Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal,Friday 23rd June 2023.

After our lovely stay in Hebden,it was sadly time to head home as Mrs R was at work on Saturday,but all was not lost as we planned to visit Fountains Abbey.

This amazing world heritage site has to be seen to be believed if you haven't visited before and coupled with the Studley Royal water gardens and deer park it is well worth a visit.

The abbey was founded in 1132 by an order of Cistercian monks and ran for 407 years until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in 1539.

It was one of the wealthiest in England and was the second Cistercian monastery in North Yorkshire after Rievaulx.

The deer park and water gardens are lovely to walk around as well as the abbey ruins and we walked up to St,Mary's Church.

A lovely Red Kite was seen here as we walked,a species which is doing well in the area and Tracey found a stunning male Banded Demoiselle near the Abbey.

The following are my favourite photos from our final day away.

St.Mary's Church,Studley Royal.

A Lovely Old Sweet Chestnut Tree,Studley Royal.

Jackdaw,Studley Royal.

Fountains Abbey.

Day 3,Lovely Howarth & The Bronte Family,Thursday 22nd June 2023.

Another cracking forecast today saw us heading the short journey over to Howarth from Hebden and carry out a walk we had been talking about completing for a few years now.

We were planning to walk a circular from Howarth village past the Bronte parsonage and out over Penistone hill country park to the Bronte Waterfall and then onto Top Withens were it is said Emily Bronte based her story Wuthering Heights on.

This village is so full of character with its cobbled main street and then you head out onto the moorland passing by Stanhope and Lower Laithe Reservoir as you head through Penistone Hill Country Park.

Eventually you reach South Dean Beck and area were it is said Emily sat and wrote her famous work.

After enjoying the lovely views here it is up onto the moorland footpaths again and the final section of the walk to the famous Top Withens.It has to be said it could be a challenging walk for some as you climb to a height of 1300ft and in the heat we did it in it was pretty tiring along the last leg.

On arrival here you get a superb panoramic view of the surrounding moorland and you soon forget the walk up.It is very remote it has to be said,making a living here would not have been an easy task,particularly in winter,but it is a beautiful area and you can imagine on a inclement day with wind and rain as to why Emily chose the location for Wuthering Heights. 

After having a rest and drink we began the return leg back to Howarth taking in Stanhope and the Wuthering Heights pub for some well earned lunch,before we walked past Lower Laithe Reservoir and back to lovely Howarth.

What a fantastic walk today and it is certainly a walk i would do again,the following are my favourite photos from our day.

The Lovely Cobbled Streets Of Haworth At The Start Of The Walk.

St.Michael & All Angels Church.

The Bronte Parsonage Where The Family Lived.

Lovely Views As You Head Out From The Village.

The Bronte Waterfalls Area.

Bronte Bridge.

A Tight Squeeze Through Here.

Panoramic Views From Top Withins.

Top Withins

The Real Remoteness Of Top Withins Can Be Appreciated Here,As It Is In The Centre Of The Photo Near The Single Tree.

Love This Curlew Wind Vane At Upper Heights Farm.

The Welcome Sight Of Stanbury In The Centre Of The Photo And Lower Laithe Reservoir.

Lower Laithe Reservoir.