Yorkshire Dales National Park is an area that covers most of the Yorkshire dales, England.
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It is filled with hay valleys, waterfalls, beautiful woodlands and greenery, dry stone walls, scattered remains of the past industries and is home to over 1,000 farms. It is by far one of the most beautiful landmarks of the country, so its hardly surprising it was named ‘The best National Park in Europe on the TripAdvisor website.
There are so many places to visit here such as Ingleton Waterfalls Trail, Hardraw Force Waterfall, Whernside Moutains and the white Scar Cave but one of its most popular sites is Malham Cove.
Malham Cove
Malham Cove is a huge cliff formation of limescale rock that stands around 80 meters high and 300 meters wide.
The top of it is of deep groved eroded limescale slabs of pavement, that I must add is incredibly slippy on a rainy day if your wearing the wrong footwear like I did 🙄.
I’d say it was definitely worth risking breaking my neck. Look at those Views! I think I was concentrating on my footing here 🤔
Harry Potter
The top of Malham Cove (pictured above) is also featured in the movie Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. So if you’re a Harry Potter fan, this would be an more fantastic experience.
The surrounding area is so serene with the beautiful sounds of water running through the streams.
cute shop in Malham village
Thanks for stopping by today
I hope you enjoyed my short blog on Malham Cove. I didn’t get to visit any of the other attractions, but hopefully I will revisit soon and share with .
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a fantastic holiday, blessings to you and all your families ⛄🎄🎁. I thought I’d save this introduction of this beautiful place for the Christmas week, because like Christmas it brings such a magical and fairytale vibe.
Haworth is a little village in the city of Bradford. It was home to the famous Brontë sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne who were the writers of classical books such as Jayne Eyre, Agnes Grey, The tenant Of Wildfell Hall and Wuthering Heights. It is also the filming location of The Railway Children A film from 1970, tho admittedly I’m not very familiar with and still have not got round to watching.
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If you have been following my blog you may have read my blog Hebden Bridge: One of the most prettiest towns in Europe well, Haworth is only 20-minutes by car or a 30-minute bus ride away. I would definitely recommend visiting both places for a perfect day out.
I felt like I had just stepped into a fairytale book
I had been wanting to visit here for quite sometime after looking at various pictures on Instagram, thinking how fairytale like it looked and how I’d love to visit. And now I was finally here feeling completely mesmerised at how much it really did resemble the pages of a story book.
The main cobbled street was filled with the cutest independent shops, pubs and houses all with their own unique touches. It was one of those experiences where I truly felt like I had just stepped back in time.
How cute are these houses?
There are so many cute homes here, I wanted to photograph many of them, but that was too extreme so here are just a few.
The pubs and and a not so pretty sight. She put a stop to my fairytale mode! 🤣🙈
Haworth has some lovely pubs to experience, the one I chose to go in was the Haworth Old Hall.
Technically I didnt choose to go here, I just couldn’t be bothered to walk after missing the bus and this was recommended to me by a lovely local woman. This was of course after we had just been mortified by having to see a womans bum in the middle of the street. Yes I’m being serious! A woman actually stepped off a bus, whipped her skirt up and pulled down her tights and underwear to have a pee! 🙈
Anyway, back to the pub. The local lady who I shared the mortifying moment with told me the bus wasn’t due for another hour. She pointed to this pub and told me they do nice coffee and hot chocolate so I decided to go in. And I’m so glad I did.
The place was so warm from the moment I walked in. The staff here are so friendly and welcoming, this is accompanied by the beautiful decor and the open log fires, its such a lovely atmospheric place.
The pub is also one of the oldest in the village and dates right back to 1621.
Here are some other lovely looking pubs I spotted whilst here.
I can’t wait to share more about this place in my next blog, but I like to keep my blogs short and sweet so I’ll save the rest for another blog.
Hebden bridge is a small market town situated in the upper Calder Valley of West Yorkshire, England. For anyone on a visit to Leeds, Bradford or Manchester this is a perfect place to visit nearby.
