Yorkshire

17th February - 24th February 2008

I am into the third week of my second chemotherapy treatment and as I am feeling fine we decided to take advantage and head off to Yorkshire for a few days. We took the caravan to Jervaulx Abbey caravan site which is a caravan club cl which holds 5 caravans and is very peaceful. We set the van up and headed off for a short stroll around the abbey.

18th February 2008

After a very cold night we discoverred that everything was frozen. We had no water so could not have a shower. It started to defrost by about 11 and we then found that the drains were frozen so nothing would drain away. We decided to move the caravan down the field where we weren't in the shadow of the wall and it got the sun earlier. We wound the legs up and John moved the caravan on the mover. I moved everything else. We then went for a walk. We crossed the road and then walked down to the river Ure. It was a lovely walk along the river bank which was covered in snowdrops. The sun was bright and warm. We arrived at the Cover bridge Inn where we stopped for lunch. We had a cold meat salad and a very nice glass of Old Peculiar. The pub was warm and cosy with a roaring log fire and it was an effort to move on but we eventually left and walked along the river Cover which was bubbling over limestone pavements and was lined with icicles along the bank. We crossed the bridge and walked down the other side of the river until we reached East Witton. We then crossed fields and returned to the Cover Bridge and followed the river back to the caravan. About 13 km.

19th February 2008

A very foggy and cold day today and the water pipes were still frozen so we set off to Richmond to order some new walking boots. They will be ready in May. We spent the rest of the day wandering around Richmond. The castle was closed so we couldn't go in but we walked round the walls and enjoyed the views -albeit through the fog!

Wednesday 20th February 2008
Freezing fog today, it looked beautiful out - sunny but so frosty it looked like snow. We drove to Thornton Steward Reservoir along lovely frost covered lanes. We walked along the side of the reservoir and then onto the bridleway. We found a geocache near the end of the reservoir. The frost was falling off the trees as we passed. We followed the bridleway to Finghall where we were met by a large barking doberman, but luckily he just walked past us. We had a nice lunch at the Queens Head and then walked down the lane and across fields beside a stream and across the Wensleydale railway. It was lovely and sunny. We found Drews mistle -our second cache which had a travel bug and a useful shoehorn! We passed the 12th century St Andrews church and walked through a large caravan park, across the golfcourse and back across the railway. The footpaths were not well marked here and it was difficult to work out where we were going and ended up the wrong side of a spinney and farm house but we found the path at the top and managed to cross the fence! We then followed the path round fields and through small woods where we saw several hares running across the fields. We passed a large group of boys who were out for a walk and then emerged near Aysgarth school which was a very posh looking school, complete with castleated tower. We followed the track, picking up another geocache on the way, hidden in a tree stump and picked up a geocoin and 2 dvds. At the end of the track we walked along roads for a while and then back onto a footpath where they were renovating two cottages. They had completely blocked the footpath and we had to find our way into the wood and follow the gps through as there was no obvious path. We emerged at the footpath sign so must have followed the right route. The rest of the walk was across fields and muddy tracks (where Yorkshire water were laying new mains water pipelines) and the road back to the car. 15 km. We got back to the caravan to find everything melted and working. We had tea and a welcome shower. We watched Notorious - -a Hitchcock dvd that we had picked up in Nook and Cranny geocache. Lets say they don't make them like that anymore! It will be recycled in the next geocache we find.

Thursday 21st February 2008
Whoopee, no frost today, it has been replaced by rain and strong winds! We pottered all morning and then drove towards Masham along very scenic windy roads - meaning narrow and steep. We went to a forest area and visited The Druids Circle - another place we wouldn't have found if I hadn't searched for geocaches in the area. The circle was fascinating, based on Stonehenge but built by the Victorians to provide work for local men. We followed the gps into the forest and found the geocache. It had been unvisited since october but was still dry. John took an interesting "american free iraq" coin. It was very cold and windy so we retraced our steps to the car. We drove into Masham and parked and then strolled to the market place. We bought some boar sausages for tea. We then had a wander round the town solving the clues for Masham march (another geocache). We went into the church which had lovely stain glass windows and a painting attributed to Joshua Reynolds. We had tea and baguette at "Mad Hatters tea shop" and then did a little shopping. Just a couple of short strolls today!

Friday 22nd February

After a very noisy and windy night it was slightly calmer today. We weren't sure what to do but in the end drove back to Richmond for another look round and to finish the geocaches. We walked to the top of the town and had views across to the castle then walked along the river to solve the last clue. The waterfalls were very dramatic. We then did another cache which was on the other side of the river. Finally we went for a drive along a lane for about 2 miles to the Richmond beacon. It was pouring with rain and blowing a gale. During a break in the rain we set off up the hill to the beacon. Halfway there the rain started again, it was freezing. We were both frozen and soaked when we got back to the car.

Saturday 23rd February

It was a bit dismal today but Emily and Mike were coming to visit but they didn't arrive until 1.30 because they got caught in the Middleham diversion. We went straight out to the Coverbridge Inn for lunch which turned out to be enormous. We had ham and eggs which must have been about a 16oz gammon. We got back to the caravan at about 3 and had a cup of tea. Then went for a short walk round the Abbey. It started to rain so we went back for another tea and they left at 6.30.