The Dales Day 14. Starbotton and The Dales Way

 After a smashing, perfectly proportioned breakfast, we walked along the Wharfe to Kettlewell and back. Another section of the Dales Way, but the sole of my boot came off. Not good!!

The Lakes/Dales Day 13. Moving

 Spent the morning packing the car and getting the van ready for winter. A quick stop off at Plumgarths to pick up some sourdough starter from Lovingly Artisan and the makings of a picnic which was excellent and eaten on the way to Sedburgh and Dent. Dentdale is beautiful but just as we arrived in the village the heavens opened. Sustained by a cup of tea we continued up to Dent Head being suitably impressed by the railway viaducts; amazing Victorian technology and craftmanship. We continued on to Hawes and then over to Wharfedale, the weather and light improving all the time. The Fox and Hounds turned out to be 'a cosy inn of our sort' and we had a delightful evening in the bar which was much as we remembered it from 1986. Our room was superbly comfortable.

A Breezy Day at Bempton

 Driving down Cliff Lane from Bempton Village to the cliff top reserve of RSPB Bemton Cliffs, the verdant verges were thick with cow parsley, hogweed, red campion and dog roses in full bloom. Although it has seemed a dank and gloomy spring it has actually been the midest May on record and the wettest. The warmest only by virtue of the mild nights. This mild wet weather, though, has been a boon for plant life and we have lately been noticing how rich and lush everything looks. The land is wet, however, and our woodland burial ground in Scartho, still remains flooded. A few days ago we had a torrential storm hit scartho with 20mm of rain and hail in 45 minutes (over 30 in the 24 hour period). Our garden was flooded several inches deep and our village of scartho was flooded with water coming up through the drains into the shops. None-the-less as we parked in the carpark at Bempton the weather was fine and sunny with temperatures close to 20C in the afternoon.

We  could glimpse the steel blue of the sea with a fishing boat surrounded by gulls looking for easy pickings. As we walked along the cliff top path gannets were cruising at eye level and made for excellent photo opportunities. Out at sea a sailing yacht heeled over with the strong westerly breeze and later during the afternoon the tourist boat from Bridlington, The Yorkshire Belle, steamed past full of bird watchers admiring the cliff spectacular of 'seabird city'. All the usual bird suspects were present with large numbers of auks (razorbills and guillemots and the occasional puffin), gannets and kittiwakes. Occasional fulmars were present, although, perhaps, fewer than in previous years and large flocks of feral pigeons. We even had dolphins perfoming for the crowds of eager watchers. I always enjoy seeing tree sparrows at Bempton, a reliable spot for them. As a boy, I remember them being numerous in Lincolnshire but I rarely see them 60 years later and it is always a joy when I do. Leighton Moss and North Cave Wetlands are other good locations for them.

We finished our day on the reserve with a cup of tea in the visitor centre before heading into Bridlington to look for fish and chips, nearly as difficult to find at 6.00 in the evening as tree sparrows.

Fulmar

Gannet

Gannet

Gannet

Gannet

Herring Gull

Jackdaw

Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Linnet

Razorbill

Razorbill

Tree Sparrow

Tree Sparrow

The Yorkshire Bell

Whitby, December. Day 3

 Another dull and gloomy day today so we spent the morning enjoying a mooch around Whitby. In the afternoon we decided to drive out onto the moors to Goathland and walk down to Mallyan Spout in order to recreate a photograph that our father had taken of us 64 years ago. As we drove up onto the moors we went up into cloud and fog and prospects didn't look good. We pushed on however and things were not too bad at Goathland and we enjoyed pottering around and recreating family history.