Enjoying retirement
In The Red Rose County
Well, who knew it? Kirkby Lonsdale is amazing. Just about an hour away from us, via Skipton and Settle, we drove on a glorious March day through glorious Yorkshire countryside and pretty villages to park at the free car park by Devil's Bridge on the River Lune. The Lune which is a famous English salmon river (brown and sea trout too). Devil's Bridge is impressive, it probably dates from the 13th century, and rather impressively is finished (as were the finest buildings) with ashlar. and what a lovely spot......... Town is signposted along the river path, and on a day like today the walk was a sheer delight. Here we passed the large island which astonishingly was formed by huge, and I do mean huge, blocks of ice in the Victorian period.....weather in the past was much more variable and extreme than now...... Then we came to the so-called Radical Steps, built by Dr Francis Pearson, who had a reputation as a political radical, to divert the existing public footpath that ran through his garden. There was a lot of opposition to the building of steps, which thereafter became locally known as the "Radical Steps". The steps rose to......... ....the edge of the churchyard... and to Ruskin's View. This scene was painted by the artist JMW Turner in 1822 and the picture so impressed the 19th century art critic, social theorist, painter and poet John Ruskin, that he wrote: ‘I do not know in all my country, still less in France or Italy, a place more naturally divine.’ Later in 1875, Ruskin went one step further and described the panorama as ‘one of the loveliest views in England, therefore in the world’. I who never thinks biggest is best could entirely agree. And here is the painting......J.M.W.Turner The Lune Valley from Kirkby Lonsdale Churchyard, c.1818 Next, to the loveley and historic St Mary's. The outside is everything you would want in an English churchyard...... at this time of year snwdrops... and crocuses..... and the Church Close...also beautiful. Here we saw the famous gravestone to the 176 year old Edward Conder...his age set in stone! Through the Norman doorway with its Latin welcome....... to the historic interior. I haven't seen anything comparably Norman since Durham Cathedral. Astonishing. And in terms of memorials you think you have seen it all, but here is someone who nobody has ever heard of, who should be famous for his discoveries. Amd so to the town.......a pint in the Sun Inn was most welcome, and we had a very friendly greeting. This is the old Market Place next to the church, replaced later by a bigger one...... Here the 'new' Market Place on a market day.... Everywhere we went the architecture was fabulous, with absolutely nothing spoiling the incomparable unity. Lots of interesting alleys or snickleways too....this one leading to what a friendly native described to us as a fantastic and authentic Italian restaurant. Here an Indian restaurant in a simply beautiful courtyard..... and everywhere the surrounding hills and countryside could be seen.... There were a huge number of good independent shops........ ...some of which we couldn't resist. and at least four or five great hotels........ What a fabulous, fabulous place. A real pity we can't afford to live here! Never mind we are only an hour away, and Clitheroe is great.
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August 2023
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