Our weekend in North Yorkshire

We travelled to North Yorkshire to Nidd Hall for a weekend in March 2020 as The Flyrights were scheduled to perform an extended set on the Saturday evening. We took the opportunity to visit both Bolton and Fountains Abbey

Nidd Hall

Nidd Hall is a Warners Leisure Hotel close to Harrogate. It is an impressive Grade II listed building with extensive grounds.

The car parks close to our rooms were full – mainly due to the poorly marked spaces and some very strange parking. Our room was in the extension that had been part of the stables. To get to our room we walked through a courtyard. Our room was on the ground floor under the small tower.

Nidd Church was close by.

Harrogate

Harrogate was less than 8 miles away from Nidd Hall and on Saturday we went there for a wander and to visit Betty’s Tea rooms. It was quite cool and everyone was well wrapped up against the wind.

We visited a few shops before we went to the tea rooms just afterr 11 am. We had to queue for a little while inside but then we sat on a table near a window with lots of sunshine streaming in. Every table around us was packed. We ordered tyea and I added a piece of cheesecake.

We checked out buying scones or cakes to take back home but were advised that our stay in the area would be too long for them to be OK. The shop was busy and by now at 12.30 pm there was a queue outside.

I liked this cafe’s window art work.

Bolton Abbey

Bolton Abbey was only about 17 miles away and I wanted to visit to renew my childhood memories of visits there. As we drove along the A59 we passed RAF Menwith Hill with its array of domes.

Once near the Abbey we followed the signs to the tea rooms as we all wanted to have a sandwich or soup. The weather by now turned and we drove through heavy rain. Luckily by the time we were parked the rain had stopped.

After our lunch of soup I went out to the footbridge to look up and down the River Warfe and was caught again in a brief shower.

We then drove back to a car park nearer the Abbey itself. The valley around the Wharfe was partially closed due to all the rain and we weren’t dressed for walking through mud either. I will have to go back to see the part of the river called the Strid. The car parks were almost empty and after a short walk we had our first views of the Abbey.

Part of the Abbey had been save from destruction by the Abbott and remains this day as the local Parish Church. Inside there is a wonderful scale model of the Abbey before its destruction.

The light through the stained glass windows cast colourful patterns.

The front of the Abbey, now the Parish Church, gives us an idea of what the Abbey must have been like in all its glory.

Walking back to the car park we past the remains of the Abbey’s lodge.