The pictures I am going to show you now should give you a good impression of our overall walk. It may appear much longer than it actually was - it really took less than two hours to get to How Hill, and we were not running, just enjoying the walk at a leisurely pace.
Once we had left the last row of Ripon houses behind and were out on the lanes between fields and meadows, we had some surprise views of Ripon Cathedral:
 |
| The same view as above, just zoomed in. |
Another surprise view for us - this is St. Mary's, on the Studley Royal / Fountains Abbey estate:
Getting closer to How Hill:
At the bottom of the hill are holiday cottages managed by the National Trust. They are surrounded by pastures with sheep everywhere. One of them had somehow managed to get in the enclosure meant for the holiday cottage (and NOT to keep sheep). When we came up close to take photos, it tried very hard to get out again but did not immediately find the way - even looking to get inside the house in its hurry to get away from us, it seems!
Again, St. Mary's visible in the distance (the same view as above, just zoomed in) and the bell tower of Fountains Abbey:
How Hill Chapel and the views from the top:
I would have so liked to get in, but it was completely boarded up and not accessible:
After our break with cheese scones (as seen in the post I have linked to above), we walked further on, entering Fountains Abbey estate from the back. Along the way, Fountains Hall was visible from an angle as we had not seen it before:
Nearly there, just round the bend!
Another beautiful walk was coming to an end, but it wasn't the last walk for me that day, as you will see in one of my next posts.
A wonderful walk you have taken us on. I'm gonna have to look up How Chapel - bet there's a story lurking in there somewhere!
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the link I have put in this post to my first post about How Hill and the chapel? I give a short history of the place there, but I am sure you can come up with a lot more detail and make it a lot more interesting and entertaining.
DeletePoor little sheep. I hope it gets back to its herd. I don't think they like to be solitary....I really enjoy seeing photos from all your beautiful amazing walks in Yorkshire, the part of England I've seen least apart from Cornwall.
ReplyDeleteIt was already back with its friend (another sheep was looking on from outside the enclosure) by the time we were halfway up the hill :-)
DeleteGlad you are not bored yet with all my pictures!
I love all these photos you're sharing with us! I'll say it again....it's like a little mental vacation for me, looking closely at all of the great pictures. Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome to mentally join me on all my walks, Jennifer, and I think you'll enjoy the next one, too - the late afternoon/early evening light made it extra special!
DeleteThe name "How Hill" somehow rang a bell with me this time and reminded me of Aslan's How in the Narnia series (Prince Caspian Ch 7). This sent me off on a search, wondering if there was a connection. What I found was this piece of info:
ReplyDelete*When the Pevensie children return to Narnia in Prince Caspian they discover that a great amount of time has lapsed from their previous journeys. The place of Alsan’s sacrifice, and glorious resurrection, is covered over by earth and is referred to as “Aslan’s How.” A “how” is synonymous with the archeological term “tell,” which simply means a hill that covers up a previous spot of historical significance. The tell, or how, is itself a marker of the past, but it also obscures, or hides, the original point of interest.* link to source
Interesting, even if it does not reveal which particular "how" it may have been that inspired Lewis when writing the story. :)
Very interesting indeed, Monica, thank you! I wonder what the how of How Hill hides - it probably was a sacred place long before the first chapel was built. I've also read somewhere that it was considered particularly good for a pilgrimage because on a fine day, one was able to see three holy places at once from the top of the hill: Ripon Cathedral, York Minster and another important church I've forgotten.
DeleteAs I've not read all of the Narnia books in English (only two, I think), I was not aware of there being an "Aslan's How" in there.
It's a beautiful area I admit and, for me these days, a good one for walking but, there are no mountains! Without water and mountains my soul would wither.
ReplyDeleteI like both - mountains and water - but am so used to living in an area with "only" rivers for water and a few hills that I don't miss either.
DeleteThe beauty is just beyond words. Lucky people who actually live there!
ReplyDeleteMost of them really appreciate their surroundings, I think. At least I often hear Yorkshire people refer to their home as God's own county :-)
Delete