The Nine Ladies Stone Circle

No trip to England would be complete without visiting at least one stone circle.  Since we’re nowhere near Stonehenge, we decided to go to Stanton Moore to see if we could find the 9 Ladies we had read about in our English Backroads book.  The English Heritage website describes them as:  “A small early Bronze Age stone circle traditionally believed to depict nine ladies turned to stone as a penalty for dancing on Sunday. It is part of a complex of prehistoric circles and standing stones on Stanton Moor.”  

One thing we’ve noticed about Britain is the lack of street signs or signage directing people to various landmarks etc.  This was no different.  We had the map in the book, and it got us to the general area, and then we managed to find a nice couple out walking who told us to “go through the village, turn up the hill at the fork in the road, go along flat for awhile, and you’ll see some cars parked.  The trail is there".

Typical signage around Britain explaining the history of a particular area.

Heading onto the moor

The famous 'Cork Stone' on Stanton Moor.

Vistas for miles, and a huge area to hike around

So off we go.  Found the parked cars ok.  Any signs for the 9 ladies?  Nope!  There was a sign indicating we were at Stanton Moor though, so we grabbed our lunch bag and headed out.  There was a trail.  And then a fork in the trail.  No sign, naturally.  So we headed left, and after about 15 minutes, the trail started to peter out.  We backtracked and met a man walking two dogs, and he gave us instructions.  Eventually we found them, about 45 minutes later.  We were rather underwhelmed!  Our expectation was  large stones, but we were met with little 18” stones.   There was a sign telling us about them - it was completely surrounded by garbage bags.  A lot of people were camping in the area, and there was a fair amount of litter on the ground.  We found a nice spot to sit down and have our lunch, and got chatting with a young man riding by on his bike.  We asked about the garbage, and were  told there had been a huge summer solstice party on the weekend (aha!  forgot about that!).  He was cleaning up and trying to figure out how to get the garbage bags and abandoned tents out.  He wasn’t employed by the area - just a young person doing his bit.  He said there had been at least 1500 people camping overnight, and as many as 5000 there during the day.  Glad we went when we did - I'm not big on crowds like that!

Info on the Nine Ladies - you may need to zoom in to read it (if you're interested)

The stones themselves.  Not sure if one is supposed to sit on them,
but Glen did!  You can see the large pile of garbage bags in the back
by the hanging green tarp.  

Anyhow, I found 3 tuppence pieces on the ground, Glen found ten pence, so we gathered our new fortune and carried on hiking across the moor.  It was spectacularly beautiful - views for miles.  We read on a sign that back in the day, the area was a favourite for the local duke to take his guests for rides when they came to visit.  

There are generally sheep and cows everywhere
around here.  We've seen versions of this little gate in
a number of places - makes it easy for the humans,
and difficult for the animals to get through
.  Climb up and over!

Another gritstone formation on the moor.

Glen, planning his house on the hill.

In front of Glen is a mass of rhododendron bushes going right back
to the skyline.  It must be spectacular to see it in bloom.

Glen providing a gate demo

Looking back - I put this in to show the trails - some
are very tiny through the brush, and other times it's
open moorland and you kind of guess where to go.

To give credit to the Brits, they may not point you in the direction of interesting places, but once you’re there, they tend to provide lots of information about what you’re looking at.  I’ve been taking pictures of the signs to remind me where we were and what my pictures are showing!  Most helpful.

Found way out on the moor!

Well Dressing - a Beautiful and Remarkable Tradition

There is a charming custom in Derbyshire called “Well Dressing” where the locals create beautiful pictures made of flower petals, seeds, greenery and mud.  I haven’t been able to find out much about why it’s done, other than it dates back to Celtic times and it’s thought it was done to thank the water gods for clean water.  It’s said that the early Christians were not happy with the custom of dressing wells - they considered it water worship and promptly put an end to it!  However, it survived in this area and there are festivals in many of the small towns throughout the summer.  There is usually a ceremony to bless the well and the whole town has a big party.  The pictures are quite large - up to 4 or 5 feet high, and last for about a week after they have been made.  The planning for them starts months ahead of time, and the festivals attract many busloads of people, so I guess it's a pretty good thing for the local economies.

Here’s a link to some more information if you’re interested. http://www.hargate-hall.co.uk/well-dressing-art.php

We visited several towns and here are the pictures. Zoom in and look at the amazing details done with only flower petals, seeds and stems.  I especially liked the miniatures done by the children in one town.

In the town of Litton.  Notice the 'well' in front of
the picture.  This entire picture is made of flower
petals, seeds and grasses.  

Description of the various scenes in the well dressing
picture above from Litton.

Detail close-up

Detail close-up

The theme for most of the well dressings this year is the 100 year
anniversary of the start of WWI

Another close up.

Description for the well dressing above.

