Weekend in Low Bradley

Last evening pre supper drinks went on quite late and by the time we sat down to supper we were not as hungry as we might have been so it was probably a good job that Geoff had put the top of the cooker down.....this turns off the gas....so the jacket potatoes we still raw!!!

It had been an extremely hot day so it was wonderful to sit alongside the boat as the evening cooled down with convivial company

I had great plans for early Saturday morning......We were moored conveniently for me to black the side, and it was the side that had not been done this year.  We had borrowed a pair of small shears from Sunflower so Geoff's task was to cut back the grass for me.......he was really thrilled .....it had been too hot to do it on Friday evening so he also had an early morning job on Saturday.

By 9.30 all was completed and I could cook our usual Saturday cooked breakfast, the washing was done and hung out to dry and we were about to settle down for a lazy day when Rob came and offered us a lift to Bolton Abbey.   They were going on a 3 hour walk not too far away and would drop us off and pick us up a few hours later.    This was a great opportunity as I very much wanted to go and was determined that when we went back to Skipton that we would attempt the bus journey and get a taxi back.  Geoff was not all that keen but he could see that I was determined so agreed to accept their kind offer.   His vision of sitting doing nothing with the Saturday paper slowly receded!

I have to concede that it was extremely hot but it was well worth the visit.  I loved visiting the church again after 7 years, although I am not so sure I needed to do the Wellie Walk as it is called.   It is up hill and down dale, luckily mostly in the shade.......Geoff just wanted to prove that it was too hot for me.    However eventually I could walk no further so when he wanted to walk back to the pub for a pint he had to go on his own.   I found one of the ice cream vans and settled myself under a tree in the shade to eat an enormous ice cream cone.

Wonderful house in the grounds...presumably still a private home?

Ruins at the far end and restored chapel at the other end

The interior of the restored church

The River Wharfe runs through the grounds providing beaches for the families
The stepping stones are obviously fun but I preferred the bridge crossing

The car parks were very full but although the place was so busy, the grounds are so large that it did not feel overcrowded.

A fantastic facility for families in the area

A much earned rest after doing the Wellie Walk  (Wellies were not required)

Magnificent tombstones

Sunday we went to the local Church of St Marys.  The interior of this was not quite so impressive as Bolton Abbey, but we had a very warm welcome.   The church itself was not a typical Anglican Church as it had been a Methodist Church until the 1960's we understand. (Not verified)

For the second Sunday running the local pub was not serving Sunday Roast as they had an event on with BBQ etc.   However just under a mile walk back towards Skipton took us to the Bay Horse.  This was a chain of Vintage Inn's and served an excellent Roast Lunch which we enjoyed sitting outside alongside the canal.    It would have been even more perfect if the next table had not had a family of children who were running slightly amok much to Geoffrey's disapproval!

Tomorrow we shall probably head back towards Skipton.   We had rain in the night and a wind shift and a much needed drop in temperature.   A few showers today but luckily we did not get caught in any of them.