April-- you know that I don't care at all if this thread is also used to help with your future itinerary! It will help me as well because I want to visit some of those place in a future visit. PLease continue...
as for the site picturesofengland.com you will find my pics by going to Robin Hood's Bay and looking for the pic of a double rainbow. You'll see my name(Kip) and click on it and then you'll see the rest of my pics. or just Facebook me if you want after seeing my full name on the other site. on Facebook I have a video of what it's like to drive on the left on a narrow road.
Incidentally, my GPS(Simon) helped out a lot with the driving, but sometimes I turned him off because I found that I didn't enjoy the scenery as much when he was speaking.

Gordon--yep! They look exactly the same! I always thought a hot water bottle was ceramic---I could swear I saw one in an antique shop over there. But yes, the mystery has been solved.

janisj and annhig---if you take a look at an enema bag you will see that they look identical to the hot water "bottles"(which I have never seen before), and I have seen them often because my friend uses them frequently--she calls them coffee enemas and has many different 'recipes' for enema solutions--coffee, fresh squeezed lemons, vinegar, grape seed oil... They are often hanging on her shower rod. She's a naturopath. She believes they promote wonderful health. This is why I was so surprised to see what I thought were enema bags at a bed and breakfast! it's also the reason I didn't pick them up or choose to know them in a more intimate manner..

Missprism---thanks for the link! and that is exactly what I saw(though I didn't look closely enough to see if there were also those insertion tubes or not). Did you notice on the amazon link you posted that it says "customers who bought this item also bought--One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"!?

DAY 13 KESWICK(Grange in Borrowdale), DERWENTWATER


Goodbye to the Queen's Head and Hawkshead (lots of heads), and off to the north Lake District. The drive didn't take very long---under an hour--and it was beautiful. We arrived in Keswick but didn't stop at this point to see the town. Drove through it, and continued on to our B and B called Bybeck Bed and Breakfast in Grange in Borrowdale. We had to cross a very old pack horse bridge to reach the village(or hamlet----quite small) and there it was.

We parked the car, grabbed our luggage, rang the bell, and the sweetest, smartest, most enthusiastic couple greeted us and showed us to our room. Upstairs at the end of the hall was our room with a terrific view of the surrounding mountains. CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN!! This room was spotless. The entire house was beautiful, modernized, and immaculate! Our hosts were Marilyn and David---and over the next 2 days they became our friends. They are probably in their mid to late 50's, retired police officers, wonderfully friendly, giving, and Marilyn is so very very funny! David is more knowledgeable about the Lakes than anyone else possibly could be--except maybe Wainright! Neither of them are from the North, but they chose to retire near Keswick because they love the area so much. They have covered every walk you can think of. Every mountain, hill, footpath, etc. They still do. Active and strong.

We immediately set out for a simple walk that began behind the village and traversed it's way to Derwentwater. Stunning. A magical, mysterious place. Circled back around to the village after about 2 hours and then drove into Keswick to explore the town. Keswick is a pretty walkable town with a sort of square in the middle that is more pedestrian friendly. We got some necessities and came back to Bybeck for awhile.

Around 5 PM David and Marilyn decided to take us for a ride through the mountains. They thought it would be nice for me to relax as a passenger for once and not do any driving. They took us over Honister Pass, to the mines, into Buttermere, and back again----giving details about every fell and footpath that came our way. David pointed out the different birds in the area, and the flora as well. He's incredible in his knowledge.

They then dropped us off in Keswick, told us where to go for dinner, and instructed us to drink up and not worry about driving back---cabs are cheap! We followed their advice. Terrific evening all around.

When the taxi took us back, Joey went upstairs to write(it was late) and I stayed downstairs and had drinks with David and Marilyn. We talked for about 2 hours. They absolutely treat their guests like family members.

Went to bed, and wondered if they'd be up bright and early for breakfast...


Next: more of the North Lake District

....Did you notice on the amazon link you posted that it says "customers who bought this item also bought--One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"!?..

I was also struck by "new or used".
Would you want a second hand one?

