Day 255 - Market Overton

Our two week stay in Whitby has flown by! Phil and I both agree that this section of the trip has felt like we've only been here a few days. If nothing else, this trip away has us both agreeing that time is a strange phenomenon that we will never really come to grips with.

Today we're off to Market Overton in the lesser-known UK county of Rutland in the East Midlands. We staying at the home of June and Stuart who have been with us in Whitby for the past couple of days. They kindly agreed to drive us back to their place so we can join them in their villages annual feast on its small green.

Market Overton is truly one of the most idyllic of English villages. With a population of about 600, it has a locally run shop, a church and a pub all set amongst gorgeous stone homes set on rambling streets. The village as a whole is easy to walk around as it's relatively flat. However, it has the scenic advantage of being on an escarpment that overlooks the Vale of Catmose.

June and Stuart live in a house that was once the village's school. There is an older former school house around the corner from them. Directly across from them is a rather large home where Isaac Newton's maternal grandmother lived and where he would go to visit. His mother was born in the village in 1623. Perhaps it was an apple tree in her garden that set him thinking.

The village's annual feast was already set up and in full swing by the time we arrived. So time for lunch. Phil and I sat on the edge of the green and enjoyed a glass of Pimms and a burger as we watched most of the village wander past. June set up a table for a "name the tree" contest, the idea being for the local children to come up with a name for a Hornbeam tree newly planted on the green. The winner was Huckleberry Hornbeam, although we were going for Sir Hissac Newtree (names had to begin with an "H."

Off to the feast!

After lunch, we took a walk around the village to vote on the annual scarecrow contest that is part of the festivities. We had paid a pound for the map and chance to vote. This year's theme was around music, and there was some very clever creations: the Pied Piper leading a row of rats through someone's garden, ZZ Top, Michael Jackson, Pavarotti, Bob Marley...and a rather strange one of Spock on the X Factor (yeah...I don't get it either).

Somewhere on this walk I twisted my ankle in a pot hole, so limped back to the house to put ice on it. We'll see how this turns out.

Later in the afternoon, we went to the pub for a drink. Someone had moved a lot of the leather armchairs outside, making it a rather cosy spot to enjoy the beautiful summer day. Then it was back to Stuart and June's for dinner ... and the seemingly unending matches that make up the World Cup.

Day 254 - Staithes and Danby

Staithes harbour

Last night we were visited for the next two days by our good friends, June and Stuart Sanderson.  Professor Sanderson was my PhD supervisor at the University of Bradford and we have continued to stay in touch. This year marked the twentieth anniversary of our first meeting and we were pleased to see them. Today the plan was to head up the coast to the seaside village of Staithes and then into the North Yorkshire Moors for an afternoon lunch at the Moors National Park Centre in Danby.

Phantom Thread was filmed
on this street

So off to Staithes we went. The name means "Landing Place" in Old English. It is a sheltered port surrounded on both sides by cliffs.  It is similar to Robin Hoods Bay that we talked about earlier in our stay but is less posh and more "real".  Staithes was a fishing centre like most of the towns and villages along this shoreline but it is also making the transition to a tourist spot. It had a history as an art colony in the 19th century with the founding of a group known as the "Staithes Group" or "Northern Impressionists" including Dame Laura Knight.

The village also has a connection with Captain James Cook. Before he came to Whitby to become a seaman, he worked in a local shop here in Staithes when he was 17.  They claim it is here that he first became interested in the sea. I expect every village along the coast lays claim to that.  What is perhaps the most interesting piece of trivia for me was that the recent Oscar-nominated film "Phantom Thread" was filmed here.

After a late morning coffee we got back in the car and drove to Danby where the National Park Centre has a museum about the North Yorkshire Moors. The moors are actually a man-made feature that came about as a result of 1,000 or more years of cutting trees down in order to farm and graze animals. The damage that was done made the lands unsuitable for further agriculture, and as a result only heath vegetation now grows. However, better agricultural methods were employed years later within the valley areas and that is where the farms exist today, with sheep and cattle the principal income producers. The park itself is over 550 square miles in area, with a significant percentage of that being heathland. We enjoyed our afternoon lunch at the Park Centre, and then we discovered the history of the moors and the types of flora and fauna that occupies them. It was really tempting to just walk out the gate and head across the moors -- especially as it was another sunny day in paradise. However, it was getting late and a World Cup game awaited us back at the cottage followed by dinner at Whitby's #2-rated restaurant, Mademoiselle's Cafe. As it turned out it was the Yorkshire interpretation of what constitutes French cuisin, but in the end we had a lot of fun with it (although I don't think the waiters were too impressed). 

