Ribblesdale Archives - Page 9 of 21 - Scribble by the Ribble

Why the Dales demand respect

The dales donned winter clothes this week. Autumn hues hung around the route of the River Ribble while higher up, snow clung to the hillsides. The Three Peaks all dressed differently on the day I drove round the trio. Penyghent (above) caught a bit of sun and looked streaky and cold, yet inviting. Whernside looked settled and serene, the peak playing peek-a-boo through the clouds. Ingleborough seemed more angry about the whole affair, wrestling with the clouds. I felt an icy reception as I trampled around its foothills looking for a decent photo. We’re not really in winter yet but days like this remind walkers that the dales demand respect at all times.

dales ribblehead — Icy landscape looking up Chapel-le-Dale

Passport and phrase book in hand I left the Dales for the Lake District on Friday. As usual with my trips to the North West I head towards the blue sky over the distant South Lakeland Fells you can see from the A65 in Yorkshire – but which by the time I reach them they are covered in a grey fug. Still, after completing the job I had to do in Coniston I managed to grab a few worthwhile shots.

dales halo — Sun halo over Coniston Water

dales coniston — Looking towards Coniston

I got to Coniston at 11am on the 11th of the 11th and pulled into the empty car park for two minutes of silence. That done I paid 20p for a toilet visit and had a quick nosey around the information centre. I then noticed that car parking cost £3 for a short stay then further arms and legs after that. The first 15 minutes are free and with the car clock now showing 11.17 I made a hasty exit. No wonder Coniston’s narrow streets are packed with cars and several businesses are for sale. I wait to see whether the number plate recognition system will take into consideration my two-minute stop to pay my respects. This is no place for tight Yorkshiremen.

Back in the Dales I tweeted a photo showing the war memorial at Horton-in-Ribblesdale with the line ‘Yet people still vote for those who promote hatred’, prompted by you-know-who’s election (clue: in Yorkshire slang his name aptly means ‘obnoxious smell emanating from ones posterior’). It truly astounds me that a country with 325m inhabitants could only come up with those two characters for their president.

Earlier in the week I was following the story of the sink hole in Ripon. I know it’s a very serious problem for those involved but I had to laugh at the BBC Look North’s tweet which included this quote from a resident: “I went outside and it was all dusty, my neighbour was out there in a dressing gown and it was a real mess.”
Never mind luv, my old dressing gown’s not that good either.

Regular followers will know I’ve taken many photos of Drybeck Farm here in Ribblesdale. I was pleased to receive this week a calendar produced by Agrii which features one such picture of mine. Proceeds from the calendar go to farming charities.

Why the Dales can mean delight and despair

I think I developed an RSI problem with my camera clicking finger while photographing the Dales this week. Trying to capture what I believed would be the last of the best autumn colours I’ve driven many a mile through many a dale and taken many a picture. I won’t bore you with the full collection but here are some highlights plus a quick rant. The top photo is my favourite of the week. On Monday, reaching the highest point of Buttertubs Pass coming from the Swaledale end, this view opened up. It’s a bit of an unsteady hand-held zoom shot showing a distant Ingleborough, Widdale and hills in between. The light autumn mist in the dales and a mild pink sky created a beautiful sight. Better seen first hand than on a screen.

dales bolton — I drove through Wensleydale to Aysgarth Falls and couldn’t resist a black and white of the dominant Bolton Castle

dales aysfalls — I took dozens of photos at Aysgarth of the falls and the Ure. These are some I didn’t post on my Twitter account.

swaledale — From wide Wensleydale into narrow Swaledale which looked stunning. Reeth, Gunnerside and Muker were a picture in their autumn garb.

dales littondale — Lovely Littondale on Tuesday.

dales horton — I know, I’ve taken this shot umpteen times but it’s one of my favourites and it’s my blog so I’ll do what I want.

dales dalehead — Dale Head Farm and Penyghent. If I had the brass I’d help the farmer finish off that barn roof – it would make a lot nicer shot!

dales langstile — Grey skies around Langcliffe but still plenty of colour on show

dales settle1 — Ribblesdale: my weekly walk into Settle market on a Tuesday along the Highway from Langcliffe.

Dales town disgrace

At first I thought they were a Trick or Treat prank. But no, they were still in place the following day – I’m talking about those ghastly luminous yellow double-lines that now disgrace Settle’s lovely town centre. I’m in favour of preventing stupid parking but this vandalism is well out of proportion. They are garish, ugly, unwelcoming and urban. They can be seen from the surrounding hills and the Dales National Park, and probably from the Moon. I’ve been to other popular country places where a subtle thin line with appropriate notices about parking restrictions have satisfied the law, suited the town’s character and appeased the residents. Had some yobs daubed such graffiti in the town there would have been an almighty Halloween witch hunt. Which bureaucrat sanctioned this unsightly mess and why? Sorry about that Daily Mail reader rant but I really do find this particular excessive painting offensive and unnecessary.

