Skipton (Yorkshire Day and nearly barred from the UK)

One of the many Yorkshire flags we saw flying on our cruise through Skipton on Wednesday

I mentioned yesterday that there are often six or seven boats moored with us at Thorlby.  When Buddy and I returned from his pre-breakfast walk (about 9.30 😉) he seemed more interested in one of the hire boats than running back to our boat to make sure he was fed as is his habit.

Buddy investigating the Germans on the hire boat (we’re five boats farther down)

We set off for Skipton late morning with quite a brisk wind and the odd sunny spell.  It wasn’t as warm as it has been of late and I wore a fleece for the first time for a while but, by the time we got to Skipton, the fleece had been discarded.

On our way to Skipton

We didn’t pass any boats until we arrived in the town and then that was a wide beam trip boat just as we went through a swing bridge at one of the narrowest parts of the cut in town.  Karen had already opened the bridge and we gingerly passed each other after I had gone through.  It was quite windy still and they ended up on the bank but were clearly used to it/expecting it, as one of the crew was already on the roof with a boat pole to help push them free.  This was the same spot I got caught at a couple of weeks ago.

Passing the cows that the red sheep dogs were herding on Tuesday

We managed to moor at the start of the Springs branch like we did a fortnight ago.  Unfortunately, the moorings are restricted to 24 hours, so we will have to move again tomorrow.  Mind you, we both agreed that we couldn’t stand the constant babble of tourists wandering around the basin or asking if they could take pictures.

Moored at the top of the Springs branch opposite a gaggle of day boats

After lunch, Karen went off to do some shopping whilst I took Buddy for a walk.  We started off by walking down the Springs branch to find the rock fall that has prevented boats getting to the end recently.

The pretty Springs branch – amazing that we could bring our boat along here

As soon as I could see Skipton castle I could make out the light-coloured rock where the fall had taken place.  I often look around crags and cliff faces for signs of rock falls and the un-weathered rock always gives them away.

Where the rock had fallen from under Skipton castle

Unfortunately, the trees and undergrowth prevented me getting a proper view of the rocks that were blocking the cut.  The path was so high at this point that it’s impossible to clamber down to water level to get a better view.

As close as I could get to the blockage

Limestone quarried from Embsay, about three miles outside of Skipton, was transported on a tramway to the end of the Springs branch where it was transhipped to waiting barges.  Apparently, in the early 1800s, up to 30 barges would often be queued up waiting to be filled along here.

The end of the branch where the tramway brought the limestone down to the waiting barges

Before dinner Karen and I took Buddy to the vets to pick up his passport.  If you have been reading this blog for a while you may remember that I got Buddy his passport in Leamington Spa back in March.  When I took him for his annual injections last week, the eagle-eyed vet in Skipton noticed his passport had the wrong expiry date on it.  The Leam vet had mistakenly entered it up as a date in March 2018 – the Skipton vet explained that this wouldn’t prevent us leaving the UK but would probably prevent us getting back in ☹

After some frantic phone calls the Skipton vet agreed to reissue the passport with the correct dates, and the Leam vets agreed to cover the costs.

Walking back from the vets we noticed that our boat could be seen at the end of an alleyway where boat trips were advertised:

  

 It looked like we could be the trip boat

Fortunately, the queue for the trip boats wasn’t on our side 😉

Looking out of the other side of the boat we could see Fred Trueman’s statue.  The famous Yorkshireman lived in Skipton for many years and died in 2006. 

Bronze statue of Freddie Trueman erected in 2010

I had two excuses for having a drink on a non-drinking day: firstly, it was Yorkshire Day and secondly, with all the tourists around it felt like we were on holiday 😊

Oh, and one last thing, I found out that the three Yorkshire peaks aren’t the three highest peaks in Yorkshire.  Well, two of them are: Whernside is the highest followed by Ingleborough.  Pen Y Ghent is actually the ninth highest but is included as the third peak for several reasons.  The main one, in my view, is because it is such a spectacular looking mountain.  I think the real main reason is because the three peaks form a triangle and are just close enough for the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge.  This is a circular 24-mile walk/run that takes in all three peaks.  Keen walkers are expected to do it in under 12 hours and the record for running is set at an incredible (to me) 2 ¾ hours!