Two castles. A rock church and three supermarkets.

It is Friday 17th November 2017. Lee spent the night awake watching telly and his bank account. I went out to photograph the dawn and he went to bed saying he had a migraine.

I still have a cough. Frost could be bad at this stage. So I went out anyway in my pyjamas and duvet coat zipped up. I looked down and thought ...skirt would be good here and went back to get one.

On my return I got Lee and Monza up to go on doggy walk and then Knaresborough. 

I told lee he had been up all night....it was his choice and I was not impressed. The thought of my pension going into the bank was just too exciting and it gave him a migraine. Tough!

 So we set off to the old grave yard with a very excited Monza. He did not understand why lee watched telly all night either! At last some human action......

I am now finishing this blog a few days later as the charger for my laptop arrived and I can take photos off my camera that I took.....

There is a bit of a back log as I had loads of time out and about last week.

On arriving at Knaresborough we headed straight to our fave market square and found a new statue....

of Ursula or as she became known Mother Shipton. It was put up in August this year. Rather fabulous isn't she?

Ursula was born in a cave on the outskirts of Knareborough to an unmarried girl of 15. Born during a thunder storm in 1488. the cave she was born in has now become a famous museum dedicated to Mother Shipton a soothsayer and prophetess.

Mother shiptons cave and petrifying well also has a park and has been a visitor attraction for over 300 years Ursula was contemporary to king Henry V111 and Elizabeth 1 and consulted by both.

The cave and visitor attraction is closed for the winter now. So I have to wait until spring now!!!

Also sitting in the old market square is Blind Jack.John Metcalf  who was a civil engineer. Born 1717 and the first proffessional road builder to emerge from the industrial revolution.

he was blind from the age of six. and had a very eventful life.

 We also went to two castles....one church hune into rock and three supermarkets. Actually it is not three yet as I still have my late friday shift to do...then it will be.

 So knaresborough. I took loads of photos. These are all from the sellotaped up mobile phone. The newcharger has arrived when we were out. It has gone back to the sorting office to be collected. So no charge in laptop.....

 We went around the junk shops then to the castle.....this is castle one!!! Then down the steps to the water.....

Then climbed back up. A different set of steep steps......

These are now the photos from my camera........Knaresborough Castle the King's tower. The only part to survive as it was used as a prison and courts at various times .
A ruined fortress overlooking the River Nidd where Hugh de Morville took refuge after murdering Thomas a Beckett on the steps of Canterbury Cathedral.

The view from the platform is totally stunning.........

And I managed to capture a train going over the bridge.....

This visit we walked down through the steep gardens to the rivers edge and walked along a little way towards Mother Shipton's cave.

There were not that many people about as the summer is all gone and all visitor attractions are closed now for the winter.

We climbed down the rocky gardens so then we had to go back up very steep steps to get back to the car...we then drove around to the rock house.
The Chapel of our lady in the crag......

built in 1408 by someone known as john the mason.

it was sadly closed also and now only opens on a sunday for a few hours......

the photo below is borrowed....as  I could not risk getting closer than the locked gate at the bottom of the wooden steps......




The we headed off again.......

 We got ourselves some lunch of sandwiches and yes chocolate eclairs we bought in the first supermarket....then on to Spofforth castle our second castle of the day via an Aldi supermarket where we bought christmas cakes and puddings.

 Spofforth castle! One of the best I have been too. The best photos are on my camera....so the full story will have to be tomorrow now as I am just having a quick curry before work

The photos from my camera are as follows......

After we climbed up the old steps to the ground level at the top it is possible to walk around the ruin a bit and look down........I love this castle......and can really get a feeling for it's magnificence.

How much would this cost to repair???? more than my tiny pension stash that is for sure.

a very lot of millions of pounds thats how much. as I would totally insist on stained glass windows...the chapel refurbished and proper Yorkshire plumbing. I would like heat and hot water as well. never mind! it is not going to happen. we would never get planning permission.



Coming home the light was a total sensation!

I love this time of year.