Dales art whether you like it or not

Sometimes I’ll post on social media a Dales photo which I’m particularly pleased with only to find there’s but a trickle of interest in it. Other times I’ll pop up a quick snap which I feel is quite ordinary that causes a torrent of interest and admiration. The reasoning behind these reactions I’ll leave for the social media gurus and psychologists to fathom. I hate to use the phrase, but here goes anyway … ‘whatever floats your boat’. This week I dabbled a bit with Photoshop on a couple of shots (at this point half the audience throw their hands up in horror, their faces showing utter disdain). But I don’t care what people think of my resulting ‘artwork’. For me, Photoshop, and any other picture manipulation method, is just a medium, or a paintbrush. There’s satisfaction about creating something unique – which you personally enjoy. And anyway, the forming of the ‘watercolour’ of the area near Wharfe, Crummackdale, (above) helped pass away an otherwise miserable day in the Dales.

Close to where I took the original for my ‘artwork’ is this small dales waterfall along Wharfe Gill Sike. It looks serene here but after heavy rain it can be dramatic.

You’ll need to view this panorama large on a computer screen to appreciate the detail – clouds are still hanging in the dale to the north of Gearstones, seen from the limestone pavement above the former Ribblehead Quarry.

Similarly, this one showing the outline of Penyghent, taken from near Colt Park, will be nobbut a black blob if you view on a little phone screen. There’s some subtle light in the foreground and I was pleased with the redness of the cloud tops.

I wasn’t lucky enough to see the aurora this week but did manage a couple of stunning sunsets from up on Winskill Stones, above Langcliffe.

On a walk between Wharfe and Austwick the autumn sky cleared briefly to light up this lovely scene.

More dales views

A few more shots from my stroll around the former Ribblehead Quarry… the first three showing the Three Peaks of Whernside, Ingleborough and a distant Penyghent.

dales quarry — The top of the stone bench mirrors the background shapes of Park Fell, Simon Fell and Ingleborough. The stone make-up of the bench also replicates the geological strata of the hills.

dales wallerjigsaw — I bet the waller was a dab hand at jigsaws

I popped into the impressive Village Store at Clapham for an open night this week. Besides sampling some impressive dales produce I bought Dalesman’s latest book, Bill Mitchell’s Yorkshire. Bill’s son David and daughter Janet were both there and it was a delight to see them both again. David compiled the book – you can see my thoughts about it on the Reviews page.

See Ribblesdale in autumn

A short 12-photo blog this week as I was only able to grab a couple of strolls down Ribblesdale. My aim was to snatch some of the changing colours in the dale and around the village (Langcliffe pictured above). Fortunately there were some vivid moments when the sun shone briefly but strongly to add more interest to the scene.

Over the years of living in Ribblesdale I’ve learned the ideal times to visit certain locations for the best conditions. I love the light on the western flanks of Penyghent in the hour before the sun goes down. The colours differ depending on the time of year and the strength of the sunshine. The clouds also play their part in painting the scene. Sitting in a lay-by on the Little Stainforth road above Helwith Bridge you can watch the evening light over Penyghent and also see the sunset over Proctor’s Scar to the west.

In the early afternoon, a walk by the Ribble can be a delight as the light catches the leaves in the ancient riverside woods and on the trees clinging to Stainforth Scar.

I did venture briefly outside Ribblesdale. While I was in Kirkby Stephen I took a detour to visit the charming village of Barbon. The current church of St Batholomew hasn’t a long history but is lovely and in a beautiful setting. I was lucky to catch it in some glorious light.

Dales highs and lows

Excellent autumn light tempted me out into the Dales this week. I’ve been happy with the photographic results and, if my Twitter statistics are anything to go by, so have my followers. Then why do I feel a little down at the end of such a productive and enjoyable seven days?

Why? Because it’s becoming more apparent just how much the quality of our rural life is changing and how little the government seems to care about it.

There’s a new kind of industrial revolution going on in the countryside and it’s increasingly noticeable around the edges of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Humans have always exploited the countryside. Mills developed around natural water power while lead and coal mines along with stone, slate and limestone quarries have been regular features in the Dales for centuries.

