Category: UK Holidays (Page 5 of 6)

Cambridge & Norfolk 15-21 June 2019

22 June 2019 / admin

Swans Oulton Broad 18.6.19

Time to visit a part of the country we have not previously visited – Cambridge and the Norfolk Broads. We have had a couple of trips to the North Norfolk coast but not Broads. The holiday was split into two stays.

We head to Cambridge to spend a few nights over a weekend so that we can see the City and some of the colleges, at least externally, plus ensuring a long standing Good Food Guide entry – Midsummer House – can be sampled.

Midsummer House is adjacent to the river and easy walking distance from where we stay. So some alcohol can be consumed and the food was enjoyable. it is worthy of its place in the guide and we are well looked after during the evening.

We are within walking distance of the City Centre and we wander around – luckily the sun is with us. On the Sunday our walk back from lunch is enlivened by the unexpected – post exam Cambridge students taking to the Cam in cardboard boats which tend not to ensure terribly long in the water before those on board end up in the drink. Which probably entitles them to another drink. However this regular post exam activity seems to have ended in 2023 when the organisers were unable to obtain insurance, which I suspect is understandable.

Our destination for Monday to Friday is on the Norfolk Broads at Breydon Park near Burgh Castle from where various aspects of the Broads can be reached during the week.

Our first outing starts near Lowestoft where we board a vessel to cruise along the Oulton Broad for a couple of hours. Luckily we are at a little bit of height above water level so can see some of the countryside – at water level we would not get much of a view at all. The Broads came into existence due to human activity – removal of peat lead to flooding and creation of the waterways.

Blickling Hall 2-6-2 19.6.19Another day out combined railway and broads – the Bure Valley Railway links with a local boat operator so you can the train from Aylsham to Wroxham, wander through the town then board a boat for a cruise along the River Bure and Wroxham Broad. Then a fish and chip lunch and a return journey along the same way. The Bure Valley Railway is a 15″ gauge railways which runs for nine miles between the two termini. Originally it owned only a diesel so borrowed locomotives from the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch in its early years. That has been rectified and we travel behind No 6 “Blickling Hall”. The line is laid on the bed formerly used by a standard gauge railway between County School and Wroxham which remains rail connected to Norwich. The owning company is owned by Andrew Barnes who runs the railway with the support of many volunteers whilst the trackbed remains in the ownership by Broadland District Council.

Reedham Ferry is not far from the caravan park and there is a pub there, so an excursion of its own was to head to the pub and then take the ferry. The weather is not very nice – it either was or had been raining – but the ferry operative got down on the ground to ensure the TT did not ground as we came off the ferry – which was welcome.

Norwich market is award winning so required a visit as an adjunct to our need for a decent meal provided by Benedicts which we visit. We always try to ensure we visit a recommended establishment or two on these UK holidays and they were both were excellent.

On the homeward journey the A11 to M3 via either north or south round the M25 is roughly the same distance. The overhead gantries indicate the allegedly best route and I have a feeling this time we went round the north and encountered significant delays. And I always kick myself that the other way might not be as slow as the overhead signs indicate!

Cornwall 3-6 May 2019

7 May 2019 / admin

Another short break – this time in Cornwall with a large group as together with the owners we descended on Hembal Manor for the first bank holiday of May. It happens to be one of the first major outings of the newish Tiguan and it is well loaded with the boot completely full to overflowing. Hembal lies just a little to the west of St Austell (Snorsel as it appears to be pronounced) which was the historic centre of the china clay industry.

Our outward route is via the A303 which is our main route westwards these days – it always brings to mind the Reggie Perrin discussion on the benefits of using the A30 or A303 – but the improvements (apart from at Stonehenge which has been cancelled by every government soon after they come to office for the last 30 years) now mean that the traffic tends to use the A303 which flows – but there remain places along the road where further improvement remains long overdue.

The main attractions within easy distance of the Manor are the Eden project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan. We had visited the former some years ago so I elect to go to the Wheal Martin Clayworks, although I have a suspicion that I visited it many years ago it has in the meantime had an upgrade and it remains fascinating telling the story of the extraction (which continues using more modern methods) of China Clay to be used in pottery and so on. On return from the works I am able to walk from the Manor to the adjacent railway main line where I can photograph the limited service through Cornwall. In more recent times the service frequency has been improved from hourly to half hourly and is perhaps more akin to the service needed by local residents.

