More photos

The Atlas Fountain in the grounds of the Castle looking through the window of the dining room



Howard Castle.  The Dome at the back right collapsed in the fine in 1940 and has been replaced. 

 The Dome which has been replaced.  The artwork was copied by a Canadian from old black and white photographs and drawings.  This stands above the great hall where functions are often held (I guess for VIPs)

The Shambles in York.  The buildings overhang the narrow road leading through.

Photos that I couldn't do last week

White Cliffs with caves at North Landing

Foggy Morning at Whitby.  The beach looks very different when the sun is not shining.

WHITBY TO YORK

 

FRIDAY 4^TH

It was very foggy when we woke up and I knew the tide would be low so we went down to the Marina to take some photos however the fog was more around the beach area although there were boats sitting out on the mud waiting for the tide to come in.  We drove around further  to where the river goes out to sea without much luck for photos.  The best were up around the beach where the beach chalets were.  Ian went off for a walk after breakfast and then we drove to Ruswarp not all that far away from Whitby had some lunch and waited for the steam train to come through.   We were back at the flat by mid afternoon and just sat around reading for the rest of the afternoon.   Watched the funniest show on TV.  Ronnie Corbett comparing this thing about a dog whisperer.  He obviously didn’t take it seriously, anymore that we did and it was a good laugh.  Ian kept saying ‘do we have to watch this?’ 

SATURDAY 5^TH

 

Time to move on.  After a long farewell with our landlord (we felt he was a very lonely man) we left Whitby and went down towards Scarborough stopping at Ravenscar on the way.  From here we had a great view back to Robin Hood Bay and the cliffs that Ian walked along on his walk.  Then on to Scarborough which is a very commercial holiday destination.  Lots of Fun parlors, souvenir shops and heaps of hotels, guest houses etc around the beach. It must be bedlam in the peak holiday season.  Donkey rides on the beach.  We didn’t stay long, just had a quick walk around and moved on.  Not my sort of place.  We drove through a few more villages and seaside places eventually coming to North Landing.  This is a little bay surrounded by chalk cliffs with caves in them.  Perfect place for smugglers.  We had lunch in a pub there and then went to South Landing, the other side of the headland and walked down around past the lighthouse and the lighthouse buildings.  Again the chalk cliffs and little caves. 

Time was getting away so we drove on to Melbourne, about 12 miles from York where we have booked a cottage for the week.  We are in the Chauffer’s Cottage, part of a manor estate.  It is very nice.  The wife greeted us and assured us her husband would be in to tell us all we needed to know.  As promised he came and we didn’t think we would ever get rid of him.  He had a note book with a list of things to tell us about which went on and on.  He reminded me of a couple of English gentlemen we deal with from time to time.  There were some nice little cup cakes as a welcome as well as a bottle of wine, so we are not complaining. 

FRIDAY 4^TH

It was very foggy when we woke up and I knew the tide would be low so we went down to the Marina to take some photos however the fog was more around the beach area although there were boats sitting out on the mud waiting for the tide to come in.  We drove around further  to where the river goes out to sea without much luck for photos.  The best were up around the beach where the beach chalets were.  Ian went off for a walk after breakfast and then we drove to Ruswarp not all that far away from Whitby had some lunch and waited for the steam train to come through.   We were back at the flat by mid afternoon and just sat around reading for the rest of the afternoon.   Watched the funniest show on TV.  Ronnie Corbett comparing this thing about a dog whisperer.  He obviously didn’t take it seriously, anymore that we did and it was a good laugh.  Ian kept saying ‘do we have to watch this?’ 

SATURDAY 5^TH

 

Time to move on.  After a long farewell with our landlord (we felt he was a very lonely man) we left Whitby and went down towards Scarborough stopping at Ravenscar on the way.  From here we had a great view back to Robin Hood Bay and the cliffs that Ian walked along on his walk.  Then on to Scarborough which is a very commercial holiday destination.  Lots of Fun parlors, souvenir shops and heaps of hotels, guest houses etc around the beach. It must be bedlam in the peak holiday season.  Donkey rides on the beach.  We didn’t stay long, just had a quick walk around and moved on.  Not my sort of place.  We drove through a few more villages and seaside places eventually coming to North Landing.  This is a little bay surrounded by chalk cliffs with caves in them.  Perfect place for smugglers.  We had lunch in a pub there and then went to South Landing, the other side of the headland and walked down around past the lighthouse and the lighthouse buildings.  Again the chalk cliffs and little caves. 

