Skipton Castle

I can't get over the number of historical landmarks within 30 minutes of our new home!

Last weekend, we drove out to Skipton Castle for the afternoon. The castle played a huge part in both the War of the Roses as well as the British civil war. During the War of the Roses, the Clifford family (the owners of Skipton Castle) were huge supporters of the Lancastrian claim to the throne while everyone around them tended to be Yorkists.

Here's a picture of the castle's gatehouse.

Gatehouse

And inside the castle's courtyard.

Clifford crest in courtyard

Pretty tree in couryard

During the civil war, the Cliffords were staunch royalists and kept Oliver Cromwell and his Parliamentary troops from taking their castle during a three-year siege. Three years!! Can you imagine trying to defend a castle for three solid years? Loyal Skipton citizens would sneak up to the castle and throw provisions over the castle wall to help them during the siege.

A few pictures of arrowslits. Again, it boggles my mind to think of the guys who stood right here

and shot arrows out of these slits.

Arrowslit

Arrowslit towards gatehouse

Life inside the castle was pretty good for the time period. We saw kitchens, garderobes (medieval toilets), bedchambers, and even the wine cellar and beer brewing room. We saw the cooling tub they used after the fermentation of beer. The hot brew would be poured into the lead tub and sit there for hours to cool before being put into barrels for later consumption. Yup, you read that right - the tank was made out of lead!

Lead cooling tub

The castle hasn't been inhabited since the mid 18th century, but I saw a ghost in the more modern kitchen - spooky!!!

Goulish ghostie!

As we left, Bill notices a step (like many inside the castle) that had been worn away over time in just one spot. The docent said the medieval main door used to be kept closed on the left side, which explains why the right step was much more worn. Here's a picture of the picture-taker.

A soon-to-be famous photographer

A few more photo opportunities presented themselves as we left the castle.

Castle wall foxglove

Castle tower

Ripon Cathedral Part 2: Down the Rabbit Hole

In Ripon cathedral's choral room there are wood carvings called miserichords. These carvings are on little half-seats so that those who need to, could lean their weary bum on them during service, and still "stand" for the entire service or religious ceremony. 

Each miserichord is very different from the next, and there are 32 in total, each carved in the 14th century. Yes, this church is that old. (Actually, some of it is much older than that!)

I took a picture of the most famous miserichord of Ripon cathedral. It's not as easy to see in the photo, but perhaps you can make out the rabbit being chased down the rabbit hole by the griffin. 

Rabbit miserichord

A small portion of the St. Wilfrid's crypt is available for the public to walk through. The crypt is the oldest part of the church, and was built in 672. Not 1672, but 672. It's cold and dank down there. In fact, there was a couple in front of me, and after descending the stairs into the crypt, I heard the wife say "Yeah, I'm not going in there!" and passed me as she walked back up the steps. It worked out great for me as the husband hustled through and I got to spend several minutes in the crypt by myself. I didn't find it spooky at all, but I didn't linger in there too long either :-)

This photo was taken of the hallway you see once you descend the stairs. There's a light in the crypt hallway now, but you can see how it looks like it gets smaller towards the end. Can you imagine walking around down there without lighting or with a torch? It could certainly make your hair stand on end. 

St. Wilfrid's Crypt

Charles Dodson was a cannon at Ripon cathedral from 1836 − 1900, and his son, Charles Lutwidge Dodson grew up spending many, many hours in the cathedral. Years later, the younger Dodson wrote a book under the pen name Lewis Carroll called Alice in Wonderland. Not only did "Lewis Carroll" use the daughter of Ripon College's principal for the image of Alice (he even got permission for the artist to use a photograph of her), but legend has it that the rabbit down the rabbit hole miserichord, as well as the seemingly shrinking underground tunnel helped inspire Alice in Wonderland. And the gift shop has many Alice - inspired trinkets for your purchasing pleasure...

Ripon Cathedral

I am taking a history of Yorkshire class and have learned a lot about the history of the English churches. The Cistercian monks came over from France with the Norman occupation and worked in the newly established York Minster. Well, many of them didn't like the way things were set up, so they picked up their things and left York for a tiny village called Ripon. Some of them started building Fountains Abbey, and others started work on Ripon Cathedral. 

Bill and I visited Fountains Abbey when we were here for our friend's wedding, but I hadn't visited Ripon cathedral. Ripon, by the way, is the city the folks in Downton Abbey always say they're going for a day visit. 