With some free time I am able to visit the Mevagissey Model railway – I seem to recall it was not quite worth the entrance fee. However the attraction has changed hands in more recent times since my visit so further comment would be inappropriate.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan sit high above the coastline of Mevagissey and whilst we have been before this time we are able to see rather more of the grounds and find more of the statues and other attractions. The rhododendrons are not quite over so there is a decent amount of colour. There also seems to have been further development of the gardens since our last visit. Jackie will still not walk across the rope bridge of course. I consider the whole place magical and I think everyone else is of a similar conclusion.

Dining on Sunday is at the hotel in Charlestown where I stayed many years ago – although the dining area has clearly been much developed since then and alongside that I think the food is also much better. There is a museum in Charlestown now concerning the local fishing industry which we do not have time to visit – so there is a need to return here at some time in the future.

Jackie drives the Tiguan to the Eden project and reports that it brings her back via a somewhat odd route – an early sign that the satnav on this car seems to have a mystery bug which insists on taking devious routes when you simply want to reach your destination.

Our homeward journey on Monday is a long drive with a stop at the Exeter services and is inevitably slow – but not as slow as a trip back I suffer a couple of years later when the road from Cornwall to Exeter crawls all the way.

A concentrated little break visiting some of the South West’s major attractions which were right on our doorsteps – so the only long journeys were at the start and finish of the holiday – which made it easier than continuing driving each day.

Bristol 6-8 March 2019

9 March 2019 / admin

For my birthday this year Jackie has organised a short trip in the UK. And we are going by train – this is the first time we travel using one of the HST replacement sets – the IETs – from Reading to Bristol – having taken the usual Class 165 from Sandhurst. The good news is that a decent proportion of the route is electrified – but the project was allegedly “paused” a couple of years ago – so it is incomplete and the train switches to diesel power for nearly half the journey – a sad example of incompetence all round. It has to be hoped that ere long someone will bite the bullet and get the job done – additionally they are running class 387s on long distance journeys – inappropriate to say the least but the incomplete project is tantamount to wasting a significant proportion of the money which has been invested so far.

In Bristol we are staying at the Harbour Hotel having had good experience of the chain elsewhere. The hotel is housed in a converted bank so accessing the room seems slightly tortuous. Dinner in the restaurant does not even elevate itself to disappointing so we are not off to a great start.

The main attraction and reason for the trip the following morning is to visit the harbour itself and SS Great Britain – Brunel’s steamship which was a great leap forward when built in 1845, remaining the world’s largest passenger ship until 1853. She was converted to sail propulsion in 1881 (so progress often has backward steps) and having served many different uses she was scuttled off the Falkland Islands in 1937 achieving service of 92 years. In 1970 she was raised (following major contributions from some millionaires) and brought back to Bristol where she was originally constructed and is now very effectively conserved.

Reading the Wikipedia page on the ship it is clear that its unprecedented size meant that it actually undertook very few Transatlantic sailings and encountered a number of groundings which led to reworking and after only a few years to a complete change in usage. However it set a path and as ever someone has to take the first step – although the original owning company became financially distressed as did one of its successors – ownership does not seem to have generated significant returns.

The ship tour, including the ability to walk under the hull together with the adjacent museum dedicated to Brunel are stunning and together make one of the best museum visits ever. On board on the day we were there were costumed individuals explaining various aspects of the ship as originally used and the later changes. The (replacement) steam engines can work but were not doing so on our visit.

During the day we also ascend to the heights of Clifton Village mainly to take a look at the Clifton Suspension Bridge but the weather starts to turn from not particularly nice to far worse and we retreat back.

An excellent dinner in the evening rounds off this particular trip with another IET run back to Reading the following morning. The coaches were electronically lettered and seats reserved so we took the labelled seats. Prior to departure the computers are rebooted to travel in the other direction and the previous lettering of the coaches is reversed for some reason so the reservation labels and coach labels no longer match. One wonders how these things go wrong so easily. However no-one asks to sit in the seats so we stay put and arrive back in Reading without delays.

Scotland Route 500 6-17 September 2018

18 September 2018 / admin

Time for a road trip in the UK and this one is to do most of the Route 500 – a round tour of the very far north of these islands sticking to major roads but we will not be quite completing the circuit and we will have a couple of diversions for personal reasons – it remains a lot of mileage and a need to ensure the tank is refilled at certain points.

