Yorkshire Dales, December 2017

Four of us stayed at Anvil Cottage west of Grewelthorpe, at Foulgate Farm on 16-19 December. The cottage provided us with superb accommodation - spacious, warm and comfortable and with great facilities, including a bath in our bedroom as well as the en-suite. The walk on the Saturday afternoon was across a very cold and icy Grewelthorpe Moor.

On the way back the hens met us, or should I say mobbed us, with a friendly welcome.

Sunday was warmer but it rained all day. We drove to the very attractive village of Grassington on the Yorkshire Dales path in Wharfedale and after a visit to the Linton Falls, hiked upriver then up and away from The Wharfe and around Grass Wood.

Monday was beautiful - sunny and warm all day. We walked into and through Grewelthorpe with its huge duck pond and across the fields into Hackfall Woods where we followed the course of the River Ure upstream. The beautiful deciduous woodland must be even more wonderful in Springtime. We detoured away from the river up to Mowbray Castle (a folly) which was a great spot for our picnic lunch.

Onwards and further upwards we went after lunch through the Swinton Estate and across the Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park - which is a botanical masterpiece and then back to Anvil Cottage in the late afternoon sun. We saw a few hares and one deer. We also saw a lot of pheasants being shot at!