The Ribblehead Viaduct, Grassington and The Ribchester Arms November 2022

After spending a time on the internet I had managed to book a number of stop overs and meals at dog friendly locations in the Dales and Forest of Bowland in November 2022. We had at an earlier time been on the Settle Carlisle trainline and crossed the Ribblehead Viaduct and noted the Station Inn https://www.thestationinnribblehead.com, there, and that it offered a free stop over for motorhomes to those using it's facilities. We chose this location as the first stop of our trip.

After a drive of just over an hour we turned into the car park of the Station Inn to find that we were not the only motorhomers taking a break there, the car park was full of motorhomes. The car park also included toilet facilities which were accessible by a code obtained from the bar.

Upon arrival we decided to have a quick drink in the bar before taking a walk to the viaduct, hoping to miss the rain storm that was on the way. Once we had ordered the cider and let the staff fuss over Finn we settled down in the pub which is remotely situated next to the viaduct (an impressive Victorian construction) in the Yorkshire Dales.

Our fellow customers were dog-owning motorhomers of a certain age, like ourselves, and younger groups or families intending to walk the  Three Peaks Challenge (a challenge that I would find too onerous).

With our drinks finished we returned to the motorhome to switch on the gas for the heating and attempt to tune in the TV to find any channels, but the remoteness of the site defeated us. We then fed Finn, and donned our waterproofs for the walk to the viaduct via the footpath that leads beneath the columns. It is a really impressive site and the Victorian navvies who constructed it well deserve some recognition for their achievement. On our way back we met another couple with a dog who had just pulled into the car park as we set off on our walk. We were very near to the motorhome when the heavens opened and my thoughts turned to that couple and how exposed they would be in the heavy rain. We luckily avoided a soaking. On my final few steps the sole of my boot, which had been badly repaired by a cobbler, decided to fall off again.

We then settled down to watching the evening news on an Ipad before preparing for our 6.00pm evening meal booking which was very good. Upon entering the pub for our evening meal we again met the couple that had endured a soaking and had had to change from their wet clothes before venturing out that night.

The pub was still adecked with spiders and decorations from the previous evening’s Halloween celebrations. The staff were keen to fuss with Finn, and made it known that if we notified them before 9.30pm that evening that we could enjoy a cooked breakfast there the next morning. This we duly did, and took our leave to return to the motorhome to watch a Netflix movie. The first day of our November break had gone well.

We awoke next day to a blue sky, all the rain of the previous day had blown over. After a good cooked breakfast in the pub we returned to the motorhome and prepared for the one hour trip to the Wharfedale camp site https://tinyurl.com/6unusdj8. Over breakfast I overlooked my intermittent allergy to fresh orange juice and downed two glasses, I was to pay for this later.

There were motorhomes arriving as we were leaving, and deciding to take the more scenic route via the back lanes we relaxed into the trip, as we were not allowed onto the Wharfedale site until 1.00pm.  This trip was to prove eventful as we negotiated the twisty narrow lanes through the back of beyond. We barely came across any traffic until we met a unit jetwashing and unblocking the roadside drains. The unit was completely blocking the road, and the crew, upon noticing us, indicated that we could get past if we left the road and drove onto the moor alongside. A roadside signpost made this manouvre difficult, leaving little room between our motorhome and the unit. With wingmirrors scraping and the wheels spinning in the mud we eventually managed to get passed, with the crew giving a lot of assistance and encouragement. The rest of the trip was uneventful but the scenery was stunning. As we neared the site we took the opportunity to visit the Kilnsey Estate Café https://kilnseypark.co.uk for a quick tea, coffee and cake, and admired the waterworks and fishing lakes before we left. At 1.15pm we pulled onto the Wharfedale site and we’re told to pick any pitch with two white markers. Sue successfully reversed between the two markers on pitch number four, and I had to run back to reception to let them know of our choice, and reclaim my club membership card which they had taken as a deposit.

I then set about unwinding the electric cable, and connecting up, and turning on the gas. Again, there was no TV reception unless we had a coax cable to plug in to the access point, which we hadn't. Once all the connections were made I was then to pay for my earlier excessive orange juice intake, as the gripes took hold. I took an early visit to the toilet block, the first of many that afternoon. The weather then took a turn for the worse and the heavy rain began. My need for access to a toilet and the heavy rain resulted in us changing our plans of exploring Thresfield that afternoon. We decided, instead, to make the most of the quiet and catch up on some sleep.

I had planned, and booked a meal at the Old Hall Inn in Thresfield https://theoldhallinnandcottages.co.uk for 6.00pm that night, but we decided that a walk of that length in the heavy rain would leave us soaking. I rang the pub to cancel the booking, and also rang the Gamekeepers Inn,https://www.gamekeeperinn.co.uk on the site, to book a meal as an alternative, and we were given a table at 5.45pm.

