Settle

I don't know Yorkshire well, and wasn't quite sure what I was expecting of Settle - a depressed mill town or the sort of place that only comes alive on livestock market day, maybe? - but I was pleasantly surprised. 

It had quirky shops and tearooms in the centre of town, and quaint, narrow streets leading away from it.

We'd walked there from Langcliffe along a route called the Highway, which proved to be a great traffic-free, relatively level, tarmac-ed path with great views over the countryside with Settle nestled in the valley.

This route approaches via the higher part of Settle, so the streets this way are downhill.

Our first stop was the curiously named Car and Kitchen which has interesting gifts and an upstairs cafe with excellent cake.

I'd expected to see hikers in town but was surprised to discover that it seems to be quite a hub for cyclists. We saw several in and around town, and this sign outside a cycling shop proves its popularity

Knowing I'd got to walk home again restricted my wanderings round town itself but I spotted many interesting places which I'd love to visit.

Another interestingly named cafe - Ye Olde Naked Man - provided fuel for the journey home.

Then it was time to head back up the hill and along the Highway to Langcliffe.

The Highway near Settle

 

A few days in Yorkshire and Manchester

October started with another short break - a few days in Yorkshire with my daughter then back to her Manchester home for a night of Indian music at the Royal Northern College of Music and a visit to RHS Bridgewater the next day before heading home.

 As seems to be becoming the norm, the weather on the journey north was atrocious - heavy rain and standing water with the addition of diversions and roadworks. I was glad to eventually arrive!

Fortunately things improved. Despite being an AirBnB the holiday vibe shared much with my favourite glamping stays - local walks during the day, board games and chatting in the evening. We walked round Langcliffe village where we were staying, calling into a charity book sale at the church, walked the mile or so to Settle and checked out interesting shops, a couple of  cafes and the narrow lanes away from the main road, and visited the waterfalls at Stainforth.

I walked further than I would have done without my daughter's encouragement (and was extraordinarily tired afterwards) but it was worth the effort.

Back south again to Manchester, we were off to the Royal Northern College of Music with my daughter, her boyfriend, and his parents for a recital of sitar music from Jasdeep Singh Degun, a Leeds-based musician and composer. I've heard sitar music before and thought I knew what to expect but this was a hundred times better!

The next day was time to head home but with the weather being gorgeously sunny we decided to visit RHS Bridgewater on the way.  An excellent way to end the holiday.