Park Center at Danby - Formerly a Hunting Lodge

Ale of the Day: Holy Grail Golden Ale, Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, Yorkshire



 

Day 253 - Whitby Ghosts

Angela has probably told you about Bram Stoker and Dracula and their connection with Whitby.  But that is not the only horror story that can be attributed to this town.  There are a number of ghosts that haunt our surroundings here and I thought that today I would tell you about a few of them.  The most famous is the ghost of St. Hilda who at night can be found roaming around the ruins of Whitby Abbey and will look down upon you from one of the top windows.  But she is not alone.  There is also Nun Constance who is said to have broken her vows of chastity and was then bricked in to a wall of the Abbey.  If you listen carefully you can walk up to the wall at night and hear her pleading to be released.

At one of the nearby lighthouses around Whitby there is the one-armed ghost who had fallen to his death at its base and when you visit there in the evening you will find his spirit trying to trip you so that he can be joined in the netherworld.

The town also has its own hound from hell.  Known as the Barguest Hound, it finds its way around the streets of Whitby and if you hear its growl then you are on your way out, and I don't mean on the bus. 

It really isn't very safe for the tourists because many of the hotels in town are homes to ghosts.  The Bagdale Hall hotel is haunted by a former owner.  Browne Bushell was his name and he was hung as a pirate but his spirit has come home to the hotel and he can be heard wandering through the halls and in the stairways.

If you want to frequent St. Mary's churchyard, which lies above the east cliff and in front of the Abbey, you will encounter at night the Burguest Coach which is pulling the skeletons of sailors by headless horses.  It will be the third day after the funeral of a sailor that they will arrive to pay their respects and then bring the corpse of the dead sailor back to where they came from.

I leave you with the most horrific tale.  In Grape Lane on the east side of the harbour, a father had his his young daughter run down to the bakery to have his supper warmed up.  The baker allowed the girl to put the dinner in the oven and when he turned his away he heard the scream and found the poor girl with her hair in flames.  Later that night she passed away from her burns but if you walk that way you may come across her ghost, flames all around her and the scent of burnt hair everywhere.

Thanks to the Whitby Guide for the introduction to the creepier parts of Whitby.

Ale of the Day: Black Death Stout, Whitby Brewery, Whitby, North Yorkshire

 

Day 252 - The moors are moreish

Ticket taker on the North Yorkshire
Moors Railway

There is something about the vast emptiness of the rolling moorlands around the UK that tempts you to wander them. They have a beautiful loneliness that makes you want to meander their heather-covered hills in peaceful bliss. But it's that bliss that can be a danger. They look simple, but they are complex. Storms and fog can come on quickly, and suddenly this seemingly nondescript landscape can become life-threatening. In the gloom, it can all seem the same colour and lacking distinguishable landmarks. Writers have for centuries used the moors to depict a life of hardship and seclusion (think Daphne du Maurier's Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor). As I write this, a wildfire has broken out over 6 kms the moors near Manchester.

But today, while a fog bank was looming off the Whitby coast this morning, the sky above was a glorious blue without a cloud in it. Seems like a good day to step back in time and out onto the North Yorkshire moors.

Goathland Station

We grabbed a quick coffee from Clara's then made our way to the train station to get a one-way ticket to the village of Goathland via the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR).

The NYMR runs the 18 miles between Whitby and Pickering, and is one of the oldest rail lines in the UK having opened in 1836. At the time, Whitby was a great fishing port, and the line was intended to open up trade. However, all that had stopped by 1965, when the line was closed. It didn't take long for the locals to get together to form the North York Moors Historical Railway Trust Ltd with the intention of re-opening the line. Today it is the busiest steam heritage line in the world, carrying upwards of 350,000 passengers each year.

When we arrived at the ticket office, there was a long queue already formed outside. By the time our 10 o'clock train steamed into the station, the platform was packed with passengers, but we managed to get a seat.

We enjoyed a lovely journey, but didn't take the train all the way to Pickering. Instead, we disembarked at Goathland. This station is famous for being used as Hogsmeade Station in the Harry Potter movies and was in the 1985 music video for Simply Red's Holding Back the Years (really dating myself). There carriages even appeared in the TV series Downton Abbey.

Police car used in the TV series Heartbeat.

The village of Goathland is also famous in it's own right as it is the setting for the fictional town of Aidensfield in the TV series Heartbeat. While I never watched the show, Phil has...as had most of the many tourists who seemed to be enjoying seeing all the filming locations the village offered.

Another building used as the funeral home and garage
in Heartbeat.

