Tag: cycling

Aberford Circular with some interesting history at Barwick in Elmet

This was a very pleasant 34 mile circular ride via Alwoodley, Scarcroft, Thorner, Bramham, Aberford, Barwick in Elmet, Scholes, Thorner, Shadwell and Eccup.

I stopped in Barwick in Elmet to have a look around and found this.

Wendel Hill and Hall Tower Earthworks. An Iron Age hill fort with earthworks and a Norman Motte and Bailey castle. In modern times the Royal Observer Corp used it for observation during World War 2.

The name Barwick comes from the Old English words bere (‘barley’) and wīc (‘settlement, specialised farm’), thus meaning ‘a barley farm’ or ‘an outlying grange or part on an estate reserved for the lord’s use, producing barley‘. The name is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Bereuuith and Bereuuit.[1][2] The appellation ‘in Elmet’ serves to distinguish the settlement from the various others of the same name. The first attested appellation of this kind for Barwick-in-Elmet is in fact the Latin Berewyke juxta Abberford (‘Barwick-by-Aberford’) from 1301. The combination Berewyke in Elmet is first attested in 1329.[3]

One of the most notable village landmarks is the wooden maypole 86 feet (26 m) high that stands at the junction of Main Street and the Cross, this means that the maypole in Barwick is the second tallest in the UK. The triennialmaypole festival (held on Spring Bank Holiday) typically brings large crowds to the area. Every three years, the maypole is lowered, inspected, maintained and re-erected. The festival celebrations include a procession (involving floats decorated by local organisations), children’s maypole dancing, morris dancing, a street craft market, the raising of the maypole ceremony and the maypole queen. Traditionally the maypole was lowered and raised manually using an intricate system of ropes and ladders. Although methods have changed in recent years, the maypole is still carried by hand from Hall Tower Hill to the heart of the village. During the raising ceremony, it is tradition for a local villager to climb halfway up the pole to disconnect the guide ropes. The climber is then spurred on by a large crowd to climb all the way to the top of the pole, to spin ‘the fox’ weather vane (a custom thought to bring good luck to the village). The festival takes place every 3 years, the most recent one being 29 May 2017. The date of the next rise was going to be the 25 May 2020 but had to be postponed until 31 May 2021 because of the coronavirus.[citation needed]

Beside the maypole is what appears to be an old village cross, which is actually a memorial to the dead of the First World War, carved in the old fashioned style.

Bolton Abbey and back via Storriths

So this is a 26.6 mile round from home round trip but I go picked up in Ilkley. I think I can safely say that this has been my favourite ride so far. The route it quiet most of the way and the scenery is stunning.

From Holt Park along Otley Old Rd, past High Trees garden centre to the traffic lights, straight across Harrogate Rd, pass the Chevin Forest Park on the right and down a massive downhill where you hit speeds of 40/50 mph easily. I needed to use the brakes on and off. At the T junction with Gay Lane turn left and follow the road through Otley to the traffic lights at the cross roads and go straight on. Continue over the bridge which crosses the Wharfe, up the hill turning left into Weeton Lane. You follow this road all the way to Ilkley.

Through Weston and Askwith, eventually riding alongside the River Wharfe into Ilkley. When you reach the cross roads after you’ve passed the Lido on your right and the rugby club on your left, cross straight over onto Denton Road, alongside the park. You will come to a small island in the road, carry straight on, bearing next left along Nestfield Road. You will pass the golf course. Keep straight on. At a T junction keep right (West Hall Lane), eventually reaching Beamsley. Carry on and you will eventually meet the A59. Here turn left. You can bear off left onto a cycle way if you ride a hybrid or mountain bike which eventually takes you under the road and over the old bridge into Bolton Abbey. Otherwise go to the roundabout and take a right. Here is a cafe with some nice butties. However my next stop for refreshment was a bit further along in Bolton Abbey itself. Where I parked my bike and sat in the sun.

If you have never been to Bolton Abbey it is a beautiful place and certainly worth pushing your bike to have a gander.

Bolton Abbey Map

From Bolton Abbey continue along the road to Barden Tower and just after bear right signposted Appletreewick. You will pass over a narrow old bridge and start to ascend a steep hill and you will need to take a sharp right onto a single track road signposted Storriths and Hazelwood. This is a fantastic ride although there are some mega steep climbs. The road basically runs alongside the Wharfe on the other side of the valley. With stunning views and a ford to whizz through. You will eventually meet the A59 again turn right and retrace your steps back to Ilkley, where I got picked up.

https://www.bradford.gov.uk/sport-and-activities/sports-centres-and-pools/ilkley-pool-and-lido/

Covid 19/Lockdown

So here we are at the end of week 7 of lockdown.   I have quite enjoyed it in a funny sort of way, but Im one of the lucky ones with a house and a front and back garden, a husband who is my best friend and a dog who is also my best friend!  Its been lovely and quiet.  The airport is silent, even though it’s not normally intrusive for us, it is noticeable that there are no flights in or out of Leeds Bradford airport.  So I’ve done loads of gardening and loads of online shopping!  I’ve walked, cycled, read, cleaned and completed lots of jobs that needed doing but i just never got around to them.

Above are some of the most peaceful scenes I’ve come across whilst out on my bike.  The top one is looking over to the airport which is just full of parked up planes.  The second is of a deer I saw whilst cycling through the Harewood estate.  Next looking across newly ploughed fields where the Red Kites circled above. A mother with her foal, more horses and beyond the silent airport.  Ending with a map of my ride that day.  

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE.

Theres so much beauty all around from the bluebells in Adel church, to the deer beyond my bike and on the path at Harewood to the gorgeous blossom on the trees.  The lock down has given me more “down” time to appreciate these things.

It could just be something as simple as a blackbird taking a dip on my patio or the thousands of tadpoles we get in our pond every year.  (Where do they all go?)



Or the mighty beautiful awe inspiring trees that I pass under on my local walks.

And then theres the wildlife – mainly birds…..but that’s for another post.

I AM OBESE!!!!

There I’ve said it and made it public to my shame. Maybe now I will do something about it. I have made a start and hope that anybody that follows me will help, by keeping tabs on me and asking how I’m doing.

This is a photo of me when I was 20. Ffs, look at me, I’m soooo slim.

Ok so 42 years have gone by and I’m not expecting miracles but if i could just loose the fat round my stomach, legs, arms and bum it’d be fab.

This is me now.

I often wear a jacket as it covers a multitude of sins ie: bingo wings and hanging belly!

I made a start back in April by buying a pedal assist bike. I thought cycling being non weight bearing would be a good idea and I love getting out in the country side. I knew I’d never get far in Yorkshire if I didn’t have some assistance when needed, so a pedal assist was vital. With these bikes you can’t just glide along by engaging the battery, you still have to pedal, but its like having a gentle push to help you up those inclines. Mountain bikes were a thing of the past for me and I opted for an old fashioned style of sit up bike. I spent quite a bit on a gorgeous Volt Kensington in powder blue.

I have been out on it several times and have done up to 20 miles but I haven’t been regularly. I do the 9 mile one from my house most often and have done this twice this week. I just need to keep it up.

This week I have been doing a few exercises in the morning before I get dressed. Mostly stretching and the dreaded “plank” which I can only hold for 30 seconds and only three times so far. I can feel the affects so hope its doing something. Now I need to stop eating cakes!!! Must find something I can substitute.

I’ve found a pilates class and will start that this week or next. We’ve found a badminton group in Ilkley who play just for fun so hopefully will take that up again.

Please keep me going folks!!!!!!!!