Driving around now I see an ever-increasing number of wind turbines. This week I stopped to view the massive solar power station at Gisburn, where 20,000 panels have been installed across three fields. Many more will follow.

Dales solarpanels — Thousands of solar panels at Gisburn

After bemoaning the fact that fracking had been allowed on the North York Moors a couple of months back, permission for fracking has now been granted down the road in Lancashire… despite the fact that the locals and the council didn’t want it to happen.

Further afield huge agricultural businesses are gobbling up small farms, turning millions of acres into featureless prairies or unnatural meat factories, ruining the countryside’s natural balance, destroying wildlife habitats and forever changing communities.

I live in a Dales village where the local primary school was closed a few years back – now we learn that the lovely school at Horton-in-Ribblesdale is seriously under threat. With it could go the life-blood and future of another rural community. Families will move out and the place will be filled with second-homeowners and holiday cottages. (Don’t get me wrong – those people are most welcome, but it is the community balance I worry about.)

Libraries and other local resources, including municipal parks, are also being abandoned by councils while funds for National Parks are being cut.

Yes, we must always look for solutions to problems concerning provision of food and power, but why must it be at the expense of our quality of life and the destruction of the things many of us hold so dear?

That’s ‘progress’ I’m told. Don’t fret youngsters, old dinosaurs like me will soon be extinct… unfortunately so will much of the countryside.

Talking of extinction, as I was heading home from Gisburn the other day I came across a farmer who was driving along a minor road, presumably next to his farm, in one of those golf-buggy-type-things. He pulled to the side of the road, grabbed his gun and fired it skywards. It was a tad disconcerting but something not to be too surprised at out in the countryside. I didn’t stop to find out what he was firing at, but I do hope it wasn’t a rare bird of prey – there have been too many reports of them being killed this year. That’s another sensitive rural subject concerning songbirds, farming and the hunting-shooting-fishing brigade – but enough ranting for one day… enjoy the photos.

Dales photos from this week

Dales countsheep — If you can’t sleep try counting the sheep in this photo – hundreds on the hillside in Ribblesdale

Dales bull — Cows – and a bull – gather at Winskill

Dales watlowes — Watlowes dry valley as the early mist was dispersing

Dales path — Autumn sunshine and path at Langcliffe

Dales stainscartint — Stainforth Scar showing some early autumn tints

Dales ingleborough — Evening light on Ingleborough

Dales attermire — Attermire in the afternoon

Dales trees-ingle — Ingleborough in the distance, seen from Langcliffe

Dales treesribble — Changing colours by the Ribble

Dales malhamtarn — More hints that autumn is upon us at Malham Tarn

Dales penyghent — I couldn’t go a week without a photo of Penyghent, could I?

Dales duck — A quiet moment on Langcliffe mill pond

Angels descend on Langcliffe

We’re all angelic in Langcliffe, as you well know. But a few more angels descended on our Ribblesdale village on Saturday for a special festival. See more…

This week’s quick blog features just a few of the Langcliffe residents’ creations…

Dipping a toe outside Yorkshire

I took a few tentative steps outside Yorkshire this week. I must add a rider here: many of those steps were within the new Yorkshire Dales National Park boundary. You know what? It’s pretty good – Westmorland and Cumberland have quite a bit going for them. Just south of Appleby is the impressive Rutter Force which just sneaks into the recently extended park. The mill there is now accommodation, reached by a ford which even on a fairly calm day like this I wouldn’t cross in my little car.

Busy Appleby is just outside the Yorkshire park boundary but a fine place to visit – made even better by being reachable via the Settle-Carlisle Railway. Before this visit I hadn’t realised the extent Appleby had suffered from the last major flooding. Many riverside properties are still being renovated or drying out. Flood prevention schemes along the riverbank are being implemented.

yorkshire img_5056 — A definite autumnal look beside the Eden in Appleby

They like to take care of their trees in Appleby – this one has a nice woolly coat to protect it from the strong north-easterlies.

Yorkshire img_5052 — The red sandstone St Lawrence church in Appleby – parts of it date back to the 12th century.

I was looking forward to some extensive views down the Eden Valley and Mallerstangdale but sadly the mist never really cleared. Cloud clung to the tops and from a distance looked like a layer of snow on the east. This scene was taken from Pendragon Castle.

maller — The red sandstone St Lawrence church in Appleby – parts of it date back to the 12th century.

I was looking forward to some extensive views down the Eden Valley and Mallerstangdale but sadly the mist never really cleared. Cloud clung to the tops and from a distance looked like a layer of snow on the east. This scene was taken from Pendragon Castle.