Mallyan Spout

From Goathland, we took a 3-mile hike to Mallyan Spout and Beck Hole. Mallyn Spout is a 70-ft high waterfall, the tallest in the North Yorkshire Moors. It requires a bit of a clamber over rocks and is a bit hidden behind a bend, but the explorer Phil managed to find it while I gave up and had a rest on a lovely park bench nearby. But to my defense, the walk did require a 500-foot ascent, and I'd only had one coffee so far.

Just a few steps to climb

Which brings me to lunch. After climbing back up out of the valley, we stopped for lunch at the Coach House, a really lovely sandwich shop that is part of the Mallyan Spout Hotel in Goathland.

Lunch!!

All this, and we had yet to be up on the "real" moors. As we were leaving from our lunch, Phil finally had his chance as the open access to the moors presented itself to him. For a brief few minutes he had found his bliss, and he would have kept walking if I'd let him. But we had Goathland to explore, Yorkshire ice cream to try and a bus back to Whitby to catch so Phil would be back in time to catch the Germany v South Korea World Cup match while I had a nap. Although from the sounds I heard coming from him as he watched the Germany lose, he probably wished he had chosen to get lost in the moors.

Phil makes it to the "real" moors, but resists the temptation to go wandering off.

Day 251 - A real life saver

The RNLI Museum in Whitby. 36 RNLI Medals for
Gallantry have been awarded to courageous crew members
from here. Source: rnli.org

We've mentioned before in our blog that you are never more than 70 miles from the sea in the UK, so it should not come as a surprise this island nation spends a good deal of time with the sea. Problems are bound to occur when your have that many people living, working and playing so close to water. In fact, on average, 23 people need rescuing each and every day here.

This map shows the areas where lifeboasts had
been launched within 48 hours of me writing
today's blog post.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has lifeboat crews around the UK and Ireland who provide a 24-hour rescue service. Their teams of lifeguards man the country's busier beaches. Their flood rescue team is on the ready to assist those affected by flooding -- an issue occur with seemingly increased frequency. The have community teams who go out to teach about safety, and international teams who work with at-risk countries to decrease the number of drownings.

Some interesting statistics:

• The have 350 lifeboats ready to launch at any one time at points around the country (and keep another 100 ready to replace those if they go out of commission at any point).
• They have 238 lifeboat stations covering 1,900 miles of shoreline.
• Their lifeguards keep people safe on 240 beaches. In 2016, they helped 20,538 people and saved 127 lives.
• To qualify as a lifeguard, you have to be able to swim 200 metres in under 3½ minutes and run 200 metres on sand in under 40 seconds.
• 250 volunteers are specially trained to deal with swift water flooding rescues, with 50 members ready to respond to flooding emergencies worldwide within 24 hours

RNLI crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,200 lives since being founded in 1824.

Amazing stuff, isn't it? So it may come as a surprise to learn is that the RNLI is a charity -- they receive no government funding. And more incredible: those who risk there lives to save others are all volunteers.

The sheer bravery of the people who are at the ready to do this will never cease to amaze me. So, good time to remember: respect the water.

Source: Yachting World: RNLI-Nigel-Millard

Day 250 - Family businesses

Catch up on work day...despite the absolutely glorious sunshine. We did take a break to do a bit of shopping, aiming to support local businesses.

R.A. Willison's shop consists of one aisle. They've sold
fruit, vegetables, flowers and plants in this tiny location
for over 200 years.

Our first stop was for fruit and vegetables from a store called R.A. Willison. This is reputed to be the oldest business in Whitby, and has been in the same location on the corner of Baxtergate and Wellington Road in Whitby since 1800. The most amazing thing: it is still in the same family! Today, Richard Willison (age 78) was in the shop with his son Jamie (30), the present owners. Richard has worked in the tiny shop for 50 years. He told us that one day his father "said he couldn't come downstairs anymore when he was 84," and that was the last he worked in the shop, although he did live well into his 90s. Richard also told us he had an aunt who lived to be 108, so I guess access to all those fruits and vegetables proves we should all be paying more attention to our 5-a-day! Richard was actually born in the small flat above the shop.

Elizabeth Botham's, with a tea room on one side and a
bakery on the other.

From here we bought bread at Botham's second shop in Whitby. We've mentioned Botham's as the place we go to buy our breakfast items most mornings. Elizabeth Botham started her bakery business in 1865, and raised 14 children at the same time. Her husband died shortly after her last child was born. She continued to expand her business into several other shops, with two of her sons eventually taking over. Today the business is run by her great grandchildren, with her great great grandchildren also helping out.

This butcher shop was established in 1969. It no longer
looks like this, having undergone a modern design change.