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A pleasant surprise
This was a place I actually visited unintentionally. I was on my way to a place in Bradford and had to get off the train here to catch a bus when I noticed how beautiful it was. To put it one way, It was enough to turn my head and make me want to explore it on my way back which was exactly what I did.
Here are a few interesting about Hebden Bridge:
Named one of the prettiest towns in Europe
This little town often makes all kinds of lists everywhere, here are just a few to mention. This year it has been named one of “the most beautiful places in the UK” by Daffodil Hotel. “One of the worlds funkiest towns” by British Airways Magazines and Culture trip calls it “The Greatest Town in Europe”.
It is one of the best places to go shopping in independent shops
You’ll rarely see a chain store here. Instead, you’ll find an array of independent shops that will meet everthing you require. Its actually a nice change from the usual chain stores that sell all the same things.
It is known for its welcoming atmosphere, quirkiness and creativity
So many quirky streets
In the 1970s a large number of people moved here. A fair proportion of them were hippies who migrated here due to the cheap housing at that time bringing their creativity and quirkiness with them. Since then this little town has been thriving and attracting thousands of visitors.
Its close to the countryside
you’ll see glimpses of nature everywhere
Its right next to the countryside and whatever direction you take your sure to end up in the beautiful surrounding nature. One of the most popular destinations to go for a hike is hardcastle crags which I didnt, but definitely plan to next time.
Used to be known as “Trouser Town”
Once upon a time it was known as “The trouser town” of the UK, this was due to it becoming the centre of garment-making, but mostly popular for working mens trousers.
The lesbian capital of the UK
It has been claimed by the stats that more lesbian people per head live here more than anywhere else in the UK.
Honestly, I dont think my pictures do this place much justice. Not only is it a pretty quirky place, but I found it to be much more bohemian than other market towns. I’d love to go back and photograph it probably and spend more time there. As I mentioned earlier, I visited on my way back from somewhere else therefore did not have much time here.
Recommendation
I has lunch at a place called Aya Sophia, a lovely family-run restaurant right in the centre of the town. The serves a Greek and Mediterranean cruisine with authentic dishes. I would highly recommend this place, not only a beautiful place, but offers a fantastic menu with a great service and atmosphere.
I had the grilled haloumi dish
What do you think of Hebden Bridge?
Thank you for visiting my blog today, I hope you have enjoyed the post.
Hi! I hope you have all been keeping well and looking forward to Christmas. Can you believe its December already?
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Today’s blog is just a collection of photos taken from my trip to Conwy. I’ve been here once before on a minibus daytrip. ( You can read about this trip here ). As it was a scheduled time planned daytrip I didn’t get as much time as I would have liked here. So I decided to come back, this time I went alone and managed to get some amazing shots.
Smallest house in Britain
What do you think of Conwy? Have I convinced you to visit Yet?
If your ever in Liverpool maybe consider giving this place a visit. Its only approximately 22mins by car, 33mins by train or 1 hr 15mins if you enjoy a long walk.
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Liverpool can be seen as you walk halfway along the promenade
New Brighton
New Brighton is a seaside town located on the edge of the Wirral peninsula on Liverpool’s Bay where the River Mersey is joined with the Irish sea. New Brighton was born in 1826 and has been a busy seaside resort for centuries, attracting a million visitors a year.
A bit about the history
New Brighton come about after a Liverpool merchant by the name of James Atherton purchased 170 acres of Land and wanted to build a seaside resort similar and inspired by Brightons resort, which obviously was where it got its name.
During the later half of the 19th century the area become a popular destination and many of the huge houses in the area were converted into hotels. In the 1860s a pier was added and in the 1890s the promenade was opened. In 1900 there used to be a tower which was the tallest in the country at that time however, it was pulled down in 1921 when it couldn’t be maintained throughout world war I.
A forgotten place
New Brighton used to be the the third largest seaside resort in the UK. It now sits at 66th, like a lot of the old sea side resorts it started to decline when people started to go abroad for holidays. This explains why many people along with myself have never heard of it.
