Me and Sal had a day out there earlier in the year and, as is usual for us, the first port of call was the tearoom. I'm usually a coffee man but surprised her by joining her in a pot of delicious Yorkshire tea which went down a treat.
We then walked up through the woods, where the bluebells were in full bloom, to a delightful waterfall and pond. As usual, Sal kept wandering off with her camera. I've lost count of the number of times she's just disappears and then saunters back about fifteen minutes later. I usually find a bench and just sit and wait for her.
Next was a stroll up the the Hall and gardens. The gardens were laid out in terraces by the late Sir William Milner from 1927 onwards and are planted with specimens from around the world, many collected from Western China and the Himalayas. It is now a RHS garden.
All the springtime flowers were just coming into bloom and as you can tell from the photos that it was a colourful place, especially just in front of the house, where there was a stunning display of Snapdragons. It's a shame the cafe isn't situated up in the main hall itself as it would overlook the gardens.
Lastly it was a walk through the rock garden and the orchard and then up a 109 stepped path in the woods to the highest point of the day. Sal didn't bother with the steps, she used the steep path which bypassed the woods but my hips prefer an easier route.
Looking at a map, I think it is called The Nape. There is a seat perched near the edge which gives a lovely view down to Skyreholme Beck and Trollers Gill and is a photographers dream.
We ended our day out with a visit to The Craven Arms in Appletreewick (surprise surprise) which is one of the nicest pubs in the whole of the Dales and one of our favourites. Low beams, log fires and real ale...you just can't beat it!
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