Day 14 NORTH LAKE DISTRICT

We woke up early, went downstairs, and there was Marilyn in the kitchen preparing our tasty breakfast. She had given me a menu of choices the day before and everything was fresh, organic, and as natural as could possibly be. Her porridge was the best of the entire vacation! She adds a few special things to it to give it that rich, creamy flavor. Breakfast was superb!

David had given me a laminated map of some good rambling over the higher summits, so we set out in the car and drove the same drive he had driven us the day before. I very much enjoyed driving Honister Pass, but this time I found an even more beautiful drive over the Newland's Valley. So gorgeous! I preferred it to Honister because every mountain was so green. This is not one of the rocky(tors?) area of the Lakes--just smooth, green, summits covered in gorse and bracken. We parked the car and began a half day ramble.
No need to cover this--just a bunch of positive adjectives.

Midday, we got back to the car, and found our way to another small village(sorry I just can't remember the name) and had tea and scones outside in the tea shoppe's garden. We were exhausted.

Drove back to Bybeck, showered, and set back out for Keswick to see a play at their theatre. We had purchased tickets the day before to see "Noises Off". We arrived early so we walked down to Derwentwater through a park directly across the street from the theatre. Just too beautiful for words.

Went back and saw the play which was brilliantly performed. We have only ever seen the American version of "Noises Off" so it was a nice treat to view the original English production which takes place in a completely different setting. Keswick's Theatre has a very good reputation and I would encourage anyone who's visiting the area to see one or 2 of their productions. This itself was one of the draws for us in choosing the Keswick area over another of the northern towns. Well worth it.

Had a late dinner then drove back to Bybeck for our final night in the Lakes.

Next: Yorkshire

Used? are you kidding me?

if you take a look at an enema bag you will see that they look identical to the hot water "bottles"(which I have never seen before),>>

What DO americans use to keep their feet warm in bed? bed socks? warm stones? cats? [i only mention that because that was one of the choices at the residence of Virginia Woolf, apparently, as they hadn't got enough hot water bottles to go round].

anyway, still enjoying your trip report very much, AV. you are bringing back so many memories for me - Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Keswick - all places I went with DH a very long time ago.

annhig---thanks for that. So glad it's bringing back memories--believe it or not it's doing the same for me as I write it. I still want to be there!

as for keeping our feet warm---we use sheets or covers. To be honest I've never heard of anyone here who has ever used a hot water bottle. as for myself--I actually want nothing on my feet---want them to breathe--sticking out of the blankets. I think I'm going to start asking people(friends, family, strangers on the street, etc).

Thanks for letting me piggyback on your post. Your beautiful pictures compliment your trip report. You have a way of making me want to follow in <i>your</i> footsteps.

'Clean' and 'spotless' are my favourite words to see in a review. (Quiet is also high up there.) The Bybeck B&B sounds wonderful.

Back to ancestry, I could include parts of Cheshire and around Preston, Lancashire (there is a Manchester connection too... and what is/was Dingle Bank in Cheshire? I can't find out much about it on the internet), but the area doesn't inspire me. Should it?

This may be impossible to answer but I'm wondering what most people would budget for a month of touring around England, staying in reasonably nice inns, hotels and B&Bs.

Hooameye - thanks.

Annhig - I probably will start my own thread when I have more detailed questions.

When I was a kid we used hot water bottles (in Canada) but I don't think they're used much any more. We have a little electric heating pad, but my feet are often dangling off the side of the bed, out from under the covers.

I am a New Englander and still use a hot water bottle frequently in winter. When I was growing up, we did not have central heating, so our bedrooms were icy cold and that hot water felt wonderful. Also when I lived in Ireland, the hot water bottle was a godsend. Even now, I keep quite a chilly house and often wrap up in a blanket and hot water bottle when I sit down to read on a chilly evening. At bedtime, I refresh the hot water and put it in the bed while I get ready to slide under the blankets. Yes, as someone else mentioned, I keep my feet warm with wool sox and cat. So, Ancestral, there is one for your survey. (Some of my guests have also been converted to the joys of hotwater bottle as well. My father also uses one.)

Thanks for the instructions on how to get to your pictures. I checked out the link when you first gave it and couldn't figure how to get your shots.

Nice job with organizing them to share with us. Thanks!