Scarecrows - because I thought they were so cute.
Not because they have anything to do with well dressing
other than the fact that they are in a town with well
dressing pictures.

Another town, another well dressing

Close up detail

I really liked this one - the shading done with various
colours of petals is so beautiful

Another close up

Names of dead solders - all done in seeds

Close up - this is another favourite of mine.

My hands-down favourite

Close up details

Close up details

This was done by the local girl guides.  

Another close up

Love this - miniatures done by the kids in one village.

Travelling Student-Style

The Peak District and Buxton in Derbyshire

We made a remarkable error when we set the GPS to take us from Yorkshire to the Peak District.  Thinking it would be better to avoid major motorways, thus avoiding large city centres, we set it for ‘no major roads’.  Well, guess what that does?  Takes you right through the middle of every city you need to get by in order to get where you’re going - pretty much the exact opposite of the lovely trip through the countryside and little towns that we had in mind.  

So the trip that should have taken 2 hours took us 4.  It also took most of our nerves.  We have had one or two close calls where we found ourselves turning into the wrong lane (that would be the correct lane in Canada!) or stuck in a lane in a roundabout that we didn’t want to be in.  Likely the best decision we made in renting a car was to pay extra for an automatic.  The combination of right-hand driving in the left lane, along with the gear shift at the left might have sent poor Glen to the moon.  

We made it to the rather charming town of Buxton, which is a college and spa town.  We’re staying in a student residence for the next 5 days. The price is right, and my previous experience at Malaspina College in Nanaimo in the dorms there was very good.  This one is right in the heart of town, so lots of shopping and sightseeing is right nearby.  The room is large and there is a large kitchen, 3 shared bathrooms (there are only 3 people here, so we each have our own), and 2 shared tv rooms.  We have a nice big desk and even a fireplace in our room. I think the building is a couple of hundred years old.  The downside of this place is that it doesn’t feel 100% clean.  I think they spend the summer refurbishing for the next semester of students.  But there’s a fair bit of cleanup needs to be done.  However, the kitchen is clean and so is our room.  AND we have internet access that is consistent - a first for the trip!  It’s nice to have room to roam around instead of being in a confined space.  The biggest downside is that we are on a fairly major town road, and so we are being lulled to sleep and awakened in the morning by the roar of traffic, instead of the more appealing chirping of the birds we enjoyed in the countryside.

View of the building our room was in - taken from atop the hill in the park
across the street.  It's the building in the background, and the doorway
was about the 3rd roof area from the left.  

Our College Dorm room in Buxton.  It's an old bank building - note
the fireplace.  It sits on top of the wall-to-wall carpet, so we didn't
put any wood in for a fire!

Too bad this picture is a bit dark - large desk, lots of shelves and cupboards
and beautiful big windows to look out from our room.

The community kitchen at the student digs in Buxton.  4 Fridges,
one microwave, two stovetops and two ovens, one washer, one dryer
and huge food cupboards.   Lots of dishes and cookware, and a big common
table for eating.  Huge windows over the sink and at the opposite wall from the door.

The hallway with multiple staircases, and doors leading
all over the place.

The "lounge".  Definitely student sofas - they need new ones!

Buxton is a pretty little town.  Our residence is across the street from a large public gardens area that has the River Wye running through it, beautiful walking trails and a miniature railway.  We look out over a building called the Crescent, which has been described as one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in England.  It used to be a spa (there are hot springs here) for the wealthy people of England, but was left to fall into disrepair over the past few decades.  The town is now working on bringing the building back to its former glory - I’d love to come back and see the results in a couple of years.  

River Wye running past the pavilion and conservatory
in the park across the street.  The river is about 6" deep

River Wye in the park in Buxton City centre.

Odd ducks seen in the park in Buxton.  I've never seen any like this.
Hopefully someone can help me identify them?

Detailing on The Crescent

The Crescent - an old Georgian spa.  Unfortunately picture was taken
when there was a giant shadow on it.  The building is being restored
after being let go for many years.

Full view of The Crescent and the small building across from it.

We also enjoyed walking through the Devonshire Dome in Buxton.   It was built in the late 18th century as the Great Stables by the 5th Duke of Devonshire and housed up to 120 horses and provided accommodation for the servants accompanying visitors who were staying in the fancier Crescent.  It then became a hospital and is now a campus for Buxton University and Buxton College.  Apparently it’s the largest unsupported dome in Europe.  BUT . . .  the really cool thing about it is this.  You walk into the centre of the room  (which is marked by 4 squares in the floor).  If you talk to the person next to you inside this square, it sounds like your voices are echoing throughout the whole building - really loudly.  The interesting thing is that no-one outside the square hears you at all!  I guess it’s some weird science that I never studied.  Really fun to play with though.  The room is open to the public anytime, and there are shops and cafes around the outside edge, while students study below the large dome.  Really interesting - check it out if you’re in the area.

