Herriot Country - beautiful views in the Yorkshire Dales

Lots of stone fences

It's autumn and the farmers are making hay while the sun shines....

Thursday, 4th September                                                              POCKLINGTON - YORKSHIRE DALES

Robyn writes: Another big day in Yorkshire, and the weather continues to be kind to us - it's been a warm (over 20 degrees!) day with no rain at all. Overcast, of course, for a lot of the day but very pleasant.

Today we set out to explore 'Herriot Country' - the Yorkshire Dales area made famous by James Herriot's books and TV series "All Creatures Great and Small". It was about an hour's drive to the north-west from here. James Herriot was the pen-name of vetinary surgeon Alf Wight, and we travelled to Thirsk to visit "James Herriot's World", the museum which has been set up in the original house and surgery where he worked and lived for so long. It's all set up just as it was in the 1950s when it was their family home as well as the surgery. Lex wasn't keen on seeing it, so he set off for a walk around the town while I enjoyed myself immensely looking through the house. Having read all of his books, it was wonderful to be able to see where it all happened in real life. They also had a movie about Alf Wight's life and several of the sets from the BBC TV series made in the seventies. I spent a very enjoyable hour and a half there before having a walk around town and meeting up with Lex at one o'clock. We decided to have lunch at the Black Bull pub there before heading out of town again.

The surgery at Skeldale House



The kitchen

Me in the lounge area of the house from the TV series

In front of the surgery

Lex in front of the Black Bull

We wanted to see something of the Yorkshire Dales, so headed west out of Thirsk towards Aysgarth, up in the national park. Unfortunately there was a lot of haze around so our visibility wasn't great, but there were some glorious views as we hurtled along the tiny lanes enclosed by stone walls. Then we went south right through the national park to Skipton and then home again via the ring road around York. Lots of traffic once we got to near York but we finally got here around six. Again a lot of driving but worth it to see so much beautiful countryside.

When we got back to town, we popped into the Co-op to get some groceries for tea tonight (chicken nachos) and headed home, glad to relax. Tomorrow is our last full day in Yorkshire so we will hopefully have a nice day in York.