Day 15 YORKSHIRE/HAWES/WENSLEYDALE

Awoke to the scent of strong coffee and maple syrup! Yummy! Marilyn had suggested we try David's drop scones this morning. THey are kind of like pancakes but smaller and thicker with bacon in between each slice, and covered in maple syrup. This is David's specialty, and what a morning treat! Delish! By the way, this place was quiet and serene both nights. Grange in Borrowdale is so small that there is no night life. No pubs. Just a tea shop.

The atmosphere was a little sad in the hamlet because a cyclist had been killed that morning, and it seemed that some of villagers knew him. Marilyn and David did not, but were visibly disturbed about it nonetheless. Marilyn kept wondering about the cyclists mother--how terrible this must be for her. I was told that this kind of thing is not common in The Lakes.

We said our goodbyes, and Marilyn gave us a big strong embrace and kiss goodbye. I honestly felt like I was saying goodbye to a favorite Aunt! Her presence is that strong. Quite obviously I have given Bybeck a glowing review on Trip Advisor.

We were heading for Hawes in the North Yorkshire Dales. It was interesting to see the change in landscape during the journey--(maybe an hour--can't remember for certain)--but the mountains slowly disappeared, and for a short while the land was rolling, and then as we entered North Yorkshire the land rose again but with a completely different type of appearance. Rather than steep hills and narrow valleys, the land was more gentle. Not like the Cotswolds which I would describe as more undulating and serene, but rather like gradual inclines to high plateaus and windswept pastures. It seemed high in elevation--yet never terribly steep in reaching the heights, and the valleys were more open---with wide vistas. Beautiful.

We arrived in the area around Hawes, but had no need to drive into the town at this point as our Hotel was on a hill looking out over the pastures and Hawes. It's called the Stone House Hotel. Another gorgeous place, full of atmosphere and "Englishness"!

We unpacked and then walked the longer than we thought walk to Hawes. Hawes is a nice enough town, there's really nothing either wonderful or negative about it. Grey stone buildings make up the color and architecture. Some particularly nice antique shops are there, and it is known for it's cheese "Wensleydale Cheese" and the town is the home of the creamery/museum where the cheese is made. Still handcrafted. There was some sort of event going on at the creamery while we were in the town so we couldn't go in, but we certainly tasted the cheese! Wowee!! Is it possible that one can actually taste the hand crafted nature of certain foods? This cheese was fantastic! Wish we would have gone down to Cheddar Gorge earlier in the trip and tried the real Cheddar!

After shopping and eating we decided to have a long walk through the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. No map. Nothing with us. We just found a footpath and took off. I was in heaven during this walk. This is a region of complete tranquility and idyllic wonder! There is a reason the locals call it "God's Own Country". These "gradual" ascents as I called them are not terribly steep, but boy are they long! The weather was perfect as well-somewhere in the high 60's(Fahrenheit), fast moving clouds that caused the windswept land to change every few minutes. From sun to cloudy and back again to both at the same time. This is glorious countryside! Probably my favorite of the whole trip when it comes to landscapes---it's a toss up though, as I felt the same way in the Cotswolds---and they aren't the same.

It was so clean and green. The grass and moss grow right down to the edge of the many streams and brooks. The woodland ground was verdant with greenery.

Somehow we found our way back to Hawes after the long hike, and it was time for Dinner so we stopped in a pub and enjoyed some local food and met a local couple who told us about their visits to New York. They said that Central Park in New York had nothing on Yorkshire--which was a completely unfair comparison, but we laughed and were impressed with how much they loved their home county. It seemed that everyone in the region was proud to live in Yorkshire.

It was late and dark, and we actually got lost on our walk back from Hawes to The Stone House Hotel. Unbelievable, but it was pitch black! We had to feel for the gates connecting the pastures, and there was no visibility at all so we made our way to a road and followed until we saw a dim light that was, luckily, our destination.

Slumber.

Next: Wensleydale and Swaledale

I may have missed it but was this in July/August? Everything looks so green in your photos.

<B>April:</B> "<i>Everything looks so green in your photos.</i>"

That's the thing about England -- its green pretty much year round . . ..

