8 Comments CherryPie on Jun 16th 2010
The weather was still rather inclement but I braved the elements and walked the final part of the Town Walls, which started quite close to the hotel. This stretch finished in just the right place to take in the museum gardens before visiting York Minster. After going round the minster it was time for lunch and I couldn’t visit York without going in Bettys at least once. I was tempted by the afternoon tea plate but I decided to err on the side of caution and elected instead to have one of their Fat Rascals which are served warm with butter. For those who have never had one, they are similar to a scone and rather large but absolutely delicious.
After lunch it was time to make the second attempt to visit the castle museum. I found it rather disappointing compared to the last time I visited. Some of the best exhibits seemed to have gone and part of it was still being refurbished.
After freshening up in the hotel it was time for dinner in The Blue Bicycle and it was easily the best meal of the week (more on that later). I was then dragged into a pub that stated it was one of the oldest and most haunted pubs in York! It was empty, maybe the ghosts had scared everyone away? Pub choice number two was much more lively and friendly and they were serving taster beers on a tray of three, in third of a pint glasses. I have not seen that done before, but it seemed very popular.
18 Comments CherryPie on Jun 15th 2010
The weather was looking decidedly dodgy so the weather forecast had to be studied closely in order to visit that stately home and garden that I had promised myself. From the list of possibilities the one with the least likelihood of rain was Burton Agnes Hall. The journey there was lovely and the rain stayed away during the visit, lunch was tasty but the counter service was a bit chaotic.
I really enjoyed the garden. It is one of the best I have visited and the house was really interesting too. It is still lived in by the family and has never been up for public sale since it was built in 1173. The family living there has changed from time to time over the years due to the female line sometimes inheriting the home. It is now owned and managed by a charitable trust. The original manor house is situated next door and managed by English Heritage.
I was persuaded that it would be a good idea to visit Bridlington for some fish and chips. It was only when I got there that I remembered I wasn’t that fond of Bridlington, especially in the rain! This meant another quick change of plan and a return to York where a good evening meal was had in The Olive Tree which was vaguely Mediterranean in style. I had sea bass followed by Amaretto sponge. Mmmm!
I almost forgot to mention that on the journey to Burton Agnes I got stuck behind very slow traffic. So when I spotted a sign to Bishop Wilton church, which said it was of interest I decided to do a detour. It was a very interesting church and the minister arrived and turned on the lights to show off the most interesting features and give a little bit of history of the church and surrounding area. He mentioned that the painted stars on the ceiling were made of solid lead and that two of them had fallen off. He produced them and they weighed quite heavy. He then mentioned that one had fallen right by the pulpit!!! But I suppose the pulpit is quite close to the organ and it’s vibrations…
6 Comments CherryPie on Jun 14th 2010
Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.
Richard Bach
10 Comments CherryPie on Jun 13th 2010
The plan was to visit Newby Hall and Gardens but by the time I had driven there it was a few minutes to early to go in so I drove on to Ripon because it was almost time for a mid morning cuppa. I was tempted by a rather colourful display of cup cakes in one of the teashop windows and just had to go in. Along with my tea and cup cake I was given a copy of the Times to read, I must have looked a bit more intellectual than the other customers.
Whilst in the tea shop the mizzle had now turned to torrential rain, so a quick change of plan was in order and I headed back to York in order to visit the Castle Museum. I can’t say the journey back was very pleasant because it was too rainy to see the scenery. I dropped the car back off at the hotel and rather than walk all the way into town decided to have lunch in the Castle Museum. Unfortunately the cafe was closed due to the refurbishment that is taking place in the museum. Next stop was the National Trust cafe whose kitchens were closed due to an art exhibition that was taking place there. Do you detect a theme here? Eventually a suitable place for lunch was found, although I declined on the food front (I was still full of cake) and just had a cup of tea.
By this time it had mostly stopped raining and because the castle museum was on the opposite side of town by now we were onto plan C of things to do. This turned out to be walking around two segments of the town walls and visiting Clifford’s Tower. Those of you who know York well will know that by this time I was back by the Castle Museum, but a visit there was saved for another day… It was the day of the carnival and it was nice just to soak up the atmosphere in town before going back to the hotel for dinner.
8 Comments CherryPie on Jun 13th 2010
It proved rather difficult to get a good nights sleep before the long drive to York, because it was the night of many noises:
- A house alarm going off continually which is against current regulations.
- A car engine running just outside the window for quite some time.
- Accompanying the car engine were two people having a very loud discussion.
- The tumble dryer was switched on in the early hours of the morning and it sounded very loud at that time of night.
- The morning chorus (I quite liked that one
)
- The heating kicking in very noisily.
So all in all it wasn’t a very relaxing night. The journey itself wasn’t too bad although the SatNav lost the road at one point causing the co-pilot to start arguing with it!!
On arrival at the hotel in the early afternoon the weather was glorious, so I abandoned my suitcase in the room and went for a wander around York, after which it was time for a nice relaxing soak in the bath followed by an evening meal in the hotel. After dinner it was warm enough to sit outside and enjoy the atmosphere whilst watching the sun set.
14 Comments CherryPie on Jun 12th 2010
One of the places I visited during my long weekend was Burton Agnes Hall. The hall has a very fine garden which is one of the best I have visited. I will be posting on both the hall and the garden more fully in due course, but for now meet Agnes (the 2nd).
Whilst designing the garden, the owners of the hall decided that a water feature would enhance one of the garden rooms. They approached a local lead-worker and fountain maker (David Marston) to see if he could make a water feature for the garden:
We thought it would be nice to have an animal – possibly a crocodile – but it would look rather silly squirting water – and then suddenly it was obvious which animal squirts water – an elephant. I went back to see Mr. Marston with an elephant ornament which was the design we wanted and he duly made one for us. We then had to make a small pond for her (she was called Agnes) to squirt water into. she arrived, was fixed to a stone slab and squirted away happily for the rest of the summer. Sadly the following winter during a windy December evening she was stolen. *
Thankfully David was able to replace Agnes the 1st and provide her with suitable metal poles in the base of her feet so she could be firmly grounded.
Underneath Agnes’ trunk in the first picture you may just be able to make out a tap above the pool. Closer inspection (see the second photo) reveals that the tap is a little unusual.
For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.
*Information from The making of a new Elizabethan Garden by Susan Cunliffe-Lister
26 Comments CherryPie on Jun 11th 2010
