North East
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Visiting Thorp Perrow Arboretum in the Yorkshire Dales
I’ve always enjoyed woodland walks and when it was suggested that we visit an arboretum I was eager to explore Thorp Perrow Arboretum, which boasts one of the largest collections of trees and shrubs in the north of England. These include the national collection of Ash, Lime, Laburnum, Walnut and Cotinus. The Arboretum is located…
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Visiting Knaresborough & Mother Shipton’s Cave
Although we are frequent visitors to the spa town of Harrogate it’s awhile since we visited the attractive North Yorkshire market town of Knaresborough yet it’s only 4 miles from there. We had come to visit Mother Shipton’s Cave, England’s oldest paying visitor attraction which has been open to the public since 1630. Admission is…
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Exploring Bingley Five Rise Locks in West Yorkshire
We decided to visit Bingley to view the famous Five Rise Lock staircase on the Leeds Liverpool canal, which is the steepest in Britain. Bingley is located in West Yorkshire and can be accessed by train as Bingley is on the Airedale Line with regular services from Leeds and Bradford. The Locks are approximately half…
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Guide to visiting the National Science & Media Museum, Bradford
After enjoying our visit to MediaCityUK in Salford we decided it was time to take a look around the National Science and Media Museum based in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The museum is devoted to Film, Photography and Television and the science of light and sound, which is part of the National Science group. The museum is…
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A Short Break in Clapham, North Yorkshire: A Complete Guide
We decided to spend a couple of days in Clapham, located just off the A65 in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. After the previous day’s sunshine we were disappointed to be setting off in heavy rain but were hopeful that the weather would improve as we neared our destination. Our first stop was to the…
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Guide to visiting Ingleborough Cave, Clapham, North Yorkshire
Our four poster bed was so comfortable at the New Inn that I could have slept in longer if it wasn’t for the lovely view of Clapham Beck from the bedroom window along with a glimpse of early morning sunshine. Breakfast was served in the hotel’s bistro where we found a varied selection of fruit,…
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Bolton Abbey, Wharfedale – a winter break
The Yorkshire Dales offers some beautiful scenery and walking trails so we packed our walking boots and set off bright and early one late January morning for an overnight visit. We decided to stay in Bolton Abbey nestled in the heart of Wharfedale. It’s a picturesque village located between Skipton and Harrogate in North Yorkshire.…
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Bolton Abbey Estate Guide: What to See, Walks & Parking
It was such a peaceful start to the day, being able to wake gently and admire the countryside views as we pulled back the curtains. Breakfast was served in the conservatory which was bathed in sunlight as we took our seats. We helped ourselves to some cheese, fruit and yogurt and then chose hot dishes…
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Marks & Spencer Company Archive on the Leeds Heritage Trail
Michael Marks, a Russian born Polish refugee, opened his first penny bazaar in a covered arcade in Leeds in 1884. His slogan was ‘Don’t ask the price, it’s a penny’ and after successful trading, went into partnership ten years later with Tom Spencer, creating the beginnings of the company we know today. To celebrate the…
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The Shipley Glen Cable Tramway: Visitor Guide & History
One weekend we decided to travel to Saltaire to take a ride on the oldest functioning funicular railway in the United Kingdom. Getting there by public transport was relatively easy, Saltaire having a railway station on the Airedale line with links to Leeds, Bradford and Skipton. Leaving the station by a short flight of stone…
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Harewood House at Christmas
As we’d recently had the pleasure of viewing the exquisite toys and dolls on display at the Ilkley Toy Museum we couldn’t resist the temptation of seeing them once again whilst they were on loan to Harewood House. Harewood is a stately home in North Yorkshire, located mid way between Harrogate and Leeds and it’s…
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RHS Harlow Carr Glow Winter Illuminations
What better way to lift our spirits on a dark, damp evening than with a visit to the RHS Garden Harlow Carr to view their Glow Illuminations. It’s the first year that lights have been installed in the gardens, and as we have visited Harlow Carr on numerous occasions in daylight we were eager to…
