North by North West.

Just as we were about to leave a boat turned up at the water boat and services so we decided to have another walk around Boroughbridge. (I wonder what the locals call the place as it is a bit of a mouth full to say, never mind write). By the time we got back another two had arrived so we waited for them before pushing over to top up with water and much more importantly fill up with fuel.

They were very friendly and soon had me filling up. I took 160 litres so was glad to get some in the back end. The boat does seem to handle better with it. One of our gas bottles had run out a couple of days so I got a refill for that too. Mind you it had lasted since last September. Just as an aside, we bought a much better kettle for the hob this year. It has a wide base and is thicker too. It is amazing how much quicker it boils! Oh the diesel was 65.9/ lt. Heading upstream and having a long boat we had to have the bow almost in the bridge hole to get the hose to the stern. They had no stern gland water resistant grease so we pulled back over to the visitor moorings and I walked to the marina and bought a couple of 500gm tubs.

Once underway we were soon passing under the A1 motorway. The growth in motor vehicles is very evident as when it was first built to bypass the town it was 2 lane. Next to it has built a 4 lane road.

We were followed by a cruiser that hung back as we rounded the gently curves of the river.

The run to Westwick Lock was quite varied and this made the 3 miles soon pass.

Westwick lock rides up the weir of the River Ure and is quite picturesque. It is quite isolated, only 10 people lived in the parish in the 2012, but still there were a few people gongoozling as they ate their snap.

 I have never seen this before on a lock beam (I don't think) but what a great idea, a sliding extension to help with the large gate, but not get into the way.

Soon after we passed the grounds of Newby Hall. There are several landing stages for patrons of the House and gardens to moor to. There was the children's park and water features as well as the very narrow gauge railway that goes round the site. There is a small gap in the trees as the southern vista from the hose opens up and I was able to snap a glimpse of the house along with the visitors. I don't suppose they would be happy for you to moor at the steps here.

A little further west and the front of the house opened up for a better view. Coal paid for Sir Edward Blackett to have the hall built in 1690. He sold it in 1748 to Richard Wedell who engaged Robert Adam and others to add wings etc.His son William housed his large collection of Roman relics in the house. Apparently the house was identified as suitable for the Royal family to use in case they had to be evacuated from Buckingham Palace in WWII.

After Newby Hall the river once again starts to resemble the River Thames, with out the traffic.

A further 2 miles and we are ready to leave the River Ure Navigation and join the Ripon Canal. It looks as though it would be still navigable for a while at least, and at this water level. There is a sailing club just round the corner so we would get there at least.

The first Lock off the river is Oxclose and the top gates are quite leaky. Luckily there were several people there to lend a hand to force it open. Once out on the canal it was strange to be enclosed by reeds and rushes and to potter along at canal revs.

This Dad and two sons left the lock before us, and then we overtook them before arriving at bell Furrows Lock where they looped past us as we rose in the lock. There were a group of people who were fascinated by the whole process. One guy siddled over to me at the back end and asked how it all worked. He was so tickled with it all you would have thought that I had given him the secret of eternal youth. We have so many people comment as we pass through the locks this year on the North East canals and rivers that they have never seen a boat actually use the locks. Use it or lose it I say. Come and see how lovely it all is up here, and call in to Hull, City of Culture 2017. (I hadn't mentioned that for a few blogs had I).

The last lock in the two mile length of the canal is Rhodesfield Lock and after that it runs alongside the road into Ripon. There is one mooring just above the lock and then about half way along there is a couple by the services on the offside just before the footbridge above, just for shorter boats I would say though. 

The basin at the head of the canal has a bit of weed in it but I put the stern behind the boats and the wind blew the bow round nice and easily before heading back to the line of moorings that we had passed. There were two narrow boats there, but one left. I would say there is room for 4 good length boats.

I know the northern reaches of the NE river and canal system are quite exotic but this little square at the basin reminds me of a quiet little square in France. We have come a bit of a way but not that far!

Getting to know Boroughbridge.

We had only been to Boroughbridge once before as we passed on a trip down the A1 at some time in the past. We therefore were looking forward to having a good look around the place.