Next up, the butcher's, R.M. Lander's of Whitby. No idea on the history of this place, other than that it was established in 1969. So we may have to go back when they're not so busy and chat with them...as small-business promoter and Entrepreneurship professor Phil so often does!

Day 249 - A beach day from start to finish

You can't keep a good geologist
from looking at every rock they
pass!

You can't keep a good fossil hunter down. So, today it was another walk to Sandsend to look for fossils...and a good Sunday roast ... all with a time constraint, as we had to be back to the cottage for the start of the England World Cup Match.

Due to low tide, we were able to take the beach the entire 2 miles from the pier at Whitby to Sandsend, which was fabulous. Always amazing the difference in water levels between high and low tide.

We didn't find any significant fossils today, although that isn't to say we didn't find massive numbers of them in the rocks. We did find what looked like crystal bricks that when broken open were filled with sulphur. 

View toward Sandsend, with the beach exposed the whole way.

We arrived in Sandsand at about 11:00, skipped some stone across the very large tidal pool that forms in front to the town, and then took a walk around the actual village. It is very idyllic as it moves up the valley. Slews of young ducks were resting on the village green, completely oblivious to us being there.

We found that The Hart Inn was serving a Sunday Roast, so found a seat in the sunny side garden and enjoyed a lovely lunch before walking back to Whitby along the upper coast road. Glorious day filled with sun and light winds.

Phil watched England win over Panama with a score similar to an American baseball game. Interestingly, on the first goal, we heared a roar come from the fans watching in the local pubs, but after that they were surprisingly quiet. I guess once the win became obvious, they were resigned to it. There was a bit of chanting a bit later as some of the more "beer enlightened" left the pubs, but nothing compared to the crowd reaction at the previous win.

In the evening, we went to see the film On Chesil Beach based on Ian McEwan's novel (he wrote the screenplay). Starring Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones, Lady Bird) and Billy Howle (The Sense of an Ending, The Witness for the Prosecution). I won't give away the story line as the nuances of it are vital to enjoying it. Our view, the last bit of the story is worth waiting for, but there is a wait through the first two thirds. Three out of five stars on the Smith/Walsh scale.

Day 248 - The Larpool Viaduct and Ruswarp

That's a lot of bricks

Well we said goodbye to Lord Finley of Long Island this morning although his royal train was cancelled due to labour disruptions in his kingdom.  So we put him on the local bus so that he could get to his royal carriage at Middlesbrough for his return journey.

Angela and I then decided to take a short walk along the Esk River upstream to the village of Ruswarp. We stayed here many years ago with the kids and had taken this walk into Whitby with them. A little reminiscence on our part as we made our way along the water.

Along the way we came to a magnificent structure: the Larpool Viaduct. This disused viaduct was part of the Scarborough and Whitby railway line that ran between these towns from 1885 to 1965. The entire railway line is 33 kilometers in length and was constructed for the equivalent of  £2million in today's money. The viaduct was completed in 1884 and has 13 arches, with the rail line being 120 feet above the river. It is made entirely of brick (over 5.2 million bricks) and cement and does not have any iron work as it was felt to be too close to the ocean and corrosion was seen as an issue. It is also mentioned in Bram Stoker's Dracula novel. Seven years after trains stopped using the line the viaduct was given Grade II listing and is now used as part of a cycle/walking path between Whitby and Scarborough.

The village green at Ruswarp

Further along, we arrived at Ruswarp. The village was known for its corn mill that sat on the bank of the Esk and was used until the early 1960s. A weir had been built to assist in the flow of water to drive the mill, and today it is being used to generate electricity by a community-based power project. It is a 50-kilowatt screwtype generator and produces power generally during the winter at about 1000 kilowatt hrs per day. The average household in the UK uses 11 kilowatt hours per day, so this project is powering about 90 homes during those months.

The village also has a local butcher and a local shop so we stopped at the shop for some drinks and at the butcher for a bacon sandwich to share. Munching along, we then decided to take a cross-country route back to Whitby. This route is on a predominantly laid stone track (referred to as the Monk's Trod) although we had to pay special attention to the nettle that seemed to be reaching out into the open space.

Ale of the Day: Saltwich Nab Ruby Ale, Whitby Brewery, Whitby, North Yorkshire

Day 247 - Robin Hood's Bay to Whitby Abbey

Brilliant sunshine today, and we know what that means: long walk. With Lord Finley, we took the bus to Robin Hood's Bay in order to do a walk back along the Cleveland Way and the raw coastline to Whitby.