Back in real Yorkshire

In amongst lengthy thunder and lightning storms this week there were a couple of decent sunsets. The shot below was taken at Winskill Stones above Langcliffe.

Why seeing red in the Dales is vital

Bright red telephone boxes in the Dales, like this one at Arncliffe, need to be preserved. Too many of the old pay-phones all around the countryside are being disconnected and removed. In the Dales some have been developed into tiny book-swap-shops, art galleries etc, and in the Lake District I’ve even seen one turned into a fish tank. I’m not just some old fart wanting to wallow in nostalgia. I can see the logic behind getting rid of some urban boxes but in the countryside where mobile reception is poor, or where walkers and campers have no way of recharging their mobiles’ batteries, the old red boxes can help save lives. I read this week that Keswick Mountain Rescue Team are asking people to help keep a kiosk at Seathwaite on a popular route to Scafell Pike. Surely the saving of just one person during the whole life of a phonebox is more important than the minutest of dents made in the profit margins of a communications giant like BT? Comments can be made at:
http://planning.allerdale.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=148110

Dales arncliffe3 — Another shot of the kiosk in Arncliffe.

I popped into Arncliffe this week during a superb Dales drive from Langcliffe in Ribblesdale, over the Silverdale road to Halton Gill and down Littondale. From there I doubled back along the dodgy road via Darnbrook to Malham Tarn. Then it was back to Langcliffe via Cowside and Winskill. Here’s a selection of pics on the journey…

Dales arncliffe — Looking back over Arncliffe from the Darnbrook road

Dales silverroad — Further along the road to Halton Gill at the ‘backside’ of Penyghent.

littondale1 — The breathtaking Dales view down Littondale. One of my favourites.

Dales littonbw — I like it so much here’s a black and white shot.

Dales haltongill — Little Halton Gill snuggles between Littondale’s steep hills.

Dales arncliffe1 — The beck at Arncliffe.

Dales arncliffe4 — There are some fascinating tombstones at St Oswald’s church, Arncliffe.

Dales stocks — Bring back the village stocks, I say. Not enough time for me to list who I’d throw rotten tomatoes at. Arncliffe.

Dales arncliffe5 — It’s not always as tranquil as this in the Dales – the river Skirfare near St Oswald’s in Arncliffe.

Whenever I drive through Rathmell in Ribblesdale, as I did one day this week, I wonder about the origins of the term ‘Reading Room’. I realise it is the equivalent of a village hall but why was it so called? Is it a Dales thing?

Dales plumpewes — I don’t know what happens at the treatment works by the Ribble here in Settle but those ewes certainly look to be thriving on it.

Sitting ducks

Dales ducks — Team photo: Millpond Ducks FC first XI line up for their latest match in Langcliffe.

Changing Dales

Dales locks — Yesterday I thought I’d take one more summer shot at Langcliffe Locks before the trees change colour.

Dales claphamfalls — Earlier in the week I dropped in at Clapham Falls where there was already more than a hint of autumn.

Missing the Dales bus for sunny delight

Rather than watch the Dales bus ride from Richmond to Ingleton on TV I travelled up Ribblesdale to see a sunset. It was well worth it for this week’s photo diary. The view of Moughton Scar and Wharfe hamlet when the late sun catches hillside there is always a fine sight. I sat in a lay-by on the back road from Helwith Bridge to Stainforth as the sun finally set. The colours and patterns were amazing behind the silhouettes of Norber and Robin Procter Scar. To my right, now in half-light, Ribblesdale and Penyghent looked like the red-grey dying embers of a bonfire. My thanks to the passing cyclist who helped make the top shot a much better picture.

Dales pyglatelight — Night falls on Penyghent

Dales wharfe — Wharfe hamlet beneath Moughton in some strong evening light

Dales sunsetslip — A different angle on the sunset

Dales sunsil — Silhouettes near Austwick

Dales carsun — My car doesn’t usually star in my photos so here’s its moment of glory

I watched the bus ride programme in three chunks on iPlayer. (I’ve never been one for long bus rides – I was often the one throwing up on school trips). When I’m driving around the Dales I’m usually forever gawping at the scenery and almost crashing – but with the TV programme I found myself looking at the road and thinking ‘he’s going to crash into that wall’! I’d read somewhere that this was a ‘real time’ trip along the route … well it certainly wasn’t: it took just about five minutes to get from Hawes to Ribblehead in the iPlayer version I watched, so unless they switched from bus to jet fighter part-way it wasn’t ‘real time’. And the journey ended at Ribblehead, missing some of those great views and features along Chapel-le-Dale.