It’s being regenerated
As a result of its decline in visitor numbers over the years many of the old attractions in the area have now gone. Thankfully Dan Davies a local businessman who owns the company Rockpoint Leisure has been regenerating the area since 2018 and has got many more up and coming plans to bring the once beloved destination back to life like its more glorious days.
The things I come across here
Dispite it being one of the less popular destinations there is enough here to see and do. Here is a list of things I found of interest:
The Lighthouse
The lighthouse was first constructed in 1683 and goes by the name Perch Rock Lighthouse. It stands at the staggering height of 94ft tall and is an impressive structure to see, especially if you love lighthouses like myself.
Fort Perch Rock
Fort Perch Rock is a coastal defence battery built to protect the port of Liverpool. It was built in between 1825 and 1829 and was built in the location of an are known as Black Rock. It is now open as a museum and opens at weekends between the hours of 11am to 5pm ( With additional hours throughout the school holidays).
The Black Pearl
The black pearl was a piece of artwork made in 2013 with wood by an artist named Frank Lund, Major Mace and a group of pirates. However, earlier this year in March 2021 waves and strong winds battered the ship and this is all that’s left in the picture above. However, hopefully after an inspiring note to Frank from Johnny Depp telling him to retrieve it, the ship named after the ship in The Pirates Of the Caribbean hopefully might return someday.
Even though this is all that is left I still thought it was lovely to see and is well worth the walk up the promenade.
Marine Point Retail And Leisure Park
Marine point has something for people of all ages such as the light cinema, plenty of bars/restaurants, cafes, bowling etc.
There is also Bubbles world of play, which has the largest innovative play frames in the country.
Also there are various hotels for people wanting to stay near by, such as the Travelodge Hotel that offers incredible views over Liverpool bay.
The colourful Benches
There are around 420 colourful benches dotted around the seafront which adds such a lovely touch. However, whats more touching the story behind the project.
Carl Leckey who used to holiday here as a child wanted to bring back the seafront benches he remembered as a child, after discovering they were all gone. Carl set up a project with some local schools and school children to create the environmentally friendly benches. The children helped to identity the safe materials and design the benches, then presented the project to the local council in which it was accepted.
Now they are memorial benches to loved ones that have been purchased by families. Some of the benches are donated to commemorate organisations such as the NHS workers, hospitals and assistance dogs.
Other things to dohere:
I’m sure there are plenty more things to do here, but here are just a few.
The Mermaid Trail
*Please note this picture was found on the web as i did not capture any of the mermaids here* However , the mermaids here are just as beautiful.
Do the mermaid trail and find the five identical sculptures at:
Victoria Parade, kings parade, marine promenade, seabank road and Atherton street on Victoria road.
The Victorian Quarter
Have a walk arond the Victorian Quarter where you will find more bars, restaurants and cafes along with quirky independent shops. If your into art, you will also find some amazing street art in this creative area.
Have fun at the funfair
New palace and Adventureland features a number of rides such as the teacups, walzers, circus train etc. The rides are are mostly suited to children aged from toddlers to around 13. There is also a soft play area, an arcade and activity centre.
Adventure land is open at weekends and during the school holidays between the hours of 11am to 6pm. Entry is free, but rides are all individually priced.
Watch a show at Floral Pavilion
This is the Wirrals largest theatre, it is located right on the promenade. It hosts a number of shows, pantomimes and has a dog friendly cafe.
Vale Park
If you wanted some quiet time, you could enjoy this lovely Victorian park with views over the River Mersey.
To visit New Brighton and find out more information visit here
Free Parking
There is plenty of free parking in this area near perch rock, near the seafront and around the area.
Thank you ❤
I hope you have enjoyed my post today, stay tuned for more.
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One day I was travelling to Liverpool on a train. In front of me was a guy who looked maybe to be in his sixties and two young girls maybe around sixteen or so. One of the girls was a little more reserved, I observed her to be maybe the other girls friend or partner. I say this as they kept kissing on the lips and hugging. The other girl seemed closer with the gentlemen, maybe he was her relative or friend.
The reason so much attention was paid to them is for my love of people watching, but also because I found them to be endearing. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t watch and listen to them the entire time like a complete weirdo, but every now and then.
