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L.L. Diamond

Tag: Dales

Middleham Castle

October 26th, 2015
The start of building of Middleham Castle can be traced to 1190, by Robert Fitzrandolph, 3rd Lord of Middleham and Spennithorne, and is best known these days as the childhood home of Richard III.

Located in Wenselydale (Yes, like the cheese.) in Northern Yorkshire, the castle is surrounded by a small village and the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

In 1270, Middleham became the property of the Neville family (Earl of Warwick) and from what I can find remained their possession until the reign of James I when it was sold. The structure then fell into ruin during the 17th century and became what it is today, but the ruins are beautiful and a lot of fun to ramble around.

When visiting Middleham, there is no car park for the property, so parking is on the street, where permitted, and in the local car park. There is also no toilet/restroom facilities in the castle itself, so if you need the loo, then you must walk to the town’s public facilities as with six people we learned rather quickly.

From the outlook

Down through the Great Hall to the Cellars

Horse Mill

The castle appears compact from the outside, but is actually rather large when you go within the walls. The rooms were a good size, and there is a repaired spiral staircase that can take you up to the roof where there are some amazing views of the local countryside and give you an aerial view of some of the internal structures within the castle.

Kitchen

View from top

View

There are wells that can still be viewed as well as the old ovens in the kitchen and the remains of the old horse mill, which are really fascinating. The Great Hall can be seen from above as well as the cellars beneath due to the missing floor.

There is an English Heritage gift shop just after you walk through the Keep with the usual fare as well as a 15th century replica of the Middleham jewel that is on display for visitors to view.

I will say my children loved this castle. They tend to like ruins and places where they can run around, and despite Middleham’s age, it is a pretty good spot for that. Fortunately, mine aren’t so young that I have to worry about the steps, which would be of concern with parents of toddlers. 🙂

Next up…Bath!
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Fountains Abbey

October 21st, 2015
When you venture out to visit Fountains Abbey, there is bound to be something for everyone! The entire property consists of 800 acres, and in that space, the National Trust cares for Studley Royal (an 18th century water garden), Fountains Abbey (The largest Cistercian ruins in Europe), a Jacobean mansion, and a church built in the Victorian era and designed by William Burges. Viewing this is a good deal of walking, but definitely worth the time spent at the end of the day–and I would set aside a day to take in everything. It definitely earns its place as a World Heritage Site in my opinion.

Fountains Abbey

Arch inside the chapel

Fountains Abbey

We set out on a misty/rainy England morning to Fountains Abbey and managed to get down to the ruins before the rain began in earnest. I have to say that the abbey must have been absolutely incredible when it was whole. It’s enormous with an arched doorway on the inside dwarfing anyone who stands beneath it. My daughter and son are standing inside because I couldn’t resist taking the shot to show the scale of the opening.

Not only are the ruins beautiful, but the location is so picturesque. It’s easy to find a multitude of camera angles to take some amazing shots if you love to play at photography like I do.

From Fountains Abbey, we followed the paths to Studley Royal Water Garden, which was built by John Aislibie in the 18th century. It was his son William who purchased the property containing Fountains Abbey. Unfortunately, the Studley Royal Hall was destroyed by a fire in 1946, but at least the gardens remain for us to enjoy.

Water Gardens

Pheasants

Folly or temple

The gardens consist of several paths which circle a series of man-made lakes. The lakes are sourced from a river that flows up the hill from the property and are embellished with statuary and temples common in the Georgian Era.

As we walked, we crossed paths with pheasants and a few other birds, and my children enjoyed the temples/follies. There is also a scenic point where you can look down over the valley and see Fountains Abbey in the distance. It is an amazing view!

View from hill

View from different path on walk back

We spent several hours between touring Fountains Abbey and walking the water garden, but as the day wore on, the rain increased. Even with our raincoats, we were cold and our legs were about soaked through, so we decided to call it a day without viewing the house or the church. I do want to return in better weather and see everything again as well as finish touring the site!

Next… Middleham Castle!
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Durham and Yorkshire

October 19th, 2015
From Edinburgh, we drove down and stopped in Durham to visit a friend. For those who may have never heard of it, Durham is a beautiful city steeped in history. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to the cathedral and the castle. Archeology gives evidence that Durham has been a settlement since 2000 BCE, so it is definitely deserving of the title World Heritage Site.

Once we met up with my friend, Jude, in the market square, we followed her up the hill to the cathedral. We had tea at a lovely tea shop where we could sit outdoors and enjoy the scenes of not only the cathedral on one side, but the view of the castle up the hill on the other.

Market Square

Cathedral

We took a tour of the cathedral, but unfortunately, photographs are not allowed inside, so I cannot show you my own photos of this spectacular building. You’ll have to look it up online and find some yourself. 🙂

After spending a few hours in Durham, we finished our trek to Yorkshire. We stayed in a small village near the town of Ripon, which was a neat place and afforded us the opportunity for any shopping we might need.

Outings while we were in Yorkshire consisted of driving through the Dales, Hardraw Force, Fountains Abbey, Middleham Castle, and Pateley Bridge. I will save Fountains Abbey and Middleham Castle for their own posts, but will elaborate on the rest.

The Dales are a good bit like the Peak District. It’s a beautiful area with a lot of scenic views, though the roads are narrow and bordered by rock fences–again like Derbyshire.

Hardraw Force

On the walk back

Hardraw Force is reputed to be England’s largest single drop waterfall with a fall of 100 feet. It’s on privately owned property, so once you find the little village of Hardraw. The parking is hidden behind the Green Dragon Inn. You pay and enter through the little ice cream parlour and from there it’s a short walk. If anyone finds the spot familiar, it was used in the Kevin Costner version of Robin Hood. It’s where Maid Marion sees him bathing/swimming.

Dales

Pateley Bridge

Lastly, Pateley Bridge is a lovely little village/town nestled in a valley in the southern part of the Dales. It is picturesque, quaint, and boasts of the oldest sweet shop in England–of course, we had to stop in! We spent the day roaming the town and ate at one of the local pubs. I will say that the food in the north was mostly the same, but amazing. We were so impressed.

Next stop…Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal
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