The North Norfolk coast

Today was a long session with Gill on the Norfok coast, starting in Morston. The village of Morston is close to the villages of Blakeney and Cley-next-the-Sea. It is famous for its salt marshes. Like its neighbour Blakeney, Morston used to be a major port 400 years ago, but is now only used by a small number of fishing boats, leisure craft and the regular seal watching trips.

So, what photographs can we take? I must admit that I found it difficult to start with but I did finish with some images that I thought said something about the place as it is now.

Large numbers of small craft lined the banks

I loved the detail in this rusty chain laying amongst the green foliage and mud

As can be seen in these images, the tide was definitely out. It would be intersting to compare with a high tide. If you could reach the same areas of course.

The whole area of salt marshes was full of these pools amidst the beautiful Sea Lavender. I loved the cracked mud feature at the base of them.

A couple more boat pictures but these are with rather dramatic skies. I do like a good sky!

Harbour quayside buildings at Burnham overy Staithe. We were near here when a torrential shower struck. Luckily, this building was housing a rather good exhibition of a local schools work. It was all on a theme, and some of it was quite impressive for primary age young people.

Some larger vessels tucked away

On leaving here we dinner at a local pub and then headed to Thornham, hoping for a good sunset. In hindsight this did not occur, but thats the luck of it all! However here are a few images from Thornham.

This building is labelled 'Coal Barn' on Bryant's 1826 map of Norfolk On a more modern survey it was found as "A building located on the quayside, north of Thornham village, and was recorded. It measured 12m by 7m and was built out of red brick (largely handmade), chalk blocks and flint. It was probably used for storing shipped goods, including coal, before further transport by road."

Local newspaper articles indicate that the Barn is deteriorating which is not surpising given its 300 year age and that various plans have been put forward to conserve it. These even included an application to turn it into a house! That was turned down as it was considered too dangerous.

A forest from the past - stumps in the marshes

Local bridge above, and below are my two favourite images of the day.

The coal barn and a boat with a magical cloud formation - I just loved it.

At this point of the day we `called it a day` as there was not much chance of a sunset. Hard going but a great day.

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Ingleborough Caves

After yesterdays strenuous walk amongs the Falls, our walk through the nature trail to the Caves sounded a bit easier - thankfully. accordinng to the official literature:

"Ingleborough Cave is found in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It was first discovered in 1837 by brave Victorian explorers who drained away a lake and went on to discover 1/2km of previously unexplored passages delving deep beneath Ingleborough mountain, with only candles to guide them!

Today, the cave is well lit, and you can follow in the footsteps of those pioneers on an awe-inspiring voyage of discovery! A well-lit concrete footpath leads visitors through a kilometre of passages, past breath-taking stalactites, stalagmites and flowstones, brought to life by formations and artefacts dating back millions of years! The well maintained Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail wends its way just over a mile through the beautiful woodland, past the lake, the money tree and Aunt Bessie’s Grotto, before emerging at the imposing entrance to Ingleborough Cave."

Starting on a pleasant morning in Clapham Village, we started our 1 mile plus walk toward out destination.

Clapham Falls

Clapham Falls (above) is one of a series of artificial waterfalls just outside the village of Clapham. The falls were originally constructed by the Farrar family (the owners of the Ingleborough Hall estate) as the outflow for Clapham Lake. For many years the falls were shrouded in trees, but these have now been cut back and the falls can now be viewed from the top end of village, as you start the walk.

Clapham Lakes

A man-made lake built and expanded in the 19th century. This provided pressure for the water turbines and the drinking water supply, while the outflow fed an artificial waterfall at the top of the village.

Aunt Beth`s Grotto, Ingleborough Hall

Constructed early in the 19th century, this rocky grotto was built in the grounds of Ingleborough Hall, home to the Farrer family. Later it was a favoured spot of Elizabeth Farrer (1853-1937), and has thus became known by the wonderfully comforting name of Aunt Bessie’s Grotto. Here tea was served by the staff, whilst the family enjoyed the wonderful view to Thwaite Scars.

The unusual grotto, constructed out of large weather and water-formed stones, is named as the ‘Station’ on the first edition Ordnance Survey map surveyed in 1846-7. The word ‘station’ was popularised by Thomas West in his A Guide to the Lakes, first published in 1778. West recommended a number of viewpoints, or stations, from which the best vistas could be appreciated. However on the tithe map of 1847 it is called the Grotto, and by the end of the century it was marked as such on the revised OS map.

Then into the cave. Floodlit I know, but I had difficulty photographing it. (I later found I had changed a camera setting in error!) However, above are a couple of my images showing the types of wonderful structure throughout the cave. Stalagmites and stalactites everywhere. Stunning! It really was worth the visit.

The beck that emerges at the cave and runs down to Clapham. I wondered why a beck and not a river as in Suffolk but In the North of England its a word of Old Norse origin that also means a small stream or brook: a beck. Beck is often used to refer to a brook with a stony bed.

I can only assume that the underground water courses in this limestone area was carrying a great deal of iron oxide deposits. Iron-bearing groundwater is often noticeably orange in colour apparently.

Then we came to this fabulous fungi which I believe was a Dryad`s Saddle

As we emerged from the end of the trail and into Clapham, I had to photograph this row of cottages which typified this part of the world. So that was our last place to visit on this holiday. Lots of memories which I can recall in futue, as I don`t think for a moment I will walk these areas again!

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Ingleton Waterfalls

A 4½ mile trail, via a series of spectacular waterfalls, through ancient woodland and beautiful Yorkshire Dales scenery. There are a lot of ups and downs but the trail is easy to follow. Some people say `the best in the UK` others not quite so enthusiastic. However, everyone says its worth doing - and it is!