I found it so sweet they were going on a day out, just them and him. They had a bag full of food and some beach towels and was talking about what their going to do when they arrive in Liverpool. It was also sweet that the girl who seemed more familiar with the guy would pull his nose and make humorous jokes about him and he would make jokes back with her. Although hers were slightly more brutal, but he was able to take them. They chatted for the entire journey and were just really cute.
I also found it adorable that the two girls would openly show their affection for each other as they should be able to if they wish. Whilst I know there have been incredible strides for LGBTQ like many other communities/groups/individuals but, as we know there are still those discriminations against people of LGBTQ as well as other groups. (By the way can I just express how much I dislike categories! And despise having to tick boxes.) Do any of you readers feel the same? Anyway I just like the way the newer generation are even more free, have more confidence to be who they want to be and this just made me smile.
She helped me discover New Brighton
There was a point when the girl started to talk about a place called New Brighton. I’d never heard of it and assumed it was most probably in Brighton. The girl spoke about it in a positive light to the man, and it seemed both she and him had fond memories of this place.
In my mind I said ‘This is a place I should research through lack of knowledge’ When I got home I did exactly that and discovered it was nowhere near Brighton. It looked like quite a nice place, so I booked a train ticket for the following week. I so glad I did!
The most amazing feeling I have ever felt
Have you ever been to a place that made you feel overwhelmed, you actually cried? This place made me do this! I have no idea what happened! I just felt a huge sense of gratitude for being there. It was just an amazing feel good moment, one I have never experienced ever before and one that I crave to have again.
My Instagram friends have commented how it looks like I’m not even in the UK here
I’m not sure if it had something to do with me being there alone. There was around five people near this side of the beach when I arrived, but they seemed to disappear after a few minutes. As I walked to the end of the sand where the sea met the sky there was not a person in sight. I felt like I was alone on a different planet, like it was the end of the earth. This was when that feeling came over me that I’m not sure I will ever be able to explain. I’d never had a beach to myself. I remember being a bit scared, but not where I would run because there was also a deep excited and happy feeling. So deep I burst in to tears ha. Such an amazing moment!
I will share more about New Brighton in my next post
I honestly can not remember for the life of me how I come across this beautiful little town. I remember wanting to visit and looking at pictures of this place for quite some time, but being a little hesitant about visiting. Sometimes I tend to get a little anxious when traveling somewhere new, well, all the time but, especially when I have to take multiple methods of transport to get to a single place. Anyway, I decided I would take the trip spontaneously the night before. I’m so glad I’m did! And luckily my mum accompanied me on this one, this was a nice change as I’m usually solo traveling.
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Holmfirth sits in the Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, in the Holme Valley.
A bit about the history
In the 1770s the first spinning cotton machine known as the spinning jenny was brought onto Holmfirth. By the 1850s textile mills began to pop up, the population started to rise and the town had become a trading centre for the textile industry.
The town is best known for being the filming location of a popular British TV Programme series The Last Of The Summer Wine.
The town is made up of independent shops, cobbled streets, mill cottages, beautiful valleys, sloping woodlands that join on to the Peak District and the River Ribble running through the town.
Last of the summer wine filming locations we visited
Nora Batty’s Cottage
On our arrival the first thing we wanted to do was visit the Nora Batty Cottage one of the filming locations. Nora Batty was one of the characters in the show who became popular due to her wrinkled stockings, hair rollers and her funny personality. The cottage is now a self catering accommodation that can be rented.
The Wrinkled Stocking Tearoom is not connected to the show, but is a place we wanted to experience and its right next door to the cottage. It is a cute little place that offers a range of local foods and has great reviews on TripAdvisor. Although, unfortunately for us, we did not get to go inside as it was closed due to Covid so I just had to make do with a photo instead 😏.
Sid’s Cafe
Sid’s Cafe another filming location of the TV show. We didn’t get to go inside here either as this again was closed too due to the pandemic.
As we were around this area, we spotted a little tour bus that was offering tours around more of the shows filming locations. We decided to hop on board and join the tour. So glad we did because we would have never have got to see half as much by ourselves.
