A weekend Escape The dales day 1

I haven’t posted to this blog for a long time because I am so slow getting around to photo editing and often its has seem a bit late to post about a trip that happened months ago. Any way this post is about a weekend at the end of last month, my Mum went into respite and I had 3 nights booked in the Yorkshire Dales. Had last been there a few weeks before just after Easter that trip nearly didn’t happen as the pub we usually stay had changed hands and our booking was cancelled. But luckily we tried the next pub down the road. They said they could give us a bed without the breakfast as they had only just moved in a few days earlier and the pub had just about been gutted. They did us proud under difficult circumstances so we booked there for this trip.

At 4am the morning we were due to leave the respite home called to say Mum had fallen getting out of bed and was in A&E and they would ring me when they knew anything more. Needless to say I didn't get back to sleep and at 7am found she had broken her wrist. The home we insistent Mum was fine and for my still go ahead with my plans. So still a bit bleary eyed I set of to the Richard iii in Middleham.

Didn’t want to drive far so set of to West Burton to the waterfall there. Got down close to it and my tripod up only to find I the tripod mount I had on my camera was for my other tripod. So had to handhold.

This first image was taken with an old Olympus compact camera which has been adapted to take infrared photos, thought with all the green around would make an ideal subject.

this was taken with my Pentax K5

The green in West Burton taken when we stopped in the Fox and Hounds for a quick coffee and a slice of barra brith.

Then on to Aysgarth falls.

Have often passed this AA box on the way to Aysgarth thought it about time I stopped there.

The weather was perhaps the best we had had all year and it was a Bank Holiday weekend and the car park at Aysgarth was full but we managed to squeeze in. Walking down to the upper falls found lots of families enjoying the sunshine.

 

 

The next stop was Wensley another village often passed through but seldom stopped at. First off stopped at the Three horseshoes for a drink. Nice sat outside in the Sun. Then a walk down to the church. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Trinity_Church,_Wensley

 

We then went back to the Richard iii. The last time we were there, they had no kitchen so we had to venture out for food. This time they had a full menu on offer. I had the Shepherds Pie and wasn’t disappointed. But being a bit of a light weight (and having been up since 4am) I disappeared to bed at 10pm.

A trip away to the Dales part 4

This was the homeward journey but as we had to pass Jervaulx Abbey had to stop for a wander around. Its a fabulous place peaceful even at is busiest times, you can always find a quite corner. Less formal than Fountains Abbey and Bolton Abbey, it has a relaxed charm about it, Not as clinical as the other Abbeys mentioned, the ruins have wild flowers growing in the walls.

This time around didn’t take too many photos, the ones I did take were for stock to use in future montage. I intend to go back if and when spring finally kicks in and more wild flowers are out.

Here are a few of the photos.

 

A trip away to the Dales part 3

After going to Ribblehead and then going for a drive (including Buttertubs pass) we decided to go to Kettlewell through Coverdale. It was only the weekend before when the road was closed due to snow. The road through Coverdale was clear of snow apart from the highest parts even then it didn’t cover the road was just piled at the side of road. The Buttertubs pass the day before had more snow close to the road and a small stretch that had snow on the road which was slushy and slippy.

 

Today was mainly a drive around from Kettlewell we headed out towards Malham only to find it very busy so just drove up for a quick look at Malham cove from the road.

Back then to Kirby Malham a look around the church.

After that headed back, calling at Grassington for some lunch and then on for another drive around. Calling at Hubberholme. Shortly after I had got interested in Photography again I was in Hubberholme at the back of the “George” and spotted a load of sheep among the large rocks in a stream could see a possible photo there but was unable to get anything good. I walked past this stream bed and thought it would have been good if the sheep had been there but not a sheep in sight. Wasn’t as many rocks as I had remembered either. So off I went across the bridge and up the path behind the church. The idea was to get some images I could experiment with “tilt shift” techniques in Photoshop. As I came back intended to look around the church I looked across the bridge and saw sheep been herded into the area of the stream bed. A lot more than the last time, this time closer together but liked the pastel coloured markings on them.

 

Onwards for another drive around going back to base the long way around.

Passed a few smaller waterfalls on former visits this time pulled up, this sheep decided to use the top to cross the stream.

Was really a long way back, stopped at Castle Bolton for a short while.

Back in Middleham had a walk around while waiting for it to be time to go eat sun was going down.

A trip away to the Dales part 2

A short walk up to Blea Moor was planned for today. The object was to get some photo’s of a house up there that I had seen on another trip. This house looked as if it was empty and run down but in the top window were some old dolls. They reminded me of something from “Psycho ” The house pics would be in this blog as not much on there own but will be part of a montage.
The day was clear and dry as we set of towards Ribblehead, very cold though but the upside was there was still some snow around so the photos of scenes I had used before looked a little different.

View of Ingleborough from the road to the Ribblehead viaduct.

An old building on the side of the same road.

freight train on the viaduct with a glimpse of Ingleborough.

Another view of ingleborough.
  The signal box at Blea Moor a lot of junk about around here and I found it impossible to get a shot of signal box with Inglebourgh in the background with out the junk or the rundown building.
From there went on to the cafe at the White Scar Caves for some lunch. Then on to Chapel-le-dale which is a same Hamlet near by.
St Leonards' church where some of the men who built the settle to Carlisle railway are remembered
with a plaque.

A trip away to the Dales part 1

After staying in the Black Swan in Middleham for the last few years, I was upset to receive an email to say my booking had been cancelled as the pub had closed. I was sorry to see the people who had run it go as they had treated us well there and we had got some good deals from them. I understand they have moved on to another venture. Any way to cut a long story short we managed to get a room in the Richard III, they had just moved in and could offer us room only but the room was clean and they did us proud. After dumping our stuff went for a drive around stopping in Leyburn for lunch then a trip to Hawes.
Not many photos from the first day.
 
A view between Leyburn and Hawes.

The back of the rope works in Hawes

A window in the Dales centre in Hawes or what ever the place is called its where the old railway station was and there is now a car park and visitors centre.

This waterfall is in the town

Q

Just before Christmas I managed to get hold of a pentax Q for a good price. This isn’t to replace my “big” Pentax K5 but to use along side. Its a dinky little thing and feels great to handle. The day it arrived I was at work and became really giddy when I got home only to find I couldn't take it to work the next day to have a play in my break because the lens which was arriving separately hadn’t arrived. It was waiting at home when I got in. I had a trip over to see my twin grand daughters and tried a couple of shots of them were ok but not good. Took it out that evening to the works end of term meal and again didn't do a great job. For a brief time I thought perhaps I had wasted my money and would get anything good. Hadn’t chance untill this week to give it another go. This time I’d had chance to check the controls out.

Had to go down into town so just went armed with the Q

 

Through the Churchyard and then the Market

and on to the river.

After that I had to take my car for a tyre and had a 20 min wait so took the Q up near the old A1 a lot of frost around.

All in all I’m begining to like the Q and looking forward to playing some more.

Link to all images.

Bilton Church

Stopped here at the beginning of week to capture the little amount of snow we had then, decided to see how I would get on just using my 35mm prime lens.

Struggled a bit as lens not as wide as I’m used to using .

So I ended up cheating and put a wider lens on.