Where i Live

I love living where I live. Love the bustle of the town on market day (will take some pics of the market one day soon to show you), the fact that the town itself is very old and historical, that we have a castle and a canal and a park. And I really love that we also have Woods. The Woods are owned by the Woodland Trust which is a conservation charity. It's beautifully maintained and a Walk in the Woods is often a welcome solution to idle weekend mornings when we fancy a bit of local pottering and a spot of nature.

This is what the Woodland Trust has to say about our Woods ::

"A magical land in the heart of town - that’s one way to describe these Woods, a woodland haven by one of Britain’s best preserved, most popular medieval castles. The wood’s links with the castle date back at least 1,000 years. A canal towpath, following the line of the Castle ramparts and Springs Canal, provides a direct link between the town’s High Street and the woods, following the course of the Beck through a stunning steep-sided valley.

Most of this ancient woodland is dominated by ash but the occasional sycamore, beech, Scots pine, Norway spruce and hornbeam indicate a greater variety in the past. The woods are renowned for their vivid displays of bluebells and wild garlic and sustain five species of bat. Green and greater spotted woodpeckers add their colour, while kingfisher and heron may be seen fishing the waterways."

Doesn't it sound delightful? And it is, oh it is! And yes, we have indeed seen kingfisher and heron and have heard the tap-tap-tap of woodpecker too. Haven't spotted any evidence of the five species of bat yet though.

On Saturday morning we Walked in the Woods.
From our house, it's only about a 5 minute walk to the canal, so very little walking is done on the road.
We walk along the side of the canal for a way, then the pathway branches off and follows the beck around the bottom of the castle grounds.
It winds on through the tall trees, lush and beautiful and green.
I enjoy the play of light and shadow and the fresh woody scent.
On past the pond, further and further until eventually we emerge onto a narrow track.
Bright sunlight after the dappled shade takes us by surprise.
Turn left and follow the track before climbing over a stile into a lush green field with cows grazing.
A slight climb to reach the top of the top of the hill where there is a dry stone wall and a view...............

.....Ahhhhhhh the view!!! It's wide and expansive, hard to capture  on camera the fact that we can see so much from up here. We can see in almost every direction and this view gives us a real perspective of exactly where we live, where we are placed in the midst of this beautiful countryside.

Because if we look straight ahead, we see our town.

And if we cast our eyes to the right of the town centre, we can see our neighbourhood.

And if we look more closely we can see our street.

And if we look more closely still, we can see our house! 

Yes yes yes, thats it look!!! There! Yes, right there!! I know because I can see my Attic window, know that it's painted a different colour to all the other Attic windows on our street. So I know for sure that's Where i Live.

Trying to point something like this out to Little People is extremely difficult. Fingers point, eyes strain, understanding and comprehension is sought. They say they can see it, but I'm not convinced. No matter, because I photograph it and when we get home I make a print. And I put an arrow to show them our house.

The picture below is a zoomed-in view of the picture above....

...and there I am look, see my window?? See the window of Attic24???

Thats Where i Live.

And I love Where i Live.

It's HOME.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Comments

[hill upon hill]

I love getting a picture of where people live. What a lovely spot.

I was thinking to show where I live sometime. Actually have put our street (part of) earlier this week......

[Merry Susan]

Ah soo lovely! We keep on guessing where oh where this is! No it's not Ilkley...But where? Got to google park,woods and castle....Thanks for the blog and the lovely photos!
Been to Bolton Abbey due to your blog and the kids LOVED the money trees!
THANKS LUCY keep up the good work X merrysusan

[Kelly]

What a beautiful place to live, I am jealous!!

[Suzy's Vintage Attic]

What a lovely area you live in. I love areas which are green and have woodlands around. You obviously love it where you live and that comes across.
Isabelle x

[pinry]

oh, a green and pleasant land indeed! thanks for the tour - looking forward to seeing the market!

[valerie]

thanks for sharing we have a more urban view for the top of the hill near up but i have never thought to look to see if i can see our house maybe I will stop on the way home form work and take a look

[Louise]

Whao, you are very lucky indeed, looks absolutely beautiful!!!

[Brigitta]

Wow, I would love to live there too!! Lucky woman ;-)

[Sara]

Simply beautiful. How wonderful that your children get to grow up surrounded by natural beauty. It just seems so serene and peaceful.

[kelgell]

Oh my goodness!! That place is soooo pretty I want to come and live there!!!! I moved to a different part of town last year and really miss being near such nature. I've also had a quick peek at some of your crochet work. My, it's fabulous!!

[Erica K]

There's something so cozy and wonderful about all I've seen of the UK.

I miss being around old places (the east coast of the US, though not half as old as your area). Now I'm on the west coast and it lacks that charm.

I do live by a little lake, which is wonderful. But still...

[Cat]

How lovely to have a proper wood near you! It's a bit sparse in our neck of the woods, as it were. One day we'll move to the other side of the M25!

[MaiT]

wonderful place, I'm thinking of moving to England...

[Nathalie]

Dedicate this poem to you

Life holds so many priceless things, The falling rain the wind that sings.
Each star on a high- a big full moon,
And sunbeams dancing in your room.
The river as it rushes on, a sunset when day is gone.
No wealth can buy a mountain tall, these priceless things bbelong to all.
An autumn tree lends beauty rare.
With leaves piled deep most everywhere.
As nature wears a glowing smile,
to make a day, a day wothwhile.

Thanks for sharing your beauty with us.

[melissa]

I'm moving there. soon as I retire, in eleventy hundred years....

[lulu]

you live in a beautiful area...Love when you take pics..
take care,

[Patti Smith]

All I can say is BEAUTIFUL! I wished I lived in a place like this. I have always wanted to have a nice little cottage in the English countryside. It is so beautiful it brings tears to my eyes and makes my heart hurt. You are very lucky to live in such a splendid place. Thank you for the lovely pictures.
Patti

[Heather]

I walked round there with Andy on Sunday morning - not all the way, we followed the canal around the bendy bit near the castle, then up the little hill and back down into the town and had an impromptu picnic in the car! It really is a beautiful place.

Then we had a mammoth "mystery tour" up around the Dales and back down to Leeds. Lovely, lovely day :)
xxxxxx

[Lorraine]

Lovely photos of Lucy, and it is lovely to hear how much you enjoy where you live. How perfect to have that on your doorstep, and to take a advantage of it.

[Kelly]

I'm a newcomer to your blog and have thought from day one that you must live the most charmed life! This post seals the deal! Perfectly wonderful!
Thanks for sharing! I can't wait to see pictures of your town on market day!

[Liz]

Andrea - Harrogate is my home town!!

We live in Shipley now (cheaper to buy bigger property!) and I am 5 mins from the same canal as Lucy and about 5 1/2 mins from the woods!!!!

I love living in the countryside and I wouldn't change it for the world!!

[Brianna]

I enjoy seeing your actual little house from a distance. It's always nice to see where people live when you follow them on a blog for so long!

[julia hackett]

What a lovely area you live in with your family xx

[Fancy Elastic]

I find it hard enough to get my son to see what I'm pointing at on the dining table when we are sitting at it, let alone pointing out a house that far away!!

[Tracy Roe]

Hi Lucy,

You need to get yourselves up there at dusk to see the bats. Take a torch so you can see to make your way home afterwards!

The woods used to be a place where my art student friends and I would go in the evenings to take photos, make films, write songs, etc. We saw plenty of bats flitting around in the fading light of late summer evenings. They appealed to our tortured teenage (and slightly gothic) souls!

Glad to hear you appreciate it so much. It certainly is a beautiful place.