of York

Cheers Everyone.

Saturday, and we headed into the City of York to tour the York Minster. York has an amazing history and an early Christian presence, since the 300's. The site was, in 71 AD the Roman legionary fortress called Eboracum. Here the Principia or headquarters was constructed. In 306 AD Constantine was proclaimed Emperor of West York and declared the practice of Christianity acceptable. In 627 AD the first Minster was built for the baptism of Edwin, King of Northumbria by Bishop Paulinus. Finally, Thomas of Bayeux started the construction of the Norman Cathedral, the first Minster, in 1080. Construction continued until 1472 when the Minster was consecrated.

York Minster is a Gothic cathedral and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside the Cologne Cathedral. The Minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is cathedral for the Diocese of York; a Dean and Chapter under the Dean of York run it. The formal title of York Minster is The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York. The title "Minster" is attributed to churches established in the Anglo Saxon period as missionary teaching churches, and serves now as an honorific title. Services in the Minster are sometimes regarded as on the High Church, Anglo-Catholic end of the Anglican continuum.

Needless to say I could dedicate pages to the history of this site alone, but you can Wiki it for yourself to get more in-depth information. In 1967 large cracks appeared in the walls of the central tower and underpinning began to save the structure from collapse.

Fred and I spent over three hours in the Cathedral admiring the amazing stonework, woodwork and exploring all the areas. The entry is free except for the Undercroft, Treasury and Crypts which we explore and the Tower which we give a miss as it is a 275 step climb on a narrow winding spiral staircase and my knees are not up to it. We leave after spending most of the morning exploring and taking a ton of photos and search out a place to have lunch and plan the next attraction to visit.

We had lunch at a pub called The Punch Bowl and then headed off to The Treasurer's House and Garden, which is a National Trust property. The site of this house has 2000 years of history and was named by Frank Green its last private owner as the house is on the site of the mansion of the medieval Treasurer of York Minster. Mr. Green purchased the house in 1897, which were three decaying properties described as a bug-ridden slum. Frank had a passion for interior design and was a collector of fine furniture, glass, ceramics, textiles and antiques. The rooms, 13 in all, reflect his eccentric taste. What is so unusual about the house is that Mr. Green donated the house lock, stock and barrel to the Trust with specific instructions that the furniture, pictures and fabric be maintained and kept as they were laid out when he handed the house over to the Trust. As well, he provided specific instructions to the Trust for regular inspections to maintain the electrical and water works of the home.

After leaving the House, we stroll around the small streets lined with high street shops and small boutiques then along the city wall. We then headed back to the bus stop to get back to our car, which we parked, at a Park and Ride, which, was also conveniently located at an outlet mall. Once we checked out the mall and purchased some teas we headed back to the hotel after a full day.

York is definitely worth a return and I think for me even more impressive than Chester.
I have posted some pictures on my Facebook and Fred will post on Flickr by the weekend.
The pictures posted are all of the cathedral.the carving is of two lovers that was in the Chapter House.

Ta Ra for now,

Sandy & Fred

April 16, 2010 - Off to Yorkshire

Greetings All,

We had booked a long weekend away to celebrate Fred's birthday and explore the county of Yorkshire. With an early start we completed part of our journey on the motorway (highway in North America) and then onto the "A" and "B" roads so that we can see some of the countryside on our way to the hotel. Our first stop was Hardcastle Crags a National Trust property located in West Yorkshire. Gibson Mill is located here in a wooded valley with deep ravines and over thirty miles of foot paths. The mill was not open today but we do get out for some exercise and walk the short trail along the river.

Our next stop was Skipton, the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales for a look around the town and lunch. Historically, a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Skipton was anciently distinguished by Skipton Castle, first constructed in 1090 as a motte-and-bailey by Robert de Romille, a Norman baron. This building was replaced by a stone keep as a means to repel attacks from the Kingdom of Scotland to the north. The protection offered by Skipton Castle during the Middle Ages encouraged the urbanisation of the surrounding area, and in times of war and disorder, attracted an influx of families.

The community around Skipton Castle encouraged the region to become a prosperous market town, trading sheep and woollen goods. A market stemming from its formative years still survives, albeit with significant modification. In the 19th century, Skipton emerged as a small mill town connected to the major cities via the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and its branch Thanet Canal, but during the 20th century Skipton's economy shifted to tourism aided by its historic architecture and proximity to the Yorkshire Dales. We decided to have lunch at The Woolly Sheep Inn. The portions were absolutely huge. The picture posted shows my meal a burger, salad and chips. The chips are like roast potatoes rather than chips. The town itself is worth more exploring as we did not see the castle with just a short walk around after lunch.

The next we stopped at Pateley Bridge a small market town in the Nidderdale area, in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, on the River Nidd. Originally settled as a lead mining village, it took its name from 'Pate' - an old Yorkshire dialect word for 'Badger'. It has the oldest sweet shop in Britain and is the home of the Nidderdale Museum. It is a small quaint town and we are amused by a sign posted on the shore of the River Nidd advising no canoes or boats as the river is only ankle deep.
Last stop of the day was our hotel which is a Quality Inn so nothing cute and quaint as in some of our previous excursions.

Cheerio for now,

Sandy & Fred