Thursday 15 September 2011

Rock climbing and bell ringing!

Our last day in Yorkshire. Hard to believe it is coming to an end. But we have seen so much and have so many amazing memories too. The kids have really enjoyed themselves as well and I really believe that they have learned so much in these couple of weeks. You can't teach these kind of experiences.
Today we did our last run through the paths of Brearton. We have been spoiled with perfect weather for our morning exercises. This morning was no exception. The sun shine down on us and the crisp autumn air gave us reason to get moving. It was the best run we have had yet. The horses snorted good morning as we ran past and the sheep in the dales ignored us as usual, but looked very peaceful as they grazed. With this kind of scenery it was so easy to start each day with a run. I became so fond of marking our distance by the number of holly trees we passed.
On our last day in the north we decided to check out a place called Brimham Rocks. This is a hiking trail that boasts some incredible balancing rock formations. Some of the formations are as high as 30 meters and were formed by glacial, water and wind erosion.





Needless to say, they were amazing to see and even more fun to climb around on. Noah and Eden loved it. We spent a good part of the morning exploring these wild and weird rock formations and trying to imagine what shapes they looked like.











After a pub lunch in a lovely beer garden we headed to a park called Studley Royal. It was a beautiful afternoon and this amazing green space provided a wide open park for the the kids to run and play.












At the top of the big hill was one of the prettiest churches I have ever seen. St. Mary's church was built in the late 1800's as a memorial to a man named Frederick Grantham Vyner who was murdered by bandits in 1870. His sister used the ransom money that was never delivered to build this Victorian masterpiece in his memory.


When we arrived at the church entrance a volunteer met us at the door and handed me a sheet with some information about the church and it's history. He then invited the kids to follow him on an adventure to find all the animals hiding in the church. The kids went exploring while I enjoyed learning about this magnificent building.






It was so nice because often children find no interest in wandering around an old church. This man obviously loves his job and has found a way to share that passion with EVERYONE that walks in the door. He took the kids around and showed them all the animals hiding in the carvings, paintings and stain glass of the church. They loved it. When they were done he even invited them to ring the church bell. They both had a turn pulling the giant rope and hearing the old bell echo out over the park. What a treat! I was a little jealous that I didn't get a turn.


We left this beautiful little spot and hiked a little more, the sun shone down as we strolled through the park and admired the deer that graze in the distance.
Then it was time to head home, get our bags and laundry organized and start thinking about heading out of this little cottage we have called home for the past 11 days. It has been the perfect jumping off point for all our adventures and has served us well. We will miss it very much.
We returned to the Hare and Hounds for our last supper in Yorkshire. This was definitely my favorite of all the pubs. The "Govenor" was marvelous and the food was particularly wonderful here. It also serves the best Sticky Toffee Pudding I have ever tasted! I thought of Amy and Michelle with every bite. (wink)
And now I sign off from the little cottage at Brearton. Next message will be from the big city of London after a pint at the Hare and Billet with my long lost cousins. I can hardly wait!

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1 comment:

  1. We love you! It has been amazing to share your adventures! Thanks Louise!

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