Friday 11 July 2014

A Day Trip to Haworth

Hello Lovelies,
If you have been reading my blog for a while I'm sure you will know that I live in the East Midlands of England, but I was brought up in West Yorkshire, more specifically, close to the village of Haworth.
I don't have relatives that live there nowadays, but every year or so I like to visit for a trip down memory lane.
Seeing the Tour de France coming through it's centre on Sunday helped mum and I resolve to visit this week.

So on Tuesday we set off as soon as the boys were in school.

There were lots of road works on the M1 so it was almost midday by the time we arrived. On one of the little roads "over the tops", and just before we got to Haworth,  I couldn't resist stopping the car to revel in the wonderful view................


This is the landscape of my childhood, green valleys topped by windswept moors................


This view, across Leeming reservoir near Oxenhope, looked so pretty on this sunny summers day............

 I love that there is still a mill chimney here..... There's a great photo of it taken from the other side of the water HERE

 A little further along the road we first saw Haworth in the distance..............


I was hoping that some of the decorations we had seen on the T.V. coverage of  "le Tour" would still be there, and  they were :0)

 I loved the T.shirt shaped bunting and the ubiquitous yellow bike.

I was also happy to spot the "graffiti" on the fire station.............


It's the Bronte sisters on a bike...............

 This is just one of a series of 5 stencils, of famous Yorkshire people cycling. You can see the others HERE

Up on the main street the houses were looking pretty with yellow touches and more bunting..............


And the shops had really gone to town with the bicycle theme.........


the sweet shop had Bertie Bassett riding their's.........


And this pretty spot looked wonderfully jolly in the sunshine..............


This shop had a penny farthing and lots of cycle related merchandise............



I wandered down the cobbled street enjoying the atmosphere.............


and was interested to see this artwork in front of a couple of empty shops............

lots of Haworth related things gathered together in a colourful painting....and some slightly random bits too. I'm not sure where the mountains fit in.....unless that's where the Tour is heading? it's by local artist Vic Buta.


When I came to this wonderful decoupaged bicycle I was really impressed............


Look, everything is covered in a pretty patchwork of paper designs, even the brake cables and the bell.............


the window display looked interesting, so I stepped inside...........


 I chatted to the lady behind the counter about the practicalities of Decopatching bicycles....I would be very tempted if I didn't love the colour of my bike already . Apparently if you use varnish it can be quite tough and weatherproof.

 As we talked I realised I was stood in the shop that was owned by my friends dad, back in the 70's.

They lived in the same building, in fact this part was her living room back then as the shop was just a small gallery at the front. I could immediately see her chesterfield sofas strewn with crushed velvet throws and the art deco figurines on the mantle.

It was a slightly strange feeling, but a happy memory too.............


I came outside and pulled my mind back to the present day. There were plenty of folk around, enjoying this quaint old street............


True, it was not as exciting as it was on Sunday..............


But I loved it just the same. Back at the top of the hill I even saw a cyclist....having a rest and looking pretty worn out..............


No cheering crowds and flag waving for him ..............


By this time mum and I were pretty hungry so we headed  a little way out of the village, to a spot where we know the view so well..............


There is some artwork drawn onto the hillside here.......it's just temporary and also linked to the tour festivities.........I had rather hoped this depiction of a Shepherd and his  dog would stand out a little more......

it's one of a series of land art designs you can read about HERE

In fact there are three you can view from this spot. The ripples on the reservoir embankment and the circles in the field are also part of this project...........

I liked seeing them in this wonderful setting........this is the worth valley and it's a pretty special place to me.

There was just a little Heather already in flower...........


and pretty yellow flower I don't see near home.............


After our picnic lunch we headed into the valley bottom, past this row of stone cottages next to the river.........

Where mum spotted an old friend and we stopped to chat.

Then through the little village of Stanbury  and out towards the moors.........

looking back along the valley towards Haworth.

I left mum at the car and walked uphill. This is part of the PENNINE WAY . I was so tempted to walk to the Bronte Falls ( wich are fairly insignificant but there's a pretty stream and a stone bridge see HERE)

but the sky looked ominous and my footwear was unsuitable

So I just wandered around a bit, enjoying the fresh air and moorland scenery.......


