A BRITISH ADVENTURE-WINDSOR AND YORKSHIRE

After the fiasco with the criminals at the car rental, we drove a short distance to Manor Manor Cottage, our home for the next three nights.  We were greeted by our hosts, Richard and Jan who gave us the tour and got us settled in.  As some of you may have heard, the Queen died and as it turns out our B&B in Old Windsor is just down the road leading into Windsor Castle.  Being one of the Royal Family’s homes, and almost every British Citizen wants to pay their respects, many chose to use the road in front of  our B&B to get there.  It’s busy to say the least.  But not to worry as we are a stone’s throw from the Themes River where you can walk along it’s course, and many restaurants within walking distance.

We did walk to Windsor with the throngs of well wishers, and it was actually a good way to get past any lingering jet-lag.  It was impressive to see Britons of all ages making their way to the castle gate to leave flowers for the Queen.  The powers to be closed all the streets in Windsor to accommodate the thousands upon thousands making their way to the castle.

Our plan all along was not to spend time in and around London as we have been there done that.  So we headed North to Yorkshire to the small village of Crayke and Hazelwood Farm for the next 4 nights.  Netty the owner and I have stayed in touch since our first visit 9 years ago and it was good to catch up.  One of the benefits of making friends with Netty was to be invited into the inner sanctum and having dinner with Netty and her husband Eamon.  But we didn’t just hang around the B&B, but each day we ventured out exploring the North Sea Coast and countryside.  We managed to get in a couple of hikes, called walks here in the UK.  There is a completely different language here for geographic directions when one walks in the fields and mountains.  The following is from a blog post from a previous trip to England:

The Lake District, is also known as the Walking Capitol of the UK.  So, not being familiar with the area we rely on directions given to us either by the tourist office or in the case here in the Lake District, directions given to to us by our hosts David and Marilyn.  Now both of them are avid walkers and they are a wealth of knowledge about the area.  So we asked if they could suggest a 5 or 6 mile hike, oops, I mean walk, that we might enjoy. We soon learn that a glossary is needed to help decipher the directions.

So here's the directions to our first walk.  Walk on the track and go over the beck.  Turn right and make for for the bottom.  When you get to the second farmhouse, take the track that goes behind the barn to the trig point and keep going over the fell. You'll pass a lovely force, then climb the tor to the water.

Are you lost yet?  Well,  we were lost in the directions before we started walking.  So after learning what these terms mean, here is a glossary for future reference,  not in any particular order.

BRITISH WORD                                                          WHAT IT MEANS

Hill Climbing                                                                      Climbing big hills
Rambling                                                                           Walking
Walking                                                                             Hiking
Beck                                                                                  Stream
Bottom                                                                               Lower part of a Valley
Dell                                                                                    Valley
Glen                                                                                   Valley
Spout                                                                                 Waterfall
Force                                                                                 Waterfall
Trig Point                                                                            A concrete survey marker
Water                                                                                 Lake
Great Wood                                                                       Forest
Plantation                                                                            Forest or Tree Farm
Pike                                                                                    Sharp well defined peak or mountain
Fell                                                                                     Mountain or hill
Tor                                                                                     Hill
Pen                                                                                     Hill
How                                                                                   Hill

Naturally there might be some confusion with these terms, so in clarification a hill could be a mountain or a hill, it could be steep or not so steep, it might be tall or short but it all likely hood it is up hill from where you are standing.

Now that we’ve got the directions figured out, here are some photos of our walks in Yorkshire

ROBIN HOOD’S BAY

ROBIN HOOD’S BAY

THE CLEVELAND WAY 109 MILE NATIONAL TRAIL

RIEVAULX ABBY





We had made plans in 2018 to walk the Cleveland Way but the trip got cancelled due to a pilot strike at British Air.  So this time we decided to walk the beginning couple of miles and the same at the end.  The two sections are beautiful with the beginning crossing farmer’s fields and walking in forests and the ending on high bluffs above the North Sea.  We’ll have to go back and complete the entire 109 miles of the trail.

ABOVE FILEY BEACH

FILEY BEACH, THE END OF THE CLEVELAND WAY

One last little story for this post.  We were out to dinner and I thought I might order Fish and Chips at least once.  I said to Cathie that I hope they wren’t greasy like most that I have had.  The two ladies at the next table overheard me and chuckled, probably because they are always greasy.  Anyway, one of the ladies was probably our age and the other perhaps in her early 80’s.  We started up a conversation with them and it turns our they are mother and daughter.  The older of the two said they were there celebrating her 100th birthday.  After congratulating her, I asked her if a shot of whisky a night was her secret for her longevity. No, she said, it’s walking.  Maybe there’s hope for me yet.  When she left the restaurant, she walked out without a cane or any assistance from her daughter.