The impressive front and side views of the cathedral made me happy I took the afternoon visit. 

Ripon cathedral - side view

Ripon cathedral - front view

I showed up right when a bus load of Iowan choral members arrived, so I was treated to a lovely 30 minute musical session. I recorded a few samples of their singing, and will attempt to post one in a subsequent post. The photo below is in the main hall, from back to front, so you can see the back of the choral members as well as the giant stained glass window.

Main hall - view from back to front

Bill always reminds me to look up when we visit historic landmarks. So his voice was with me (even though he had to work this particular day), and not only did I look up, but the ceiling was so beautiful, I just had to take a photo of it.  

Main hall ceiling

The stained glass was beautiful. The reason the stained glass was used so heavily back in the day was so that they could teach the bible stories to the illegitimate masses who could not read. Makes perfect sense, but I just had never realized that until my teacher explained that to us. The next photos are two good examples of the stained glass windows in Ripon.

Stained glass tryptic

Single stained glass window

My teacher also explained how handful of really big, old churches like Ripon cathedral, York minster, Westminster Abbey, etc. survived Henry VIII's dissolution of the church (you know, because he wanted to divorce his no-longer child-bearing wife so that he could marry the young hottie, Anne Boylen). Basically, he picked a few he wanted spared, and replaced all of the clergy with people he could trust. All of the rest of the churches, abbeys, etc. were torn down. 

Once you pass through the main hall, you enter the Choral room. This room was much more ornate, as it was where all the clergy, nuns, monks, etc. stood for service. And when I say stood, I mean they stood. Along the side walls there are little, carved half-seats called miserichords. The older clergymen were allowed to stand at a miserichord so they could slouch a little and rest their bums on the half-seat. 

Check back soon to learn more about Ripon cathedral, miserchords, and... Alice in Wonderland?!?! :-)  

Choral room from back to front

Choral room - side view

Choral room - view from back to front

More Trees!

I found a few more photos from our tree photo shoot a few weeks ago.

Here's a tree-lined lane near downtown. I believe Bill took this photo.

Downtown trees

And here are two photos of our next-door neighbor's yellow-blossom-filled tree. Anyone know what type of tree this is? 

Yellow blossom tree

Yellow blossoms up close

Spring Cherry Blossoms

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom a few weeks ago. 

Here are some photos we took around the stray. 

Enjoy!

Cherry trees from a distance

Cherry blossoms up close

Cherry tree lane

Another cherry tree lane

Cherry trees everywhere!

Brews, Brews, and More Brews

We headed out to Wensleydale today, not for cheese, but beer! There are two breweries with big reputations in the small market town of Masham (pronounced mass - am) - Theakston's and Black Sheep. The rival breweries are both run by Theakston family members and have more history and drama than a soap opera.

We booked a brewery tour at 12:30 with the younger of the two, Black Sheep Brewery. 

Black Sheep Brewery

We arrived a bit early, had a spot of tea in their cafe, then made our way to the tour desk. 

Black Sheep Brewery was started 20 years ago by a Theakston son who cashed out of his family's brewery when they sold out to a corporation. He created all new brews (with the help of hired master brewers), using only British, and mostly Yorkshire ingredients. 

He bought an old brewery building down the street from his family's brewery and got started. (Historical aside: in the 19teens, the Theakston family bought out this rival brewery, and closed it down - only to have the brewery re-opened 60 years later by a grandson!) 

The tour started in the oldest part of the brewery,

Old copper kettle

And wound it's way through to the newer wings of the establishment.

Black Sheep brewing room

When we made our way to the fermenting room, the overwhelming smell of a freshly poured beer was pretty enticing! 

Fermentation room

Mmmmmm, beer....

Our tour guide told us all about the brewing process, including the historic "square cask" method very traditional in Yorkshire. They still have and use two giant square casks made out of several tons of slate, but the majority of their casks are stainless steel that utilize the old-school, square method.

Our tour guide also showed us several different barrel types and sizes, along with old beer bottles and other beer memorabilia.

Tour guide and memorabilia

At the end of the tour we each had a voucher for two 1/3 pint tasters, which we used to accompany our lunch.

Black Sheep beer offerings

After the yummy lunch and a short stop in their gift shop, we headed over to Theakston's, just a few blocks away. 

Theakston's Brewery was established in the mid-to-late 1800s and had been sold in the 1980s to a corporate brewery based in Newcastle. But in 2002 four of the Theakston sons (NOT the Black Sheep brother!) banded together and bought back their family's brewery, and it has been a small family business ever since (again).