Given that it was early November our walk to the Gamekeepers was in the dark, with the heavy rain contributing to the low visibility. As my boots were no longer functional I was wearing my sandals, and walking down the dark paths I stood in a deep puddle and soaked my feet. I was less than happy! There was very little street lighting and we were convinced we were lost when we approached the Spa. With a little exploration we found a building next door and I entered and asked a member of staff if it was the Greenkeepers Inn. He corrected me on the name and confirmed that it was.

We were quickly shown to our reserved table and a drinks order was taken. A memorable meal was enjoyed in the bar area, which was dog friendly and the staff did their best to keep the dogs hydrated. The food was very good and we will certainly eat there again on a future visit. The weather had eased slightly while we ate and the trip back was much easier. We returned and settled in for the night.

The next day the weather was kind for our planned walk to Grassington, which at the time of writing was being used as the fictional village of Darrowby in the TV series of All Creatures Great And Small. Given that we had an evening meal booking there for 6.00pm, and that we did not want to return to the motorhome beforehand, we were not in a hurry to set off on our adventure.

Packing an evening meal for Finn, we set off just before lunchtime, and selected the path from the site to Thresfield, with me forgetting, again, to bring my stick (which I find invaluable on uneven ground). Sue, gracefully volunteered to go back to collect it, leaving myself and Finn on the stony path, where I had a chance to ask a couple of walkers whether we had chosen the correct route. We had. After a few minutes Sue joined us with stick in hand, and we recommenced our journey.

It was quite a straightforward walk to Grassington, mainly on footpaths along side the road, and my stick was not needed. The journey took approximately half an hour, and the first thing we did when we arrived was to have a drink and a sandwich in the dog friendly Grassington House,https://www.grassingtonhouse.co.uk at the lower end of the square. We were very pleased with our decision as the fare was delicious. We found a good table next to the fireplace where Finn was able to hide away.

Satisfied with our initial stop we set to on the main task of the day, to buy some suitable boots for myself. I quickly noticed a shoe shop, Helen Midgleys, which I had researched on the internet the previous evening. The shop is located just off the square, and, as we entered, Finn was made a fuss of, and the conversation turned to dogs. The boots that I had selected on my internet search were in the window display, and I was quickly fitted with a pair. The fit was good and I opted to keep them on, and my sandals were bagged up for me to take away.

We then turned our attention to the second task of the day, to get Sue a pair of good walking socks. We had noticed a mountaineering shop on the way into the village, and headed back that way, stopping on the way to get essential supplies of wine and chocolate from the supermarket.

With socks purchased we returned to the square and decided to explore the lanes leading off it. After walking around the pretty village we found we had some time on our hands before our 6.00pm evening meal booking at the Devonshire and Grassington. We decided to kill the time with a quick drink in the Black Horse Hotel, https://www.blackhorsehotelgrassington.co.uk just off the square.  The Black Horse Hotel was very accommodating, and if we hadn't already had a meal booked elsewhere we would have probably stayed by the warm fire there.

We left the Black Horse and entered the much busier Devonshire and Grassington https://thedevonshiregrassington.co.uk where we enjoyed a good meal, and whiled away our time until our prebooked taxi arrived at 8.00pm. With that we returned to the site and had an early night.

The next day was overcast, with the odd shower, and we breakfasted, showered and prepared for our departure and trip to Ribchester. We managed to hit the deadline of 12.00pm to leave the site and followed the route on the SatNav, arriving at Ribchester Arms https://ribchesterarms.uk in the early afternoon. Once parked up on the far end of the car park, as to not occupy the much needed spaces near the pub, we briefly walked Finn, and visited the pub for a quick drink.

Whilst there we asked for what attractions there were to while away our afternoon, but the gods were against us, as when we left the pub the rain bucketed down. Our list of interesting places to visit would have to wait until another time, and we took shelter in the motorhome and spent the afternoon watching TV. After we both had slept  off our midday drinks we awoke to prepare ourselves for that evening's meal, again booked for 6.00pm.

Allowing Sue the privacy to prepare for the evening I decided to visit the pub early, and was shown to our pre-booked table, next to a table with two badly behaved Cockapoos. They were barking and distressing every human and dog that passed them. After my drink I returned to the motorhome to advise Sue to avoid the dogs, and returned on my own with Finn! We successfully returned to the table without any bother, but once the dogs noticed Finn all hell broke loose. The bar staff could see how distressed Finn was becoming and offered us another table away from the demon duo . The dogs continued to be a nuisance all night, and were in danger of altering the pub’s dog friendly status.

Once we were settled Sue arrived and we settled down to our meal, which was much enjoyed, and then we retired to the motorhome.

The next morning saw no improvement in the weather and after a quick cup of tea we set off for home. The road out of Ribchester crosses an interesting bridge that was built in the eighteenth century, and provides a perfect historical introduction to the Roman town. On crossing the bridge we picked up the main road to Preston and found a refuelling spot. After stopping there to fill up we carried on to the services before the motorway to pick up a breakfast sandwich. After an uneventful trip, except for the closure of the motorway following an accident, we arrived home mid afternoon. The trip had proved successful.