Back to the UK after 50 years

[OZDUCK]

And speaking of Rowntree - a local lad made good.





Clifford's Tower

Clifford's Tower: History of York

The Shambles by day - crowded like normal










The back view








We had a very nice shared lunch at Mannion & Co with some interesting drinks



That night my wife was under the weather and didn't want an evening meal so I decided to try a Five Guys Burger. We had been walking past their various outlets for a number of years and never been inside and I should have maintained that practice. I average about one takeaway burger a year or two. On the plus side there were free peanuts in their shells and 'endless' drink top-ups - even though half the dispensers were empty.

Better than a McDonald's - not a high bar to reach - but not much better. The bun was very blah and the meat pretty tasteless.

 

[OZDUCK]

My wife always likes to follow some local trail - the hunt for bronze mice in the Eckhart in the City Scavenger Hunt in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island in Canada, the gnomes/dwarves of Wroclaw etc. In York it was for statuary cats. We didn't do as well here as we normally do. I think we were just so tired by this stage of our trip.

York Cat Trail Map | Free Self-Guided Cat Walk

Follow the York Cat Trail - a quirky, free walking tour hunting down cat sculptures across York’s streets, riverside and historic buildings

www.yorkluckycats.co.uk

There were more cat related shops





One evening we went to the Museum Gardens at dusk - just before the gates were locked





We were amazed at how bold the numerous squirrels were

The remains of St Mary's Abbey destroyed during the during the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII





There were still some nice blooms around



The wire 'statues' were part of a ghost in the gardens festival.





And speaking of ghosts. There were plenty of ghost tours all round York - to which I can only say pshaw!

 

[OZDUCK]

While we were in York we met up with two other attendees of the Cambridge reunion who live in Hannover. They had hired a car and were in York for a couple of days before heading further north. They offered to take us for a day trip to several places near York.

He and my wife are related through two brothers who were born in Ulm in the mid 18th Century. My wife's ancestor sailed to Malacca with the Dutch East India Company in 1789 while his stayed in Germany. He organised the previous family reunion in Berlin 2022. Actually it was organised several times as it was due to happen in 2020 and we had already done our bookings when 'something' happened. The last time we had seen them before Cambridge was when we spent several days together in Nuremberg in December 2023 to visit the Christmas Markets and a few other spots.



The first stop was at Castle Howard which was built over a long period of time - 1699 to1811. The original design was by the famous architect Sir Jon Vanbrugh. It has been featured in many movies and TV Shows like Brideshead Revisited, Barry Lyndon and Bridgerton.

Castle Howard - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Castle Howard House and Gardens - A Place Like No Other

www.castlehoward.co.uk

A scene from Bridgerton



and Bridesheads Revisited - complete with Teddy Bear






The Earl of Carlisle was a owner of Castle Howard during the 19th C. The monument was completed in 1869.

Monument to the 7th Earl of Carlisle - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Coming up the driveway with the Castle Howard Obelisk (1702) in view -

The Obelisk, Castle Howard - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

We parked nearby the Stable Block which now houses the Entrance, Farm Shop and a cafe



We had some tea and scones at the café later on



The was a free shuttle to the main house



The formal entrance - we of course didn't enter through there





The reverse view



First few steps inside

 

[OZDUCK]

The tour continued. We got there shortly after opening time so it was not crowded.



Some of the rooms - many have been restored fairly recently

















Obviously not decorated by someone who believed in the 'less is more' ethos

 

[OZDUCK]

Into the Great Hall - 21 metres high. Almost completely destroyed by a fire in 1940 and now beautifully restored

 

[OZDUCK]

Moving on



The view from the rear



The Long Gallery - completed in 1801 - 1811. The floorboards were very creaky





We even got a little bit of Clair de Lune by Debussey played for us. Please ignore my heavy breathing I have a bad habit of gritting my teeth tightly and not controlling my breathing when taking a video on my phone.

Looking the other way

 

[OZDUCK]

The Chapel - "The Chapel is part of the mid-18thcentury west wing of the House and was originally intended to be a dining room.

