Hawes, Day five

The previous day, the bus had gone though the village of Gayle and there was a Mill, Bridge, Ford and Waterfall, there. Gayle was only half a mile out of Hawes and there was a footpath to it behind the church. I was feeling slightly better and it wasn't raining, so a walk to Gayle was a plan.

Well as soon as we started walking, it started raining again but it wasn't heavy. We had a look into the the Dales Countryside Museum and took a couple of photos of the train and bridge but it had stopped raining so we continued with our walk and gave the rope works a miss for today.

There is an alleyway just passed the church where the one way system ends, that leads to where the footpath starts. The path is paved all the way to the main road just as it enters Gayle, two chinook helicopters flew over as we walked, something you do not see very often.

Besides the aforementioned Mill, Bridge, Ford and Waterfall, there is very little else there and the mill only opens twice a week for visits.

It is quite a nice walk though and there are some very good sights and views from the village.

We walked back to Hawes via the road and even popped into the creamery again, mainly to get cover from a short shower and use the toilets. Dot also got a nice ice cream.

Feelin better there was only one thing to do next, especially on our last day, pub. We went back to the Crown and sat out in the sun but that didn't last long and we only just got inside before there was a rain storm. The pub soon filled with very wet holidaymakers.

After a second beer we moved to the Fountain and unbelievably, ended up outside in the sun again. We moved there as the Southern Comfort was on offer and Dot fancied one, or two. As we were ready to leave, we got talking to another couple and ended up having a couple more drinks than we intended.

Hawes, Day four

If we had not paid for this bus tip I would not have gone but as we had paid, I made the effort and full of tablets, I hoped I would not need the toilet. It was raining as we made our way into town for the bus but we had waterproofs and big umbrellas. The bus was on time, a fourteen seatter, with Dot and I and ten old lades, off to the market. What an horrendous bus ride with a bad tummy, we went down bumpy narrow roads that I would have never considered in the van and it took an hour.

We had quick look around the market and the charity shops, I needed a cowboy hat and boots for a fancy dress party, got a hat off the market and boots from a charity shop, result.

Then we walked down to the Leeds to Liverpool canal to have our picnic, luckily the weather was fine for now.

After lunch we walked along the towpath of, Springs Branch off the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, to a spot below Skipton castle, with the canal on one side and the river on the other side. Then the havens opened, thankfully we had the big umbrellas and we made our way back to the shops for shelter.

Although by the time we got back to the shops, the sun was shining again. After another better look in the shops it was soon time for the bus back and again the journey was terrible on the tummy.

Off the bus it was straight in the pub for a beer, then sat drinking it in the now nice sun, I discovered I had left my new cowboy hat on the bus. Luckily the bus was due back through the town later. When it did I got up to flag it down but it pulled over anyway, so I ran over and retrieved my hat.

After another beer, it was obvious that I was still not well, so we headed back to the van for an early night.

Hawes, Day three

We slept in today, so we had a big breakfast as it was getting on for lunch time before we were sorted. My feet were not too bad, so we went into town for the market and hopefully, fish and chips later.

We spotted a flyer for the Little White Bus and a trip to Skipton, it was going the following morning. Tickets were available from the community office, which turned out to be the library and as the weather forecast was not good for tomorrow, we bought a couple.

After walking round the market for a while, we got chip buttys and wandered up to the Wensleydale creamery, where we bought some cheese and beer. Then it started to rain, so we headed to he pubs for shelter and my feet were really hurting again by then anyway.

There are three pubs in a row, The Old Board, The Crown Hotel and The Fountain, we chose the Fountain as we prefer it for sitting inside. While we we were drinking, Dot read the drinks offers and found the Bacardi was on offer, so for the next round Dot had a short. We also moved outside as the sun was back out, a family started to tell us a story about their dog, it went on and on, well I almost lost the will to live, thankful their lift arrived just in time.

