Swinsty Reservoir

With the Lakes and Yorkshire Dales becoming increasingly more popular, its good to know that you have quieter places on your doorstep where you can escape for a few hours. Swinsty Reservoir and Fewston Reservoir in the Washburn Valley are such places. Obviously they get busier at weekends but midweek they can be havens of tranquility with robins, blackbirds and bluetits never far away and always singing their happy tunes. Mind you at Swinsty, the geese and ducks which congregate by the picnic area can make a right racket but these can soon be left behind.

Sal came with me today and it was the first time she had been in the area. Give her a camera, a bit of nature and she will disappear in to her own little world. Come to think of it, that's exactly what I tend to do as well. I think we compliment each other, I usually see the landscape opportunities whilst she see the more creative and quirky things which I tend to miss. I am told that I'm getting better at spotting them these days.

Fresh air and a purpose can give great relief from the stresses and angst of modern society and if you add a nice cafe in to the mix, then that's an added bonus. Unfortunately the local cafe is only open on a Sunday at this time of year so we had to head back towards Otley before we had our cuppa. After strolling up through the woods, we discovered that The Heritage Centre adjoining the cafe was also closed which was a shame but the adjoining Church of St. Michael and St. Lawrence had it's doors open to the public so we called in. It was small and quaint which is just what you would expect from a country church. Apparently St Michael is the patron saint of grocers, mariners, paratroopers, police and sickness whilst St Lawrence is patron saint of archivists and librarians!

As always, we both really enjoyed going somewhere a bit different and to finish off the day, Sal dragged me into the craft section of Smith's garden Centre in Otley. For her that was the perfect way to finish it off.