Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: November 2018

Autumn in Bingley St Ives

I did this little walk over a month ago now and left the photos sitting in my camera. As I recall, it was one of the few sunny days in an otherwise wet few weeks so I had to make the most of it by donning my walking shoes and getting out with my camera.

St Ives is a great place to go, no matter what your walking capabilities are. You can just stroll around Coppice Pond and then go for a coffee; if you are a bit fitter then you can head off up to the Druid's Alter which gives far reaching views down to the Aire Valley or you can do a full circuit of the Country Park as I did.

Once you get away from the pond, you only see the occasional dog walker or rambler at this time of year so it's ideal for having a bit of quiet time in an otherwise busy hectic world. I started off by going around the pond and then called in the cafe which has recently changed its name but it will always be know as Lady B's Cafe to me. The weather was nice and warm so I sat out in the garden in the company of the local birds and an optimistic sheepdog who never took its eye away from the possibility of a food droppage!

Then it was on to the Aire-Calder Link footpath and up to the Druid's Alter. I noticed there was still a fair bit of autumn colour about plus a profusion of berries on the trees; I think this year's autumn has been one of the longest and most colourful I can remember. Unfortunately the view from the Alter is getting obscured by trees these day which makes it more or less impossible to get a decent photo but it's still a cracking walk up there.

Being as I was enjoying the quietness of my day so much, I carried on along side Race Course Plantation and the Golf Course before going back down through the woods to Coppice Pond, which where I started my walk.

All in all we have a lot to thank the Ferrand Family for. It was they who bought the estate in 1635 when it was then called Harden Grange. They changed the name to St Ives in 1858 and the estate and mansion were bought by Bingley Urban District Council in 1929. It is now owned by Bradford Metropolitan District Council who do a pretty good job with its upkeep.

Unfortunately over one thousand trees, mainly larch and sweet chestnut, which have either been infected or are threatened with infection from phytophthora root rot have had to be felled this year but thankfully the Council will be replenishing them with elm, ash and birch trees. Also all the rhododendron have been cleared out as they acts as a host for the disease. The whole process of bringing the woodland back to its former glory will take between 30-40 years but it was necessary to take this drastic action to avoid further infection.

Coppice Pond

Eyeing up the food

The Ivy Kitchen

Leaves and shadows

Transfield Top, St Ives

The Calder-Aire Link, St Ives

Blind Lane, St Ives

Race Course Plantation

Winter Berries

Golden Grasses, Heather Park

St Ives Plantation

Coppice, St Ives

Fallen Leaves, Coppice Pond

In Search of the Pink Dinosaur at Ripley Castle

Note to self...don't visit Ripon on either a Thursday or a Friday. Thursday is Market day so you will never get a parking place in any car park and Friday is well...just Friday! This was my second aborted attempt at spending a few hours with Sal in Ripon. The last time we came ended with the same result which was down to the fact that it was a Thursday and market day.

Fortunately Ripley Castle is only a ten minute drive away and, at this time of year, the Castle gardens are open to the public free of charge so we plumped for going there instead. Its history is one of political, military and religious shenanigans, of plague and persecution, of renaissance, enlightenment and industrial revolution.

Some interesting facts about the Castle and the Ingilbys -

Henry Ingilby collected taxes for Edward III and helped the king to finance the construction of Windsor Castle.
His brother Thomas the king from being gored by a wild boar whilst on a hunting expedition and was knighted for his courage and was given the boar's head symbol as his crest.
Sir William Ingilby held high office and served Henry VIII, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I through some of their darkest days.
Sir William Ingilby supported Charles I during the Civil War, and was made Baronet Ingilby in 1642. He fought at Marston Moor in 1644, when the King's forces were totally routed, making his escape to Ripley and hiding in a priest hole while Oliver Cromwell billeted himself there for the night.
James I stayed at the castle in 1603. By 1605 the Ingilbys were plotting to kill him
Nine of the eleven known conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot were close relations or associates of the Ingilby Family.

The place never lets us down, the weather is usually nice, there is a lovely coffee shop there, a couple of local craft shops and the Castle and Gardens. We started off with the obligatory coffee and then headed in to the craft shop which houses the entrance to the gardens. Its one of those shops which is popular for browsing round but its very rare that you see someone actually buy anything, probably due to its prices.

Once in the gardens or should I call it the deer park, we decided upon walking the full circle of the lake and then come back via the woodland to the more formal house gardens and hothouse. We got some nice reflections of the Castle as we rounded the lake and the light, as we walked through the woodland was more or less perfect so we both took some nice photographs. But it was whilst walking back through the woodland that I came across the enormous pink dinosaur which unfortunately was literally looking rather deflated. I've no idea what it had been used for but the poor thing looked well and truly on its way to extinction!

It was in to the Castle gardens which, at this time of year, were lacking in colour and looking a bit sorrowful but they had still managed to cultivate a very healthy looking vegetable patch which I presume is in everyday use for the castle and coffee shop. Finally we went in the hothouse which served its purpose by warming us both up before we made our way back to the car.

A visit to The Smiths Arms at Beckwithshaw ended our day out perfectly.

Ripley Village

Ripley Castle Lake

Castle Grounds

Ripley Castle Lake

Castle Gardens

Sal in the Castle Gardens.

Folly in the Castle Gardens

Massive Pine Tree

The Hot House

Autumn Leaf

Found it!

The Golden Hour in Ogden Water Wood

A frustrating day spent waiting in for Scottish Power to come and install me a new smart meter. When they did finally turn up, the fitter said that he couldn't do it because my flaming meter box was too old and made of metal. He informed me that the National Grid would have to fit me a new "plastic" box and then he would return to change that new box for another new box!! I've just left them to sort it out between themselves as I have better things to be getting on with. If I get one then I get one. If I don't then I don't. Simple as that.

I wanted to get out and go for a walk but didn't have many hours of daylight left. This didn't give me many options so I plumped for a quick drive up to Ogden Water Country Park to see what the autumn colours looked like...

...and they didn't disappoint!!