Not sure what this bird is.............


the views are wonderful up here.........


and all I can hear is the bleating of the sheep and the call of the Lapwings..........



On the way back down hill I notice Ferns and Willow herb growing in the shelter of the dry stone wall.......


moors, stone houses, sheep and dry stone walls ....a scene so typical of this area...........


I get back to the car just as big raindrops begin to fall................


Mum's been sketching :0 .................



We head off , back through Stanbury, and stop to take a closer look at the land art on the reservoir embankment.........there's a much better photo of it HERE..........

I think it looks great, despite the rain.

The road goes across the end of the reservoir and up a VERY steep hill. I was in first gear all the way up. The sign says 16% .....I think it used to say 1 in 6 when I was a child.....anyway.....it's steep! This is looking down from the top of the hill, with the reservoir hidden in the dip............


And this is the same spot on Sunday.........those super fit cyclists hardly look out of breath.........


All that was left on Tuesday was some trampled grass and writing on the road.........


I wonder what Tom Stell would have made of it all. This bench, hewn from a solid block of stone quarried close by, has stood in this exposed spot for over eighty years............


 I can't find any information on-line about who he was, but I can see why he loved these moors and I'm happy that this landscape has not changed much since his day............



Thankfully it's stopped raining. The damp air is so fresh and smells of peat.......I fill my lungs and smile when I see beautiful wild Orchids flowering amongst the grasses..........


This it the view looking down into the next valley. Can you see something white on the hillside above the road?


It's a huge sign also part of the tour celebrations..........


The lady I chatted to in that shop told me what a brilliant weekend it had been and it was great to visit while the art and decorations were still in place...........


By now it was mid afternoon, time for us to head home. Unable to resist the high places we head back over the tops and come across transport on four legs rather than two wheels :0)


It's just a narrow track and I was rather surprised to see this shelter.....I didn't expect this to be a bus route.........it looks like the bus stop on top of the world...........  

I'm sure it's protection from the elements is a blessing when the weather is bad. 

and what a view you can enjoy as you wait..............


It was a long way to go for one day, and heavy rain on the motorway made the journey home quite stressful. But I'm so glad we went, for the nostalgia, the scenery and the cycles :0)

Jacquie x

30 comments:

  1. thank you so much for peeking into your photobook. I am sitting overhere with my laptop on mij knees, and a cup of coffee enjoying the landscapes, skies, and above all the village. Thank you and byebye from the Netherlands.

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  2. What a photo rich blog posting! I loved seeing the gorgeous countryside where you live and of course all the marvellous decorations for Le Tour de France! I watched parts of it on the TV, just to get all the lovely views of the landscape, especially from the helicopter views!

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  3. Hi Jaquie , Thankyou for the awesome trip with you to Yorkshire. I loved it.

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  4. I enjoyed your trip too. I also enjoyed your photos of the TDF in one of your previous post, was lovely to see all the images as I hadn't watched it - wish I had now, it looked beautiful!

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  5. I really can see from these pictures just why people love Yorkshire so very much!! I have never been, it is yet another place on my to visit oneday list, I think that it might have just moved up a few notches after reading this!! What a wonderful day you and your Mum must have had. Your Mum's drawing looks great, and what a lovely reminder of your visit. xx

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  6. Yorkshire is really in my genes, both my grandparents are from there but moved to Nottinghamshire in the 1920s for the mines. It's a beautiful area, looks like a grand day out for you....wouldn't mind a little nosey around those shops too! :) x

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  7. Hi, I really love your blog but I think that has to be one of my favourite posts -stunning images. It must be the right season for wild orchids, I found some at the weekend but had no idea what these pretty little flowers were so thanks for solving that wee mystery.
    Shauna.x

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  8. We were there the week before and loved the atmosphere. We were blown away by the Yorkshire countryside. So beautiful. I loved the decoupage bike too x

