Saturday at Fountains Abbey

Yes, again! My sister had bought Explorer Passes for us from the National Trust, valid for eight days. Our first visit was on Tuesday, so we were well within that for our second visit on Saturday (25 July).

This time, we walked in on a slightly different route, entering the estate at the tea house by the lake and making our way towards the abbey on the other side of the river.

A sign pointed to the Banqueting House being open, and since I had been there many years ago but didn‘t find it open then, we decided to have a look. And that little detour was well worth it!

The view from the Banqueting House goes straight to the Octagonal Tower on the other side of the river Skell‘s valley. Nothing was left to coincidence here when the grounds of the estate were designed.

I love such puzzles and mysteries as the one about the painting of the (presumed) Sultan of Surat! 

Back at Marmaduke Huby‘s tower

By the time we had walked past the ruins of the abbey and reached the visitor centre at the top end of the estate, lunch was a good idea, and we still had a good choice of tables at the restaurant before many more people arrived. I enjoyed my Cornish pasty; a hot meal was welcome after having walked a while in the very windy weather.

At the shop I bought a few little souvenirs and then we walked to St. Mary‘s. We had timed today‘s visit deliberately to find the church open and had a good look around. We‘d been inside before, but that was years ago.

Floor mosaic in front of the altar

Spiral stairs leading up to the organ

Back at the cottage, a rest was followed by coffee/tea on the bench in front of the house. Food shopping at Aldi was next, and for our evening meal I made avocado on toast with a leafy salad and coleslaw.

I ended the day facetiming with my husband.

Friday in York

My sister-in-law, A., had Friday (24 July) off and took us to York. This beautiful city has everyone a visitor could wish for: History, beauty, culture, green spaces, a huge choice of shops and places for food and drink. Of course, it attracts crowds of tourists (such as us), and to reduce traffic in the centre (which is still very busy), the city offers a very good park & ride system. You don’t have to wait long for the next bus dropping you off at various points in the centre, and the return fare for one adult is 4 £.

We got off the bus opposite the Museum Gardens and had a leisurely stroll there while waiting for my niece B. (who lives in York) to arrive.

The Yorkshire Museum

The four of us then went to a large, recently opened independent bookshop - the dream of every book lover! Shelves from floor to ceiling line every wall in the maze-like rooms on two floors, complete with ladders on rails when you want something from the upper boards. 

If you want to look them up, here is their website.

After we‘d spent quite a bit of time (and a little money) in there, lunch was next on our agenda. We went to the York Minster Refectory, where we‘d been before on B.‘s recommendation. As at our previous visit, we were happy with the friendly service and delicious food. The Ploughman‘s Lunch I chose from the menu‘s Light Bites section could easily have served two! 

A stroll through The Shambles followed.

Scenic boat cruises on the river Ouse were on offer, and for the first time since we have made a day out in York a fixture of our holiday, we took this opportunity to see and learn more of the city. 

It was really nice and relaxing to just sit there, listening to the guide‘s more or less witty commentary and observing the scenery while the boat was tuckering along at a gentle pace.

Back on dry land, B. was ready to go home, and we walked her to her car before having tea/coke at a café opposite the Museum Gardens, where we boarded the P & R bus afterwards.

A. drove us back to Ripon, and although fields, meadows and gardens are parched from weeks without rain, it was still a nice drive through the beautiful Yorkshire countryside.

Our landlord and landlady asked us over for a meal that evening, and it was especially nice to sit in their back garden in the golden evening light until it became too chilly to be comfortable and we retreated indoors.

Thursday Not in Saltaire

For Thursday (23 July), our original plan had been a day out with our landlady and neighbour, J. We had meant to drive to Saltaire, look at the Hockney works of art in particular and the place in general, and meeting for a coffee or so with Saltaire-based blogger Jennyfreckles, who had sent me a great list of suggestions for places for lunch or coffee.

However, just before we arrived in Ripon our landlord informed us that his wife had broken her wrist and was unable to drive. We were very sorry for her and postponed our trip to Saltaire until next year.

This meant an unexpected ‚free‘ day, and we started it off by visiting friends in Ripon for refreshing drinks in their garden which backs on to the canal. It was lovely to see them and sit there on a fine summer morning catching up until it was time for S. to go to her sister‘s and daughter‘s shop in the middle of town where she helps out some days.

We walked with her, had a bit of a wander round and then went to Oliver‘s Pantry for a delicious lunch. A stroll across the market was next; we noticed a further decline in the number of stalls and visitors compared to last year and previous years. Large parts of the market square were empty. 

Three of Ripon‘s bookshops - among them our firm favourite, The Little Ripon Bookshop - were our next stops as well as a few other shops before we went back to the cottage for a rest, followed by coffee/tea and biscuits on the sunny bench in front of the house.

I then went to visit Mary for an hour. These pictures are from my way there and back:

Afterwards my sister and I walked to the Leper Chapel which to our surprise was still open.

For our tea we heated two small quiches we had bought fresh from the baker that morning, and my sister prepared a nice summerly salad to go with it.

Later, I facetimed my husband.

Wednesday in Ripon

We spent all of Wednesday (22 July) in Ripon, starting after a leisurely breakfast of fresh fruit and muesli with a visit to the cathedral. Again, no matter how often we‘ve already been in there, we never tire of wandering around, looking at architectural and other details and generally just soaking up the relaxing, peaceful, calm, warm and welcoming atmosphere of this ancient building.

If you want to know dates and historical and current facts, the wikipedia entry about the cathedral is very useful.

We had lunch at Realitea, a small Indian restaurant we discovered only last year (or was it in 2024?); the owner is a young Indian woman who cooks based on traditional and family recipes, and she usually comes out to the tables and asks people how they liked their food. Service is always friendly, and the food has an authentic home-cooked feel about it; very nice and highly recommended, should you ever find yourself in Ripon and looking for a place to have lunch, or a selection of premium teas and lovely cakes.

We went through a few shops, had a brief rest at home and then set off for a walk around the neighbourhood for about an hour.

Nature reserve down Springfield Banks, Ripon

At 7:00 pm, we were at our former landlady‘s who has become a friend over the years. She offered champagne for starters, and that was before I told her that I was married - of course then we clinked glasses again. It was a most pleasurable evening with delicious food and drink, catching up and conversation freely flowing.

It wasn‘t yet fully dark by the time we walked back to the cottage; that‘s the advantage of British summertime and being further North than where we live.