It's been a long while since J and I enjoyed a hike in the Great Outdoors together. I LOVE walking the hills with J, we've been enjoying this pastime ever since we first met seventeen years ago. But in the past couple years due to the bump/baby business happening we've been unable to stride out together and I've missed it. I've missed it a Lot.
Early last week it dawned on me that with a little careful planning and some wonderfully obliging family, we could perhaps finally Make It Happen. We could perhaps spend a day together in the Great Outdoors getting down to some serious walking. Just us two. Just like old times.
And that's exactly what we did :: on Thursday we dropped the Little People off at school, then delivered Little B to his wonderful Grandparents, and then the glorious day was all ours (well five hours of it anyhow).
We chose a ten mile circular route. Ambitious to say that I am quite unfit these days, but we were determined to get up Somewhere High, and a walk to Simons Seat seemed to fit the bill nicely (cos it really is a mighty high destination for hereabouts)
We've done this walk once before and remembered it to be a Good'n'. Starting at Bolton Abbey, the route climbs up through woodland and into the "Valley of Desolation". Nothing desolate about it these days mind you, it's absolutely beautiful up here.
Out of the valley and into the dappled shade of a small plantation....
...then out into the open landscape of the expansive Barden Moor.
Lots of green shrubbery up here on the moor at this time of year, and joy of joys we discover that they are all bilberry bushes, yippeee!!! We love bilberries, and hadn't realised that they grow so prolifically in this area.
On closer inspection we see that the bushes are already laden with little berries (yippee-yipppeeeeeee!) but it'll be August before they ripen and turn purply-black.
We continue to stride upwards across the fell :: by now we've been climbing steadily uphill for almost two hours. My legs feel a little jelly-like.
But up there ahead is our destination :: that rocky clump of rocks is the famous "Simons Seat" and I for one can't wait to get there. Can't wait to view the view, rest my jellified limbs and tuck into the packed lunch cos I'm suddenly starving hungry.
Ahhhhhhh finally we make it to the top and catch a glimpse of the view, and what a view it is!!
It feels as if we are on top of the world up here.
Breathtaking. So high! We have climbed so high!!
Now then, enough of the view for now, lets get down to the business of refuelling shall we? Snuggle in between the sun-warmed rocks and bilberry shrubbery and eat with pleasure :: hams rolls, sweet cherry tomatoes, apples, strawberries and dark chocolate (our usual picnic fare). Delicious.
We don't get to spend a lot of time lolling about at the summit as we have now passed midday and are very aware that in three hours time we'll have two Little People standing at the school gates fully expecting their parents to be present and correct. So down we go, down, down from the heights...
...admiring the view as we descend.
Over there we can see the picturesque village of Appletreewick, a real gem of a place which we know and love well.
We are striding out on the return journey now, following wide easy tracks past farms and campsites...
...until we make it back to the banks of the River Wharfe.
Riverside walking is always a pleasure, especially when it follows lots of climbing. It feels as if ones legs are operating of their own accord. Walking on the flat after all that uphill stuff is a breeeeeze! We cross the river at Barden by way of this magnificent stone bridge....
....then into Strid Wood we go. We are on familiar turf now, we know this woodland very, very, very, well.
It is incredibly beautiful in this woodland at any time of year, but most especially in late April/early May.
Because this is Bluebell Time.
My heart soars with the beauty of it all...........
......Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a day. What a wonderful, beautiful, exhilerating, exhausting, glorious day! Wow. We must do that again sometime. When my legs have recovered that is :: two days later and they are still behaving like stiff planks of wood.
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ps Dorset Tales will be coming soon I promise, I've not forgotten :o) x
hi , really love your blog i find it very inspirational
Posted by: francine | June 26, 2011 at 08:52 PM
`wow thanks for the pictures , breathtaking ;)
Posted by: Elly | May 17, 2011 at 07:09 PM
Love your photos of Bolton Abbey, we went there in April on my birthday and it was glorious. Not so nice for us now living up on the moors above the real Bolton, very misty and very very wet!
Posted by: Liz C | May 16, 2011 at 05:31 PM
Hello to Englan!!I love your BLOG, your GRANNYS and Blankets and all.....this peactures are wonderfull, and I send you very nice greetings from Himberg - this is 20km outside from Vienna...So, sorry for my english....Patricia and Samantha..my girli!!!