In the 1870s it was radically altered with the floor being lowered and the entrance changed. It was redecorated in the pre-Raphaelite style and boasts impressive William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones designs. Today it continues to be used for occasional services, evensong and organ practice."

The Chapel and Prayer

www.castlehoward.co.uk

Some information about William Morris and his connection to Castle Howard








And of course The Gift Shop - somewhat pricey

 

[OZDUCK]

Moving outside

The Atlas Fountain 1853

Atlas Fountain

www.castlehoward.co.uk

The back view of the main house











Looking toward The Pyramid, built in 1728.

The Pyramid, Castle Howard - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Mausoleum - still the private burial place of the Howard family. Built 1726 - 1729. Speaking of burials there was an amusing tidbit that I ran across during the tour. One of the information panels pointed out that while the Howard family had few great achievements in their name they were always awfully good at annoying the Tudors. It mentioned Catherine Howard the fifth wife of Henry V111 executed in 1541 when aged around 18/19, Henry Howard, Duke of Surrey executed in 1547 also by Henry V111 ( His father was also due to be beheaded but was saved when Henry died the night before his execution date) and Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk executed in 1572 during Elizabeth 1's reign. Anne Boleyn was also a niece of the family.

The Howard Family: Power, Queens & Treason in Tudor England - Renaissance English History Podcast

The Howard family was one of the most powerful and enduring dynasties in English history, rising from Norfolk gentry to become dukes, queens, poets...

www.englandcast.com

The Mausoleum, Castle Howard - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[OZDUCK]

Of into the Walled Garden. There was a still a nice display of blooms.

















Social distancing in the garden



The dome of the main house looming over the garden walls













And the end of the tour

 

[drron]

Was nice to see a wheelchair user in one of your photos. The UK is often disability friendly. When we went Mrsdrron was in a moon boot. She had to pay admission but I as her carer was free. There is a lift she was taken and they then had downstairs and upstairs wheelchairs.

 

[OZDUCK]

Then we headed off to Rievaulx Abbey - "Rievaulx Abbey, founded in 1132, was the first Cistercian abbey to be established in the north of England. It quickly became one of the most powerful and spiritually renowned centres of monasticism in Britain, housing a 650-strong community at its peak in the 1160s under its most famous abbot, Aelred. The monastery was suppressed in 1538, but the spectacular abbey ruins became a popular subject for Romantic artists in the 18th and 19th centuries." We apparently visited it in 1976/7 but I have no memory of doing so. But we did visit 4 or 5 ruined abbeys in the space of a couple of days - including Fountains Abbey.

We did encounter some of the relentless 'money grubbing' that seems to affect a lot of the UK these days. The ruins are basically in the middle of nowhere but English Heritage charged something like £4 to park there . Then our driver went into pay and was charged about £8 more than he expected. When he asked about this he was told that it was a donation. Being a sensible German he quickly told them what they could do with their donation. Apparently there have lots of controversy over savage entry fee rises and so forth over the last few years.

Rievaulx Abbey - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Rievaulx Abbey

England’s most majestic and complete abbey ruins in a lovely wooded valley.

www.english-heritage.org.uk

A small piece of flooring

 

[OZDUCK]

Was nice to see a wheelchair user in one of your photos. The UK is often disability friendly. When we went Mrsdrron was in a moon boot. She had to pay admission but I as her carer was free. There is a lift she was taken and they then had downstairs and upstairs wheelchairs.

I did notice notice quite a few signs about how wheelchair visitors could be helped so they seem to have kept up a good amount of assistance.

 

[SYD]

Henry VIII has a lot to answer for.

 

[OZDUCK]

Continued

Henry VIII has a lot to answer for.

Yes but without him we wouldn't have all these romantic ruins to visit

Plus think of all the writers, film makers and TV producers who would be out of a job. No Six Wives of Henry V111, no Virgin Queen, no Bloody Mary etc etc. The English literary, historical, movie, tv industry would be destitute.