Our outward journey is lengthy and we need to stop off somewhere as we head north, so stay over with friends in Glooston in Leicestershire. Heading further north we popped into see the Angel of the North (well it was a very short distance off the main road after all) before heading further north – this being a long driving day – to reach the Peat Inn (Fife) which is the name of the village as well as our stopping point. We approach from one end of the village and we can sense we are heading back out of the village before actually finding the restaurant! An excellent meal and location to stop especially for a long drive.

The following day we head on northwards crossing over the Tay into Dundee – where we do not have time to stop but certainly the area around the river appears interesting for a visit in future. We pick up the A93 and then take a slightly indirect route via Cock Bridge and Tomintoul, tipping our hat to Mrs MacKay the local postmistress who keeps (or more likely now kept) the road open in winter with her shovel. I have been this way before and it is a very remote road crossing some uninhabited country – although the support for skiing is much larger than the last time I passed this way. Our initial target is Dufftown and the Keith and Dufftown Railway which is an interesting ride through the countryside. We then proceed to Inverness, formally the Route 500 commencement point, where we had not booked dinner and my name is mud. Having since revisited Inverness I now know that decent restaurants can be found – but we turned in the wrong direction.

Typically it is suggested that Route 500 should be undertaken clockwise but we are heading counter-clockwise so heading further up the East Coast first. Dornoch is visited which I remember as a pleasant place but it does not seem so nice this time – although that could simply be a lack of sunshine. Then to Dunrobin Castle which is a magnificent edifice and of course has its own station which is no longer private. We are spending tonight in Wick – where I have made the fundamental mistake of booking a restaurant in Wick, Bristol. My name is now officially mud (it gets worse). However at short notice I get a booking in a very nice restaurant – but we see them turn away people who have not booked – it seems without a booking there is no meal in Scotland these days.

Having visited John O’Groats we head onto the mainland’s most northerly point at Dunnet Head where there is certainly a very strong wind, a view and many birds but not much else. We retrace our steps slightly and the continue to the fascinating Castle of Mey which is a little further west and was the summer home of the Queen Mother. Now open to the public we are treated to some gentle stories concerning her late Majesty and other members of the family on their regular visits. Subsequently I believe rooms have been opened in the former stables so it is now possible to stay over. There is some beautiful scenery visible from the windows of the kitchen of the Castle so it is easy to understand her attachment to the place.

Our stopping place tonight is Durness which was visited by John Lennon as a child – from Liverpool post war that must have been some journey – probably to Inverness by train and then a bus to Durness where we visit the memorial to him. We have a table booked at the Smoo Cave Hotel and they serve absolutely excellent pies – even if it is a long way from anywhere else. On arriving they misheard Jackie confirming she had a reservation and were about to deny us entry – which would have made life even more difficult.

We do stop and try to visit the Smoo Cave the following morning – but due to the weather and tide they are not fully open so we can merely peer into the darkness. What I do remember as we drove along the coast was the splendid beaches which kept appearing as we rounded corners. Obviously they never see many visitors but there are some wonderful beaches in this part of the world. From here onwards much of the route is single carriageway with passing places and somehow all the 4×4 drivers seem to think that even pulling off the road even slightly is beyond them and so the TT has to leave the main drag.

As the Scots have popularised this route it sees a lot of use by those in camper vans – which I entirely understand as accommodation is not that readily available. On at least one part of the route I decide that the chances of making progress are pretty limited so drop back from a camper van and stay about two passing places (most of the way they are quite numerous) behind making it easier for those who need to get past both of us to do so. Also on this journey suddenly the dashboard showed an amber warning light which I did not understand. We consult the handbook and apparently more than the permitted number of LED lights in the array on the rear display over the boot have failed – but it remains safe to drive – it just keeps beeping when applying the brakes which is highly annoying.

We are now heading down the west coast of Scotland and also deviate from the Route 500 as I have long wanted to stay at the Summer Isles Hotel at Achiltibuie, having read about it many years ago. As we drive the sights we see are amazing – I am doing the driving and cannot see them all. For a lunch break we stop at the roadside- a suitable stop simply appearing at about the right time. Due to cloud we do not get quite the sunset display for which the Summer Isles hotel is famous – but it has been removed from the list of places to visit and I liked it. Again it is a very long way from anywhere else but I confirm the setting is fabulous.

