Around York

Another lovely English summer day and we decided to visit Fountains Abbey which we had missed on the way to York. Peter had also heard about Brimham Rocks in the same area so we planned a drive to see both. We like to stop about every half hour if we can and Knaresborough was the spot we chose. It was one of those pure flukes that we have struck a few times. Another old castle ruin but the view over the valley was lovely.

Next stop Brimham Rocks, a National Trust protected area of dramatic rock formations overlooking moorland. Lots of families with children climbing on the rocks. It was great.

That's as far as he got.

Claire not even pretending to climb.

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal is a World Heritage Site and it isn't hard to see why. The ruins of the abbey are spectacular, it is amazing to imagine what it would have been like in its glory. It is tucked away in a valley and you feel that it should be in the middle of a large city.

Next to the Abbey is the Studley Royal Water Gardens, a Georgian era garden of ponds and follies.

We walked back along the river and saw the other side of the Abbey ruins.

A very full day and when we got back to York we headed to the pub across the road. It isn't often that we eat at the same place for 3 nights in a row but "The Fox and Roman" has been such good value that we kept going back. The food is great and the staff are excellent. We shared a Sunday roast platter tonight and couldn't finish it all. We asked about the unusual name and apparently it used to be called "The Fox" but when they were extending the car park a few years ago they found Roman artifacts and a skeleton so they changed the name.