Cononley, Nr Skipton, North Yorkshire

We’ve just enjoyed a cheeky one-nighter this weekend with some good buddies. Our destination this time was the little village of Cononley, in the Aire Valley, North Yorkshire. It’s approx. 3.5 miles from the bustling market town of Skipton.

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We stayed at the Riverside Campsite, a C&CC certified site which is spread over 3 acres of level grass, with some areas sectioned off by tall privacy hedges. There are also a few hard standing pitches. The facilities and the surrounding scenery make it an impressive location and the centre of the village is just a 5-minute walk away. The cost as C&CC members for our moho, 2 adults, 1 night on a grass pitch with EHU was £16

http://www.riversidecampsite.co.uk/

Arrival at Riverside campsite

We pitched in the first grass section by the entrance

Jolly pitched up in the sunshine

Cononley has a general convenience store, railway station, Chinese take-away (Oriental May) and two pubs – The New Inn and The Railway. We had a drink in each of the pubs (be rude not to!) but didn’t eat in either.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1129488-d5074429-Reviews-Oriental_May-Cononley_Skipton_North_Yorkshire_England.html

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g209940-d3846460-Reviews-The_New_Inn-Skipton_North_Yorkshire_England.html

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1129488-d4606608-Reviews-The_Railway-Cononley_Skipton_North_Yorkshire_England.html

We decided to catch the train from Cononley into Skipton late afternoon/early evening. The trains run regularly and its about an 8 minute journey. The ticket price was £4 return for 2 adults and £5 return for 2 adults/1 child.

Cononley railway station

Waiting for the train to Skipton

After a few hours meandering around Skipton, visiting one or two hostelries (plenty to choose from), and finishing off with excellent fish n chips from Bizzie Lizzies by the canal, we caught the train back.

Leeds/Liverpool Canal at Skipton

Canal at Skipton

The Cock & Bottle

The Beer Engine

Skipton centre

The Whoolly Sheep

Canal outside Bizzie Lizzie’s

Bizzie Lizzie’s Chip Shop

The New Inn, Cononley

As we returned to site, the sun was beginning to set and we all gathered around outside chatting and having a nightcap before turning in for the night.

Sunset on return to site

Site viewed from the railway bridge

Heading back to site

Home time! 🚐

The following morning we all enjoyed bacon and egg baps and a cuppa tea or two before we packed Jolly up for our journey home. One-night camping trips are definitely worth doing whenever you can’t fit a full weekend in.

What a summer we’re having this year, it feels like the sun has been shining forever 😎. More of the same please!

ONWARD!>>>>

Suzie & Bri

Pot Haw Farm, Coniston Cold, North Yorkshire

Posted by jollymajestic1

Last week, we managed to link a 2-night Wedding Anniversary Spa break at the fabulous Coniston Hotel & Spa, near Skipton, North Yorkshire, with another Jolly adventure.

We had pre-booked an evening meal in the Huntsman’s Lodge restaurant at the hotel on the evening of our arrival followed by a full spa day the next day. It was fab, a really lovely couple of days, but instead of staying at the hotel we made use of a Camping & Caravanning Club CS Site just a 10-15 minute walk away. Heaps cheaper, but also our preferred option is ALWAYS to stay in our Jolly.

The site was Pot Haw Farm at Coniston Cold. It’s an adult-only site based on a working farm, beside Craven Country Ride, an off road horse riding venue. We have to say it was a real gem of a find. For the first day/night we were the only unit on site and enjoyed total peaceful countryside relaxation.

