Thirsk

A drive up the A1 of about an hour with Siobhan, my support worker today, to Thirsk. We chose to have a pub meal, and then, if the weather improved, call back at a pretty village and have tea and cakes. The weather didn't improve, it stayed rather cloudy all day, and so when we spotted a cafe in town serving afternoon tea that didn't have to be booked in advance, we decided to indulge ourselves there.

  

I spotted some unusual hanging baskets.

The cafe had won an award for its afternoon teas yet we didn't think they were anything special. The lemon curd was delicious though, probably the best I've ever had and the Wensleydale cheese was really soft, like cottage cheese - when we commented the waitress told us that's how it comes from the creamery...a local creamery. She didn't know if it came from the actual Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes though.

Retford, Grove, Little Gringley, and Clarborough

The train drivers were on strike today and so I travelled on the local bus to Retford.  I walked through the town centre and then along London Road for a few minutes until I found the street that leads to a path that goes out into the countryside towards the village of Grove.

I did a detour to visit the church at Grove and then left the village to loop round to the north to reach Little Gringley.

I continued heading north, using the byway that goes to Clarborough.

[I was too early for the afternoon tea and the ukulele band]

I made my way over to the Chesterfield Canal, passing through the Parish Pasture area to reach the towpath, and stayed with it for the rest of the way back to Retford town centre.