And then we had to come home..........

Sunday dawned a little chillier but the sun still shone, and so we headed back into Skipton because we had planned to go into the woods for a wander. It just amazes me that you can have a bustling market tow, with the church at the top of the road, (and the castle) and behind that is a place of quiet. Just fantastic. 

At the top of the main street is the Black Horse. I think it is a hotel. In fact, if I read the board, it very clearly SAYS it is a hotel. My brain is addlepated. 

The board also tells us interesting facts.

Richard III is still an intriguing man in British history. 

And it still blows my mind when I see dates like 1676 on a wall.. 

And mounting blocks. 

Anyway, we found the towpath beside the church, and, after asking a passerby if we were heading in the right direction, we walked down beside the canal, or river, next to the castle walls, and into the Skipton Woods.

Next time, I really want to go and see inside the castle,. Glynis has been before and says it is magnificent. Her father was born in a town nearby, and she has family in Yorkshire, so has done a great deal of exploring over the years. 

I just love forests,. Woods. Walks in them. If you have been here a while you will already know how I delight in the Swiss forests, and English ones are just as beautiful.

There are benches here too.

The sound of running water, and small waterfalls, is beautiful. And so is birdsong. 

You can see the start of Autumn and falling leaves, can't you - I tried to catch one as I walked, but failed. 

One should always make sure one's friends wear bright colours!

The sheep are never far away, it seems!

We loved the way the branches of this tree covered the whole pathway. 

We had a hilarious encounter on that path. A couple of young Mums and their children all came past us on a walk, and then, along came a police person (a female special constable) on a pedal bike. I seriously never imagined anyone on a bike in the woods, although why not, I do not know, given that they are all through the Alps as well. As she approached us, I said that that she must be demented to be riding up on that high path through the woods - and she roared with laughter as she pressed on, after a brief chat. 

And as we reached the church at the end of our walk, so help me, there she was on her bike again. I must say that it makes you feel very relaxed about walking in the woods when there are police on bikes roaming around them as well. Not that anyone - and there were lots of people walking - looked in any way concerned. It was great. 

And this is the entrance to the castle. 

Look! The Yarndale bus! This ran back and forth from the station to Yarndale, taking people back and forth all day.

The church at the top of the main street. It is beautiful. So is that blue sky!

And, all I had to do was turn around, and this is the view down that main street, where, on the day we arrived, market stalls were erected on both sides of the street, where all those cars are parked. 

And so we bid farewell to Skipton and headed off home. However, we made a planned stop at Ilkley, for breakfast/lunch, and found a Betty's! 

Wow. 

What a total pleasure, and what a wonderful way to end our trip away. Click on the link and you will see exactly what I mean. The food was superb. Everything was. I loved the Swiss connection, and the dishes on the menu were so familiar to me - I am used to Swiss menus!

And then I fell asleep in the car on the way south, apart from making a total hash of redirecting Jean through Wakefield, when the motorway ground to a halt. Really, pedestrian precincts can be driven over on a Sunday, I am quite sure. (A man told us that it was quite normal, and he seemed at home there. It worked, we got back on the right road.)

And that, my friends, was the end of our little escape to another county. Wonderful. I love adventures. 

I will be back in the morning.