Ratty

Kristian and Eric headed off yesterday to see Kristian's other Grandma and Kate headed off this morning. Just three Australians, David and Jenna and Marian and Andrew left at Moor End. Time to take the Ratty.

The Ratty is a small gauge railway from Ravenglass up into the the Esk Valley. We walked through the fields to the Miteside Halt (the Mite is one of the three local rivers). It's not a major stop on the route:

so you have to stick out your hand to stop the train as it comes around the corner.

We made good progress initially,

But soon ran into trouble as the steam engine had trouble gripping the wet tracks. The biggest problem emerged as we got to a 1 in 53 gradient that stopped us dead. We backed up and had a couple of attempts at the hill, which took us repeatedly past a shed with an impressively large spanner.

Two attempts at the hill failed,

so we backed up again, which took us past the spanner again....

 [drum roll, please]

annnnd...no. Spanner again.

In the end they sent a diesel engine from the other end of the line to give us a hand. We had a few more sticky moments, which involved the conductor running up and down the line with bottles of grit and a few more reversals, but eventually made it, only an hour after scheduled arrival and with a sense that we'd had a proper adventure. The engine was swung around to face the down line on a hand pushed turn table and we took ourselves off to the cafe for lunch.

We headed back down on the diesel service secure in the knowledge that gravity was our friend.

After getting off at Miteside we walked along a bridle path to an old mill, then back via the lanes to Moor End.

Boxing Day on high

Boxing Day bought blue skies but the cold wind persisted. We had a quiet morning before Kate rounded us up for a walk up Irton Fell. Thomas made it to the top first and cut a striking figure on Irton Pike:

...but we caught up eventually.

 

We found a wild Christmas tree in its native environment,

and loved the views across Moor End to the sea and back inland to the Wast Water valley and Great Gable. We shared some macadamia nut brittle at the top to ward off the cold. A small contribution to offset some of the mountain of treats that we've received so far.

Christmas

Christmas Eve and Christmas day were quiet in a busy way. Moor End was packed to the rafters where Marian, Andrew, Kate, Kristian, Eric, David and Jenna (not to mention Buster the dog and Squeaky the cat) all budged up to make room for us.

On Christmas Eve, Robert and Helen went for a walk on the beach at Seascale, leaning into the wind all the way, but the predicted storms didn't materialise. We got back in time to join everyone for a walk through the woods, crossing the infamous 'crocodile bridge'.

We had a lovely dinner together, and Thomas managed to stay awake to come to the candle lit midnight service at St Paul's.

In the morning the boys opened their stockings, lunch was eaten and we had a quick game of football (David, Kristian and Thomas comprehensively defeating Eric, Robert and Helen) before the boys handed out presents.

Rain and wind

The forcast for today was pretty dire. We knew we had to get out early, so we tramped around some paths first thing. We timed the walk to arrive at the Wensleydale cheese factory as it opened and spent a good time looking at their mixture of cheese past, cheese present and Wallace and Gromett.

Then we checked out of the Inn and headed to the Lake District. The further West we went the worse the rain. So when we stopped in Ambleside for lunch it was really bucketing down and the rivers were churning.

A Cumberland sausage later we headed on around Coniston with water streaming down the roads, having to take it carefully. It only really cleared up as we came to Bootle over on the West coast. As the low sun came out from behind the clouds we just had to stop and take another photo.

We arrived at Moor End as the sun set and had a lovely dinner with Marion, Andrew, Christian, Katy, David and Jenna.

Dales

We left sunny Scunthorpe today and headed west and then North into the Yorkshire Dales.

Our first stop was unplanned as we cleaned Thomas up after he became car sick. Still, the view was nice and he felt a lot better after.

Our next stop was in Skipton where we visited one of the most complete Medieval Castles in England. The defensive walls were amazingly thick and yet the internal courtyard was very pretty. It was bitterly cold and at one point there was a brief flurry of snow, which added to the drama of the castle.

The drive North to Hawes was increasingly spectacular, along narrow twisting roads, over humpbacked bridges and up over high bare fells.

There was a little tension in Hawes as we waited while the infomation center looked for a B&B whch was still open, but they found us a room at an Inn (the White Hart) which turned out to be practically empty and very nice. The whole thing was very Christmassy and yet we didn't have to resort to a stable, which was nice.

York

Bernard and Dot recommended York's Christmas market, and there are many other attractions besides, so we headed North for the day (or, as the motorway signs describe it: 'the North').

We started with a wander through the market and a cup of tea in a tea room. Next we walked around part of the old walls - dating back to Roman times. Thomas and Helen played at being invaders and successfully avoided being captured by a few other people walking (patrolling) the walls.

When we left the walls we found ourselves near the Minster and so made our way around the Cathedral and inside. Its a big light space, and one of the first Cathedrals we've managed to enter in full daylight, so the stained glass seemed quite special. There was also a children's discovery sheet, so Thomas made sure we saw all of the important bits. The 12 kings lined up on the choir screen were a highlight.

Then down in the undercroft we read about the Roman town and also the Vikings who lived in York. They had Viking shoes and socks, games, lots of clothing pins and even wooden combs in nifty holders.

We had lunch in a pub and then split up. Helen and Thomas went to Dig which is an information center that explains archeology in general, and all of the work being done in York in particular. They enjoyed the simulated digs, finding coins and bones and having it all explained.

Robert went to Barley Hall, a restored Tudor town house which had been owned by a goldsmith. The house was newly done up with recreated Tudor mod cons so looked like it might have been in 1430.

