Monday 13 April 2015

Yorkshire Places :: part 1

Hello Lovelies, thank you for all your kind wishes for this past weekend.

Oh, I had a lovely time in Yorkshire with Mum.
As always I took too many photos and I think I will write three posts about it over the course of this week. 
It's wonderful to have this place to try and capture a special time and record it to look back on myself.  I hope you lovelies will enjoy seeing the places we visited and hearing why they are so significant to me.

Back in the depths of winter I was dreaming of going to visit some of the places of my childhood. I bought a sweet little guide book, and read happily about walks along  the footpaths of this landscape.


I often chat with mum about our shared past. And she tells me about the places, events and people from before I was born as well. I guess she has always done this, but until now I often didn't really listen to what she was saying.

One of the places she has mentioned over the years is the village of Thornton, where mum and dad began their married life.

So that was one of the pink dots I had drawn on the map....places I wanted to visit in the short time we were there.  A place from mum and dads past.........


We travelled up the motorway on Saturday morning, stupidly missing the correct exit and ending up crawling through Leeds and Bradford.

It was such a relief when we finally started climbing higher and away from the urban sprawl.

 One of the ( many) things I love about this part of the country are the (often amusing)  names for every little hamlet along the road. We travelled through  Bay of Biscay , and stopped the car to gaze down on Egypt............


which is very close to Moscow :0)


 This may or may not be Moscow, these names are not signed on the road as you travel along. Though they often appear on the ordinance survey map and in Thornton it's self there's an amusing Lamp post celebrating both this village's link to the Bronte family and  these quirky place names.

Mum and dad's first home together was a tiny little back to back house in a steep stone terrace here. It shared an outside toilet with a neighbour and baths were taken in a tin bath in front of the fire. It sounds like something from ancient history to me, but mum remembers those days fondly. Telling me how the street was all grass and the neighbours were so kind...........


It must have been pretty cramped though, and mum told me she did like to escape along the footpath , which started at the bottom of the street and crossed the fields............


On Saturday mum stayed in the car as she doesn't walk too well now, and I walked the path....enjoying the far reaching views and the sunshine..........


It only took about ten minutes to reach the spot mum liked to sit in the sunshine and rest...........

 I even have ancestors buried here somewhere... my paternal grandmothers relatives.

Walking back I loved the changing light as clouds swept across the sky. And I loved the glimpse of the stone viaduct in the valley............


Back in the village I had a quick wander around the pretty streets....some still with cobbles........

 This unusually shaped house is locally know as "Coffin End". I think you can see why!

 I was happy to find the simple building that has a little plaque to mark is as the birthplace of the famous Bronte sisters ................

The building is currently a cafe 

We didn't go inside as we had brought a picnic and knew exactly the prefect spot to sit in the car and eat it..........

How I love this view over Leeming reservoir

This is a land of reservoirs, as a child I never gave them much thought, they were just there. But now I LOVE to see them, especially  when they shine with reflected sunlight.

After lunch I had a plan for a proper walk....luckily mum doesn't mind as she is happy to sit in the car and sketch or paint......I'll save the walk for my next post . There's lots to share. I think it will be long!
Jacquie x

21 comments:

  1. I've realised as I'm getting older that it's important to talk to my Dad about his younger life as one day I won't be able to ask the questions, so it's lovely that you were able to spend that time with your Mum and see all the places you visited. Glad the weather was kind to you as well! xx

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  2. What a lovely start to your weekend away I'm looking forward to reading more about your adventures
    Jackie x

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  3. How lovely to be with your Mum on this trip. I've always loved the names such as Thornton le dale.

    Christy

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  4. Hi Jackie
    Thankyou so much for posting these pictures. My great great grandfather was born in Thornton around the time of the Brontes. We have a family story that the Reverend Jonas Driver, who is an ancestor of mine, befriended the Bronte girls and used to pass on his weekly story magazine to them.They used to love them. I have been meaning to go to Thornton and Denholme where he lived later. I hope to get there someday. Thanks again.x

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  5. Thoroughly enjoyed! Thanks for sharing and I look forward to the next installment! My girls would love to visit the birth place of the Bronte girls, BIG favorites for them both. I'm lucky to still live in my birthplace town, and share my favorite places with my girls. So glad your trip was lovely.

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  6. What a glorious place. And how lovely that you were able to visit with your mum and hear her recollections. I know what you mean about being able to look back at things on your blog, I like the diary aspect of my blog as well. I shall look forward to seeing what else you did in Yorkshire. CJ xx

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  7. What a lovely idea tracing your mum's steps, and in such a beautiful place. I use to work in a gift shop in Haworth while at college in Keighley. Now living in Yeadon so not to far way...
    Amanda xx

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  8. Jacquie, I really did enjoy seeing these photographs and learning more about this part of the country. I'm definitely looking forward to the next chapter. How lovely for you and your mom to take this tour together.

    xo

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  9. Enjoying your Yorkshire story so far and looking forward to the next instalment. We camped years ago in that part of the world at Harden near Bingley and I would love to go back one day. Your photos are lovely. xx

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  10. There's nowhere like Yorkshire! Looks like you had a lovely time.
    Jacqui x

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  11. What a lovely trip spending time with your mum. The photos are great and that unusual house 'coffin end' looks really interesting, I'd love to go inside. The Bronte birthplace is pretty special too. My daughter is called Bronte.

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  12. Jacqueline what a lovely trip with your mum, my grandma grew up in Yeadon and my mum spent every summer of her childhood in yorkshire, even though I've never lived there it really does feel like home, perhaps because I grew up hearing all the stories. I look forward to your next instalments :) xxx

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  13. How lovely to have some special time with your Mum, I think we often have to lose someone close to make us really appreciate the ones left behind and the importance of telling them how we feel and learning about their past. Sharon x

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  14. You had such a beautiful day for your trip with your mom!

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  15. Your mom must love refreshing all of her memories for you. There must be so many things she could tell you about - but there is never enough time! I hope you get to see and do everything with her that you have hoped for!

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  16. Thank you for sharing your special trip - it's part of the world I'd like to get to know better. I love the little houses and sweeping views :)
    Cathy x

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  17. Great photos. I live very close to where the Bronte sisters father, Patrick, came from.

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  18. Such a lovely post Jacquie. I have been to Yorkshire as a child but would like to visit again as an adult as it looks so lovely and has so much about it that resonates with me. X

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  19. What a wonderful trip, thanks for sharing! xx

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  20. Hi Jaqui what a wonderful trip, the greens are really green and the blue is really blue. I love the photos. Still making and catching up here but today I walked to school instead of driving and it felt very good indeed. Jo x

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