Claxton Hotel, England, United Kingdom
From a plasterboard (gib) plant, to the biggest ancient Abbey, to a colourful National Park, to the cutest, quaintest fishing village ever.
We saw it all today. England is something else entirely.
Instantly leaving our cottage at Kirkby Thore I missed a turn, But, we did discover this huge plant, with covered conveyer belts running from miles away to it. We discovered is was the "British Gypsum plant at Kirkby Thore."
Gypsum Mining in Cumbria
Gypsum (hydrated calcium sulphate) has been quarried or mined at Kirkby Thore for over 200 years. The gypsum is ground to a powder and heated to evaporate water. Heating to approximately 160ºC drives off a limited amount of water and Plaster of Paris is produced. The most important use of this type of gypsum is in the production of plaster and plasterboard. Heating to above 200ºC drives off all the water to produce the anhydrite which is used in the production of Portland Cement.
In Cumbria, several gypsum/anhydrite beds occur in mudstones of late permian age in the Vale of Eden. Gypsum and anhydrite mining is now confined to the Kirkby Thore area, where two beds ‘A’ bed and ‘B’ bed are worked for plaster, plasterboard and cement manufacture.
We tracked back to Kirkby Thore to start again, then we discovered the farm 30mtrs down the street from our cottage. I kept saying to Kevin, there’s a farm around here somewhere, you could REALLY smell it yesterday.
Sadly, today, the day we left, we found it. The farmer was so kind, 10.30am, he was just going in for his breakfast. Kevin could have spent all day yesterday with him, I’d have probably gone too!
He has 750acres. Milks 300. 110 on robots (when they stand to feed, the robot cups & milks them), 190 thru the “PALOUR”!!! (we call it the shed), they are milked 3 times a day, in a “20 unit, 40 in the palour, cross over”, what we’d call a 20 aside herringbone.
Last year he employed 7 staff, he now has one, everything is automated - 300 cows housed, auto scrapers, feeders, wash downs, the cows are a factory to make milk.
Kirkby Thope is in the lower Eden Valley, the best farming land in England, farmers are being paid 29.5p per ltr., basically fat & protein. Brexit is a huge worry to them, the banks will not secure mortgages, no one knows what to expect.
Point of interest: his neighbour milks 1,100 in an 80 bale rotary, three times a day. Slaves.
By 11am the temp was 7*. Coldest day we’ve had, but it didn’t seem cold, I was hopping out of the car to take pics and it wasn’t really noticeable.
Saw a couple of squirrels, not reds, haven’t spotted one of them yet.
Moulton, we always travel off the main roads, tho some of them go right thru the teeny little villages and you have to wonder how the huge trucks don’t take corners off these wonderful old stone buildings. And the speed, confidence and precision driving of farmers on their massive tractors, usually with trailers, is another art to appreciate. However, Moulton, somehow we came across the buy/sell library in the bus shelter, what a brilliant idea! Local produce offered as well.
Saw a sign to an equestrian centre, North Allerton Equestrian Centre, investigated. From what I could gather, this is typical to what you find all over England, I cannot understand if it is a privately owned or a community based business, Jacquie or Dana, you might have some idea: http://www.
northallertonequestriancentre.co.uk/index.asp
The town of Northallerton was simply bustling, people everywhere, a very 'open' centre, wide streets, cars backed into spaces, reminded us of some Australian towns. School holidays, lot of kids around.
Coxwold, was where we first began traversing the North York Moors National Park, entered it a few times to make our way to Redcar. We stopped here around 1pm for a coffee and curry! Left from last nights tea, so our food flask is being used, we sat on a wooden bench under a tree with the rain dripping softly around us, I DID have my WSB on and the hood up.
Two minutes along the road we rounded a corner and both said WHAT, WOW?!?!?
Humongous ruins, massively enormous - Byland Abbey. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/byland-abbey/history/. We wandered around it for 10mins or so, it was spectacular, just the sheer enormity of it.
Helmsley, a sheer delight, every town is different and yet the same, in their pristine presentation, tidy, clean streets, lawns cut and hedges trimmed.
The narrow one way lanes with passing bays are the same, hedges trimmed, fences today, no stone walls, but all fences in excellent repair.
Helmsley was fun, they had a market day in the square with lots of marques and offering everything from toilet paper, to artisan cheeses and floor cushions. Beautiful place.
Pickering, we turned to take the road up thru the North York Moors National Park again, heading for Whitby now, as I thought we were too late to include Scarborough.
From Sleights we took the narrowest lane we’d been on so far, it was actually quite scary, wondering if a farmer was going to roar around a corner, which took us to the east coast of England, the North Sea.
Next stop, Staithes. I knew about this little village, a tv documentary or on the net not sure. What a find, touristy, but not really discovered yet, tho possibly most would be discouraged visiting as there is no parking for visitors down in the seaside village. If you rent a holiday apartment, then you can unpack you vehicle but then park it up in the top village about 1/2mile up the very steep hill.
One of those places where you literally cannot believe what you are seeing. So quaint, picturesque, undescribable, I sincerely regret not taking a video as we drove back up the steep cobbled street.
1;4hr later we wer in Redcar outside the Claxton Hotel. Very nicely refurbished. The bar was booked for a meeting so after unpacking for the night only, we had a G & T,the. Walked smartly thru the rain to a pub 2 doors down where we had a yummy roast meal, me turkey, Kevin gammon (ham) for £13.95p for two. Nina, the prosecco was £10.50 - managers special! A very nice finish to the day.
Roger
2018-10-10
Every shot reminds me of similar scenes that Sandra and I enjoyed especially first trip in 2005. Delightful