 

[OZDUCK]

Abbey continued













Our German friend had visited the abbey some 45 years ago with his family and remembered walking up to the folly - a 'temple' on the hill above the abbey. .

















Remnant of a flying buttress







There were even a few sheep around to talk to

 

[OZDUCK]

We then went off again

The roads were very often narrow. We would pass through much of the same area the next day when we went to Whitby.





We made a stop at "the Finest view in England". Again a bit of money chasing. There was a paid car park with excessive fees. But at least this time you did get a 10 minute free period. So we all moved at a rapid pace.





Unfortunately it was not the clearest day for viewing. Overcast and with a bit of smoke around. But still a lovely outlook.













we passed through some nice villages and countryside











Including Thirsk. Our friends were heading further north so they dropped us at Thirsk Station. This was only about a 20 minute non stop train ride to York.



They had hired an Audi. It was a nice car but for me to get in I had to dive headfirst across the passenger seat into the drivers are and then roll over. Getting out I had to slide almost to the ground and then lever myself up. Part of this was due to my back problem but it did have very small door openings and restricted head room. It was also pretty low to the ground. But we got a lovely chauffeured drive around the Yorkshire countryside for free so nothing really to complain about.



I bought the tickets on the train app on my phone but there was also a manned ticket office.

 

[kookaburra75]

Henry VIII has a lot to answer for.

Continued


Yes but without him we wouldn't have all these romantic ruins to visit

Plus think of all the writers, film makers and TV producers who would be out of a job. No Six Wives of Henry V111, no Virgin Queen, no Bloody Mary etc etc. The English literary, historical, movie, tv industry would be destitute.

And also, England as we know it today wouldn't have existed, without Henry's strong sense of English nationalism. He was battling a mix of influences from Italy/Spain/France who wanted their own way with England as it was then.

But back to regular programming I spent some time exploring the area between Middlesbrough and York, and there are some spectacular views and cute places. Although I wouldn't want to be there in winter. Thanks for bringing back those memories.

 

[OZDUCK]

And also, England as we know it today wouldn't have existed, without Henry's strong sense of English nationalism. He was battling a mix of influences from Italy/Spain/France who wanted their own way with England as it was then.

But back to regular programming I spent some time exploring the area between Middlesbrough and York, and there are some spectacular views and cute places. Although I wouldn't want to be there in winter. Thanks for bringing back those memories.

I remember enjoying this area of the UK when we drove through it in the 1970's. Happily for us the next day when we went to Whitby we had some lovely weather which helped made the countryside look very nice.

 

[OZDUCK]

There very next day we went on a minibus trip to Whitby. This was a holiday present from our son. We lucked out in that we had excellent weather for most of the day and our driver/guide was also excellent.

Whitby and The North York Moors Day Trip from York | BOBH

Friendly, small-group, Guided Day Trip from York to Whitby and the North York Moors with stops at the Kilburn White Horse, Helmsley, Goathland, Lealholm and three hours in Whitby.

bobholidays.com

Whitby - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The pick-up point was in central York near the minster



We were also lucky in that a few seats were empty on the bus so it was a bit more 'private'.



Once again the roads were often very narrow and we often had to use the verge for passing traffic





We passed through some nice scenery and pretty villages







Our first stop was quick one at the Kilburn White Horse. It was cut into the hillside in 1857 and is 'enhanced' with white lime. The last respray was in 2022. It is visible from some km away.

Kilburn White Horse - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The rules regarding the national park seem to be fairly relaxed but one interesting one that no large supermarkets are allowed to operate inside its boundary. So the shops are local shops for local people.



Apparently this area is popular with gliding





There were patches of thick forest







There were also patches of open farmland with a lot of pheasants around. The driver said that they are pretty dumb birds and often stray into the path of cars - shades of kangaroos but a lot less dangerous. According to him, the locals realised that hitting them was a quick way to get a good feed. The law was then changed so that you couldn't keep a pheasant you had hit. But apparently they quickly figured a way around this. The idea was to hit a pheasant with your car and drive on and then another car driven by your mate would come along and claim the prize without contravening any laws.