We ended up in the middle of the three pubs the Fountain (the one that nobody was serving in two days ago) and wouldn't you know it, it was cheaper by far than the other two. The selection of beers was almost the same in all three anyway. The rain even allowed us to have a seat outside for a while but when it cooled down we moved back inside

I was poorly during the night with stomach cramps and that along with the noise from the heavy rain, I didn't manage to get much sleep at all.

Hawes, Day two

It was sunny again so as Dot sat in the sun, I messed with the 12v system all morning but I think it has had it. I did get even more sunburnt while I was fiddling with it though.

When the sun went in, Dot made a picnic and we set off for a walk. We set off across the fields (it was a public footpath) to Hardraw Force a waterfall, reputedly the highest single drop in England. We got off to good start with a shortcut that got us on the wrong side of the river, so we had to retrace our steps. Back on the proper path, it was a relatively short, easy walk to Hardraw and the Green Dragon pub. More on the walk route to come later.

I mention the pub, as you have to pass through it an pay in there for admission to the waterfall. It had got very hot on the walk, so we cooled down with a beer, before continuing out of the back of the pub to the waterfall.

We arrived a a busy time (nothing like it would be on a weekend though), so we had our picnic in a picnic area, while it quietened down. It is a short walk to the waterfall and even though there are signs along the way, saying do not walk behind the falls, there was a man behind the falls as we arrived. Just after he left, there was a rock fall where he had been standing, he will not even know how lucky or stupid he was, as he had gone before it happened.

Then it was back to the pub for another beer, before walking back the same way we came but with a slight detour to photo some bridges. My feet were very painful by the time we got back, so we didn't go into town on the night, we just watched a film in he van instead.

The full walk is here

Hawes, Day one

Obviously we do not drive a lot on Sundays, because I haven't seen so many motorbikes on the road sine my last trip to the IOM.  Arrived in Hawes about half twelve and had to queue for a long time to get in, some due to poor organisation and a few thoughtless caravaners.

Brown Moor, Caravan Club Site. 

Brunt Acres Rd, Hawes, DL8 3PS 

Web Site http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/

As it was very sunny, we had a sandwich lunch and just sat in the sun, something we haven't done much this year. I set up the satellite but it took ages, second time in a row I have had problems setting up and getting a signal. Then when we had had enough sun, about five, we wandered into town for a beer.

One of the pubs has closed since our last visit but there was still enough to go round. The high street was still very busy, lots of bikers and day trippers about, we chose the pub furthest from the site for our first beer, so we could slowly make our way back. As the beer was good and we had a good seat outside in the sun watching the world go by, we didn't have a beer, we had three. We missed out the next pub (there was nobody serving) but had another one outside the third pub before we made our way back for supper.

Back at the site we had a pre-prepared supper, a Sunday dinner with puds and stuff, and settled down to watch TV. Just before we went to bed I noticed that the van 12v system wasn't working and the leisure battery was just about flat but that would have to wait until tomorrow.

Wild Rose, Appleby-in-Westmorland, The Drive Home

Every time we drive to and from the Lakes along the A66, we say look there's a castle at Brough but we never stop and go and have a look. Well this time we did.

We flowed the sighs for the castle and parked in the small car park there. It's only a short walk to the castle but the weather couldn't make it's mind up as to whether it was going to rain or not. It was free entree (make a change). Brough is a medieval Castle built inside the ruins of a Roman fort of Verteris. It was hard to get a good photo partly because of the weather and partly because the best view, is from the A66.

Next we thought we would stop at Barnard Castle, for lunch and do a bit of shopping but when we got there it was market day. It's hard enough to get a parking space on a normal day and it was impossible today, so we drove straight through.

We eventually stopped for a picnic lunch at Locomotion, part of the National Railway Museum, in Shildon. We had only been a few week previous but it is well worth a visit.

Wild Rose, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Day four

It was sunny so we decided to walk into Appleby again, only, along the main road this time, for a change. My feet were feeling better and I didn't use my walking shoes, settling for softer trainers. Outside the campsite there is a footpath that cuts a corner off the first part of the walk but it is very overgrown in parts.

It was very warm and walking the road and it seemed longer, although it wasn't. It was nice to see the castle appear in the distance though (shame there was scaffolding all around it though), signaling we were almost there.