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The Ilkley Toy Museum
Tucked away on a side street yet only a few minutes walk from Ilkley railway station stands the Ilkley Toy Museum. This hidden gem has been located in a former Sunday School building in the attractive small West Yorkshire town of Ilkley for the past 16 years. The museum contains one of the finest private collections…
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Visiting Ripley Castle and Village: Travel Guide for a Perfect Day Out
My friend suggested a drive out into the Yorkshire countryside and a visit to Ripley Castle. Ripley is situated 3 miles north of Harrogate. It is also the preferred starting point of a 53 mile circular walking trail known as ‘The Nidderdale Way’ which passes through some delightful Yorkshire beauty spots including Brimham Rocks. We…
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How to spend a day in Sheffield
It’s been at least 15 years since I last visited Sheffield so it was time to return to see how the city centre has changed. We travelled by train arriving into Sheffield station late morning. The concourse seemed bright and airy leading out onto Sheaf Square, a pedestrianised plaza featuring a cascading water wall and…
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RHS Harlow Carr Garden in Harrogate – What to See and Do
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Harlow Carr Garden is one of four public gardens run by the RHS and is located one and a half miles from the centre of Harrogate, North Yorkshire. We arrived by car, with ample free parking available. On a previous visit we walked from the town centre which is a lovely…
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Goddards York – the home of chocolate
Located by the side of York racecourse stands a home with a chocolate heritage. The house is the former home of Noel Goddard Terry, the grandson of Sir Joseph Terry the founder of the famous chocolate factory Terry’s of York. How many of you have had the pleasure of tapping open a Terry’s Chocolate Orange,…
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Discovering Waterside Leeds: Explore the City’s Revitalised Waterfront
I’d heard that there was more to Leeds than city centre shopping so one sunny morning I took the train there to have a look around. Leeds is located in West Yorkshire and is only a two and a quarter hour rail journey from London King’s Cross station. Instead of leaving Leeds Railway Station from…
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National Railway Museum York – Explore Britain’s Iconic Locomotives
Doesn’t everyone love a steam train – we certainly do, and when an opportunity arose to visit the National Rail Museum in York, we were thrilled! The museum is located behind York’s railway station, just cross the footbridge over all the platforms and you will see the museum on leaving the station. A large car park is…
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A winter’s day in Malham – a scenic walk and a cosy pub lunch
Boxing Day walks are popular to work off the excesses of Christmas Day but as we entertained family visitors then, our bracing walk took place the following day. Setting off from home towards the Yorkshire Dales National Park it was a bright morning but as we approached Gargrave we encountered fog which made driving difficult…
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An afternoon in York on my way to Edinburgh
On my way north to Edinburgh for a pre Christmas weekend away with one of my sons, I decided to spend the afternoon in York as that was where I needed to change trains. I hadn’t visited this historic northern city for several months so on this bright but chilly afternoon I started with a…
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How to Enjoy an Autumn Stroll Around Burley-in-Wharfedale
Burley-in-Wharfedale is a village situated in the beautiful Wharfedale valley in West Yorkshire. It’s located eleven miles north west of Leeds and two miles from the market town of Otley. I arrived by train as Northern run regular services on the Wharfedale Line from both Leeds and Bradford, the journey taking around 25 minutes. The…
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Ilkley Street Circuit Cycling Evening Review: What to Expect and Highlights
An evening of town centre cycle racing first took place in Ilkley in 2014 as part of a festival of cycling prior to the Tour de France cycle race passing through the town. The evening was a such a huge success it was decided to make it an annual event in the town. There are…
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Guide to a Day at Beningbrough Hall, York: History and Gardens
This year Beningbrough is celebrating its 300th anniversary, it’s an 18th century Italian styled country house and we thought it might be a good opportunity to visit. Located 8 miles north of York just outside the village of Beningbrough we found ample parking on the day of our visit. The inspiration for Beningbrough Hall originated…