Grassington and York

We'd only been back at home for a few days, when we were on our way to York. I'd initially intended to travel there on the Saturday morning, spend just one night in the city, then travel home again the day after. But I decided it would be really good to enjoy a full day there without the need to rush around. As luck would have it, I managed to find an inexpensive room in the Youth Hostel on the Friday evening, so I thought it would be great to extend our weekend by including stop offs at Grassington and Bolton Abbey. 

Ever since Lily and I watched All Creatures Great and Small, earlier this year, we really wanted to see the village where much of the filming took place. Grassington, in North Yorkshire, is magically transformed into the fictional village of Darrowby, especially for filming the series. We enjoyed a walk by the river, and then spent some time in the village square where we recognised many of the buildings, which were familiar to us from the show. 

'The Drovers Arms'

'Skeldale House'. I was slightly disappointed to discover that the house porch and pillars, which are so recognisable in the show, are not part of the building and are, in fact, made from fibreglass.

If you would like to learn more about this remarkable village transformation, then you can read about it here.

From Grassington we drove to Bolton Abbey. It had been years since my last visit here, and it seemed quite different to how I remembered it. Although, I'm certain it wouldn't have changed at all. Funny how our minds work at times. 

We explored the ruins, then walked through the woods and along the river to The Strid, a narrow section of the River Wharfe, which is noted for being one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world, due to it's power and depth. Don't worry, we kept well back from the edge. The roar of the water was incredible.

On the way back to our car, Lily couldn't resist going over the stepping stones, again. I gave it a miss on this occasion, using the bridge, while Lily strode across with ease. 

After a busy day we were more than ready for our chippy tea and a good night's sleep. The extra night at the Youth Hostel had been a great idea, and it meant we were up early and ready for our day in York. 

The sun was shining, and we spent a lovely day sightseeing, with my daughter as our guide - as well as having lovely company, I had no need to concern myself with directions :) 

We were excited to walk the city walls, as on our previous visit here - during a very cold December- they had been closed due to the icy conditions! We took a walk around The Minster, ate our picnic lunch in the beautiful Museum Gardens, before marvelling at the extraordinary medieval buildings down The Shambles. In the evening we went for dinner at an Italian restaurant, which had been recommended to us. I had the Vegetable and Goats Cheese Lasagne, which was absolutely delicious, while Lily chose Pizza.

Back soon.

J. X