The following day we stop at Inverewe gardens – again on a list of places which in this case I remember being told about it at school for the palm trees nurtured by the Gulf Stream and it is a magnificent place even if members of our party taking separate turnings mean that some people get completely lost. Our destination tonight is Torridon Castle which is a slight disappointment given its reputation – but the range of whiskies visible on the shelves is almost hard to comprehend or from which to make a suitable choice.

The drive the following day is along a coast road with little apart from other road users until we ascend (from the wrong side) Applecross or Bealach na Ba which was originally the Pass of the Cattle reaching 2054ft above sea level. The descent has a number of hairpin curves and a nasty pothole in which I manage to ground the poor car. I suspect it is also a challenge to drive up that side – perhaps one day! This is a very remote part of the Scottish mainland. I strongly feel I would like to repeat the trip – in the right direction – as a passenger rather than the driver.

The reconstructed main roads annoyingly do not hug the coast to Kyle of Lochalsh and I miss the relevant turning to maintain the coastal route. However we do at one point drive on the railway – works are being undertaken and they have laid a temporary roadway over the tracks to keep the traffic moving. At Kyle I take a wrong turning and end up on the station platform! You cannot keep me away from trains.

The next bridge we cross replaces the ferry to Kyleakin used on my last visit and we are deviating from route 500 to visit the Isle of Skye. At the far end of the island is Dunvegan Castle which we visit first. We are spending the night at a B&B adjacent to the Three Chimneys – a restaurant that has been listed in the Good Food Guide just about forever and we are finally here to enjoy the evening. Knowing of my diabetes they take extreme care to ensure that my dishes are amended to avoid sugar – an outstanding memory.

Our first stop the following day is the Talisker distillery. However I had a tour booking for a day later still – luckily they are able to fit us in after a wait. This means I have got three things wrong on this holiday and I have been banned for organising anything ever again. Whilst this was the least troublesome it put the seal on incompetence. As Jackie does not like whisky I however get not only a thorough ear bashing but also a double bonus – extra tasting helpings and then as I have had a lot to drink Jackie gets to drive the next section.

There are as far as I am aware three links between Skye and the mainland – the feted bridge, the ferry to Mallaig at the southern end of the island and the much smaller Glenelg ferry – which is the route I had determined we should take and is a wonderful reminder of how these small ferries are important still. Once back on the mainland we follow the Old Military Road which eventually leads back to the A87. The scenery on this route as we drove through the mountains was absolutely magnificent including a stop at a viewpoint for photos. Another road which I suspect few people ever drive, I have recommended it to others but so far not sure anyone else has seen these sights.

We have a couple of nights in Fort William – mainly so that we can spend an entire day on the Jacobite steam service to Mallaig and partake of the inevitable fish and chip lunch at the far end of the line. In my view the area shows many changes since my first trip to the area when the steam trains first ran. The lineside now has trees and I remember it being very open. The people watching as we pass over Glenfinnan viaduct are numerous – not non-existent as they were then. To support the visitor numbers the entire area seems far more developed – and it must have brought a lot of money into the area generally over the years. It certainly no longer seems as remote – but then you can no longer dine in a restaurant car on the train from Fort William to Glasgow as I did in 1972.

I had forgotten how beautiful the drive is down on the A82 through Glencoe and Bridge of Orchy – our last visit to the area was based in Oban so did not use this road. The road still twists and turns along the top end of Loch Lomond but there is now a by pass road (poorly signposted in my view) which replaces the now partially closed road along the edge of the Loch for the southern half of the journey.

It is then a very long and slow journey down the M6 which as we join it the satnav invites us to follow the motorway for more than 100 miles – but there is a vast amount of traffic and the entire journey takes about 50% longer than should have been the case. We get home very late and it was just too far to do in one day.

Once we are back I take the car to have the brake lights repaired and the underside checked following a couple of groundings – the latter reports no damage – just a misplaced clip. The car done well!

Cayton Bay 21 – 25 May 2018

26 May 2018 / admin

This was a brief caravan holiday based just south of Scarborough running from Monday to Friday.

Our outward journey encompassed a lunch in Lincoln to provide a stopping point as we headed north.

