Category Archives: Travel

Ferry Across Windermere

Our Lake District trip included reliving some of the things we used to do a lot when we lived up that way. After lunch at an old haunt, we headed to Hawkshead. One way to get there is to take the ferry across Lake Windermere. I have many happy memories of making this crossing in the past and was glad to do it again. The ferry is connected to a cable that spans the lake. It is a bit like the chain ferry between Cowes and East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, but I don’t know whether the cable is just a guide or used to pull the ferry across. It is certainly smoother than a chain!

I had hoped to get some photos of the ferry coming in but, it was already approaching when we pulled up so a quick grab of a shot was all I could manage. Then the short crossing meant time to take some more photos of the area and the ferry before we arrived on the other shore to see the many people waiting to make the opposite journey. Fun to check off another one of those memory items.

Cattle Waiting at the Feed Stop

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The final day of the charity bike ride had me suffering from the previous two days and with enough knee pain to make another 76 miles seem like a bad plan. Instead, I spent the day in a support vehicle moving from rest stop to rest stop helping out the riders that weren’t as feeble as me. At one of these stops, I went up the access road to await the riders. A herd of cows were lying in the field by the road, and they looked so tranquil, I couldn’t help but grab a few photos.

Evening Arrival in Scarborough

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The second day of the charity bike ride I took part in took us from Huddersfield to Scarborough on the Yorkshire coast. The Edgcumbe family has a history in Scarborough but, while I drove past it once, I had never visited before. We arrived late in the afternoon having covered 94 miles – the longest one day ride I have ever done. That distance (and the pain one of my knees was feeling) meant I was doubly happy to reach the town and, when we turned on to the waterfront, I was in a great mood. The view along the north bay of the town was a very welcome sight. We then headed into the town centre overlooking the south bay. It was a very pretty looking spot.

No Low Flying in These Valleys Today

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There were a couple of days while we were in the Lake District when the weather was misty. In some places, it burned off as the day warmed up but in others it lingered. The Lakes can be a popular place for low level flying by military jets but, when the mist stays, there is not going to be sufficient visibility to get down low and fast. While I might have liked to have some planes come through, the contrast with the lower parts of the valleys in the clear with the mist on the hills around was very appealing.

Herdwick Sheep

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I wasn’t previously aware that there is a breed of sheep that is predominantly localised to the Lake District. These are Herdwick Sheep. They are well suited to the rugged terrain of the Lakes and can handle living in the exposed countryside throughout the year. They have quite a distinctive look and the colours of their fleeces are unusual. We saw plenty of them during our visit and I loved the different looks of them as they age. My favourite is when they are in the grey phase. I just thought they looked really interesting.

Buttermere Looks Gorgeous

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We took a trip to Buttermere while up in the Lakes. Buttermere is not a huge lake so provides a nice walk around its perimeter. When we got there, it was still quite misty, but the sun progressively burnt through, and we were treated to some lovely views along the shore and across the water. Here are a few shots I took while we walked around the lake.

Up on Saddleworth Moor

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The first day of the charity bike ride I did across the UK took us 74 miles starting in Liverpool to end up in Huddersfield. The first sections of the ride were really pretty flat, and we made good progress. However, the second part of the route took us up into the hills as we crossed from west to east. After leaving Oldham, we headed up onto Saddleworth Moor. I have driven across this way on the M62 more times than I can recall when work used to need me to head across to Brough. This was the first time I went across under my own steam. It was quite a climb. Of the group I was riding with, a couple of us were the ones that were the slowest. Just a long steady grind up the hills. You might not be surprised to note that I wasn’t stopping to take pictures. However, when I reached the summit before the long descent into Huddersfield, I was able to grab a couple of images of the b leak beauty that is Saddleworth.

Sizergh Castle Gardens

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Nancy had been to Sizergh Castle before but, for some reason, in all the time we lived in Lancashire, I had never been there. We rectified that during our recent trip to the Lake District. When it comes to places like this, we are not terribly interested in the interior of the buildings. The exterior and the grounds are usually what we want to explore. Sizergh was a nice enough looking building, but the gardens were excellent.

A Cedar of Lebanon tree is always going to get my attention because I love the layered effect of the branches. They have one very close to the main building. A walk through the wood brought us to a Japanese garden which was very attractively laid out and only open to walk through on certain days. This meant thee weren’t people getting in the way of photos too often!!

Back near the house was a more structured garden. This included a lot of acers, and, at this time of year, they had turned a delightful colour. One of the staff at the entrance had said they shouldn’t be missed and he wasn’t wrong. I was glad I had brought along my polariser. I have no idea why I hadn’t made the effort to visit previously but that omission is now rectified.

Hurst Castle and the Needles

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I don’t know for certain whether I have ever previously taken the ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth. Something tells me I might have done so at one point, but I have no idea why I would have done so. Anyway, I definitely have made the crossing now because we took a trip across to Yarmouth. As we were crossing the Solent, there were some interesting views down the water towards the Needles. Hurst Castle marks the narrowest point between the mainland and the Isle of Wight. Getting both the castle and the Needles in view was possible. The distance difference meant a little careful processing was necessary to have clarity of both elements, but I loved the compression a long lens provided of this view.

Yarmouth Mill

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Being in Hampshire makes a day trip to the Isle of Wight a simple option. We decided to go to Yarmouth for the day. Despite having lived on the Island for many years, Yarmouth is a place in which I spent remarkably little time. I would usually pass through, but it is a place with a bit to offer for a day trip. We walked around the harbour and out towards the marshes to head to a lunch spot. This took us passed the old mill building. It is an imposing structure and a sign of what might have been a busy place in days past. Here are a couple of shots of this cool looking place.