Today we ended our 2-week idyll in Scotland, bade a fond farewell to haggis, shaggy cows and all things made of tartan, and headed south to the Yorkshire Dales.
To access the motorway, we needed to wiggle our way back to Glasgow via Loch Lomond. We stretched our legs at Falloch Falls, a short walk from the main road. Very pretty and obviously popular with local romantics. A few love locks were attached to the lookout fence, and a beautiful bunch of fresh roses lay on the grass…. I’m sure there is a story there!
Having negotiated the freeway bypassing Glasgow City Centre, we prepared for 3 hours of motorway driving. There was only one thing we could do…turn on Spotify and blast our way down the M6 singing along to the Hamilton soundtrack. Again!
Veering off the motorway once back in England, we spied this bridge. The Devil’s Bridge is 14th or 15th century (nobody is sure), and was built by the monks at nearby Bolton Abbey to access the markets at Kirkby Lonsdale.
Half an hour down the road found us in our bolthole for the next two nights, an 1820’s cottage in the historic market town of Settle, smack bang in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Settle is definitely a ‘maintenance ‘ stop for us, and Well Cottage was chosen for a reason. It has a washing machine!
Having been on the road for two weeks now, the socks and undies are getting a bit thin on the ground. And John unashamedly declared he’d had the same T-shirt on that whole time! He assured me it didn’t smell, but happily admitted his pyjamas did! Eeech!
The cottage has quite a history, and the present owners have traced its origins back to 1824 when it was bought by the 6th Duke of Devonshire. It has changed hands 16 times since then and has been, at various stages, a shoe makers, grocery store, bookshop, and antiques shop.
The present owners have done a lovely job making it into cosy accommodation. There is an old boot high on an interior shelf of the gable, which they say was there when they bought the property and were told it would bring them luck. So it’s stayed there ever since.
Washing done, we set out to explore the township. The cottage is very close to the market square.
Settle as a township was first mentioned in 1066. It seems it’s progress and growth stumbled over the years due to various factors- taxes, changes in monarchy, war and fighting with the Scots.
Settle really got going in the latter 17th century when thatched cottages were replaced by the sturdy stone structures characteristic of the Dales, and a successful petition was made to Queen Anne to increase the number of markets that could be held.
And commercially, of course, like so many other towns across the country, when the railway opened in 1849, the rest is history.
A quick stop at the CoOp and John noticed this clever Covid initiative….
We took the opportunity to avoid pub and restaurant food (read chips) and had a very acceptable homemade ploughman’s. Delicious!
Kanga And Wombats Adventures 