On the Tuesday we visited Castle Howard which was used for the television version of Brideshead Revisited (amongst others) and it is a magnificent property which we wandered around and then around some of the extensive grounds. The chapel is superb and a reminder of the Catholic history of much of the aristocracy despite the best efforts of Henry VIII.

Lunch on Tuesday was at the Star Inn Harome which has a justified reputation. Over subsequent years to our visit these Howardian Hills have become somewhat of a foodie destination and we have since been back a couple of times. I suspect that the area contains enough people willing to travel to sustain them. The area is attractive and has first class suppliers justifying the number of decent restaurants in a small area.

In the afternoon on the return journey we went to see Rievaulx Abbey but did not go around it as we had done a fair bit of walking in the morning and had consumed a large lunch.

Wednesday is the railway highlight – a trip by steam train from Pickering (where the parking meters almost defeated me) to Whitby using the North Yorks Moors Railway which has had extensive television coverage in recent years. It passes through some very beautiful countryside although this is my first visit here in a long time. I certainly visited in 1975 but not sure if I have been since then.

In Whitby we walk up to the Abbey – it is a long way – and having returned to sea level we then go the Magpie Café for fish and chips. We return to Pickering on the train and then onwards to the caravan.

The weather on Thursday is not so great and a visit to Flamborough Head in effectively fairly thick mist means that nothing can be seen at all. However we go to Robin Hood’s Bay and walk down and through the village, due to the weather any pictures are less than enthralling. Later we go on to Scarborough and travel on the North Bay Railway to Scalby Mills and back – a first trip on this line.

In the evening we dine at Laterna restaurant in Scarborough – as I recall it is a long term resident in the Good Food Guide of blessed memory. So we dine well and I am careful to be able to drive back to the caravan safely.

It feels like a long drive home and no particular stops along the way.

Battlefield Line

20 August 2016 / admin

Saturday 23 July 2016

We are heading south and for home eventually with an overnight stop in the eastern part of Leicestershire, but on the western side of the same county is a preserved railway I have never previously visited – the Battlefield Line.

This relatively small line runs from Shackerstone as its northern terminus in a generally southerly direction through Market Bosworth to Shenton. On the day we visit they are having a beer festival (and some cider for Jackie) as well as running trains and displaying other traction engines, so there is a somewhat different selection of items to be photographed as can be seen here.

The Shenton station is adjacent to the site of Bosworth field where the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses and Henry Tudor defeated Richard III – the last English king to die on the battlefield. We do not have time to visit the battlefield.

Perhaps more regrettably as I am driving there is no ability to sample the huge number of barrels which are present. Just a couple of halves and a pasty.

And we return home on the Sunday.

Box Tree Ilkley

20 August 2016 / admin

Friday 22 July 2016

Our destination today is Ilkley and yes I know we were there yesterday – but more seriously today Jackie wants to do some shopping for shoes before lunch. We end up in a quirky little shoe shop which provides Jackie with some new shoes.

The highlight destination is however the Box Tree, a restaurant which has been established as very good for many years and was one of the places where Marco Pierre White trained before moving to London and stardom.

The reputation continues and from Jackie Whitbread’s photos here are just three of the tasting menu courses

Yorkshire Duck terrine, cured duck breast and sour cherry sorbet.

Fillet of Yorkshire beef, wild mushrooms and potato foam.

Granny Smith apple soufflé with a calvados sauce.

Plus other courses of course – the ones shown are merely a sample of the goodness we enjoyed. All excellent.

A gentle drive back to Addingham and time to pack for our return journey.

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway plus Haworth

20 August 2016 / admin

Thursday 21 July 2016

Not far to go today. A drive up and down some hills leads us into Keighley and I am amazed to find some free, on street parking almost immediately adjacent to the station. We are a little early and the station has not been unlocked as yet!

We acquire the tickets four our journey and after a short delay we are heading up the hill on one of the longer established preserved railway lines. We leave the train at Haworth and learn about walking uphill. Apparently there is a bus service to and from the station but walking is good for us! And it gives a chance to look in shop windows. It is a huge haul up from the station to the town and then it is another stagger up to the Bronte Parsonage. The photos of the latter are here. I think it is hard to imagine how the place was used as the rooms seem small – indeed it seems larger on the outside than on the inside. A completely different time of course – the mid 1840s – when the Bronte books were published. And short lives.

