Sunday 26 January 2014

On Tour! - North Yorkshire (1) : Wykeham, Ruston, Hutton Buscel, West Ayton

Thursday 9th January 2014

Apologies for the non-appearance of the Blog for several weeks but I've been having huge issues attempting to upload photos since before Christmas! Think I've finally solved the problem, so here goes...!

Having a bit of a rest from those 'Catch-ups'! Persuaded Les to leave grandson, Abner, for a whole week while we gave the camper-van a bit of much-needed exercise!

Hadn't been to North Yorkshire since my 60th birthday celebrations, immediately post-new knee No.2, & that's a long time to be away from the Home County!

Booked into a site just west of Scarborough for the last week before their Winter break &, by the end of our week, we were the only ones on the site!

Yes, the weather was as good as this... though it kept getting dark before we'd finished with the day!

Nice, clean van when we arrived but it wasn't going to stay like that... so no more photos!


As you can see, not too many visitors about! Our closest neighbours were alpacas & donkeys in the field beyond the van bonnet & a couple of friendly rare-breed pigs!

Wandered into Wykeham after we'd parked up to check out the local pub & begin a geocaching multi-trail around the village


Not over-impressed by the pub's snarly notices about muddy boots &, as a result, we never darkened their doors!


Did, however, come across this much more impressive 18th century ice-house beside the old Forge Valley railway - sometimes I think industrial archaeology comes looking for me!



Close by is this fine carved stone



The Wykeham & Ruston Millennium Commemorative Stone was cast by local artist, Malcolm T MacDonald & is based on various Pictish designs that I've often seen before on my wanderings



Quite surprised to come to these quite small villages to find that they have their very own waymarked heritage trails!

Just in case you were thinking I'd pinched these photos from my 'Summer Catalogue' to make you all envious, here's a group of well-dressed locals enjoying afternoon tea.... & a little Yorkshire sunshine!


... & this is Abbey Fields, just across the road from our camp-site - didn't go looking for the Abbey though its ruins are marked on the OS map

Last photo of the day though, in the gathering gloom, we continued to Hutton Buscel before reaching West Ayton, on the River Derwent, in the dark - well, it was nearly 4.30!

My New Year Resolution is to visit at least 52 'new' pubs this year (not as easy as you might think!) but you'll have to take my word for the first one : 'The Forge Valley Inn' in West Ayton - too dark for a photo!

Right!!! Let's see if this publishes!

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