Wide open views and good sized pitches, the facilities here are very impressive, pristine, and even include an AGA cooker in a communal kitchen/dining area. The lady owner (Jacqui) greeted us on arrival and took us on a tour of the facilities immediately. She takes great pride in the site which is lovingly kept. The warm, sunny weather showed the whole area at its best during our stay. Here are some photos taken during our stay:-

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Kitchen facilities including an AGA

Dining area

Spotless facilities

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By our second night there was a group booking of 3 more units pitched up and by the time we left the following morning the site had reached it permitted maximum of 5. It seems to be a place people return to. We can see why and will definitely return ourselves and venture out on our bikes, although not along the main A road that runs below the site. The owner warned that it’s one to avoid as it’s very fast and not cycle friendly, or walker friendly as there is no footpath. In fact the walk we did from our pitch to the hotel was one the owner recommended to us as a safe route through the farm fields. Be sure to ask for those directions if visiting the hotel. There are other walks from site too and apparently a bus stop a short distance away.

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So, for us, this was just a cheeky last minute accommodation booking for our anniversary celebrations, but it turned out to be quite a find.

We didn’t take any photos at the hotel as we had a phone/camera free relaxation break, but we can recommend it for a pamper day and/or delicious dining.

A big fat 10/10 for this trip. Excellento! 👍

… until next time 👋

ONWARD!>>>> 🚐

Suzie & Bri

Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria

Posted by jollymajestic1

Jolly recently took us to Woodclose Park approx. half a mile outside the pretty, historic market town of Kirkby Lonsdale, on the border between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.

Woodclose Park is beautifully laid out and immaculately maintained with excellent facilities. We stayed in the circular touring section on pitch number 2. The pitches were well spaced and fully serviced with water, electric, grey waste drain & tv hook-up points.

Overcast

Lane leading to site

Woodclose Park Holiday Home

Approaching reception

Pitch No.2

Chin, chin!

Spookily accurate forecast

It was a busy weekend there but the atmosphere remained chilled and very peaceful. All of the staff were friendly, especially Rick who we spoke to a couple of times and who gave us some recommendations and info about the area.

Kirkby Lonsdale is such a lovely town with an array of shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. There’s a Market day on Thursdays and a Farmers Market on the first Thursday of the month. They also have a Victorian Street Fair during the first week in September.

In 2013, the town was used as one of the filming locations for the BBC drama ‘Jamaica Inn‘ We didn’t watch the drama but have googled it since to see the transformation of the town centre that was carried out.

Town Centre

‘Jamaica Inn’ transformation (photo: exploresouthlakeland.co.uk

The best walk from site into town takes you over the ancient 3-arched Devil’s Bridge, which crosses the River Lune and dates back to the 12^th/13^th Century. It’s a popular site for tourists and has a butty/brew van and an ice-cream van parked up there. It’s a favourite haunt for motorcyclists and we also noticed that several motorhomes stayed overnight in a parking lay-by nearby.

Devil’s Bridge

Walk over Devil’s Bridge

River Lune

Riverside walk takes you upstream into Kirkby Lonsdale

After the bridge, turn right and follow the path along the riverbank until you reach the 86 ‘Radical Steps’. These steps take you up into St Mary’s churchyard and some gates lead out into the town centre.

Devil’s Bridge

Rainy riverside walk

According to a sign we read along the walk, the ‘Radical Steps’ came about in 1820 when Dr Francis Pearson, a man who held very strong Liberal views, obtained an order to divert a public footpath that ran through his garden at Abbots Brow. Many locals were opposed to this and as a result the flight of steps that replaced the footpath became known as the ‘Radical Steps’ in reference to Dr Pearson’s radical politics.

1, 2, 3 …

… 84, 85, 86!

‘Radical Steps’

After climbing to the top of the steps you reach St Mary’s Churchyard. If you turn right at the top and walk just a little further along you come to ‘Ruskin’s View’. It’s the point from which the famous artist JMW Turner painted the River Lune in 1822. His painting moved the poet John Ruskin to write:

‘I do not know in all my own country, still less in France or Italy, a place more naturally divine’

Ruskin was so impressed with the painting that he described the panorama as ‘one of the loveliest views in England, therefore in the world’. The painting became known as ‘Ruskin’s View’.