We left the moorings that are near a round-about through which the canal goes through the middle. The roads are bridges over the canal. Boroughbridge bridge was the scene of a battle in 1322 when a rebellion against the useless King Edward II. The Duke of Lancaster eventually rebelled against him, along with others. However he was also incompetent and several Lords sided with the King still. There was a battle near Burton on Trent that Lancaster lost and started his retreat to his homelands in the north. Sir Andrew Harcla, Governor of Carslise went to cut him off and blocked the wooden bridge at Boroughbridge. The ford at Milby, where the lock is now, was also manned. Lancaster's men and knights were defeated and retreated into the town. Lancaster claimed sanctuary in the church but was dragged out and was later beheaded.

 Just about the first building you come to after crossing the river bridge is this solicitors office with the painted pargetting. I love the windows too, and it shows that there was money in the town at sometime at least. 

Boroughbridge is strategicaly placed almost exactly half way between Edinburgh and London and was on the drovers route to bring the cattle form Scotland to the south. At the busiest time over 2000 head of cattle a day were passing through the town. Consequently there were 22 inns in the town. This was the three Greyhounds but is a private flats now.

These houses were actually built as fisherman's cottages on the Market Square. They caught fish in the RiverTut that joins the Ure just near the bridge. In the square is also the local Tourist Information Office and they have lots of local walks and information.

Across the square is the old Butter Market that was built to protect the local ladies that sold their produce here. It is now an outdoor museum showing industrial, domestic and farming artefacts from the area.

In St. James Square is the well. This was the position of the church where the Duke of Lancaster took sanctuary but was dragged out once stood. This structure was built over an artesian well by the friends of Andrew Sherlock Lawson of Aldborough Manor in 1875 after his death in 1872. It was the main source of water for the town.

The pump was added by Mrs Lawson of Aldborough Manor in the same year

This is the River Tut where the fishermen made their living and eels were caught. As we passed a kingfisher just flew away form a perch just below the parapet of the bridge.

To the west of the town are the Devil's Arrows. This one is by the side of the road and is the biggest at 6.9 mt tall, bigger than anything at Stonehenge. The fluting is caused by natural weathering rather than man made. Across the road are two other standing stones.

There is a large gap between the tallest and the next in line, to the left. It is thought that there is a missing one, and it is said that it had been taken out to search for treasure below it and was then incorporated in the bridge over the River Tut seen above.

There are several old enameled signs around the town, along with butchers and delis that force you to buy pies and cakes!!

We wandered up the road to Aldborough. In the background the white building is Aldborough Manor and is now the HQ for the Northern Aldborough Festival that was started in 1994 to raise money for the Church organ and has gone from strength to strength over the years staging musical events. In the front is the Battle Cross that was erected in Boroughbridge soon after the victory at the bridge. It was moved here in 1852.

 On the village green is the village maypole that is used every year. In the background can be seen St. Andrew's Church. It is the third on the site and housed the organ that needed repair that led to the starting of the Festival.

With Boroughbridge's transient population it became the site of a horsefair for 14 days in June. Gypsies, drovers  and horse traders congregated in the street and much money changed hands all over the town. In the street Horsefair can be seen this cast iron circle that was found outside a forge where the wheels would be repaired for the all the carts and the stage coaches that used the Great North Road. The relief of the town must have been great when the town was bypassed by the building of the A1 to the west.

Boroughbridge an area seem a lovely spot with plenty of walks to be had, big houses to visit and much else besides. I think we will come back again sometime.

Boating to Boroughbridge.

Our time in York had come to an end and we were off by 0900 as we had plenty of ground to cover today and the weather was to be mixed.

Just as I was letting go it started to rain, not too heavily, but I could see blue sky so it seemed that we were in for a day of sunshine and showers. It was also blowing a bit, so I was glad I was on the river rather than a narrow, shallow canal going slowly. The Scarborough Railway Bridge was the second bridge across the Ouse in York in 1845. It carries the line to Scarborough and was twin track with a footpath between them. The decks were completely replaced in 2015 and the footpath is now on the south east side.

The York Rowing Club just by Lendal Bridge seems to get going with training by about 0700 and there were plenty about when we started to leave York behind. It seems that they stayed with us until the next railway bridge that carries the East Coast Main Line about 3.5 miles upstream.