Posted by: Patricia | May 14, 2011 at 04:13 PM
Hi Lucy! Hope you're all OK miss hearing from you (no pressure) just a bit concerned, love to all, xxxxxx
Posted by: Karen | May 12, 2011 at 07:32 PM
Hi, my name is Carilyn, I live in Minnesota, USA. I have actually followed your blog for a few years now. I love to crochet and have a little stitch time myself so that is how I came across your blog. I have always so enjoyed your pictures as well. These ones make me just want to jump through my computer screen right into these beautiful settings! I was just wondering if you are from England? Or did you move over there from the states? This something that my husband and I have been batting around for a while. I just thought it would be interesting to hear about how it came about if you did move over seas or even if you know of a family that has that might be helpful to talk to and just get some information on how the transition went. Sorry, I know this is an odd post!!!! Thanks again for such a sweet blog!!! It always brings a bit of freshness to my days :o)
Posted by: Carilyn | May 12, 2011 at 03:43 PM
Hello Lucy, Love your site
Posted by: Patricia | May 11, 2011 at 09:07 PM
Hi Lucy, Discovered your blog and love the restful beautiful photos. You have reignited my crochet skills and I have knitted a wavy blanket for a teddy that colour co-ordinated with his knitted jumper and scarf. They were lovely oranges and burgundy colours (retro). Now I have fallen in love with your teeny hearts and am busily making them to adorn some cream merino toddlers hats. Thank you for sharing your talents with us.
Cheers
Karen
Posted by: karen | May 11, 2011 at 09:29 AM
We live in a beautiful area in the Netherlands, I cannot really complain about that. But I have to say, I am definately willing to move to England, if only for nature and views, because the views is something we do not have here...too flat...
Thank you for sharing!
Posted by: Nanda | May 11, 2011 at 08:15 AM
Beautiful England.
Posted by: Glyndalyn | May 10, 2011 at 04:56 PM
Oh, pretty. I just might move from Sweden just for that :)
Posted by: Anne | May 10, 2011 at 08:53 AM
amazing views :) would love to be there
England is my #1 place that I would like to visit one day
Posted by: polka | May 09, 2011 at 11:34 PM
beautiful part of the world, captured wonderfully!
Posted by: Annabel Burton | May 09, 2011 at 10:48 PM
You live in such a beautiful area!
Beatrice
Posted by: Beatrice | May 09, 2011 at 10:09 PM
Oh Lucy, you make me want to be transported to this very place. How beautiful. Hubby and I try to steal away a couple of times a year for a grand hike as well. I know the feeling of jelly legs but still wanting to reach the top. You did it! Thanks for documenting it so wonderfully here.
Posted by: KarenL | May 09, 2011 at 01:30 PM
Hope you are ok Lucy - sending love and hoping to see you online again soon. x
Posted by: sue | May 08, 2011 at 10:23 PM
Dear Lucy, I'm going to go away from the blogs for some time because a little health problem. I hope come back soon, God willing. See you soon! :-)
Posted by: Ana | May 08, 2011 at 09:27 PM
Oh my goodness, what a beautiful virtual walk I've had through those woods and up the hills and by the river. I've enjoyed it as much as you have. Really beautiful blog post. I must get back to my own blog, alas it's really been neglected.
Posted by: Ger | May 08, 2011 at 09:27 PM
Hello Lucy.
Thank you for this lovely post with very beautiful pictures. It makes me want to spend our vacation there.
In april you wrote about A pretty little Spring time project you were working on. More coming soon.... On the picture we saw already a little piece of your hooking, but I would very much like to see some more...!
Love Corien.
Posted by: Corien | May 08, 2011 at 05:56 PM
I am head-over-heels in love with your blog. My list of things to crochet got overwhelmingly long in the last few minutes of browsing your work.
You also live in such an amazingly beautiful place; it makes my heart ache a little to look at your photos.
Thanks for sharing all the beauty!
Posted by: Clair | May 06, 2011 at 02:50 PM
Dear Lucy,
Thank you for sharing your beautiful country side. You have a great artistic talent with your camera. I live in Utah, U.S.A. ....a very dry, deserty state and love to "visit" your very green and lush part of the world!
Sincerely,
Carol, a gramma of 10
Posted by: Carol | May 06, 2011 at 05:47 AM
Oh my!,,,,you are not going to believe this but I have over the last few weeks read your blog, right back from day dot through till the present day, yes every last post, viewing every last colourful, beautiful picture.
I am actually quite sad to have reached the end lol. I have so enjoyed sitting here reading your pure joy over your day to day life that shines through in your posts. I can't wait to see what happens next at Attic24!!! Please keep up your joyous blog, I love it here in Australia!!!
Posted by: Colleen | May 06, 2011 at 04:28 AM
How gorgeous and soooo serene compared to rockin' jolting Christchurch, NZ :-/
Posted by: Rose | May 06, 2011 at 02:19 AM
When I am enmeshed in my domesticity your blog is uplifting - with your joy coming through in your words and your great photos. Hope stopping to take photos didn't put a downer on your outing. It looks heavenly from here.
Much love to a dear caring J and you. Beautiful, beautiful photos.
Posted by: StellaMM | May 05, 2011 at 10:47 PM
Stunning! You are so lucky to live in this place.
Posted by: Homeowner Insurance | May 05, 2011 at 04:26 PM