CLAPHAM!!!

Sunday, October 07, 2018

Middleham, England, United Kingdom

Awoke to horses, or more voices we could hear, the jockeys calling out and talking to each other as they passed on their way to their exercising on the low moors about a mile up the road And the horses hooves clanging on the road.

Our little red ripper had frost on its roof, and the sun was bright, good we thought, however by 11am there was a very chilly wind making the day quite unpleasant.

We began the day with a visit across the street to Middleham Castle, our cottage sort of hides behind the houses in front of the castle so cannot really see it. It’s another huge castle. - ruin. It was a Heritage UK, so our NZ passes applied, I did buy a guide book tho.

Seriously it was so cold and windy that we gave up - were just across the road and hopefully we’ll get a better day later in the week. The place does warrant at least an hour of trying to imagine and suss what part of the castle is which ruin.

To get warm we hiked off up a path after someone people who looked like they knew where they were going - they did, we completed a round loop of farm land and along sheep tracks - the way it is in England.

We even have a foyer Beaud.

As it was Sunday, there were a lot on the “pastures” with us.

We had intended spending all day walking and browsing, but it was just too cold, so we drove to CLAPHAM (my maiden name). The drive was great, thru the Yorkshire Dales National Park, a lot of Sunday traffic, a massive gathering of bikies in Hawes, a stunning town (they all are!).

Saw a lot of pheasants on the road and sheep, the sheep don’t even move as the cars zoom past.

It was 3.30pm by the time we got to Clapham, a man had told us there was nothing there WRONG, depends what you call nothing I suppose. Pretty place, beautiful, tranquil settings, old Saint James' Church, usual stone houses, small wood windows, colourful gardens, again a lot of Sunday drivers.

Continued to Skipton (we will go back there later in the week), then back thru The Yorkshire dales National Park again.

A very long day. Warmed up with chilli concarn, then watched a video - SHIRLEY VALENTINE!!! Kevin enjoyed.