York to Northallerton. - Saturday 6/7/24
With the roosters not having a snooze button it was another early start today. The weather was sunny and we had decided to spend the first half of the day in York.
We set off for the park and ride just west of the city at Poppleton Bar and took the bus into town.
Being a Saturday, it was quite busy, especially The Shambles market in the town
centre. We walked around York Minster, and had a coffee at a pavement cafe while watching some fire eaters riding unicycles entertaining the crowd.
After their act, instead of offering a hat for donations, somebody went round with a credit card machine. How times have changed!
After York we drove up to Ampleforth Abbey, assuming it to be a ruined abbey like Bolton Abbey, but it was a posh sort of retreat. Apparantly we should have gone to nearby Byland Abbey or Reivaulx Abbey.
Maybe next time.
We carried on to Northallerton and stopped for a while, checking out the charity shops, and had a pint in The Durham Ox before going to our stop for the night
at The Fox and Hounds just outside the town.
Situated at the top of a hill, we had a wonderful view as we parked up. Later that evening the rain started, and the wind got up during the night, emphasizing how exposed it was up there.
The rain had stopped by morning, but it was still dull and overcast.
We went to nearby Thirsk, and after a bit of window shopping and a pavement coffee, we went to the
James Herriot museum. This was actually very interesting, and much better than I was expecting it to be.
From Thirsk we went to Leyburn and stayed that night at a campsite, carefully chosen because it was behind a pub, The Pheasant Inn
The Pheasant turned out to be a charming little pub, and the campsite quiet with a lovely view.
The sun greeted us next morning, which we spent in Leyburn. Finding the small central carpark full up, I found a space in a half hour zone, which I could keep
an eye on from a pavement cafe, so I had a coffee or two keeping lookout for traffic wardens while my wife looked around the shops.
Leaving Leyburn, we headed for Richmond, where we stopped for a while before the final leg of todays journey, accross the moors to the highest pub in Britain The Tan Hill Inn.
I remembered this place from way back when Everest double glazing advertised on the TV featuring Ted Moult here dropping a feather in front of the patio doors to demonstrate
how draught proof they were. I beleive they also launched a wrecking ball at them to show how strong toughened glass could be.
They certainly picked the right place, as it is constantly windy up here. The sun was shining when we arrived, but the clouds were building up, and it was going to be another stormy night.
Though it was July, they had a roaring fire inside, which apparently is said to be lit every day of the year.
We enjoyed an evening meal and a few pints before turning in and weathering out the storm.