Time was getting away so we drove on to Melbourne, about 12 miles from York where we have booked a cottage for the week.  We are in the Chauffer’s Cottage, part of a manor estate.  It is very nice.  The wife greeted us and assured us her husband would be in to tell us all we needed to know.  As promised he came and we didn’t think we would ever get rid of him.  He had a note book with a list of things to tell us about which went on and on.  He reminded me of a couple of English gentlemen we deal with from time to time.  There were some nice little cup cakes as a welcome as well as a bottle of wine, so we are not complaining. 

SUNDAY 6^th

We had a quiet day mainly just reading and relaxing.  We walked up to the local pub and had some lunch and walked around the little village which really didn’t take very long.  No photos.  Actually didn’t even take my camera out.

MONDAY 7^TH

Ian went for his walk after breakfast and discovered a small canal here which he walked along and continued along the tow path for a while.  Many of the old canals are being restored by local volunteers however it is a long process as they are really clogged up with debris and overgrown.  When he came back we went off to Stamford Bridge and found the two markers, one in the town and another overlooking the site where the Stamford Bridge battle happened in 1066.  This is where King Harold defeated the Norwegian invaders before he had to rush down to defend his throne at the Battle of Hastings which he lost to William the Conqueror.  The rest is history.   We then drove on to Castle Howard.  The grounds are fantastic and the interior is very interesting.  It was built in 1699 and still being lived in by some of the Howard family.  There was a fire in 1940 however most of it has been restored.  Brideshead Revisted was filmed here.  We were too late arriving at the Lavender Gardens however knew that it wasn’t the right season for lavender anyway.

TUESDAY 8^TH

Again Ian went off on his morning walk and then we drove to the Park and Ride depot, parked and caught the bus into York.  Our first stop was the Shambles.  This is where our son, Guy, worked when he was living in York 20 years ago in the fruit market.  This has changed hands since and is now smaller than it was when we went there 10 years ago  We had met the man in the fish market last time and went and asked about him to discover that he passed away 10 years ago.  Time changes so many things.  We then went off wandering around the old part of York.  So many old historic buildings still exist.  I spent some time trying to top up my internet modem in a shop and finished up with a new Sim card after a lot of frustration.  We caught the bus back to the car and drove back to Melbourne along some little roads that are so narrow. 

SANDSEND

THURSDAY 3^RD

Ian went for a walk this morning after the mobile “Chips Away” fellow had finished repairing the few scratches to the car which happened the first day we had it when Ian reversing in a very tiny street.  Ian wanted to see another viaduct that we saw when we were on the train yesterday. 

When he came back we went off to Saltburn where we had lunch at a pub down by the water.  This is another of those coastal towns where the main centre is up above the cliff with very little down at the water.   We then drove back through Staithes where we couldn’t drive into the village but had to park at the top of the hill and walk down a steep hill to the bottom, not unlike Robin Hood Bay and then on to Runswick and then to Sandsend.  The weather was deteriorating rapidly and by the time we got to Sandsend the tide was in and the seas were rough and blowing up over the sea wall.  It started raining lightly however the wind continued. 

Tonight on the weather the forecast is for a bad night and up to 3 mm of rain and possible flooding.  Not sure if they really meant 3 mm however the rain is not very heavy, just cold. 

Rough weather at Sandsend

GOATLAND STEAM TRAIN

WEDNESDAY 2^ND

Although Ian said there were no more steam train trips to go on he seems to notice another one every now and again.  Today we went from Whitby to Goathland.  We had been to Goathland to Pickering last time we were here so have now done the complete trip.  There were two older ladies from Sussex sitting opposite us and they kept us well entertained on the way.  Both a pair of characters.  One used  to be a truck driver for the company the other’s husband owned.  She was the most unlikely truck driver.  They came straight back to Grosmont (a little village between Whitby and Goathland) to see where the truck drivers aunt used to live.  When we got off the train at Whitby they saw us and the truck driver excitedly told us that her aunts place was now a café and the old school accommodation.  She was over the moon.    Whilst waiting for the train I told Ian I would sit and wait on the platform whilst he wandered around.  As I did some other ladies heard me say it and commented ‘another steam widow’.  The men just love the trains and they run around with cameras and videos, sniffing the steam and love to tell you where the old engines used to travel, how fast they used to go and what they were capable of carrying.

