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Driving in dark & pubs

1 Comment

 
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I love seeing places from a different perspective, finding new depths or the story behind a place. Night drives in the Dales are a great way to discover a different side. Last night we decided to drive to 'our pub', the Foresters, a community owned pub in Carlton in Coverdale but we were enjoying the drive in the dark so much we continued on over the moor to Kettlewell. That sort of aimless journey means you can go slowly and take in everything.

The Middleham to Kettlewell road is narrow, steep and winding, with lovely lazy lanes wandering off in unpredictable directions. It's astonishing to think this road was once a main route between London and Richmond! It would have been a perfect spot for highwaymen as it's so remote in places. I'm not sure why but at one point my husband suggested it would be a perfect place to bury a body... And I wasn't even being annoying at that point! 

Much of the road snakes over the moor so some might suggest there's nothing to see, particularly in the dark. That's what's so wonderful about such a journey - superficially there's very little to see but actually it's just a different way to see a familiar route. The odd house is lit up with curtains undrawn, revealing inhabitants within, everyone wrapped up in their own small world. Occasional lights on the hillside show more remote settlements and isolated farms that might go unnoticed in daylight. 

The road's contours are somehow more prevalent when lit by the car's headlamps. It's not so much that the headlamps show a different view, rather they illuminate the details: every bump, every rise and fall, twist and turn. At practically every bend, rabbits scattered out of our way, a full range of sizes and generations. Two owls flew alongside the car. The lights picked out the moss and lichen on the dry stone walls. 

Approaching Kettlewell felt even more welcoming than usual, seeing the warm glow of houses and pubs. We decided to continue though - my husband wanted to go somewhere that felt more remote. We headed for the George Inn at Hubberholme, whose thick stone walls and flagged floors dating back to the 1600s felt reassuringly sold and welcoming - a 'proper pub'. Landlords Jackie and Ed were equally warm and happy to serve one of my favourite combinations: gin and pudding. The ordering took some time - Ed offered multiple choices of pudding with cream, ice-cream or custard. Then came the gin order. This pub is literally in the middle of nowhere - almost bang in the centre of the Dales, and yet the gin - and tonic - options could equal some London bars.

As we cast about for somewhere to sit in the busy bar, my eye was caught by Chris and Fiona from Nethergill Farm, who invited us to join them. Within seconds we were deep in conversation - and conservation. Chris and Fiona are passionate about their environment, about sustainable and profitable farming. I love such discussions - it's great to see the world through someone else's eyes and find out more about their life and views, digging deeper to learn more. Chris and my husband Elias sat on opposite sides of the table, and as they introduced themselves and their backgrounds to each other I was struck by how different their worlds are. Chris farms and advises other farmers whereas Elias works for a software company. Talking about his job, Elias mentioned 'AI' and I saw fleeting looks of surprise on Chris and Fiona's faces. In Elias' world, AI is Artificial Intelligence, computers performing tasks normally requiring human intelligence. In Chris' world, AI is Artificial Insemination! 

As I said, I love seeing the world and the Dales from different perspectives! 

1 Comment
Fiona Clark link
24/3/2019 08:28:52 am

Great evening last night at The George - our most favourite watering hole, made extra special by chance meeting with Susan and Elias. Easy, very thought provoking conversation.