Going downhill is much easier and we get to The Fleece for lunch before going down the rest of the slope through the town gardens to the station. (Not the Fleece in Richmond which is closed!).

Once back on the railway we go to Oxenhope at the end of the line and then return to Keighley. At this time of the year loadings for the single train are reasonable as indeed they were at the Embsay railway earlier in the week. The K&WVR photos can be found here.

We take a slightly different route home. We drive into Esholt which until a dedicated set was built was the external shooting location for Emmerdale and had the original pub which was renamed “The Woolpack” to save regular name changes. Since 1997 the programme has had a dedicated set which looks very similar to Esholt (which was used in 2016 for a particular story).

Our journey continues and we stop in Ilkley for a wander around the town and to make use of Betty’s. A Harrogate institution as a tea room it has now added some further outlets including one in Ilkley. And useful toilets!

We do not need much more after that! Photos on the post from Jackie Whitbread. Linked photos are my own.

Richmond Yorkshire

20 August 2016 / admin

Wednesday 20 July 2016

A long drive planned for today, we head to Bolton Abbey and then onto Kettlewell where we turn off across country via the Cam Gill Road and then through some countryside I have not traversed before. We do not meet many other cars going either way! We emerge from the countryside at Leyburn and pick up the road to Richmond.

Our prime destination is the Castle and the photos can be found here.

We wander around the attractive town of Richmond which was well worth the drive here and then we seek a lunch. Jackie gives me a pub name which is apparently closed. Eventually I manage to establish that the name belongs to our planned destination tomorrow! Very confused.

We find a nice looking little café / bistro and whilst the food was entirely reasonable more entertaining was the gossip of the staff and questions which floated around as the nature of an evening table booking was established – new boyfriend maybe? Discussion on the telephone of some catering booking for an event with speculation on those attending (or not invited). And the post person was asked if she was bringing her boyfriend! It was like turning up at the Rovers Return on Coronation Street and getting a rundown on the history of all the locals!

Our return journey included a stop at Hawes for the Wensleydale creamery and shop. Hawes seems much larger and certainly more visitor friendly than on my last trip here.

Then to Garsdale and a trip along the Coal Road, again something I have not covered for over 20 years. It is a little short of the highest roads in England – but when up here I always feel as if I am on the top of the country. The coal pits which gave it its name are about half way along. We drop down to Dent station and then past Ribblehead Viaduct. It seems you now have to park here on the main road and walk to the viaduct for photos – and it is some walk!

Onward the road feels a little unusual. Some parts of it are very familiar and then other parts feel rerouted and completely strange. Certainly widened – and subsequent checks on maps show no real evidence of rerouting – but some turns just “feel” wrong. It turns into a longer drive than expected and Jackie is a little bored by the time we reach Addingham.

At the Crown Inn Wednesday night is Jazz night and so after a meal elsewhere in the town (at the local Craven Heifer – but the pub has since closed) we wander down there for some music before wending our way home to bed. A longish day.

Bolton Abbey including the Railway

19 August 2016 / admin

Tuesday 19 July 2016

This morning we have a very short drive to Bolton Abbey and the current and probably long term western terminus of the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway. On my last visit a very long time ago they were the Yorkshire Dales Railway and it was a very short journey from Embsay towards Holywell Halt – but did not I think even reach that far – so you went and came back!

At Bolton Abbey the development of the railway continues with a new platform being constructed. This will probably always be a terminus as extension onwards into Ilkley is unlikely as the route has been lost. In the other direction from Embsay an extension may be more likely – possibly into Skipton, although that is probably a long way away.

A gentle trundle there and back with photos to be found here.

Huge development at the Embsay end of the line with sheds and a lot more rolling stock. I think just about everything was in the open last time around.

For lunch we head to the Devonshire Arms at Bolton Abbey – we go in the front of the building but the Brasserie is right through at the back – you almost need to lead an expedition to get from one end to the other. Excellent meal. The ultimate owners is the Duke of Devonshire who also own Chatsworth House.

It is probably the hottest day of the year – but our afternoon is spent walking to Bolton Abbey. There are some nice stepping stones across the river – so that has to be done. So a couple of photographs from Jackie Whitbread.

And this is Bolton Abbey:

Hottest day of the year and I suspect many people were glad to hop into the river instead of trying to pass one another on the stones. I returned via the bridge as more and more people meeting mid stones were taking a visit into the river to pass each other.