Ruskin’s View

Suzie & Bri’s View

The story of Ruskin’s View

The Norman St Mary’s Church and attractive churchyard is lovely to wander through. We also went into the Church to look around and to light candles before walking out of the churchyard down an alleyway past the Sun Inn (well, we say ‘past’, we never pass a pub 😉).

We walked along Salt Pie Lane (formerly Cattle Market Yard). This is where cattle used to be sold in the town, which led to a local lady deciding to make and sell hot salted mutton pies to the traders. This salty pies created quite a thirst in the traders who would then visit the Green Dragon pub (now the Snooty Fox) to quench their thirst. Apparently, the landlord of the pub was a relation of the pie-lady – great business idea!

There’s no shortage of great drinking holes. To name a few we called into:- The Royal Hotel (serving Bowland Brewery ales), The Red Dragon Inn, The Sun Inn, The Kings Arms (live music), and The Orange Tree.

Bowland Brewery ales at The Royal Hotel

Be sure to call into the Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery in the centre which also serves some great local ales.

Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery

We enjoyed food at both The Red Dragon Inn and The Sun Inn during our stay. We only ate from the bar menu at the Sun Inn but we’ll make sure we book in for an evening meal next time. It’s a very popular place and they were having to turn people away as they were fully booked. We also spent a few hours listening to some live music in the Kings Arms across the road from the Sun. Great atmosphere!

It’s a pleasant stroll back to site from town and as we walked back over the bridge one night, we saw a humongous salmon jump twice down below. We decided we’ll definitely have to buy a visitor’s permit and fish there some time!

The sun decided to appear for our journey home

Until next time …

ONWARD!>>>>

Suzie & Bri

Leyburn, Richmondshire, North Yorkshire

Posted by jollymajestic1

Wall to wall Spring sunshine, peace & tranquility, wildlife galore, pretty villages, stunning scenery and one of the best Caravan & Motorhome Club sites we have visited so far. All in all we’ve just spent a pretty perfect weekend in the lower Wensleydale area of North Yorkshire.

Our approx. 2 hour journey took us up the M6 to Junc 34 then across to Ingleton, up through the Yorkshire Dales National Park, past the White Scar Caves (visited previously – see our ‘Ingleton’ post), and the impressive Ribblehead Viaduct, through pretty towns and villages such as Burton-in-Lonsdale, Chapel-le-Dale, Hawes and Aysgarth, then finally into Leyburn, where just a mile further down the road into Harmby we turned left at the Pheasant Inn and took the narrow road up to site.

Great day for an adventure!

Passing through Hawes

Arrival at Lower Wensleydale Caravan & Motorhome Club Site

It’s clear to see why it’s important for visitors to adhere to the specified arrival/departure times here as there would be no passing space for two units. Big thumbs up to the Lower Wensleydale Caravan & Motorhome Club Site. It’s a gem. Set in an old disused quarry, which is now well-established with trees and wildlife, including LOTS of rabbits.

From the moment we arrived we were struck by the great welcome and bright smiles from the wardens. They were also very helpful in pointing out the best available sunshine pitches.

Jolly pitched up on site

It was a busy weekend on site, probably due to the great weather, and yet still so tranquil. Facilities were spot on.

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/

The Wensleydale Railway, which provides some tourist steam services and special event days, runs from Northallerton to Redmire and passes through Leyburn and along the bottom of the site.

http://www.wensleydalerail.com/

We spent our first afternoon soaking up some much needed sunshine before biking the mile or so along the main road into Leyburn via Harmby.

Crossing the railway at the bottom of site

Wensleydale railway track, Harmby

Heading towards Harmby

It’s a thriving market town which is quite big on tourism with a variety of things to do or visit, including many walks and cycling routes.

