Yorkshire - Part Four Whitby and Goathland.

 

I had previously visited Whitby back in May 2024 when to say my view of the town was shrouded in mist was no word of a lie!!

So returning to this town, which albeit was quite a drive from Skipton ending up around four and half hour round trip was worth it.

 

 

One of the things Whitby is famous for are the 199 steps.

The Whitby 199 Steps, also known as the Church Stairs, date back to at least 1340, but are believed to be older. Originally made of wood, they were replaced with stone in 1774 and connect the Old Town to St. Mary's Church and the ruins of Whitby Abbey. The steps have been used for various purposes, including a spiritual test of faith for worshippers and a sombre funeral route where pallbearers carried coffins, for which resting benches were installed. The steps also played a role in the Gothic atmosphere that inspired Bram Stoker's novel Dracula

The view from the top at the base of the steps is just so good with the mix of buildings and the sea view.

 But the view from the top was even more impressive!

The Cleveland Way is a route that covers 109 mile route within Yorkshire, taking in both coastland, moorland and several castles. 

 

Much has been written about St Marys church which dates back to 1110.  A fascinating church and not like one I have ever been in before.

As you walked up the 199 steps to get to the church I had noticed what I thought were "sensibly" placed seats as you went up.  In fact the seats were for the coffin bearers to be able to rest the coffins as they carried them up the hill.  In contrast there is a path that runs parallel to the steps where the more wealthy families could use a horse and cart to take the coffin up the steep incline.
 

Many of the gravestones were extremely weathered over the year's but some of the elaborate ones were still very visible to see. 

I always light a candle and say a prayer for my Dad whenever I go into any religious building just to say to him he is always in my thoughts. 

When my Son was very young I remember seeing this verse and although I am not religious, I do love the sentiment of it.

Again much like Bolton Abbey, there are sure to many many images of the Abbey, but for memory sake it is lovely to have your own images.

After lovely fish and chips it was nice to have a walk and see the view from a different angle of the church and the Abbey.

However it was not quite so good to get back to the van which had been parked under a lampost and have the many seagulls appreciation for the van!!

For people in the UK who enjoyed watching (and still can watch) the gentle drama of Heartbeat, first aired in 1992 running for 18 years with 372 episodes.  The programme was set in the sixties with the central location being Goathland but the fictional name used of Aidensfield.

I loved the show and to see it in real life was just great. 

Yorkshire - Part Five Brimham Rocks National Trust

I have been lucky enough to visit Brimham Rocks a few years ago and remebered what a magical place it is.

The views on a clear day are just outstanding.  This was not quite the case for this years visit, but that did in no way distract from the absolute magic and amazement of the area.

This is an extract from the National Trust website.  To appreciate the incredible amount of years these rocks have been here is just mind blowing!!

The natural spectacle of Brimham Rocks, with its giant rock formations, was created by an immense river 100 million years before the first dinosaurs walked the earth, and a visit to this amazing landscape is truly a journey into pre-history.

The rocks, sculpted by 320 million years of movement of entire continents as well as hundreds of thousands of years of ice, rain and wind, have taken on weird and wonderful shapes and with a little imagination, they resemble familiar creatures.  Visitors are free to explore the site, spotting the Dancing Bear, the Gorilla, the Eagle and the Turtle, whilst the more nimble can crawl through the Smartie Tube and balance on the Rocking Stones.

Some of the most iconic rock formations can be viewed only 10 minutes’ walk from the car park, and it takes around four hours to explore all of this fascinating site, with its enduring landscape and carefully managed environment.

Brimham Rocks and its heather moorland are both Sites of Special Scientific Interest and are a magnet for geologists, naturalists, climbers and walkers, as well as families who love the freedom to explore this amazing place.

My new found other fascination is the fact that you can use your phone to scan an object, such as the mushrooms below and it gives you a huge amount of information all about them!

I have always found geology interesting and now I can add a love of mushroom appreciation to my list of things I love about being outdoors and discovering places.

Yorkshire - Part Three Bolton Abbey and WWT Martin Mere

 

 

Bolton Abbey has been on my list of places to visit for a number of years now.  Only a short drive from Skipton is much like the waterfalls, a full day trip if you to the circular walk.

 

If you pre-book parking, the cost is £12.50 or £15 on the day.  There are a variety of car parks at various parts of the estate that you can go.  I had booked to go to the main Bolton Abbey car park as the starting point.

 

 

 Do love a postbox topper!

 

 

Within the Abbey was a mock up off how the Abbey would have been prior to demolition.

 

 

At the heart of Bolton Abbey Estate lies the Priory Church and Ruins of an Augustinian Priory in its beautiful riverside setting. The land was gifted to the Augustinian canons by Alice de Rumilly in 1154. The canons lived and worshipped here until 1539 when the dissolution of the monasteries stripped the Priory of its assets.

 

I do love visiting Churches, Abbeys and Cathedrals.

 

 

I can imagine their must be ten's of thousands of images taken of the Abbey with the very impressive Archway standing 10 feet high.

 

So it is no surprise it is such a photographic place. 

The river has very strong undercurrents, but there are a couple of areas that are safe to cross.

This was the view from the area called Valley of Desolation.  It was a good climb up but worth it for the views.

This time I did have Strava set and the walk was 8 miles circular walk, with an 646 feet elevation.  

 

 

So the stop off at the cafe on the way back to the van to enjoy a very tasty cake was very much appreciated.

 

 

I love that they provide this information on where the price of an admission ticket is spent.

 

Those who follow my blog will know I am a regular visitor to WWT sites.  There are 10 spread around the UK, and I have now visited 9 of them!

 

 

Martin Mere is significantly smaller than my local Slimbridge, although the area open to the public at Slimbridge compared to the land owned is much smaller.

 

At the time of visiting, there was not a huge amount of activity on the lakes, but I do still love being able to be out in nature.

 

 

 

 

One of the great highlights of this site was that they named some of the hides after people who had impacted the site. 

The

Tomlinson Hide at WWT Martin Mere was named to honour Arthur Tomlinson, who was a key supporter and major donor to the WWT (Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust). He was a significant benefactor whose contributions helped fund the development of the hide and other attractions at the wetland centre.

So having the same surname was brilliant.