Kilnsey Country Park and Kettlewell.

Another afternoon out with my partner in crime Sal saw us head up to Wharfedale: firstly calling in at Kilnsey Country Park and then on to Kettlewell. The coffee in the cafe at Kilnsey always touches the spot, especially on a gloomy day like we had. We used to keep a little notebook in which we wrote scores of the cafes we visited on our travels and coffees they served. Out of a score of 5, I think Kilnsey scored 4.75 and was only ever beaten by Ripley Castle and equalled only by Lanercost Priory. Sad or what?

The nature trail is free during the winter months so we had a wander through that. There were some nice sculptures and you could get close up with a few farm animals but I think it is mainly designed for youngsters. The two pigs were quite loud and entertaining but the star of the show was the red squirrel which unfortunately has to be kept caged. We both commented on what a rarity it is to see a red in the wild these days. Even in the Lakes they are getting fewer and fewer.

We finished the day off with a nice pint in The Racehorses in Kettlewell. At this time of year the pubs are deserted even on a Sunday lunchtime. It's easy to see why a lot of then are slowly but surely closing down.