Yorkshire - Part Two - Ingleton Waterfalls and Craftopia yarn shop.

I had not heard about the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail but goodness what a brilliant way to spend on a day out. 

Incredibly the waterfalls first opened in 1885! 

Admission is £11 for Adults and £5.50 for children under the age of 16.

The walk includes over 1000 steps and runs alongside the River Twiss.  It takes you through a variety of countryside from woodlands, to the stunning open wide views. 

 The water was cold but oh so fresh!

I loved the money tree which you come across quite close the the start of the walk.  The placing of coins into the tree stump start back in the the early 1970's with the coins being post decimalization.

 I absolutely love seeing different fungi and mushrooms, their is something magical about them.

The day of the walk the weather was just perfect, not too hot and a stunning blue sky.

The first waterfall is called Pecca Falls.  

Having walked for a while it was nice to sit and have a little picnic and do a couple of rows of knitting and just soak up the amazing surroundings.

To me the picture with the river, sheep and hillside is the iconic image I have of this area.

This waterfall is called Thornton Force. "Force" is a Norse word for "waterfall". "Thornton" is a common place name that may refer to a person or a local feature.

Once you have passed Thornton Force you cross over a bridge which takes you out on to the Yorkshire Moors.  The foootpath is very well marked and easy to follow.

It was only right to sit for a little while, admire the view and do a spot of knitting!

Was so blessed with the weather, you could literally see for miles and miles, which is my idea of heaven.

 

As you finish the walk along the open moors you then start the decent back down, as the walk is a circular one. 

 

I am not sure which is harder the walk up the steps or back down them! 

I am not a fan of heights, although over the years have got better.  But my heart rate was definately pretty high standing on this bridge looking down at the water rushing by underneath!

Unfortunately this would out of all the day trips would have been the best day to have Strava running.  Not only to know how long the walk took, but the incline up to the top.  But however long it was, it was worth it.

An absolute bonus when almost at the end of the walk is you go through the village of Ingleton.   

I was thrilled to come across the most amazing craft shop stacked full of both local and commercial yarns, and a great variety of books.

I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed my trip. 
 

Yorkshire - Part One Skipton town

 

I have been so lucky that since way back in 2013 when I took my first ever trip to Skipton for the very first Yarndale, I have been up to the show ten times, only missing two due to Cancer and Covid.

Back at the very beginning, Lucy, otherwise known as Attic 24  who was one of the initial organisers of the show, had set up a meal for solo people to attend for the evening, so you could meet like-minded people.

It was from this meal that I met my now very close friend Rosy and we have been friends ever since and she to is has been an avid Yarndale visitor. 

Over those years, I have stayed at Woolly Sheep Inn for the first two year, gaining more confidence in solo travel and getting to know Skipton.

Then for the next three years, I shared accommodation with Rosy, initially just us.  Then her Mum and Dad both came and stayed, very sadly, her Dad passed away, but since then, each year they have both been up as part of an annual holiday they both enjoy.

I then decided to take the plunge and drove up to Yorkshire and booked solo accommodation, something which was very new to me.  Not only from driving to me such a long way as I was not used to it, but holidaying solo.

I have been so lucky to stay in some amazing cottages all around the town and have been out exploring more and more of the countryside around.

This year I came for the longest time, a whole ten days, I mean, there is so much to explore it is hard to fit it all in.

So I shall share over the next few posts all the different places I visited. 

 

 

Considering the size of the town, it is surprising just how many coffee shops there are in the town, literally 14 in less than half a mile on one main street in the centre of the town. 

 

But coffee shops are just such a great place to sit and people watch and I absolutely loved the light one day when sat in Cafe Nero and the pictures on the wall. 

 

Another thing people who follow my blog and know me will know is my love of water.  So the fact that the town has a canal running through it is just perfect.  I mean, look at that reflection, isn't it just perfect!

 

 

Right from I think my second time of visiting this town I loved to take a walk up into the woods, I love the additions of the sculptures that have been added.

Such a perfect place to sit and do some sock knitting, don't you think?

 

I remember over the years Rosy had often said about the local pie shop and oh my goodness, it was definitely a delicious treat.

I follow this boat on Instagram, but for the life of me can not remember the name of the owner at the moment.  But I just adore the crochet curtains in the window.

In all the years I have been to Skipton, I have never done a canal trip so this year I joined Canal Trips and thoroughly enjoyed a leisurely, very slow pace of life trip up the canal.

I do hope you join me for my next instalment.

Trip to Slimbridge

 

 

For those that follow my blog over the past few year's will know that I often visit WWT Slimbridge.  To be honest I have lost count of the amount of year's I have been going and do my best to go every couple of months.

 

Why when there are so many places within just the Cotswolds that I live, a place where thousands of people come to, would I want to visit the same place so often.

 

To me Slimbridge is not only a short drive from home, but a place you can escape and be in nature.  I live in a "typical" housing estate where the houses could be the same anywhere in the country and am overlooked in my garden from every angle.  I am slowly developing the garden to be more enclosed, but you can not escape the urban environment.

 

However Slimbridge you can just go and sit and be surrounded by nature.  Along with knitting, my other passion is photography and I can just sit for ages just watching birds and nature, enjoy the changing light and the peace of the site.

 

There are nine wetland sites spread throughout the UK and I have now visited eight of them.  But to me Slimbridge is hands down my favourite.

 

Over the past year I have watched the developement of a new area that used to be home to Flamingo's outside the coffee shop, it is now an oasis not just for wildlife but a collection of a huge variety of flora and fauna.

During the summer months you can walk down along a path that runs parallel to the Seven Esturary, it is such a great place to just go and watch the river eb and flow.  

Alongside the site the area is also farmed and I just loved watching this cow quietly chewing away. 

I sat by the river which is the second highest tidal river in the country for what turned out to be an hour!  When I first sat down you could see the sandbanks on the river, by the time I got up to leave the water had covered them and the river had rapidly filled up.

So if your ever near Slimbridge do call in, you won't be disappointed.

Scotland - Final Day

 

 

 

No trip to Scotland would be complete without a visit to a Castle!

 

 

 

The flowers were just beautiful, I do love a Hydrangea and the different colours you get depending on the soil that they grow in which dictates the colour of the flower head.

 

It was lovely to sit and crochet in such a glourious setting.

Nothing better to show the scale of tree's than having your friend and her lovely dog's for scale! 

The castle just looked like a fairytale with the turrets, so impressive.

Based on my love of the sea, my dear friend then drove to Mull of Galloway the southern most point in Scotland.

These signs are always great to imagine just how far places are, along with the idea of so many people doing the trip from Lands end to John A Groats 318 miles from this point!!

The photographs were incredible and such a special idea to have them in such a location.

There was the option to climb up to the top and have a walk around the lighthouse, but not something I feel the need to do thanks.