Rather than list them all, check out this Leyburn Tourist Information vid for a bit of inspiration:-

After some deliberation about food on our first evening (plenty of choices), we finally decided to eat at a gastropub called The Sandpiper Inn in the town centre. Right choice! This places gets great reviews and served us some fabulous food. OK, not the cheapest but worth the money. With happy, full bellies we cycled back to camp for the night and slept likes logs 🙂

http://www.sandpiperinn.co.uk/

Yum!

Yum!

Yum!

The next morning, we awoke to birdsong and, wow, the sun really shone for Suzie’s birthday! After a fried egg on crumpet brekkie, the breakfast of champions, we saddled up for a day out on the bikes.

Birthday girl

Brekkie

Check out the link below for our ‘Jolly Wensley’ale Bike Trail’ we put together. Let us know if you try it:- 🙂

The Jolly Wensley’Ale Bike Trail

Obviously drinking responsibly, the main aim was really to visit as many of the surrounding villages as we could in the day but with the added interest of calling into some olde worlde hostelries.

“There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn” ~ Samuel Johnson

Black Sheep refreshment

Pit stop at the Cover Bridge Inn

Spring blossom

With the scenic rolling hills, there was a good balance of ups and downs, the downhills always compensating for the uphill pushes. The final stretch up Harmby Bank is definitely a walker though, unless you’re a real fittie 😀

Scenic bike ride

Grave of Richard Whiteley, St John the Evangelist Church, East Witton

Woods in the distance viewed from Queen’s Head at Finghall, said to have inspired Kenneth Grahame’s ‘Wind in the Willows’

St John the Evangelist Church, East Witton

Next day, another great weekend over, we enjoyed a brew in the sunshine before heading home from the Yorkshire Dales back to Lancashire.

The clocks have sprung forward now for British Summertime so bring on the summer adventures!

ONWARD!>>>>

Suzie & Bri

Brontë Country, Haworth, West Yorkshire

Posted by jollymajestic1

“Home of the famous Brontë sisters, Haworth is an undisputed literary mecca, attracting visitors from all around the world. With its historic cobbled Main Street, iconic parsonage and rolling moors, the picturesque proportions of this Airedale village exude a vintage charm that makes you feel you’ve stepped into another era”

http://www.yorkshire.com/places/bradford/haworth

We stayed at the private Upwood Holiday Park in Haworth

http://www.upwoodpark.co.uk/HOME.aspx

Arriving onto Upwood Holiday Park. Our pitch was allocated to us.

Enjoying the last of the afternoon sunshine on site

Site bar

Situated high up on the moor overlooking Haworth and Oxenhope, it afforded impressive views over the villages and across the moors. We had sunshine our entire stay and good temperatures so our first afternoon after pitching up was spent on site sitting in the sunshine and enjoying the atmosphere. There were lots of friendly folk, many of them on seasonal pitches who gave good advice on the area. The first evening we ate at the pub on site which had plenty of customers in and a pleasant ambiance.

Next day we wanted to spend in the village of Haworth and explore the literary connection to the famous Brontë family.It was a pleasant mile or so walk down hill into Haworth and we were advised to just book a taxi back up at the end of the day from the taxi rank near the railway station, but me being organised I put the number in my phone prior to our day trip out and we were picked up at the Old Hall Inn. We both really felt the pull in the back of our calf muscles for a day or so afterwards following the downhill trek!

You’re spoilt for choice with a variety of shops, among others we visited:-

http://www.andchocolate.co.uk/

http://www.rose-apothecary.co.uk/

We ate lunch at a cafe opposite the church steps, next door to the apothecary, forgotten the name of this, prior to our tour of the St Michael’s & All Angels Church and the Brontë Parsonage.

http://www.bronte.org.uk/

All of the Brontë family, except Ann, are interred in a tomb beneath the present Church floor. The parsonage is set out much as it would have been in their time and you really get a feel for what life was like in the parsonage when they lived. In our opinion, it is well worth a visit and the £7.50 adult admission fee. Unfortunately, photography is not permitted inside, otherwise I’d have had heaps more photos on this blog entry! Also, between the church and parsonage you pass the old school room where Charlotte Brontë taught.

