Monday 28 March 2011

A Day Out




Out to lunch yesterday at one of our favourite venues, The Black Swan Hotel in Ravenstonedale - it even sounds lovely, doesn't it? We met friends and spent two and a half hours of pleasant conversation and delicious meals as well.

Part of the pleasure of going for us is the lovely journey there; a journey of about thirty five miles through spectacular countryside. After leaving Wensleydale we drive along the side of the Mallerstang (a fell with a Viking name, as have many of the fells around here) and then turn across the high moor. There is little traffic on the ground and the traffic above consists mainly of lapwings, curlew and the odd skylark.

It was a sunny, hazy day with a sharp wind but the walk with Tess on the way there was lovely. The expression "Blue remembered hills" came to mind when I photographed the Mallerstang in the distance.

The white farmhouse looks splendid in its own little valley and, although it looks very isolated, it is only about a mile from the road to Kirby Stephen - a little market town.

On our walk we came aross two beautifully-preserved lime kilns. Lime has been used from the very earliest times, both as mortar for building and also to spread on the land. It always made sense to build the kilns near to where the limestone was located, so that stones didn't have to be transported. To find two so close together and in such good condition was exciting and looking at the surrounding totally empty countryside, it was easy to imagine men working in such conditions - wonderful in Summer, not so good in the depths of Winter.

13 comments:

Tom Stephenson said...

Nice landscape. When seen as a thumbnail, that lime-kiln looked to me like a semi-submerged alligator, and I wondered what else you had in the landscape up there.

Dartford Warbler said...

Beautiful. I always marvel at the craftsmanship and pure hard labour that went into the building of those lines of hillside dry stone walls.

steven said...

weaver when i see hills like those i want to walk them. steven

Heather said...

A beautiful landscape Pat, and Yorkshire looking it's best. I love the look of the remains of the kiln. Before we moved here I used to wait at the bus stop and listen to skylarks - such a lovely sound.

Gerry Snape said...

What a lovely journey and yesterday was bright though a bit chillier. Love your posts on the journeys!

Eryl said...

Your photographs are marvellous, not to mention educational, I'd never have known a lime-kiln I thought that was a little bridge.

MorningAJ said...

That is all so pretty! I love where I live these days but it lacks the drama of Yorkshire.
(homesick!)

Pondside said...

It's lovely to have another look at where you live and play. The white farmhouse shot is beautiful - I could weave a story around it!

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Oh, those glorious hills.
They do look blue, don't they?

Hildred said...

Beautiful photos of a perfect countryside, Weaver. Sounds like a lovely day out with friends.

PurestGreen said...

So dreamy. I love those stones. And now I wish I had my own kiln.

Rarelesserspotted said...

Lovely pictures of a lovely part of the world. Thanks for sharing. It's the name Mallerstang that I'm impressed with - conjures up all sorts.
X

Midlife Roadtripper said...

The Black Swan Hotel sounds like a lovely place. Your photos look pastoral. And green. Spring has arrived.