Sunday 20 March 2016

Sunday lunch


Dare I tell you that we have been out for lunch again today.   Because I had a win on the Premium Bonds this month I treated the farmer to lunch today in the CB Hotel in Arkengarthdale.

It was a lovely sunny morning and driving there really does make you realise just how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful area.  We went up onto our grouse moor to start the journey through Swaledale and over to Arkengarthdale in the distance.
There is a deep gap between the foreground and the background in this shot - the foreground is still in Wensleydale, the River Swale flows through in the gap and the far side is Swaledale.   As I took this shot two grouse flew in front of me making their whirring noise.  There are so many grouse around this year - it must be a good year for them in spite of the wet weather.

We drove down off the moor, over the River Swale and up into the little town of Reeth - the only town in Swaledale (unless you are one of those who argue that Richmond is in Swaledale).   So many folk start their walks in Reeth that on Saturdays and Sundays the green is full of cars from early in the day.   It is a poor photograph, taken from the moving car.
Turning right here off the green and into Arkengarthdale, we go onto another grouse moor, this one even wilder than the last.   If we continued along this road we would eventually come to The Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in England.   But we weren't going that far.  A couple of miles through the moors, looking over to our right, lies the little hamlet of Booze.  (at one election a few years ago some crazy idiot from some fringe party decided to stand as a candidate against William Hague - at that time our M P - and I remember that he spent the whole of election day sitting out in Booze in an armchair.  (Why do elections always spawn some nuts?)
You see that there are only one or two houses there.

And so the drive down into the village of Langthwaite - the entrance to Arkengarthdale (like all our dales it is named after the watercourse - in this case the Arkle Beck.)
Nearly there now, just up the hill and there is the CB Hotel at the top.   A table was booked for 12.30 and we were there in plenty of time.   Interestingly, directly opposite the hotel is the house where for many years before his death Sir Tommy Sopwith(of Sopwith Camel fame) lived. 

 Once inside the hotel our table was ready and we sat down to a lunch of honey roast ham with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, broccoli and carrots, followed by chocolate brownie and ice cream.

It really is the most attractive hotel.  I took a shot inside of our table and the farmer perusing the menu.
As we were waiting for our food to come a song thrush serenaded us from a tree just outside the window.   He sang all the way through the meal and was still singing joyfully as drove away.   Beautiful.Incidentally,  if you would like to see a wonderful video of a song thrush go to Midmarsh Jottings on my side bar (John)
because he has made the most superb video of one in his garden.

We are now home, don't need any tea, so settling down for the evening having had a lovely day.

16 comments:

angryparsnip said...

Thank You so much for the photos of your drive.
The village with the rock walls looks charming.
Sounds like a wonderful day.

cheers, parsnip

donna baker said...

Oh Pat, all those moors, becks and dales - foreign terms where I live, but do conjure such beautiful vistas. What a grand day and a thrush singing throughout. A charmed day.

Heather said...

A perfect day to enjoy that lovely drive through such beautiful countryside. The villages are so pretty and the hotel looked very friendly and inviting. Lunch sounded delicious.

Joanne Noragon said...

It is an attractive hotel!Beautiful drive, and another trip through the wonderful lexicon of your countryside. And then, the Sopwith Camel. Great pictures and images.

Dawn said...

A lovely journey with fantastic views, do they burn the heather off on the moor, they were burning ovr on our moor last week, must take some photos of it, well done on your win glad to hear you both had a treat from it :-)

Derek Faulkner said...

Superb countryside Pat, with the added bonus of historical facts and a rare photo of The Farmer.
Can't believe that you go out for so many meals each week, are you getting rid of your cooker.

Rachel Phillips said...

No gravy with the Yorkshire puddings. Ham is rather strange to me.

Gwil W said...

I always enjoy your moorland car journey photos. The wide moors have a mystical quality when the sun and clouds pattern the landscape.

Pondside said...

A drive, spectacular scenery, a first-rate lunch AND a serenade. You are spoiled, Pat!!

Wilma said...

Lovely Sunday drive.

Penny said...

Lovely photos of your drive. Thank you.

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

It's so bleakly beautiful on the dales, and then with these postcard villages

Mac n' Janet said...

What a beautiful drive and then topped off with a tasty lunch, it doesn't get much better than that.

Librarian said...

Great pictures of great landscape! The hotel looks a nice cosy place to eat. A nice way to celebrate your win!

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

What a beautiful part of the world you live in. I really enjoyed looking at your pictures and imagining being there. -Jenn

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks everyone for calling in. And no Derek, the old Aga sits there ticking over, ready to cook something at a minute's notice. Have cooked lunch in it today - roasted cod with spring greens, cauliflower cheese and carrots and potatoes - followed by rhubarb and custard.