The passing black clouds were a great contrast to the searchlight suns rays on parts of the river.

Just by Nun Monkton was this lovely rigged dutch boat, even with sails rigged. We saw nothing of Beningbrough Hall as the banks were too high and the trees too thick.

As we rounded the grounds of Beningbrough Hall and approached Newton on Ouse we passed the water tower of the big house and also the river narrowed making it seem more like the Avon rather than the Thames.

At Linton Lock there are big shallows where the weir, to the left flows round the bend, and they are marked by several red buoys. The lock can be seen to the right. The building on the lock island between is not a mill, as you may think, but a hydro electic power station that was built in the 1920's and supplied York. It only stopped producing in the 1960's when it became unprofitable due to taxation. 

The weir was built in about 1769 along with a salmon ladder in 1894. With the failure of the hydro station and the fact that we know more about fish and the old salmon ladder is not very fish friendly. Mann Hydropower, leaders in the field of Archimedes screw generating units installed a screw here in 2012 of 100KW. Last year another was installed of 280KW and all can be remotely monitored. The new fish ladder they are building will also act as the route for canoeists to get over the weir.

The water point is on the floating pontoon before the lock. There is a lock landing just before the lock but was just emerging from the water. The navigation was designed by John Smeaton, of Eddystone Lt. Ho. fame and was engineered by William Jessop. The gates are at a bit of a slant so they are quite difficult to get moving. You can also see that the lock sides slope inwards at the bottom too.

Aldwark Toll Bridge is over 200 years old but saves a 25 mile detour. It costs 40p if you pay 'on the door', but 35p if in advance. The deck appears to be wooden still. The ownership of the bridge changed hands in 2015 and they put the toll up from 25p!

Not far upstream is the point that the River Ouse becomes the River Ure. This is at the point that the Ouse Gill Beck joins the main river, but I wasn't able to spot it. The Ouse Gill beck is so small it doesn't reveal itself. However the River Ure seems more like the Thames just at this point.

Shortly after the last photo you get to this point near Aldborough where the river narrows and you start to think you may have taken a wrong turn! The river does go to the left.

We are near the end of the days journey as we arrive at the Milby Lock. We were surprised to find a voluntary lock keeper on duty. He was pleased to see us too as he had been quiet all day. C&RT were mending fences at the lock and there was even a boat waiting to come down. It had got very busy for him.

The boat coming down was this fishing skiff with a couple of anglers aboard. The gates are heavy on the river section as they have to be large to work at all river levels.

The cut from the lock to Boroughbridge visitor moorings seems to be tunnel like as the trees seem to meet up above the water. We had our fingers crossed that there would be room on the moorings as there was a way to go to the next one. There were two cruisers alongside but still plenty of space for us.

Another day in York.

Wednesday was Helen's birthday and we had decided to stay in York to celebrate. Helen had wanted to see the interior of Fairfax House so that was to be our first stop. It is always a pleasure to walk through York and it is always good, where ever you are, to look up to see the more original sites of the city.

Just of Coney Street is St. Marin's. This was one of the reputedly 365 churches that were within the city walls. There was probably a church here before William the Conqueror, but the remains here are from the 15th Century and it was then one of the main parish churches. It was destroyed by enemy action in 1942. Fortunately the stained glass window from 1447 was removed at the start of the war. After the Victory it was decided to use the remaining walls in a new building that would be smaller. The use of the mixing the ancient with modern has resulted in a special place. Outside is the Clock that is driven by rods from the interior. The clock dates from before 1730. The first mention of the nautical figure at the top comes in 1779. On top of the clock is a naval officer in a tricorn hat holding some sort of a nautical instrument. It was said to have been a quadrant but the present instrument is not really anything known. He actually follows the sun round. He was badly burned in the fire following the bombing in 1942 and he was repaired and the clock restored in the 1960's.

Further down Coney Street is this lovely building that housed Woolworth's, then Boots and now TK Maxx, but look above and it transcends all that goes on below.