We sampled a variety of real ales in each public house as we wandered the village (think we covered most!) and most of them were apparently also frequented on a VERY regular basis by poor Branwell Brontë, the only brother of the successful Brontë sisters. We had a delicious tea in the gardens of the Old Hall Inn, until the sun started to go down and it became chilly, so we returned to camp for the remainder of the evening. At the end of the driveway to the site we sat on a bench and watched a beautiful sunset before returning to Jolly.

http://www.hawortholdhall.co.uk/

We’ll definitely visit again and probably stay at Upwood as it had everything we needed and a perfect location. We plan to do more walking next time.

http://haworth-village.org.uk/walks/walks.asp

This was a great break in a picturesque location. We haven’t decided yet on our next trip, but it will be soon after our Wedding which is on 3rd May, and then we will be out and about on a regular basis. Good times!

ONWARD!>>>>

Suzie & Bri

Old Main Street

Cheeky little purchase made to add to our Laurel and Hardy collection

Cheeky little purchase to add to our Laurel and Hardy collection

Top of the main street

Church entrance

Bronte memorial inside the church

Bronte vault inside the church

Bronte vault

The Old School Room where Charlotte once taught

Plaque over the entrance of the old school room

The Bronte Parsonage

The church from the parsonage

Bri at the site entrance

Amazing view (the moors not Suzie!)

Suzie waiting to watch a beautiful sunset

Bri sitting comfortably taking in the sunset

Beautiful end to a lovely day

Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire

Posted by jollymajestic1

In mid-November we stayed at the Camping & Caravan Club Site in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. The 85 pitch site wasn’t busy this time of year. It was clean with good space on pitches. Some people have commented on the noise from a local refrigeration plant but we weren’t particularly bothered by this.

We had originally booked this site as there was fishing available on the River Ure which runs alongside the site. Unfortunately the fishing pegs and river access were in disrepair and we were informed that this was the last year fishing would be offered at the site. That said, we still managed a day’s fishing, finding space for our chairs amongst the overgrown river bank. Didn’t catch much though, just a tiddler (caught by Suzie – yay!).

We didn’t do a great deal. Spent some time chilling on site but one foggy afternoon/early evening we cycled into Boroughbridge for a look around. There were a few shops and pubs. We had a couple of drinks in the Crown Hotel, a traditional coaching inn. It was clean & well furbished. We then nipped across the road to The Three Horseshoes which was more like your traditional local pub and was bouncing with music, had a good friendly atmosphere and served local ales. We decided to pick fish n chips up from the Battered Friar on the High Street on the way home and ate them back in Jolly. No complaints with the food – yum!

Although we enjoyed our stay, its not a site we will be rushing back to for any particular reason, however, it would be an ideal night stop over location when travelling further afield due to it being situated just off the A1 and we might use it for that.

Looking forward to the next outing, returning to Grassington in December for a Dickensian weekend.

ONWARD!>>>>

Suzie & Bri

Chair set up – check
Line cast in – check
Gin & Tonic – check!

(only) Catch of the Day!
We’re not sure but think it’s a Ruff

A skein of geese flying overhead heading South to warmer climes

Knaresborough – “Gateway to the Yorkshire Dales”

Posted by jollymajestic1

Mother Shipton’s Cave – http://www.mothershipton.co.uk

Scotton Old Hall ~ once the home of Guy Fawkes

Guy Fawkes Arms, Scotton

Guy Fawkes Arms menu

Hammering our 20p into a money log/tree on the walk to Mother Shipton’s Cave

Lots of riverside wood carvings

Boats beside our waterside lunch stop at Marigold’s

The House in the Rock

St Robert’s cave

Painted houses

Blind Jack

Bri making a wish at the Wishing Well

Suzie making a wish at the Wishing Well

Mother Shipton in her cave

The Petrifying Well

Two-night stays are the theme at the moment. Our most recent stop was at the Knaresborough Caravan Club Site which we have to say was pretty perfect for us.