After we met back up we wandered again through the shambles and the Christmas market, picking up a few souvenirs, before heading back to Scunthorpe.

Bridges and Fish

Our first day in Scunthorpe started with a decision to leave Whitby for another trip - we've all had enough of driving for the moment, though our alternatives still involved significant distances.

After breakfast with Dot and Bernard we headed off to see the Humber bridge. It's currently the 8th longest bridge span in the world, but was once the 1st. We drove over, parked and then walked back, though not all 1410 m.

The river looks almost like a small sea. The wind was quick and cold so we didn't hang about but headed back and then on to Beverly.

The first thing you notice in Beverly is the impressive Minster. We'd had quite a lot of cathedrals recently, and York Minster is promised for tomorrow, so we had a quick look and headed for a tea shop for lunch

After looking around Beverly we headed back to Hull and visited the Deep which is a giant aquarium with lots of interactive features to keep us all interested. The penguins were a hit.

We surfaced into the dark afternoon and headed back to Scunthorpe for steak and mushroom pie followed by apple crumble. Thanks Dot!

Heading North

We packed up and left the Mustard Pot today and headed North to see Bernard and Dot in Scunthorpe.

We drove around the Northern Norfolk coast (bird-watchers paradise and houses made of cobbles) to Kings Lynn.

It was a drizzly day, but quite suitable for viewing the Ouse, which was at low tide and flanked by broad, sticky mud flats. The Ouse rises by six metres between low and high tide. 

King's Lynn is an old mechant town, with buldings from a wide range of periods.The customs house had an exhibition about Christmas through the ages. The shopping strip was busy with pre-Christmas shoppers, so we took refuge on the Marks and Spencer cafe, which is apparently a bit of a tradition and was packed. The double towered Minster was impressive, but we were temporarily Cathedralled out, so we wandered the streets instead.

 The Guildhall was a suprise. Nothing says commercial respectability quite like a dramatic checked facade, especially to a Tudor.

As the rain started to fall in earnest, we drove across the fens and into Lincolnshire to Lincoln. The gloomy weather meant it was dark even earlier than usual, so by the time Lincoln Cathedral came into view, all the lights were blazing.

We added to our collection of green man photos, finding hidden and not so hidden versions in the cathedral and the town.

After emergency chocolate bars from Thornton's, we headed back to the car and drove north to Dot and Bernard in Scunthorpe. Elizabeth and Paul came over for dinner which was lovely.

Rest day & Christmas at the Hall

A quiet day today. Late morning, lots of reading and playing games, followed by a stroll down to the Hall, which was holding a Christmas festival with a story teller, crafts, hot drinks and a brass band as the sun went down.

Norfolk Broads and Norwich

We drove a circuit today, down the coast to Great Yarmouth, west to Norwich and then back up to Cromer.

Great Yarmouth wasn't really our intended destination. We wanted to see the Norfolk Broads which are so well described in Arthur Ransoms "Coot Club". The Internet (God of travellers) told us about a museum at How Hill that is open all year round so we headed that way. The last stretch of road was tightly lined with hedges and no space to pass, so we were glad to not meet anyone coming the other way.

The manor house at How Hill was closed for winter, but we could wander the grounds and peep in the windows of a traditional cottage. The views across the river Ant were beautiful.

Great Yarmouth was largely closed for the winter, with gaudy funfairs lining the sea front and two deserted piers stretching out into the water. We ate our sandwiches looking out over the windfarm which sits off the Yarmouth coast; it was an impressive sight in the mist. Then we drove on to Norwich, which turned out to be a lovely city on a medieval street plan, with closes and winding streets tucked around the block-like castle. After afternoon tea in a proper tea shop, we went to the cathedral and listened to a rehersal of the Messiah. The sound of the small choir among the vaults and columns was magic.

We're approaching the solstice, so it's now pitch black by 4pm.

Life in the Mustard Pot

This is our home for the next three days.

The Mustard Pot is a folly in the grounds of Felbrigg Hall which is built on one of the few high areas of land at the edge of the flat and marshy fens. It has two bedrooms, one of which is at the top of the octagonal tower. We woke to find pheasants, robins and squirrels in the garden.

Jet lag is still biting a bit, so we took it easy in the morning and then walked down to the Hall for morning tea in the cafe followed by a walk through the woods surrounding the Hall.



We only got very slightly lost and enjoyed the misty views across to the parish church and across the green farmlands.

In the afternoon we drove the short distance to Cromer, a seaside resort which had its heyday in the Edwardian era and consequenty has some wonderful buildings and a very impressive pier with a theatre and life boat station at the end. If you look carefully at the next photo, you can see the ramp which launches the life boats into the North sea.

In the evening, we went for an exciting walk through the woods to the Roman Fort Inn for dinner. At least that was the plan. It turns out that diagramatic Manor maps intended to help elderly visitors exercise their dogs are not terribly good for guiding intrepid Australians by torchlight. Especilly when you leave the maps at home. We heard lots of owls and found lots of mud and brambles. We kept our heads and eventually made it out on to the right road, only to discover that our plan to stoll along the roadside was prevented by the lack of a verge. This is an unexpected feature of English roads - you have the tarmacked lane and then either a wall of trees, a fence or a hedgerow. No gutters and no verges. It makes driving exciting and walking nearly impossible. Nearly, because Robert did manage to get back to the cottage and return with the car. Dinner in the pub was lovely and very traditional - steak and kidney pud for Robert and pheasant for Helen (pizza for Thomas).