The Last Of The Summer Wine Tour
The tour is a 45 minute journey around all the filming locations which also incorporates the beautiful scenery of the Yorkshire Pennines and residential areas. There is also a full commentary on the history of Holmfirth. The tour is £9 per person and picks up and starts outside Sid’s Cafe every hour although, they only run on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The tour is run by Colin, a man who owned the famous Sids cafe for twenty years and featured in many of the episodes of the show.
Here are just a few pictures from the tour, but there is plenty more to see on this tour.
Stunning views everywhere!
So many beautiful cottages here 😍
After our tour we had another little walk around. Below are a few more snaps of this beautiful town.
Hope you’ve enjoyed my short post about Holmfirth today.
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As I mentioned earlier in my last blog, I visited Birmingham around two or three days after a long lockdown so there were still many places closed. With this, I found myself wondering around this unfamiliar city and discovering some of its amazing architecture.
Birmingham City Council House
This is Birmingham City Council House one of the largest buildings in the city, its that large it has its own postcode.
Birmingham town hall and Chamberlain Memorial
The building that looks like the Pantheon in Rome is actually Birmingham’s town hall. The Chamberlain Memorial fountain is a monument to Joseph Chamberlain, a former buissness man, Mayor and member of parliament.
These two sit in Chamberlain square which is in the heart of Birmingham. Dare I say it! It felt like being in a little part of Rome, especially because we actually had some sun this day. The architecture in this square in incredible.
St Martin Parish Church
Both from a different era, but the contrast of the two is strikingly beautiful.
This is St Martin parish Church of the city of Birmingham. The church is a replacement of a 13th century church and was built in 1873.
The great British fudge Company is a family run buisness set up in 2017 that provides a unique fudge experience. They launched the fudge bus in 2018.
Hall of Memory
The hall of memory is a war memorial dedicated to 12, 320 Birmingham citizens who died in world war I
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I can’t believe I stumbled across this while wondering around Chester! Sometimes I love nothing more than getting of the beaten track. I’m so grateful and thankful to have a wondering curious mind and a real zest for life otherwise, I would never stumble across amazing things like this.
At first I thought it was a hobbit house, but it turned out to be the site of Minerva’s shrine, a roman goddess. It is said, that quarrymen carved this shrine to Minerva more than 2000 years ago. The quarrymen would come here to worship and pay respect to the goddess as well as praying for success and safety.
shrines were very common in the ancient world, but many of them have been claimed and this is the only one in its original site in Western Europe, as recorded by Historic England.
The shrine is a little worse for wear, but you can still see the outline figure of her holding a spear.
Location
If you want to visit, it’s located in Edgar’s field. Go across the old Dee Bridge across the river, Edgar’s field is on the right next to a pub called the Ship Inn.
Whilst here enjoy the beautiful surroundings nearby
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My first stop in Chester was the beautiful gothic style cathedral and its stunning gardens. Unfortunately, on this occasion I was unable to visit inside due to covid-19 restrictions. I have actually been inside on a previous visit, but unfortunately I do not have any great pictures of the inside to share with you guys. But, I did manage get some shots of the outside, in-between avoiding a man who kept trying to hand me a squirrel 😅. One thing you will notice here is, there are so many squirrels, and they don’t seem bothered about getting close to you.
A bit about the cathedral
The Cathedral had previously been the Abbey Church of a Benedictine Monastery, which had been dedicated to Saint Werburgh. It is now dedicated to Christ and The Virgin mary. It is also seat to The Arch Bishop Of Chester and has been since 1541.
Some of its oldest parts date right back to 1093 and it still has some of its Norman features from when the Norman’s built it. Although, from 1250 the church was built to be a gothic style.
Although, it is now restored their is still some places where you can see where it had been destroyed and defaced in the past.
I enjoyed siting in the gardens to have lunch
If you visit Chester, don’t miss visiting inside this stunning cathedral It’s located in the heart of chester at St Werburgh St, Chester, CH1 2DY. For more information visit here
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