When we came back to Whitby we went to the Magpie Café for lunch.   The Magpie is known far and wide as the best fish and chips in the world.  It lives up to it’s reputation.  It was nearly 2.00pm when we arrived and only had  to line up for about 15 minutes today which was quite long enough, the wind is bitter off the water.  Last time we were here we lined up for about an hour and a half however it was a lovely sunny day that day so it didn’t matter.  Ian and I both decided to have other than fish and chips and Ian’s fish pie was great and I had the seafood hot pot which was magnificent. 

After lunch we wandered around some of the little streets on that side of the harbour.  Whitby is famous for it’s jet and these streets are lined with jet jewelry shops.   It was well after 5.00 when we walked back to our accommodation and we are both pleased to be out of that wind. 

Goathland Rail Station - note the two station men chatting across the lines.

ESK VALLEY

TUESDAY 1^ST OCTOBER

We started our day driving up to the Whitby Abbey ruins which stands on top of the hill overlooking the town.  After paying the One pound fifty pence to park for an hour we walked down to the entrance to discover it was closed.  After a walk around we drove around to the Tea Café however it was locked up.  There were lots of people walking around asking questions but no one to answer them.  We found out later that the Abbey is closed as from today Monday to Wednesday so maybe will try another day.  Should we ever come to the UK again we will budget for parking fees.   There are pay and display signs in every car park.  We walked around the Abbey 10 years ago when we called in to Whitby and it was just sitting in a paddock however it is now managed by English Heritage, I guess necessary to protect it however it all seems a bit over the top.

We then decided to drive around the Esk Valley through some of the many little villages and through the moors.  I don’t find this area half as nice as the dales however the landscape is interesting, although quite dark.  It has been dull and overcast all day with strong winds.   We finished up having lunch at Goathland (where Heartbeat was filmed).  The little pub was full so we went back to another one near the old church.  Last time we were here we were looking at the church when a lady walked up to Ian and asked if he knew where the Doctor was buried.  Of course the Doctor was in Heartbeat.  How seriously people take TV shows!!   Back to Whitby, did some shopping and home out of the wind.  Ian braved it again though and went back down to the bookshop to buy another book.   We have both read a few books on this trip. 

These vines cover a lot of the old stone buildings and are turning a beautiful red.  We've been seeing the all over the place and add lots of colour to the villages.

Close up of the leaves. 

WHITBY AND ROBIN HOOD BAY

MONDAY 30^TH

Yesterday we made the most of a nice morning and walked down to the beach.  Our little studio apartment  is not far away on the headland.  The beach  is at the bottom of a steep cliff, known as West Cliff which Ian is adamant faces east.  As we looked down we saw the row of old beach changing sheds (called chalets here).  They are all painted different colours and certainly added colour to the promenade. As we walked along towards the far end of the beach past the chalets people were using them for different things, storage etc and one lady was actually cooking breakfast or brunch inside one and it was well set up with all the things you would find in a kitchen campsite.  We came  back up to the top  and then around a few blocks finally coming back to the end of our street and having lunch in a pub nearby. It was interesting people watching along the promenade and down on the sand.  Families were there with the kids having a whale of a time making sand castles, digging holes and some were running in to the water with their gum boots on.  One lady was sitting in her chair with a crocheted rug wrapped around her reading with a coffee pot and mug on a small table beside her.  It was carvery day at the pub and again lots of families enjoying lunch.  We spent the afternoon sitting around reading and then watching a bit of TV and catching up on emails etc.  It is nice to be able to go online and stay online.  Up until now we have had so much trouble getting service.

 



Beach Chalets along the promenade at Whitby

Family Fun on the beach rugged up in the winter woollies with the wind break for shelter.

 

Today Ian left after breakfast to do the walk from Whitby to Robin Hood Bay, about 6 miles.  Robin Hood Bay is where the coast to coast walk finishes so we have seen the beginning and now the end.  The walk took him along the cliffs.   He thoroughly enjoyed it.   I walked down to the bus station and caught the bus out later in the morning and met Ian at the bus station  We then walked down to the bottom of the Bay.  This is a very steep walk down.  The old town is a twist of little lanes (no cars allowed).  A few little shops, a couple of pubs and coffee shops and lots of guest houses and B & Bs.  We had lunch overlooking the bay and then did the climb back up to the top again.  We caught the bus back to Whitby and then walked back up from the marina to our accommodation.  Our landlord called in with a bottle of wine and sat and chattered to us for about an hour.  Nice fellow who is by himself and seems to enjoy chatting.