On arrival we were told there were just a few pitches left, and we spotted an ideal one before going to fill up the water tank. We thought that was the way things were done, just to see another motorhome arrive after us and drive straight to a pitch, leave two chairs out to bag the space and then go and fill up. Fortunately for us, they seemed to misjudge things a bit, squeezing into a corner pitch and leaving us with a spacious grass pitch we’d already spotted (No.62) through the main site area up next to the play area (very quiet though, because the schools aren’t out for summer yet!).

There’s a cheerful little bar/bistro on site. Varying reviews for it, but we found it convenient for our first night and decent food. They’ll plate it up for you if you prefer to eat back at your pitch – which we did, sitting at a picnic table in the sun 🙂 The next day you just drop your plate back at the bar.

The next day we did some sightseeing by bike and by foot. We cycled this route:

Click to access knaresborough_caravan_club_cycle_ride_final.pdf

Points of interest: Waterside in Knaresborough has rowing boats, cafes, the impressive viaduct and Mother Shipton’s Cave. Abbey road in Knaresborough is home to The House in the Rock, Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag and St.Robert’s Cave. There is also Jacob Smith Park in Scriven.

Unfortunately, the House in the Rock & Chapel of Our Lady were closed the day we went, but we managed a brief glimpse of them. We then stopped off at St Robert’s cave, walking a few steepish steps down. As Bri ventured into the cave I heard a big splash followed by “oh, sh*t”. It was pitch black with deep puddles so I decided to just view it from the outside, haha. Blue plaques adorn the town which is full of people and places of historical interest. We didn’t get into town to see the statue of Blind Jack, so we’ll have to go back again to meet him.

We had a delicious meal at Guy Fawkes Arms Pub in Scotton just down the road from Guy Fawkes childhood home and 5 minutes from our return to the campsite. Then enjoyed a relaxing evening.

The weather was kind to us and all in all it was an interesting and fun couple of days. Next stop Grassington.

ONWARD!

Suzie & Bri.

The oldest building in Knaresborough, apparently.

Impressive viaduct

River Nidd

Sunny Settle, North Yorkshire

Posted by jollymajestic1

Settle

Bri on the cycle path

River Ribble

Suzie

The big beast of a pudding!

Giggleswick church

Old fashioned sweet shop, Giggleswick

Black Horse pub, Giggleswick

Just chilling by Jolly on site

Settle selfie

Enjoyed a few days in Settle, staying at Langcliffe Park Campsite. We were lucky with the weather and came home with a tan 🙂

http://www.langcliffe.com

Settle town centre is approx. mile & half walk from the site, Plenty of good places to eat and drink, we chose the Lion’s Den at The Lion Pub on Duke Street. We were not disappointed but were beaten by the size of the steak pudding! Delicious.

We cycled and strolled around the local area, along the path by the River Ribble, spending an afternoon in Giggleswick, which has an old fashioned sweet shop well worth a visit.

For local walks in this area – http://www.walkinginyorkshire.co.uk/settle.php

Settle is so pretty and the campsite friendly and immaculately kept. A definite for return visits in the future. Had a great weekend.

Next stop Ravenglass.

ONWARD!

Suzie & Bri.

THE JOLLY MAJESTIC

JOIN US ON ADVENTURES IN JOLLY, OUR MOTORHOME …

Yorkshire

Cononley, Nr Skipton, North Yorkshire

Pot Haw Farm, Coniston Cold, North Yorkshire

Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria

Leyburn, Richmondshire, North Yorkshire

“There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn” ~ Samuel Johnson

Brontë Country, Haworth, West Yorkshire

Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire

Knaresborough – “Gateway to the Yorkshire Dales”

Sunny Settle, North Yorkshire