My birthday treat this year involved a gentle meander along the A65 into the Yorkshire Dales, with our final destination being Ilkley. We were planning a trip up to Edinburgh, but the M6 is dreadful at the moment, due to a combination of roadworks, bridge works and tourist traffic.
Our first stop after leaving home was Clapham. Clapham is a delightful village, but its main attraction to us is that it is home to Alan Bennett, and we are always hoping to spot him or Rupert, his husband. We had no luck this time, unfortunately! We both love Alan Bennett, especially his diaries. Chris is reading his most recent volume, at the moment, and is always sharing gently humorous excerpts with me.
The next destination on our tour was St Alkelda's Church in Giggleswick. The current church has its origins in the 14th or 15th centuries, but Alkelda was a Saxon princess and, research demonstrates, that there was a religious settlement on the church site since Saxon times. It's a very lovely church with lots of history.
Next, lunch in The Old Naked Man Café in Settle, and a mooch around Limestone Books. I love Settle and, having read all of Julia Chapman’s Dales Detectives novels, set in a fictionalised Settle, I enjoy visiting even more. It’s a joy to think of Samson and Delilah running in the limestone crags, enjoying cakes in the café and meeting friends in the town square.
After lunch we visited Long Preston Church, and then on to Ilkley. First we stopped at All Saints Church and were totally amazed when we discovered the three Anglo Saxon Crosses in the church. The Crosses date from the 8th - 9th centuries and are remarkably well preserved. They were only moved inside the church in the 1980s, before this they had stood in the churchyard, exposed to all types of weather. It's amazing that they are in such good condition.
Features include the Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) depicted with beast heads and human bodies, intricate knots, and scrolling foliage. One cross depicts Adam and Eve, while another is noted for a carving of a tree, possibly the Tree of Life or Yggdrasil.
It was quite difficult to follow on from this wonderful experience, but we had a good attempt with Betty's cakes and Grove Books! These took us firmly back to the 21st century.
Finally, our way home took us to Robertshaw's Farm Shop and some delicious treats for our evening meal. All in all a relaxing and very memorable birthday treat.