Wednesday 15 June 2016

Kirkby Lonsdale.

It is time for another outing to Kirkby Lonsdale with friend W today, to meet our friends P and D.
And then to have lunch in Avanti, a lovely little Italian restaurant where they allow dogs, so that W can take her Jack Russell terrier, Sophie with her.

We enjoy every little bit of the day.   The journey is lovely - over the top of the Pennines, past the Ribblehead Viaduct, down into Ingleton and then along the main road for five miles.  The company is first class (I have know P since he was twenty one and he is now sixty five) and we never run out of things to chat about, and the journey home by another route, round by Sedbergh, makes for variation in the scenery.

There is a very pretty bridge over the River Lune on the edge of the village.   It is a favourite spot for dare devils who like to jump off the bridge into the water below (depth can vary from two and a half metres to five metres during fairly normal conditions) and yet again a young man was badly injured on Sunday 'tombstoning'.  There is a by-law prohibiting it, but nobody takes a lot of notice of that in spite of the £500 fine.  In 2012 a young man died doing it and when others later on were told they just replied 'Yes, that's why we do it' - a rite of passage I suppose, but let's hope this young man recovers.

It is also a favourite spot for motor cyclists to gather on Sundays and there is a transport cafe which is very popular.   Luckily the spot is right on the edge of the town and far away from any of the amenities, so the crowds don't interfere with the town itself.

Here is the bridge - 14th century and very pretty.

18 comments:

Derek Faulkner said...

Sounds like a beautiful day out in superb countryside, one of the benefits I imagine, of having to endure the winters that you do.
I wonder, will the injured lad be slapped with the £500 fine when he recovers.

Frances said...

Your days sounds so pleasant, with dear friends, delicious food, and beautiful country to drive through. Thank you for showing us the 14th century bridge. So many lives must have been connected to that bridge, one way or another.

Hoping the most recent would-be daredevil recovers.

xo

Mac n' Janet said...

No accounting for young men, they'll find something to do that they shouldn't. That never changes. What a gorgeous little bridge.

Wilma said...

A nice day! What is "tombstoning"?

Derek Faulkner said...

Wilma, it is a dangerous activity where teenagers,etc. jump from a high point such as a cliff edge, rock ledge or bridge, into the water below. Sometimes there is no certainty of how deep the water is, or if there are unseen underwater rocks, and severe or fatal accidents sometimes happen.

Heather said...

A lovely day out and it looks as if the weather was kind. I love our medieval bridges - they could tell us a few stories. I wonder why teenagers do such foolish things when they could be crippled, paralysed or worse. I suppose they don't want to appear 'chicken' in front of their friends. I hope the injured lad makes a good recovery.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Lovely day out with sunshine all the way, delicious food and the company of friends. What's not to like. Thanks for calling.

angryparsnip said...

What a lovely bridge and a day out.
I love every time your mention Kirby Lonsdale. My first Scotty was named Kirby
but not after the town but the vacuum ( everything on the floor was hers) and the video game.

cheers, parsnip and thehamish

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

Low water in that river and a diver is asking for trouble. I'll wager men have been jumping in as long as that bridge has been there!

Fairtrader said...

Dear Weaver!!
So many pleasant and nice posts to read here!! You are keeping busy, I am glad that there can be quiet and pleasant days for a farmers wife and the farmer. Good, old friends and a beautiful setting is a good start for the rest of your life. Good food is not to be forgotten, you really got that right. Its sad to hear you have to give up vegetables, but around here we have several farmers selling their crops alongside the road. If you have options that you can feel comfortable with, its good. He does look good on that piece of machinery, doing a great job for future days!!! Thank you for all this nice reading!!!!!!
I'll be back with more posts when I've got myself a new charger and that group of teenagers have their churchweeks over and done with and the Confirmationservice have been celebrated in good fashion.

Terry and Linda said...

A very pretty bridge! I'm so glad the bridge is still there, in good shape, and you are allowed to use it!

Linda

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Have you still got the woollen "cossie" you used to wear on Skegness beach? There's no reason why a spirited woman of eighty plus shouldn't have a go at tombstoning from that bridge. With sponsorship you could raise a lot of money for your favourite charity. I hereby pledge £5.

Pondside said...

What a pretty drive it must have been.
Kids are the same the world over. There are cliffs into a small lake nearby and every year someone - nearly always a young man - dies jumping.

Cro Magnon said...

No leaves on the trees so I imagine it's an old photo of the bridge. I always like to think of the people who built these beautiful things. Such craftsmanship without all the technology.

Librarian said...

The drive sounds wonderful, and so does everything else about the day! Ribblehead Viaduct is one place rather high on my list of places in Yorkshire I really want to see. Maybe this year!

Helsie said...

Seems young men all over the world do foolish things. I always used to say to despairing parents of boys that they all turned into fine young men around 25...the problem was ensuring they survived that long !

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for the comments everyone. If I hear any update on the young man's conition I will post it on my blog.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Such a beautiful area. I've decided that Great Britain is the prettiest country in the whole world, and with such lovely old houses and bridges. Your day out sounds wonderful.