We LOVED Theakston's! We didn't go on their tour, but their pub is just a pub (whereas Black Sheep had the full-on visitor's center, vacation-attraction-site feel to it). The bartenders chatted us up, pulled us some tasters, and we just chilled for about an hour while sitting at the bar of this fairly full-to-bursting pub. 

Theakston's Brewery

We both liked their beer offerings better than Black Sheep's; my favorite was their Four and Twenty brew. On our way out we stopped at their small gift shop area and saw they had some bottled beer for sale. Alas, they didn't seem to have Four and Twenty in bottles. I asked the nice bartender who had been helping us, and she suggested we get a "carry keg" and she could fill it with whatever brew on tap we wanted. And we could bring the carry keg back whenever for a refill. Um, okay! 

Our new carry keg

She said the four pints in the carry keg should be drunk within 48 hours. 

I don't think that will be a problem :-)

Yorkshire Antique Auctions

We have rented a large house. A much larger house than the one we own back home. And we only brought half of our stuff. What were we thinking?? Thank goodness for the local antique auction house nearby! 

Every Friday, the auction house has between 800 - 900 lots up for grabs. Most of the lots are a single item, but some lots are groups of stuff, so if you want to bid on Lot Q because you like piece X, you'll also have to take piece Y and Z home, too. You can check out the items online or in the warehouse the day before the auction. You can bid by paper or online before hand, or in person during the auction. Of course, bidding in person is the most nerve wracking, but best chance to get something if you really, really want it. 

We have been able to pick up quite a number of items, both practical (things we needed, like a TV stand, not pictured), and decorative. Old, solid wood items (we're talking Georgian and Victorian era) are abundant and it seems most of the young people here want to get rid of their grandparent's old fuddy-duddy furnishings in favor of new things. Whereas those of us who live amongst an abundance of Pottery Barn, Ikea, and the like, welcome the rich, old history of these pieces. Well, at least Bill and I do, anyway.

We picked up this carved oak hall unit last week. Bill and I had agreed my highest bid could be £100; I had to raise my bid a few times, but thankfully it was ours for just below that price. The hall unit's mirror is reflecting our staircase bannister, so the picture's a little Escher-esque. 

Carved oak hall unit

We also got this drop-leaf oak table, oak sideboard, and bookcase (not pictured) for a steal at £32 for all three!

Oak drop-lead table

Oak sideboard

Unfortunately, the bottom cabinets of the sideboard are locked and there is no key :-( Add another item onto Bill's to-do list! Our Highlands mahogany chiming wall clock (not pictured) is also beautiful, but never chimes the right hour three hours in a row. Argh - the auction gods were not smiling upon us that day!

Over the last several weeks, we have bid on four separate oak or mahogany pedestal desks for Bill before we were finally successful. This was our most expensive auction purchase to date, but it's a beautiful leather-topped, oak pedestal desk with a matching leather-topped filing cabinet (not pictured). 

Leather-topped pedestal desk

The top right drawer-pull is in the drawer; we just need a new screw to re-attach it. (Oh, how I love adding things to Bill's to-do list!)

I have also been looking for a desk and am kicking myself for not bidding just a bit more a few weeks ago on a Victorian mahogany ladies writing desk that was beautiful. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for something similar to come up for auction and am keeping my fingers crossed. 

We also picked up this mahogany inlaid bookcase for really good deal.

Mahogany inlaid bookcase

And last, but not least, an old timey telephone seat / table. This piece will become my client chair when we get back to California and I re-open my massage practice. I love it!

Telephone seat / table

Sunny Day!!

The sun came out this weekend! We had been invited to an all-day castle trip on Sunday, but because we're still getting settled, we opted to stick closer to home. 

About 15 minute drive out of town is Swinsty Reservoir and a lovely walking trail that takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours to walk around. We took it nice and slow so I could photograph all of the bluebells and the valley views. Honestly, none of the photos do justice to the beautiful blankets of bluebells, but below are a few of my favorite photos.

Bluebells, bluebells, bluebells

More bluebells

Bluebell-rich Swinsty Reservoir 

Dales View

And even more bluebells

The sun is supposed to be visible (and WARM) all week, so we're hoping to get out to more local sites - seize the opportunity!! 

We hope all is well with all of our family and friends back home. Although we're enjoying our time here, we do miss all of you very much. <3 br="">