Dales fromthorns — Three shots all taken at or near Ribblehead. The train one a reminder of this time last year when the steam specials were still heading along the Settle-Carlisle line.

Later in the week I parked up on the Kingsdale road for a wander around this peaceful dale. I also popped down to Thornton Force where lots of Dales holidaymakers were enjoying the waterfalls walk – I say ‘enjoying’ but looking at some of the tortured faces of those not expecting to climb hundreds of steps to join the green lane above the waterfalls, I’m not sure enjoyment was what they were experiencing. Certainly many looked as though this was their first, and probably last, exercise of the year.

Dales kingsdale — The clear water of Kingsdale Beck.

Dales bridge — Rain heading in from the west. Kingsdale.

Dales kingsdale2 — Looking up Kingsdale towards Whernside.

Dales ingleking — Ingleborough peeking out above Twisleton Scar, seen from Kingsdale.

Dales thornton — Thornton Falls on the Ingleton Falls walk.

A lot of my spare time over the last few weeks has involved fitting a kitchen into my tiny cottage. The building was obviously constructed before right-angles and straight lines were invented. Seemingly it was built by eye – unfortunately, the eyes must have been owned by the village drunk. Anyway, I’ve run out of money now so hopefully more time for photography and wandering around the Dales in the coming weeks.

Dales teeth — Did anyone see a sheep without its bottom set this week?

Dales gatesun — Late sun on a path above Langcliffe.

Flooding brings back different dales memories

I’m lucky enough to remember lapping up weeks of sun in the Yorkshire Dales during the sweltering summer of 1976. Those days of my early 20s, when I was still enjoying life to the full, came to mind last Sunday.

Conditions during those long, dry summer days of 40 years ago couldn’t have been more different. In the greyness of the morning I photographed the flooded Ribble at Langcliffe. It cascaded over the weir where surrounding fields were soaking up unusually heavy August rain from further up Ribblesdale.

Thankfully, a brighter day followed and I was able to take my only walk of the week in the Dales. I parked at St Leonard’s in Chapel-le-Dale, pottering about around Hurtle Pot before heading up the rough track to Ellerbeck Farm and circling back.

Dales IMG_4730 — I can’t for the life of me remember what the bright orange-red plant is – can anyone remind me?

The sun struggles to find a way through the tree canopy along this way, and Nature has created a strange little world here. The limestone outcrops are covered in a carpet of mosses and lichens; ferns and other shade-preferring plants thrive in the crevices.

A surprising statue jumps out of the shrubs – the plaque says:
‘For years a statue stood on this spot. It was vandalised on Saturday August 27th 1983 and subsequently found in 30 feet of water at the bottom of Hurtle Pot. An enthusiastic team of divers made the recovery and it has been erected again as found. It was the creation of the late Charles I’Anson the well known sculptor and artist. Time will tell if the spirit of the Boggard of Hurtle Pot is now enshrined in the statue.’

Not wishing to hang around to find out, I moved quickly on. The track opens out beneath the mass of Whernside into a landscape of wild boggy fell which had acted like a sponge during the previous day’s downpour. The limestone outcrops which break up the bogland provide some excellent foregrounds for photos (first pic in post).

Great views up and down the Dales appear as you gain height. Beyond Ribblehead Viaduct I could clearly see the old Roman Road heading up Cam. It’s creamy surface, laid to take wagons for wood clearance, creates an open scar on the hillside. Hopefully it will soon blend into the surroundings.

Dales IMG_4754 — There’s a pleasant waterfall beneath my feet here where I stopped to take a short video of the view – see link below (yes, I am out of breath and incredibly unfit at the moment).

https://youtu.be/vxp1TOE-sWE

I could also pick out the path restoration work being carried out up Ingleborough. There were plenty of folk attempting the Three Peaks and I hope they all contribute to the route’s upkeep – http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk

Dales IMG_4764 — I think I’ve found a couple of extra carriages for Branson’s trains. Plenty of room here Jeremy.

Tag: Ribblesdale

Why the Dales demand respect

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Why the Dales can mean delight and despair

Dales town disgrace

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Dales art whether you like it or not

More dales views

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See Ribblesdale in autumn

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Dales highs and lows

Dales photos from this week

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Angels descend on Langcliffe

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Dipping a toe outside Yorkshire

Back in real Yorkshire

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Why seeing red in the Dales is vital

Sitting ducks

Changing Dales

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Missing the Dales bus for sunny delight

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Flooding brings back different dales memories

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Dales town disgrace

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More dales views

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Dales photos from this week

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Back in real Yorkshire

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Sitting ducks

Changing Dales

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