Better bring my brolly then. I consider myself a walker more than a hiker but will I have to get hiking boots to walk the trails?

"<i>will I have to get hiking boots to walk the trails?</i>"

Not unless you plan on some heavy duty -- or semi heavy duty -- hiking. For general walking you just need sturdy shoes.

Just a minor semantics thing, but you probably won't be on any 'trails'. they are called 'paths' and/or 'footpaths' and are everywhere

April--- we did not take walking shoes. We walked all of the footpaths in our sneakers, and we were fine--even in the high fells of the Lakes and in our incredibly long walk in the Shropshire Hills. I think we were lucky, though, in that for the most part it rarely rained. One half day of rain in Shrewsbury and one in London is all that I recall, aside from little bouts of 20 minutes of rain here and there---but the weather was perfect most of the time. This was July 2nd through the 24th(departed on the 25th).

I didn't carry an umbrella once on the whole trip.

...and yes, it was the greenest land I've ever seen.

Trails... what was I thinking?

Just a minor semantics thing, but you probably won't be on any 'trails'. they are called 'paths' and/or 'footpaths' and are everywhere>>

and not just in places like the Lake district and the Dales. THey are shown on every ordnance survey map - they do different types, but if you get the one aimed at walkers for the area you are in, you'll be spoilt for choice!

I can't believe we were there in June, its seems so long ago now! Really enjoying your report, keep it coming. We were blown away by the greenness too, we were visiting after a very long dry winter and summer in our country so it was very refreshing the greenery everywhere.

Thanks for you kind words too about my report. I did enjoy writing it.

Day 18 THE YORKSHIRE DALES

Woke up to yet another enormous breakfast. Joey wanted to stay in for awhile and write so I went to the Dales countryside museum. This was a really neat, and educational. Somehow it helped to make sense of the pride that these northerners had in their love of the land.

Went back and got Joey so we could take Morgana's suggestion and drive over Buttertub's Pass. What a beautiful drive, and through some charming villages. I actually like this drive better than the Newland's Valley drive in the lakes. We had to stop 3 times for sheep, and another time for a chicken, a turkey, and bantam. OF course we got out of the car many times to wander around, idly. WHen we entered Swaledale from Wensleydale I noticed that this valley was much steeper than Wensleydale. Swaledale is as beautiful, but perhaps more dramatic than is Wensleydale.

We stopped for tea in a very cute town called Muker. I hadn't heard of it before--but it was charming and very well situated. In the church cemetery, I was standing and looking at a gravestone when all of a sudden a pheasant flew against me(must have startled him) and I fell backwards against another gravestone completely knocking it over. I felt terrible about it, and lifted it up trying to readjust it--but to no avail. Poor Eliza Ridgeway is now lying/laying flat on the ground!(she is lying there---the stone is laying there--just to be grammatically correct).

Simon was turned off, and I had no map. I just wanted to drive aimlessly.

At some point we ended up at Bolton Castle. A sort of perfect setting and very romantic.

When I came home and showed all my pics to my parents--my mother liked the look of the Yorkshire countryside the best. This incredible landscape is really hard to beat!

We drove through and stopped at many other villages on this long drive through the Dales, and sadly I can't remember the names of all of them. I seem to remember one called Reeth, and I remember getting out of the car on a high fell that is considered the 3rd highest in the Dales(can't remember the name).

Later on we stumbled upon a farmer with his Border Collies herding the sheep. He was giving some kind of demonstration and we crossed the pasture and met him and watched the show. Those dogs were incredibly intelligent and well trained. They knew instinctively what every whistle, call, gesture, meant. After the demonstration we got to play with the dogs---all of whom seemed to love people. This was a highlight of the day for us, both having missed our own dogs back home. Joey has a dog named Lucky, and my own 14 year old dog named Coda.

So, lots of driving and lots of walking that day---capped with the Border Collie experience---A terrific day all around! but we never did see Aysgarth Falls. Just didn't think about it while we were there. Next time...

I'd kill to repeat this wonderful day!

Back to Hawes for dinner, another pub, and back to Stone House for our last night in the beautiful Dales.

Next: Robin Hood's Bay