Under the Devonshire Dome.  Glen is headed to the centre of the room to hear the echoes.
There are shops around the lower outside edge, and classrooms on the second floor.  The
main area here is used for eating and studying.  

Glen standing inside the 'magic' square.

Selfie of us inside the square.  :-)

Yorkshire - A Land of Contrasts

We’ve been in the Yorkshire area for a week - I’ve fallen in love with the countryside and the people I’ve met.  Where we are staying is in the middle of flat-land farm country.  We’re in a little village called Barmby on the Marsh - I suspect the population isn't much more than 300, if that.  It’s surrounded by farms, and there isn’t a shop of any kind to be found.   There is, of course, a pub.  It’s one of those fancy gourmet food places, but very old and lots of atmosphere.  Just as I was about to post this, I had an e-mail from my pal Jamie.  She tells me these are known as 'gastro pubs'.

Our hosts' home in Barmby on the Marsh.  It's a couple of hundred years old.  

We’ve walked, driven and cycled around the area and everywhere we are met with waving hands.  There are so many little towns within a 20 minute radius, and they range from new developments to very old with little cobbled streets, ancient churches and beautiful old cottages.  Most towns have a butcher/baker where we can buy delicious pies, and at the other end of the spectrum, there is usually a “Bargain Booze” store where one can purchase . . . bargain booze.  

Church in a tiny little Yorkshire village - lost the name!
There are headstones in the graveyard that date back
to the 1600s

Inside the church.  Love the floor. I took
this one for my pal Kathy who makes the
most beautiful hand-painted floor mats.
This might be inspiration for a new one!

Glen is having trouble with doors here in
England - he's about 6' taller than some
of them!

Church interior shot - the details are so beautiful.
I can't imagine how many hours went into creating this.

 When we ventured a little further out, we encountered the most beautiful rolling hills, complete with miles of ancient rock walls, sheep, cows, chickens, and hiking trails.  About an hour and a half from here (mostly on small backroads), is the east coast of England.  When I was a young girl, my dad used to bring us kids a little gift if he had been on a road trip.  Probably the most favourite gift I ever received was a book by an author called Enid Blighton.  Her stories were mostly of life in England, and especially the ‘seaside’.  We arrived at a little town called Filey, and I was immediately transported back to those magical pages of my childhood.  Everything was there.  The promenade.  The ‘fair’ type children's rides.  The ice cream stands.  The fish’n’chip stands.  The beach that went on for miles and miles.  The beautiful old hotels.  And something I never read about . . . the “Beach Chalets”.  These are little rooms about 6’ square which one can rent for a day (Ł15), a week (Ł55) or a year (Ł900).  Basically they are changing rooms where you can store your beach stuff.  Although, some people were sitting outside theirs just taking in the scenery.  I think I was more amused by the title of ‘chalet’.  A little different from a Whistler chalet, for example. 

The promenade at Filey - right out of a storybook.

The beach at Filey - something like 6 miles of it. It seems to
be similar to the beach at Parksville - very shallow water
when the tide comes in, so just perfect for kids.

Beach "chalets" at Filey

One of the grand old hotels at the Filey seaside.  I think this
one is now a seniors residence (I could be wrong though)

Two of the 'Mini Golf' holes at the Filey seaside.  They call
it' Crazy Golf' here.  Ł2.60 per person or Ł7.65 for a family
ticket.

Some of the fun and games available for kids at Filey

More beach 'chalets'.  It was a cold windy day when we were
there, so none of them were in use.

We also visited Whitby, another seaside town, much larger than Filey and very old.  The cliffs and the old monastery and abbey at the top of the cliffs are said to have been the inspiration for the Dracula story.  It’s a lovely old town full of tiny alleyways, as well as the usual tourist ‘attractions’.  Captain Cook is said to have apprenticed here, and all the boats he sailed were built in Whitby.  

Whitby harbour - looking across at the monastery
on the hill - the inspiration for 'Dracula'.  Zoom in
if you can.

The Whitby Monastery a little closer up

Whale jawbone at Whitby

Window details on an old building in Whitby.  Zoom in
and look underneath each window.  Unbelievable.

No visit to Whitby is complete without a plate of their
world famous fish 'n chips.  I had my first taste of mushy
peas here, and I quite liked them!

Further down the coast was a magical place called Robin Hood’s Cove.  It’s built on a very steep slope, and is a very old town.   If you rent a place to stay here, be prepared to drag your suitcase through a number of very picturesque, teeny, tiny alleyways.  The cliffs here are of sandstone, and over the past couple of hundred years, a number of homes have literally fallen into the ocean.   There is work being done to ensure this doesn’t continue, but the North Sea is a powerful force.  It’s said that smugglers would bring contraband into this small port, and there was a network of cellars that would carry it up the hill past the eyes of the authorities.  There is a another even smaller place down the coast called Ravenscar - there’s a lovely hike between Ravenscar, Robin Hood’s Cove and Whitby - I’d come back to do that either walking or by cycle.  I regret that we didn’t make time to do that while we were here.

