It occurred to me at the weekend that as we only have six more weeks of the school year left, it would be a good idea to make the very most of every available little snippet of child free time before it all disappears in a puff of smoke. I need to make my child free days work hard in the weeks before the summer holidays (my to-do list is a thing of mammoth proportions), but also I really want to make the most of the time that J and I have to hang out together just the two of us. So we've decided that for the next six weeks, Mondays are to be used for leisure and pleasure only, no chores allowed. I am so grateful for this day in the week when neither of us needs to work, and after eighteen months of this routine we finally no longer feel like we are bunking off! It's safe to say that we really enjoy our Mondays together and I appreciate them very, very much.
As soon as we'd deposited Little B at school yesterday we drove straight out of town and up into the Yorkshire Dales. We're lucky to live close to the Dales and within 15-20 minutes we can park in any number of small villages with access to mile upon mile of public footpaths through the most glorious countryside.
Yesterday's walk took us from the picturesque village of Burnsall up to Trollers Gill which is an ancient Limestone ravine.
The footpath down through the ravine is a bit of a rocky scramble as you are actually walking down the dry riverbed. For most of the year the river flows underground here and the rocks are completely free of water, but we once tackled this walk after weeks of heavy rain and pretty much paddled our way down, much to the soggy dismay of the Little People!
Emerging out of the shadowy gorge and into the bright sunshine of the day is quite something, and it kind of feels a little bit like being in a film - it's very Hobbit-esk!
The limestone landscape really feels ancient here, and it's incredibly peaceful with just the sounds of the birds and the sheep. It was lovely to see so many butterflies too, they were impossible to capture on camera, but I especially enjoyed seeing some of the small blue ones fluttering around as we walked.
There is a part of this walk that follows a small road for a mile or so, and although I much prefer walking in the fields or on farm tracks, this road is rural and generally pretty quiet.
Our seasons have shifted in the blink of an eye, and so far June has really felt like early Summer. The grasses are high and full of pollen and the endless days of hot sunshine have been absolutely blissful.
The verges and hedgerows are looking beautiful, with foxgloves and ox eye daisies blooming their hearts out.
See? Doesn't the landscape look like pure Summer to you? It's like we fast-tracked through Spring in double quick time this year, landing in Summer long before we are used to it. I'm not in any way complaining you understand, I absolutely adore the Summer season and am delighted we've been given a head start.
I wanted to stop and photograph pretty much everything, the long distance views and the close-up details all looked lush and camera worthy. But J was marching us along as we were near the river, which meant we would be nearing the end of our seven mile hike and a pint of cold beer would be in our near future. I bet he could practically taste that beer, and we were very hot and weary by this point.
Oh, but just look at the meadows, how can we walk past them and not stop to take it all in? Just look at all the flowers! Stop stop!! I have to stop and look and breathe it all in!
Ah here is the river, and the final stretch of the walk back into Burnsall. All is well.
When we arrived back in the village, we had a little debate about where to go for our lunch. Usually we are picnickers and come prepared with our own fodder, but yesterday I think we were so eager to get out of town that we clean forgot to bring anything but water. So on a whim we pulled in at the Devonshire Fell, which is rather a posh hotel perched up on the side of the hill above Burnsall, with stunning, far reaching views. Gosh, did I say it was posh? I was almost too nervous to step into the bar with my flip flops and shorts and my rather tired and bedraggled look. But I ventured in and ordered up the longed for ice cold beers, and dared to ask for a lunch menu, crikey, it was devilishly expensive. You can take a quick look at the start of this video to see what I mean - it was all very refined and not the kind of down to earth village pub scene that we are used to. Linen napkins and heavy silver cutlery, you get the picture.
Anyhow.....the upshot is that we enjoyed a spectacular ploughmans lunch for two sat outside on the sunny terrace with views to die for, and well, it was all ridiculously lovely. Such a treat and a perfect taste of early Summer.
ps if you're not familiar with a ploughmans lunch, there's an interesting write up about it here. It's very British, and very suited to outdoor summer eating.
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Real pleasure to follow your posts. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Olia | February 19, 2019 at 08:50 PM
You are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place!
Posted by: قیمت میلگرد میانه | July 08, 2018 at 09:17 AM
I really enjoy you descriptions and photographs of the lovely are you live in. Thank you for sharing them.
Posted by: Karen Harvey | July 05, 2018 at 10:00 AM
Loved this article.I felt I was on the waalk with you.!
Posted by: Anne Agar-Krill | June 14, 2018 at 12:51 PM
I’ve been in that area before but not hiking. It’s so beautiful, thanks for the photos. Here in the US, we have nothing like this. In our area, they have taken up unused train tracks and made bicycle trails that can go many miles. But the views aren’t like yours.
Posted by: Hedy | June 14, 2018 at 12:50 PM
I'm so glad to see that you're taking advantage of your time with J and getting out and about. What a fabulous place where you had your lunch! Maybe you and J should stay there sometime just the two of you and get a massage at the spa! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
Posted by: Teresa Kasner | June 14, 2018 at 05:42 AM
As always Lucy, thank you for taking us along on the walk. My, you seem to be having a good summer this year & pity we won't be coming over so now I'm just dreaming of my dales (not unusual), & longing to come home again. Quite cold here at the moment with a biting wind blowing up from Antarctica & snow predicted for the Alps. Nuff from me. Enjoy the warmth & take care.