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    Chocolate & Sweets
    Clapham
    Clapham Treasure Map
    Classic Cars
    Coast To Coast
    Cobbles Stones & Pavements
    Coldstones Cut
    Corpses And Wool
    Country Shows
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    Crackpot Hall
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    Distinctive Dales
    Dog Friendly Dales
    Don't Get Lost!
    Doors And Windows
    Dramatic Dales
    Driving In The Dark & Pubs
    Drover & Packhorse Routes
    Dry Stone Walls
    Easby Abbey
    East Witton
    Embsay To Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
    Exercise & Green Spaces
    Extraordinary Sculpture
    Family Fun Ideas
    Famous Five Style Ice-cream
    Farfield Mill
    Farmers
    Farm Fresh Milk
    Feizor & Elaine's Tea Rooms
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    Ferret Racing & Cosy Pub
    Field Barns & Cow'uses
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    Film & TV Locations
    Fleece To Fabric
    Fountains Abbey
    Free Audio Trails
    Fresh Air
    Friends Of The Dales
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    Georgian Theatre Royal
    Ghostly Goings-on
    Gin In The Dales
    Glencroft Wool And The Three Peaks
    Good Things About Rain
    Gordale Scar
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    Grassington
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    Gunnerside
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    Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival
    Kilnsey Park
    Kilnsey Village
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    Money Does Grow On Trees
    Mud-larking
    Muker Show
    Nature's Cure
    Nature's Jewels
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    Nine Standards Rigg
    Nordic Walking
    Oak Apples
    Old School Muker Art Gallery
    Open Farm Sunday
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    Paragliding
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    Pub Games
    Pub Names
    Pub Safari
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    Queen Mary's Shawl
    Quirky
    Rabbits & Russians
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    Red Squirrels
    Reeth
    Reeth Show
    Reliable Weather Forecast?
    Rescue Services
    Ribblehead Viaduct
    Ribblesdale
    Richmond Castle
    Richmond Station
    Richmond Treasure Map
    Ride2Stride Festival
    River Ure
    River Wharfe
    Romantic Ruins
    Rope & A Rich Life
    Scar House Reservoir
    Secret Coverdale
    Sedbergh
    Sedbergh Treasure Map
    Seeing Differently
    Sense Of Community
    Serene & Spiritual
    Settle Falconry
    Settle Flower Pot Festival
    Settle Folly
    Settle To Carlisle Railway
    Settle-treasure-map
    Sheep-dog-demonstrations
    Sheep-graffiti
    Sherlock-holmes-yorkshire-dales
    Signs
    Silage Or Hay?
    Simple Ways To Enjoy Nature
    Skipton
    Skipton Castle
    Skipton Castle Woods
    Sloe Gin
    Smallest Art Gallery In The World
    Solitude And Silence
    Speak Sheep
    Spotting Spring
    Squeezes And Kissing Gates
    Stainforth & Leaping Salmon
    Starry Skies
    Stay Cool
    Stiles
    Stonehenge Of The Dales
    Stories Of Semerwater
    Stories Of The Dales
    Stories Of The Vault
    Studfold's Magical World
    Swaledale Festival
    Swaledale Museum
    Swaledale Secret Garden
    Swaledale Sheep
    Swale Trail
    Swift Trail
    Tan Hill Inn
    Tennants
    Terrible Knitters Of Dent
    The Buttertubs
    The Dalesman
    The End Of The Road
    The Hills Are Alive...
    The Pennine Way
    Thornborough Cider
    Thornborough Henges
    Three Peaks Arts Trail
    Thwaite & Attenborough's Forerunners
    Tombola & Raffles
    Town End Farm Shop
    Tractor Love
    Traffic Jams Dales Style
    Transports Of Delight
    Trees That Talk
    Tupping Time
    Underground Wonders
    Vicar On A 3-wheeler
    Village Greens
    Vintage Coach Trip
    Volunteers
    Walking In The Yorkshire Dales
    Walks
    Waterfalls
    Wensleydale Cheese
    Wensleydale Experience
    Wensleydale Railway
    Wensley Wonders
    West Burton
    What Makes A Good Yorkshire Dales Pub
    When It Rains In The Yorkshire Dales
    Wild Garlic & The Good Life
    Wild Swimming
    Wishing Trees
    Wonderful Ways To Reeth
    Wonders Of Wool
    Wool In The Yorkshire Dales
    Wriggly Tin
    Yellow Cheer
    Yockenthwaite - Centre Of The Dales
    Yorkshire Dales Animal Artists
    Yorkshire Dales Books & Bookshops
    Yorkshire Dales Cheese Festival
    Yorkshire Dales Curiosities
    Yorkshire Dales National Park Features & History
    Yorkshire Dales Shepherdess
    Yorkshire Three Peaks
    Yorkshire Trails
    Yorkshire Trike Tours


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