Passageway to various 'cottages' in Robin Hoods Bay

Pretty door in Robin Hoods Bay

Narrow passageway in Robin Hoods Bay
This would pretty much just fit a suitcase,
although it would do in the rolling wheels!

Robin Hoods Bay view from one of the
passageways

View from Ravenscar back to Robin Hoods Bay on the
far point.  Whitby is around the corner.  There is a beautiful
walking / cycling trail between the three towns that would
likely take the better part of a day.  Very scenic.

And no visit to Yorkshire would be complete without a visit to the ancient city of York.  Holy eye candy, batman!  The cathedral.  The walk on the wall around the city.  The Shambles.  The Castle Museum.  The York Dungeon.  There was so much more, but we could only see so much in a day.  We saw the house where General Wolfe was born (all good Canadians should know who he is!) - it’s now a pub.  Surprise, surprise.  It was a spectacular day.  The York Dungeon was interactive live theatre and a real treat.  We experienced a plague doctor, a witch being burned at the stake, a court (I was declared immediately guilty, guilty, guilty for being from Vancouver), a torturer, a beheading, a pub with ghosts, and a hanging among other things.  It was done as a ‘real life’ experience of life in medieval England.  The Shambles is a funny little street - very narrow and typical of very old England.  The castle dungeon was a dreadful place.  If I lived in 14th century England, I wouldn’t want to be getting myself in trouble.

One of four entrances to York

Part of the wall around York

Yorkminster - stunning!

Walking the wall around York

Parts of the wall had a safety railing.  Other parts had
none.  One thing I've noticed about Britain is that many
places where Canada would have safety railings everywhere,
they don't seem to have the same standards.  Maybe they
think their citizens are sensible enough to recognize where
they should be careful?

Poster in the York Castle.  Not quite Shackell,
but close enough for me to take a picture :-)

Clifford's Tower in York - built by William the Conqueror

The Shambles

The Shambles street view.  Very narrow!

The wall with Yorkminster in the background

I celebrated my “Freedom 55” birthday at Skipton Castle - a castle that dates back to the 1000’s.  It was fun to see what a ‘castle’ was like in those days - yikes!  Narrow stairways that one could trip on easily, 4’ thick walls, crossbow ‘holes’, crazy big fireplaces for cooking, ‘garderobes’ aka toilets that have a hole that drops down into the river below (yuck!), dungeons for prisoners (again, don’t want to go there!), and a room where it is said Mary Queen of Scots spent some time.  I think I’ll take 21st century homes please and thank you.  

The Wine and Beer Storage Cellar at Skipton.  This shot is
for my brother-in-law David.

Wine storage table at Skipton Castle - also for David!

Inner courtyard at Skipton.  Several doorways
lead out to this courtyard from the interior

Stairway to the Skipton Castle Dungeon.  It was
cold and dark down there.  Horrible.

The latch for the door has left a deep groove
in the stone wall.

Interior shot at Skipton.  

Skipton Castle

Outside of Skipton Castle - built in 1090.

The entrance to the Castle grounds from a window
in the castle

Skipton Castle from the back.  There is a sheer drop off
here down to the river - about 200 feet.

There was a beautiful hiking trail through the forest behind the castle that took about an hour to walk - it was easy to imagine Robin Hood and crew in here - steep hills down to a stream, miles of rock walls, big trees to climb and hide in.  The only part of the day we didn’t enjoy too much was the long drive to get there, and driving through the fairly large urban centre of Leeds.  Again, thank goodness for the GPS.  We might be divorced by now if we were relying on paper maps :-)

Yorkshire hills - simply stunning.

Rock walls that go for miles

Rock wall close-up.  So amazing when you think of the
time and labour involved to create them.

Our last day in Barmby we stayed close to home, walked around the local area farms, saw a peacock, and went for a drive to check out golf courses (Glen made it almost 3 weeks without visiting a golf course - not bad at all!).  Our hosts Julie and Simon invited some neighbours over for a bbq, so we joined them in the backyard and had a really nice farewell evening.  A couple of nights before this, Julie and I went out riding - she on her horse and me on Simon's bike.  They are our first experience with the AirBnB program, and remarkable ambassadors for it.  I can only hope that all our experiences with hosts will be as nice as this one has been.  We’re looking forward to seeing them in Canada one day!

New friends in Barmby

BBQ on our last night in Barmby

Ella and one of the dogs

All in all, I think Yorkshire is a magical section of England.  I could spend many more months here, and I suspect we’ll be back.