On arrival in the town, we were going to walk along the river to the chippy for lunch but then realised the time and headed stright there. We made it just in time and had our lunch in the sun by the river. The temporary ramp was still in position down to the river, where during the horse fair, horses are are led down it to be washed.

After lunch we did the short walk along the river, then had a look in the shops, I even got an unusual beer glass from a charity shop. Then we popped into the Tourist Information, to ask about transport back to the campsite. There is no public transport but we did get the phone numbers for a couple of taxis.

It was still very warm, so we had to sit outside a pub and have a couple of beers, while we got sunburned.

We set off to walk back via the footpath but my feet were hurting so we stopped at the first pub we came to (the last pub on the way back).  I phoned the numbers we got from the Tourist Information but in my opinion they were too expensive. So after another couple of beers (still a lot cheaper than the taxi) and a sit in the sun, I gritted my teeth and we walked back to the site.

On the walk back, we caught sight of a Red Squirrel as it ran across the footpath and up a tree, something you do not see every day.  It was a lot drier that the walk back two days earlier.

Wild Rose, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Day three

Well it wasn't raining but my feet were hurting, so we just thought we would do a short circular walk to the village of Ormside and maybe have a beer at the campsite bar later. The walk is documented here.

Glad we chose a short walk as my feet were killing me by the time we got back. We headed to the bar for a sit and a nice beer in the sun. It was closed with a sign outside, informing us that it was closed until Friday evening and had been since Sunday afternoon. It was on Saturday afternoon I was assured that it would be open during our time there, I was very angry to have been misinformed like that. Good job we are always prepared for such eventualities but it wasn't just us, we saw others come and look and walk away looking disappointed.

We were entertained by the RAF later in the afternoon

Wild Rose, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Day two

The forecast was for the weather to deteriorate over the next couple of days and as the sun was shining, we set off for the long walk into Appleby. It is a long and relatively difficult 3.5 mile walk along the public footpaths into Appleby, or you can walk vie the main road but that is also 3.5 miles. We had done the walk before so knew the way and knew to have the right footwear.  The walk is documented here.

The walk in was uneventful if a bit chilly at times, and we had our picnic near the pedestrian bridge over the river, on the edge of town, before heading in.

As we did the last few hundred yards to the main street it started to rain and we had to go into the first pub for shelter. We had two new beers before moving on, when a very noisy, foul mothed and irritating local woman made it very unpleasant in there. It was still raining so we just moved to anther pub over the road, nothing new in there but good beers none the less. Then that woman came in and not just me and Dot left this time but also several of the locals in there, drank up and went.

The walk back was very unpleasant, it started raining harder and it was very muddy, by the time we got back we were soaked through.  Back at the van though the sun came out, wouldn't you just know that would happen.  I discovered a large blister on my left heal, very unusual.

Wild Rose, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Day one

We got a letter from the Wild Rose campsite in Appleby with an offer of a pitch or £10/night, I phoned and booked four nights. Then I panicked, was Appleby horse fair still on and would the place be full of the Gypsies and Travellers. I got straight online to check, luckily it finished a few day before our arrival but while online, we noticed that the was a free bbq on site on the day we got there. We assumed it would be to sell moblie homes, as we have seen before.

Wild Rose Park Ormside, 

Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, CA16 6EJ 

Web Site http://www.wildrose.co.uk/

The campsite is in Ormside, quite a way outside Appleby, when Dot was checking in she was told to get back for the free food before it ran out. So we parked the van and wandered back, not the best food I have had but it was free and it was washed down with a beer from the bar.  I asked in the bar what the opening hours were, as last time we were there it was closed for the whole of our visit (it was early in the year last time).  I was reassured it would be open this time (more later).

Then it was back to the van to get everything set up, struggled getting a sat signal, so I remade the cable ends and hay presto, all good.

Back down the bar we met some of Nicole's old school friends and then an old workmate of mine, small world.  Had a look in the shop and they had five beers I hadn't seen before, what a great shop, last time I also found four of five new beers in here.  Beers from the shop