History
The Ancient Kirkdale Sundial Hidden in North Yorkshire
We nearly drove past it. St Gregory’s Minster sits in Kirkdale, a quiet valley between Kirkbymoorside and Helmsley. There are no shops gathered around it and no village street leading up to the door. Just the church, its graveyard and the wooded slope behind it. Patricia spotted the sign. I was looking for somewhere to ... Read more
Helmsley Castle: A Fortress Through the Ages
Some places wear their history lightly. Helmsley Castle does not. It looms. Perched on a limestone ridge above the Rye Valley, it stands half-ruined, half-stubborn, as if still waiting for its next battle. It’s been everything—a Norman fortress, a grand Tudor home, a Civil War stronghold. And today? A perfect excuse for a walk, a ... Read more
Rediscovering Rievaulx Abbey
So, yeah. Rievaulx Abbey again. We’ve been before. Loads of times. I couldn’t tell you how many, but does it matter? It’s the sort of place you just keep going back to because every time, you see it differently. Different season, different weather, different mood. Or, in today’s case, same ruins, but a different set ... Read more
Serenity at Fountains Abbey
Right, so we went to Fountains Abbey today. One of those places that everyone in Yorkshire tells you to visit at least once. Been before, but it’s the kind of place that changes every time—depends on the weather, depends on your mood, depends on whether your dog decides to behave (he didn’t). Weather was classic ... Read more
The Mystique of Whitby Abbey
We went to Whitby Abbey today. You know, the big ruined monastery up on the cliff, looking all dramatic and windswept like something out of a gothic novel. (Which, let’s be honest, it kind of is—thanks, Bram Stoker.) The weather was doing that classic North Yorkshire thing where it can’t decide between freezing you or ... Read more
Exploring Pickering Castle
In my first ever post on my retirement blog, Patricia, Bertie, and I set out to explore one of North Yorkshire’s gems: Pickering Castle. The castle has interesting Norman origins and is less than a mile from our house so it makes perfect sense to start here.. It was originally built as a motte-and-bailey fortress. ... Read more