Posted by: Susan Smith | June 13, 2018 at 10:45 PM
What a fantastic place to walk! I love the picture of the cottage, so cute. You can't beat a Ploughman's and a beer after a long walk on a hot day. I hope there was a suitably spicy pickled onion :) Thanks for sharing your lovely days and crochet inspiration xx
Posted by: Crafty Cath | June 13, 2018 at 09:53 PM
I always enjoy walking with you, Lucy. If I had to choose another place to live, I think I'd move close to you - at least during the sunny months. Simply GORGEOUS!
Posted by: Kimmy | June 13, 2018 at 08:07 PM
Sounds fantastic! Too many times our free days are filled with chores. I need to take a page from your book Lucy! Have a fab day! xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Posted by: Angela - Southern USA | June 13, 2018 at 01:32 PM
Sounds like you had a perfect day Lucy. When on holiday in Devon a few years back we ventured up onto the moors and I over stretched trying to take a photo and fell straight into mud. It was around lunchtime and we saw like you a pub the only one for miles which turned out to be a hotel too and there I was backside covered in mud sat on very fancy chairs and like you there were napkins on the table and silver cruet sets. The staff were lovely and even found me something to try and get some of the mud off and I think we all felt completely out of place. Still its a memory I can keep of when I made a complete numpty of myself.
Mitzi
Posted by: Mitzi | June 13, 2018 at 01:21 PM
Lovely photos which really capture the glorious weather we are having. My husband is from the dales, and we had our wedding reception in Burnsall village hall. It was beautiful, with all the hops still strung up from the autumn. You've made me want to go back at the next opportunity!
Posted by: Cecily Graham | June 13, 2018 at 01:19 PM
I still don' t quite understand the walk/pathways through 7 miles of countryside. Obviously someone owns the land and how on earth do they allow anyone to walk, enjoy, use their land? If that were allowed here in the states, there would be trash, waste, and vandalism to the private land. Yet you manage to walk on footpaths through the countryside. Must be different laws in England as we have fences and no-trespassing signs everywhere with notices that trespassers will be shot. Please tell us about the laws that allow all this wonderful walking and the problems and solutions faced with it. Amazing and wonderful - no wonder we have a weight problem here.
Posted by: Mary W | June 13, 2018 at 12:54 PM
Such beautiful pictures ☀️ I grew up in Stalybridge just outside Manchester and my best friend still lives there, next time I’m visiting she said she would take me to York, I think a trip to the Dales is now on the cards too 😊💚
Posted by: Helen Lightly | June 13, 2018 at 12:46 PM
You live in such a beautiful part of the UK. I love reading about your walks in the Dales. Have you noticed the stack of books at 1:10 in the video, Lucy? You were meant to be there 😉
Posted by: Pauline | June 13, 2018 at 11:52 AM
Wow, full of admiration that you walked all that way in flip flops! Thank you for such an uplifting and inspiring post.
Posted by: PixieMum | June 13, 2018 at 10:48 AM
Your photo's are really very good, and because they are of the Dales makes them even better. I remember the real time bus journey featured on BBC, through the Dales and would love to do this journey. The Dales are absolutely beautiful.
Posted by: Marilyn Maybury | June 13, 2018 at 10:23 AM
What a wonderful walk. There is honestly nothing lovelier than the English countryside at this time of year. And I see what you mean about the ravine, it is very hobbity. I've been very aware of the last six weeks until the summer hols as well, and also have a mammoth to-do list and a strict schedule of what needs to be done each week for my fledgling writing business. I know that once the children are off I'll get almost nothing done. Which is as it should be, and I'm not complaining. Just trying to do as much as I can in advance. Glad you had such a lovely walk, and a very good lunch. CJ xx
Posted by: CJ | June 13, 2018 at 09:17 AM
It is good to treat yourself sometimes. What a great walk and what glorious scenery.
Posted by: Carol | June 13, 2018 at 07:53 AM
You are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place!
Posted by: Linda Harvey | June 12, 2018 at 11:23 PM
I love a ploughman's lunch, and your walk looked fab - although I hope you didn't walk all seven miles in your flip flops! :) xx
Posted by: Winwick Mum | June 12, 2018 at 10:48 PM
Wow! What a posh spot for lunch after such a walk. I am sure that it was glorious.
Posted by: Charlotte. | June 12, 2018 at 10:42 PM
Beautiful walk Lucy. Oh! Ploughman lunch, I can’t wait to have one in sept when in England for Yarndale. I worked in a pub in London in the mid 70’s and they had it on the menu, delicious. I had just finished my nursing training so my girlfriend and I decided to explore the world, what an adventure. X
Posted by: Lenore | June 12, 2018 at 10:13 PM
Oh my goodness, we stayed at the Devonshire Fell when we came last fall for the yarn festival -- it was wonderful! And the staff were excellent! And the view -- the river and the fields and the grazing sheep far up in the hills! Thanks for taking me right back to our lovely time in your neck of the woods. If magic were real I'd close my eyes and be right back there, too!
Posted by: Jean Stein | June 12, 2018 at 09:51 PM