Danby Castle

A Walk Around Danby

We stumbled across a short walk in Danby that takes you from the visitor centre, past Danby Castle, and back through the countryside.

The route was lovely and scenic, crossing rivers and railway lines, with the occasional cow wandering across our path. Danby Castle, which dates back to the 14th century, is now a wedding venue and sits surrounded by countryside.

When we reached the castle, we stopped to say hello to some cows and take in the views before continuing back through the fields.

Whitby

A Day in Whitby

Whitby is somewhere I've visited many times, but I always find something different to photograph.

We started our visit by the harbour, wandering past the little shops and down the cobbled streets. The swing bridge opened while we were there, which is always something I like stopping to watch. I also spotted a cormorant sitting by the water and managed to get a photograph of him.

From the harbour, we made our way up the famous 199 steps towards Whitby Abbey. The climb gives you some lovely views back over the harbour and the little cottages on the hillside below.

At the top, we wandered around the abbey and church before heading back towards the whale bones, which stand overlooking the sea on the other side of the town.

Mount Grace Priory

Mount Grace Priory

We visited Mount Grace Priory near Osmotherley, where the ruins of the 14th-century priory are surrounded by gardens and woodland.

We started by wandering around the gardens, which stretch down towards a lake. There were lots of beautiful sky-blue dragonflies (or probably damselflies) flying around near the water, and I spent some time trying to photograph them.

We then explored the ruins of the priory, including the parts you can go inside, where you get a glimpse of what life here would once have been like.

Bolton Abbey

Bolton Abbey

We visited Bolton Abbey in the Yorkshire Dales the other week. Most of the ruins of the old Augustinian monastery are still standing, with the huge main arch being one of the most impressive parts.

To cross the river, there's a bridge, or, if you're feeling brave, you can use the stepping stones. (I didn’t). 😂 We carried on with the walk, which ended up being about seven miles in total. It was a bit longer than we'd expected, especially with the shoes that I was wearing!

Once we'd started, there wasn't another bridge back across the river until much further on, so there wasn't really much choice but to keep going. It was a lovely walk, though, with the abbey ruins and river making plenty of opportunities for photographs.

To cross the river, there’s a bridge, or you can brave the stepping stones (which I didn’t.) The walk round ended up being about 7 miles, which was quite long, especially with the shoes I was wearing, because there was only one other bridge back across until the end once you started walking.

Castle Howard

Castle Howard

We visited Castle Howard and started by wandering around the gardens. There was plenty to photograph, but my favourite discovery was of beautiful sky-blue flowers that matched my outfit perfectly.

We carried on through the colourful gardens before heading towards the house, stopping to photograph the fountain in front of it and the ruined Temple of Venus. There was wildlife around, too, including a peacock wandering through the grounds.