Ripon, Fountains Abbey, and Haworth

We packed up and left York Friday morning, July 1, driving west towards Fountains Abbey. Arriving in Ripon, just east of Fountains Abbey, we saw signs for the cathedral. I have been through Ripon at least half a dozen times, but have never bothered to stop. So we made an excellent split-second decision to stop and have a look around. The Cathedral was everything that York Minster wasn't: free entry, not another tourist in sight, the organist providing wonderful music, fresh flowers for a wedding the following day, and a really beautiful building that felt every bit a church rather than a tourist trap. The village is charming and we restocked our treats at the local Sainsbury's. We explored Fountains Abbey and the gardens at Studley Royal next to the abbey before lunch at the abbey cafe. We continued on to Haworth where the Brontë Sisters lived and wrote. We had time to walk the moors above the village before returning to Haworth and coaxing the owner of the Black Bull pub to feed us supper, even though they had just closed the kitchen. After supper Rob drove tiny roads across the most beautiful moors I have ever seen. We arrived at our Ibis Hotel north of Preston in time to go to bed.

Ripon Cathedral

West front

With the binkers, at the door

 An unusual wooden ceiling

 The church was filled with music (note hand on the organ
because view of conductor was blocked by the "new" organ)

 Stargazer lilies smell heavenly

 A fantastic little piece of bas-relief sculpture in the crypt

Ripon is a charming little town


Flowers always add life and charm


Off to find Sainsbury's

 Eureka: purveyors of every good thing

Fountains Abbey


Peaceful streams flow

The abbey setting is beautiful

Traditional pose

Ditto

 The working part of the abbey

 The worshiping part of the abbey

The immaculate gardens at Studley Royal

The view from Studley Royal back toward Fountains Abbey

The Brontë Parsonage

Stained glass windows in St Michael and All Angels' 
Church where the Brontës' father was curate
 

Up to the moors

The rain made it a perfect day to wander the moors
looking for Heathcliff

 The heather will bloom in the fall

 The crew on the moors

The Black Bull in delightfully charming Haworth

A very nice pub supper at the Black Bull


Off to Preston

 The scenery on the drive to Preston was so beautiful it made
my heart hurt

 The beautiful West Yorkshire Moors

Preston Ibis

One more day on schedule even with Ripon thrown in.

OXO

D.