Did you know that?
In a Carthusian priory such as Mount Grace, each monk lived alone in a cell, which had its own cloister and walled garden
time slot, it was good to see the place with leaves on the trees. Although it wasn’t the brightest of days, it was fine and warm.
When the Carthusians monks founded the abbey, they must have been inspired by the glorious setting. You can wander the ruins at leisure and imagine what the place was like before Henry VIII seized it in 1539.
From the abbey, we walked around the ornamental lakes at Studley Royal Water Garden. Although the tea rooms and cafés weren’t allowing indoor refreshments, they were offering take-away, and we enjoyed an ice cream before our return walk along the opposite side of the lakes.
Woodland and water
If you travel north from Kirkby Malzeard towards the fine market town of Masham (famous for its Black Sheep Brewery), you pass through the wonderfully named village of Grewelthorpe. About a mile north of the village, there’s a small car park for Hackfall.
Covering almost 120 acres of semi-natural woodland, Hackfall sits on a steep, rocky gorge of the River Ure. In the 18th century, the landowner, William Aislabie, added numerous follies, grottos, waterfalls and a fountain. Many of these are now rather overgrown, but it’s still a magical place. We enjoyed a picnic by the river before making the long trek back to the car.
Be mindful that the footpaths are often steep and are unsuitable for the less able, and make sure you have sturdy footwear.
On our many visits to Ripon over the years, we’d never seen (or heard) the Wakeman. At 9pm every evening, this combination of town crier and night watchman sounds his horn at each corner of the Market Square, announcing the day’s news – and letting people know someone is keeping watch for invading Vikings!
The Wakeman’s appearance is a tradition dating back to the ninth century, but like much else these days, could not happen during the pandemic. Another one for another time. But all was not lost, as we enjoyed wandering around the deserted streets and watching the setting sun cast a lovely glow on the ancient cathedral.
Our final day arrived, and we spent the morning taking down the awning and packing up. After a light lunch, we went for another local walk, just enjoying the beautiful surroundings.
We kept the lunch light because we knew what to expect from our planned evening meal at The Galphay Inn, which is a pleasant walk from the campsite. And we weren’t disappointed! We both enjoyed a first-class steak accompanied by ‘proper’ homemade chips. I simply had to sample a pint of the local Black Sheep ale, too.
Our two weeks in the gorgeous scenery of North Yorkshire had flown by (don’t they always?) and because so many places were closed or restricted, we have a great excuse to go back. Not that we need an excuse to return to this lovely part of the world.