Flowers on the wall

Yesterday we retraced our steps to Skipton, a market town not far from where we are currently staying. It is a very picturesque place and has a very active canal boat base. Not ones to miss such a chance we were soon aboard for a short trip up a small side canal which was the basis for a rock quarry transport system from yesteryear, some of the remains of which are still evident. Dominating this stretch of the canal is Skipton castle which is still used as a family home and is currently occupied by a family of jewellers whose name escapes me at the moment.

Skipton Castle

Fred Trueman in bronze , a local hero hereabouts.

A most enjoyable little trip on the canal and after a good look at the town's market we moved on to Settle which sits at the southern terminus of the Settle to Charlisle railway, not that we wished to make the trip, but more that we liked the sound of this town. On the way, on rounding a corner in the town of Conastin Cold our attention was caught by a blaze of colour. Now I like begonias but this was carrying it a bit far.

One begonia two begonia .......

Returning to where we were, Settle, this little town more than lived up to our expectations and we were soon getting lost in it's narrow winding streets. Inevitably we found ourselves at the station. Now for all their eccentricities the English do this sort of thing very well.

Settle railway station

 All in all a quiet but enjoyable day, quite relaxing.

Whilst we have been travelling we have been getting updates from Evan and Pam Jamieson who are currently doing a canal trip from Budapest to Amsterdam, similar to the one we shall be doing in a little over a month. They seem to be really enjoying themselves which is encouraging for us. This reminds us that we have but two weeks left in Britain before going of on other adventures, although we do return here on an off.

Today has seen a return to more vigorous activities, although not outrageously so, and our first visit to stately homes for some time. We picked a real beauty for this and although we had never heard of it before it proved most interesting. Newby Hall dates from the 17th. c. and was designed and built by Sir Chritopher Wrenn for someone whose name escapes me. In the early 18th. c. it was put on the market and this property, which by then included several villages and many hundred acres of land, went for the princely sum of 9,000 pounds, a huge sum, maybe in those days, but still considered quite a bargain. The interior design was by Adams and woodwork by Chippendale (doors, banisters, furniture ..everything), all together quite a pedigree. It is remarkable that the home is still just that, a home and is used daily to entertain people....people called simply Charles and Camilla according to the visiter's book. I don't quite know who these good folk may be but it appears they visit on a quite regular basis. The house is almost exactly the same as it always has been with original furniture and even the Waterford crystal (high in lead , more expensive you see) and German porcelain survive.

Newby Hall

One room alone which  features made to measure tapestries from the best available to Royalty in France to adorn the walls and furniture by Chippendale must be worth in the millions. These were not thrown together but rather they were deliberately made to compliment one another.
You may think that I was impressed by this place, I was.

From the house it was out into the garden which although we have picked a slightly strange time of year to visit was still quite magnificent, no there was no Capability Brown invloved, but still very nice. The transition  from the floral colours of summer to the foliage of autumn are slowly becoming evident and the end result will be quite spectacular I am sure.

Autumn Colours on the way

From Newby it was on to something quite different. Fountains Abbey was built early in the 12th. c. by Cistercian monks and flourished until the dissolution of the monasteries. This is a considered to be the one of the  most complete Abbeys in the country, it is also one of the largest. One irony remains, that of a seat called Ann Bolyn's seat, now was she not a wife of Henry VIII and wasn't he something to do with the dissolution. What was she doing here? One also wonders at the need for a prison in a Monestry. Anyway a fine place to visit and certainly deserving of more time than we were able to give it today.

Fountains Abbey

Oh, I must return to Newby. As when we were driving in we had noticed  a striking little church and determined that we should stop by and check it out when leaving. This little gem has an unusual story to it. During the tour of the house a small shrine was brought to our attention with a portrait  (death portrait to be exact) of a young man at it's centre. It seems that this young fellow, a son of the family, was holidaying in Greece when set upon by brigands who demanded a ransom for his release. Getting cold feet his captors killed the unfortunate young man before the ransom could be paid. His body was returned to Britain and the ransom monies used to build the aforementioned church.

The Church at Newby Hall

It is tomorrow already, well I have just gotten around to finishing this in the pub with a glass of ale....just felt like it so there you go.

We are about to go home for our diner so all the best and until next time 

David