Originally settled by Danes, Robin Hood's Bay was for many years a fishing and farming village. Following the Norman invasion, the village eventually was given to Whitby Abbey, where we will end our walk today.

No one quite knows how it got its name as Robin Hood was never thought to have been in the area. However, there is a legend that the fishermen were robbed by French sailors at one time and Robin Hood got the loot back for the residents.





By the 18th century, Robin Hood's Bay was itself involved in smuggling in goods (most likely from France). The town extends down a steep ravine, with houses appearing to cling to the cliffs and joined by numerous narrow alleyways. It is said that the houses are connected by underground tunnels and many have trapdoors beneath under which goods such as gin, brandy, tea, tobacco, and French lace could be stored without discovery by customs officers before being sold on the black market.

With the War of Independence raging in America and Britain involved in numerous other battles, duties and taxes were needed to raise war funds. The people thought otherwise, with about 40% in the area being involved in smuggling. In reality, everyone was involved as no one messed with the families leading the endeavour.

Today, tourism is the village's primary industry, and the town is filled with pretty shops, pubs and restaurants, all making the meander down well worth the inevitable walk back up.

View back to Robin Hood's Bay

After a brief visit to the village, we went back up hill to find the Cleveland Way, the path we would be walking back to Whitby. The path hugs the cliff...quite literally in several spots. And you can see places where the former path has fallen away. Interesting job to be the one to ensure the path is kept as far to the edge of other people's property as possible, without actually going over the edge!

The path undulates through some creek valleys, where built-in steps help you maneuver up and down the hillsides.

After a few hours, we were ready for a drink. Good thing the Whitby Brewery, decided to set up its microbrewery just off the path as we approached Whitby Abbey.

Across the road is Whitby Abbey, an English Heritage-managed site. Being members, we didn't have to pay the entrance fee. The site now has a small museum you can go through before entering the site of the abbey ruins. The ruins are those of the 13th century monastery church built on the site of previous churches, and for which building was not completed until the 15th century. 

The Whitby ruins circa 1740, when quite a bit was still
intact. Source: English Heritage.

The monastery didn't last long after it's completion, being destroyed on order of Henry VIII in 1540 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. How much beauty would still exist if it weren't for Henry's roving eye?


The Cholmley family were granted the rights to the Abbey ruins and the surrounding land. They used some of the stones to build their manor house and other buildings.

Wind and rain have caused further erosion, and the Abbey was subjected to shelling from two German battleships during WWI, destroying even more.

Despite all of that, you cannot help but look up in amazement at the detail in the carvings that remain and the sheer human effort and skill that went into building this masterpiece, which continues to inspire even in its demise.

Day 246 - Finley arrives

Phil finds a wind break to enjoy his morning latte.

When we awoke today, the BBC was claiming we would have wind gusts of 20 mph, but they were much, much higher than that. We set out for our usual breakfast from the bakery and coffee from Clara's, and found that the wind whipping down the street between the Georgian townhouses felt near gale force! We had to grab a seat around the back of Clara's as a sort of wind break rather than sit on a bench closer to the cliff edge as we usually do. But it was still delightful!

The winds were causing some magnificent wave action, and as the tide was in, we took a walk to the pier to take some photos. We couldn't stay out too long as the wind was whipping up quite a sea mist...not good on the camera lens.

A lone person braves the wave action on the pier.

Despite strike action on the Northern Line, our guest managed to make it to Whitby today: Lord Finley of Long Island. He joined us about mid-afternoon, in time for a bit of wine and cheese before setting out for dinner.  Of course, the first meal anyone should have when in Whitby is fish and chips, so we settled on a meal at The Fisherman's Wife with its wonderful views over the Whitby pier and coastline.

From here we took a walk to the pier. The waves had calmed down quite a bit, and the winds had sculpted some beautiful lines of clouds.

We went back up the Khyber Pass (yes, that's actually the name of one of the roads up the cliff side), and then took a walk around the west side of Whitby. We hadn't been aware of a park on this side of Whitby, so were delighted when we came up on Pannett Park, home of the Whitby Museum, Pannett Art Gallery, and beautiful planted gardens.

Phil attempts to appease the wind gods in Pannett Park's stone circle.

View over the roof tops and across to the East Cliff and Whitby Abbey.

The sun was beginning to set, and with the great cloud formations, I didn't want to miss the chance to get a few sunset pictures. So, Phil and Lord Finley were kind enough to indulge me ... as long as they were permitted a night cap at a local pub. The Ship Inn proved the perfect solution to their request, particularly the window seat we managed to get with its view out over the activity in the harbour as Whitby began to come alive with the Saturday night crowd.