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  9. I'm a Yorkshire lass too although from the coast but it's lovely to be able to share in your day trip via all those lovely photos. I loved being near the moors and miss Yorkshire a lot but we do go back as we still have family there.
    Your blog is great
    Jackie x

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  10. Beautiful! It's lovely to see how so many people embraced the Tour de France. I bet it was a wrench to come home!
    Caz xx

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  11. What a beautiful part of the country, thanks for transporting us along with your lovely pics and what a pretty village you grew up in. Sounds like just a perfect day out - minus the heavy rain and traffic stress of course! Happy weekend, xx

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  12. Absolutely beautiful photos. I don't live far from here (although on the red rose side rather than the white!) and you've made me realise via these photos how much I take our landscape for granted around here. Every day I am face with stunning hills, landscapes, houses, walls, fields etc, yet I just observe rather than value them. Thank you for making me reflect x

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  13. Like Rachel, I grew up on the red rose side and my heart is still in the hills which is probably why I love all the off-road marathons on the South Downs here in the South of England. Beautiful scenery, thanks Jacquie. xxx

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  14. I love the photos with and without cyclists, what a great idea! Thoroughly enjoyed reading your post, thank you! xx

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  15. Beautiful pictures and thanks for the tour of the area. I was only once in Haworth briefly and am still traumatised by the right turn back onto the main road at a crossroads where I could barely see as the road was so steep it was less a hill start and more takeoff! Would love to visit again, but never that junction.

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  16. Jacquie, it's easy to see from these lovely photographs why you enjoy revisiting this incredible Yorkshire area. I've visited Yorkshire several times, ages ago, and still carry lots of memories of the beauty I saw, and the lovely people I encountered.

    xo

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  17. Lovely post!
    My ancestors came from Denholme and Thornton.
    My uncle, many generations ago, used to give the young Bronte family his "penny weekly" to read. My grandma always said he was responsible for the brontes becoming writers!
    His name was Jonas Driver.
    Thankyou for the super pictures.x

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  18. Thanks for this wonderful trips through the moors and hills of your childhood - and what a nice town!

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  19. Love your photos. The field art was shown on Countryfile a couple of weeks ago and they featured the shepherd and his dog in a 'one man and his dog' type display. From 2005 - 2012 we lived about 20 minutes from Haworth and never took advantage of visiting it more often. It is such a beautiful, and magical place. Thanks for sharing.

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  20. I also love your pictures. Maybe someday I'll be able to visit England--it looks so beautiful!

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  21. You did this so well from start to finish Jacquie, and I thank you so much for your beautiful pics and commentary - my Hubby says thank you too - we love this area and he travelled it a lot when he was very young. We watched The Tour de Yorkshire and enjoyed it immensely also, and what a wonderful job the Yorkshire folks did! xoJoy

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  22. What a great trip down memory lane and a reacquaintence with childhood haunts!
    Jacqui x

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  23. Such idyllic countryside Jacquie, so so beautiful!

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  24. So very beautiful! Thanks for "taking" us along.I must show my youngest daughter the Bronte sisters bike, she's a huge fan. I enjoyed seeing all the lovely gardens, hanging baskets, so many flowers, just beautiful. The Pennine Way would be wonderful to hike! The decoupage bike, now there is an idea for my garden bicycle! I have the basket ready with crochet roses, just waiting on dry days to finish the bike. A lovely sketching your Mum did. Happy weekend!

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  25. What wonderful views! I would love to visit this part of England. Thanks for this great post. I love to see these green hills.

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  26. Really beautiful countryside. I remember when they ride at your town last sunday. I'm a fan of The Tour de France. Yesterday they were at my countryside in the East of France.... So I undestand your emotions last week end ! That's nice from you to share these pictures with us to discover more these hills ! Have a nice week end !

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  27. Fab post I love the pictures of your own tour round the area. Makes me nostalgic for my own childhood up north. You obviously get your drawing skills from your mum

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  28. what a lovely day out Jacquie, I don't think I've ever been any Yorkshire villages or towns come to think of it! love the cobbles! X

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  29. Fabulous pictures as always

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  30. What a fun post - thank you for sharing :0

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