Clifford's Tower is built on the motte of a Norman castle from 1068. The original wooden building burned down in 1190 following the mass suicide of 150 jews that were seeking safety in the tower. The tower was rebuilt in stone during the 13th Century. It was a Kings, Castle but was never really used as a residence. It was burned down once again in the Civil War but by the 1820's it had been used as a prison and courthouse etc. It was called Clifford's Tower after around 1590. It was either after the Clifford family who thought they should be hereditary Constables to the castle, or Roger de Clifford who was executed here following the Battle of Boroughbridge.

Opposite the motte of Clifford's Tower in the 1820's and 30's a new court was built in the bailey yard and it is still there today.

 Fairfax House is on Castlegate and is a magnificent Georgian building. Above is the house next door that was converted to a cinema in the 1920's. It is now used as the visitor entrance to the house and is a lovely facade on its own. Next door was probably built in the 1740 and a few years later was bought by Viscount Fairfax a local merchant in 1759. He had it remodeled as a dowry for his only surviving daughter. It has superb ceilings and other features that have somehow survived the conversion of the next door to a cinema and being knocked through to Fairfax house to make a ball room upstairs. It was finally bought by the York Civic Trust in 1980 and completely restored. The beautiful Georgian furniture displayed in the room settings was the collection of Noel Terry, of the chocolate family, who left it to the Civic Trust to keep it together. The whole house is beautiful with beautiful stuff in it and a great way to spend a couple of hours.

 

We went in search of something to eat and headed down Fossegate. This is the Fosse and really reminds me of Brugge.

We found our lunch at the tiny Hairy Fig cafe that is by the street entrance to the 660 year old Merchant Adventurers' Hall. An Adventure was somebody who risked, or ventured, his own money in overseas trade in order to bring goods and wealth back to York. There is a Great Hall where they worked and rested, and undercroft that was used as alms housing and a chapel. Above the door is their crest.

This was the very first purpose built cinema in York when opened in 1911 and called the Electric Cinema. It later became the Scala and was closed in 1951.

This is the detail of the head at the top. I want to know what the pipe in the mouth is for.

This is now the Hop Pizzeria that is owned bu Ossett Brewery. The detail at the apex of the front shows it was built in 1898 and it seems that it was actually built for W.H. Waudby, fishmongers. The interior still has large amounts of glazed bricks that were to assist in keeping the shop hygienically clean. Another great building on the this short street of Fossegate.

Down the famous Shambles, or the street of butchers, there were loads of people queuing to get in a shop. It was newly opened the 'Shop that Must not be Named', and is full of Harry Potter stuff. Apparently J.K. Rowling thought of The Shambles when she was thinking of Diagon Alley. No further reason is needed to open such a shop and people were desperate to give them their money, just like at Kings Cross Station. It is a mad world!!

Above the shop windows, on the corner of Petergate and Minster Gates is this sculpture that is dated 1801 John Wolstenholme. The iscription also tells us that the figure is of Minerva who was the Goddess of wisdom and drama. Hence the pile of books and the owl owl. It is probable that when the figure was installed there was a book shop below.

The Minster is a magnificent building from the outside as well as the inside. The rose window at the top of the south transept was a miracle of survival as following the fire of 1984 much of the pieces of glass cracked but did not fall out and the window was restored and back in place by 1987. The stone work was completed by 1250 but the glass is dated from the 16th, 18th and 20th Centuries.

This is a very elaborate Boer War Memorial that was unveiled in 1905. It was desigened by George Bodley RA and erected by Bridgeman and Co of Lichfield. It records the 1490 who lost their lives during this conflict. Most how ever were lost due to disease rather than in action. The names include two women nurses who also died.

On the way back to the boat Helen took this photo of a squirrel that was nibbling away at a strawberry that a tourist had given it.

Later that night we went back out for a pizza before attending an immersive theatre evening! Rather than one of the many Ghost Walks that are guided around the City every night I had booked us for a play that took place around the streets. It was very good, and unusual as it was a Sherlock Holmes story A study in Scarlet.

There is a trail around York where you go looking for cats. It is a good way to get to see the city. It started in the 1920's when an man started putting cats on buildings he owned. It was then taken up in the late 1970's by Tom Adams who used a black cat for his 'signature'. They are found all round and in unusual places. Whilst on the walk Helen spotted this 'cat' stalking a pidgeon. The leaflet can be picked up at the Tourist Information Office.