Reasons to love Ribblesdale

RibblesdaleI’ve seen Ribblesdale in a different light over the last few days – 12 photos in this week’s blog. I have also been taken back to the 1940s in Ingleton but those snaps will have to wait until tomorrow.

Driving down the narrow road from Helwith Bridge to Giggleswick one evening while the sun was setting, I saw some fantastic light down Ribblesdale – on Penyghent, the fields and hillsides, barns, trees and limestone.

Ribblesdale
A similar shot to the one above except a cow photobombed me
Ribblesdale
Lovely tree near Stackhouse in Ribblesdale, looking towards Langcliffe Scar
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Zoomed in on Penyghent. Below, another shot down Ribblesdale with Stainforth Scar mid-distance.

One afternoon between rain showers I walked around the Winskill area above Langcliffe. Although the clouds were dark and low the views down Ribblesdale were cracking in the changing light.

Samson’s Toe and Lower Winskill in Ribblesdale; below, Smearsett Scar from Winskill.

On another showery day I (very slowly) walked up the steep track from Stainforth to a moody Catrigg Force. The views from the track back down over the village and across to Smearsett Scar were well worth the effort.

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Catrigg Force (also called Catrigg Foss); below, the track up from Stainforth with Smearsett Scar in the background; top photo in the blog is taken from further down the track and shows the situation of Stainforth.

At the top of Ribblesdale I’d hoped for a sunset shot at Ribblehead Viaduct but was thwarted by the clouds. However, the layers of clouds made an interesting shot, the lower ones clinging to the top of Whernside.

After a few hours yesterday at Ingleton, snapping at the 1940s Weekend, I was back in Settle where the cricket ground caught my attention. What a lovely setting – one day there’ll be a match on when a steam train is crossing that bridge and I’ll get my ideal shot.

Ribblesdale

Flowerpot creations are starting to pop up all around the town now. To coincide with Settle’s Flowerpot Festival I’ve written a walk for this month’s Dalesman magazine. It starts and finishes in the town centre so that people can include a tour of the amazing constructions.

You can also see my writing in July’s Countryman magazine in which I reminisce about knitted swimming trunks. And in this month’s Down Your Way magazine I write about the surname Horsfall.

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