I took numerous photos, but unfortunately I am not always sure as to which waterfall is which but most have the right name I am sure. So here is my record of a stunning walk.

River Twiss

Money Tree - full of coins from hundreds of walkers

Cliff side path

Pecca Falls

Thornton Force

Thornton Force

River Twiss at Twistleton Scar End - I believe and also the following three images.

River Twiss at Twistleton Scar End

River Twiss at Twistleton Scar End

Quarry on Waterfalls Walk

Beezley Falls

Triple Spout

Rival Falls

Rival Falls

From here we walked back into Ingleton and collapsed into the Village Kitchen cafe! A drink and something to eat and some energy returned. A great day and well worth doing.

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Ribblehead Viaduct - a magnificent Victorian achievement

The Ribblehead Viaduct, an iconic symbol of Victorian engineering and perseverance, is the largest and most impressive of the viaducts on the Settle to Carlisle railway line. Its majestic arches stretch across the rugged landscape of Batty Moss in Ribblehead, North Yorkshire, and serve as a testament to the ambitious vision and skill of the engineers and labourers who brought the railway line to life. - so the blurb goes! And yes, it is magnificent.

Although the day was rather dull, I managed some images to record my visit.

The viaduct was designed by John Sydney Crossley, chief engineer of the Midland Railway, who was responsible for the design and construction of all major structures along the line. The viaduct was necessitated by the challenging terrain of the route. Construction began in late 1869. It necessitated a large workforce, up to 2,300 men, most of whom lived in shanty towns set up near its base. Over 100 men lost their lives during its construction. The Settle to Carlisle line was the last main railway in Britain to be constructed primarily with manual labour.

By the end of 1874, the last stone of the structure had been laid; on 1 May 1876, the Settle–Carlisle line was opened for passenger services. During the 1980s, British Rail proposed closing the line. In 1989, after lobbying by the public against closure, it was announced that the line would be retained. Since the 1980s, the viaduct has had multiple repairs and restorations and the lines relaid as a single track. The land underneath and around the viaduct is a scheduled ancient monument; the remains of the construction camp and navvy settlements (Batty Wife Hole, Sebastopol, and Belgravia) are located there.

Large Thyme on the path near the viaduct

Having taken some images and stared in wonder at this Grade2 listed building, we continued on our way to Wensleydale Creamery which is situated in Hawes. We had been here before but it was really interesting to see how this famouse cheese evolved and is made. We followed this with lunch and a walk to the town of Haws before heading back to base in Ingleton.

View from the car park at the creamery.

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Kirby Lonsdale

With promise of a wet day, we thought ` let`s visit a town` - so just down the road from Ingleton is Kirby Lonsdale and that is where we headed. Despite the forecast, we did not get very wet and were able to wander around and look at a few interesting things. We also had a great dinner in a restaurant in the high street.

While the rolling hills around Kirkby Lonsdale provide picturesque views, the town itself is quite magnificent. Its Georgian market square is extremely elegant, while its stone buildings have changed little in almost 300 years. Unfortunately I didn`t take many images in the town centre amongst all the traffic!

Kirkby Lonsdale has been an important settlement since the Neolithic era with the remains of Celtic towns being unearthed close by. It was also inhabited by the Romans, with a milestone and the remains of a road being found close to the River Lune in 1836.

It is believed that the road was part of a route that run along the side of the Lune and connected forts at Over Burrow and Low Burrow Bridge.

A much loved sight to the south of the town is Devil’s Bridge. Believed to have been built in either the 12th or the 13th century, this arched structure crosses the River Lune and is one of the few surviving bridges of its type in England. It has been made a Scheduled Ancient Monument by English Heritage and is a popular meeting place for bikers.

So where did its name come from? At the apex of the bridge, there’s a deep impression in the stone – often referred to as the devil’s handprint. The folk tale surrounding the handprint tells of an old woman who lived on the banks of the Lune with a few animals. One night her cow strayed across the river and would not be tempted back, no matter how much she coaxed and implored. The devil appeared to her, offering to build a bridge in exchange for the soul of the first body to cross it. The devil constructed the bridge with his own hands, leaving a print in the wet stone. The next day the woman met the devil at the bridge and agreed to fulfil her part of the bargain. She took a bun from her bag and threw it across the bridge, whereupon her small dog raced across to retrieve it. The devil, in a fit of rage at being outwitted, howled in anger and vanished in a cloud of brimstone.

Another structure of historical interest in the town is the Church of St Mary on Queen’s Square. This Grade I listed building dates back to the years shortly after the Norman conquest of 1066 and has superb stained-glass windows (not that my pictures were worth keeping!) and a Perpendicular tower that was added during the 18th century. Odd place for the clock I thought.

The monument on the right of the above image, was erected in memory of five maids killed when fire tore through a local inn. The blaze took hold at the Rose and Crown in Kirkby Lonsdale, in the early hours of 6 December 1820. The victims, who had been sleeping in the attic, were aged 17 to 31. Agnes Nicholson, Hannah Armstrong, Bella Cornthwaite and Agnes Waller all worked at the inn, while their friend, Alice Clarke, had been visiting after previously working there in the same role.

One of the north aisles three magnificent Norman columns, similar to ones in Durham Cathedral, with a diamond pattern on the stone. These represent an era of extensive church building and rebuilding, in contrast to the remaining less ornate columns. The first pillar has a carving of ‘The Green Man’, with foliage emerging from the mouth. (Below)

‘The Green Man’

Perhaps more famous than the church itself though, is the sight you receive when looking out of its yard over the Lune to the west. It has been named Ruskin’s View after the Victorian art critic and Philanthropist John Ruskin who described it as one of the best views over the countryside in England. However I don`t think I was in the right place, as access was denied at one point due to subsidence. However, it was very picturesque.

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