Tag: Yorkshire

The Swan

Wharfe Meadows Park in Otley runs along the edge of the River Wharfe. Apart from the usual local council style gardening that seems to be unique to the UK, there is a children’s play area, skate park and of course, the river bank. Ducks, gulls and pigeons swim and fly up and down alongside the bank in the hope of bread.

Despite the cold, it was quite sunny today, so the park was busy and the birds weren’t going for the bread; they must have had their fill by the time we got there. Then came a pair of swans who went for it. I took a couple of shots, of which this one really stood out. I adjusted the exposure in View NX to -0.3 and the water turned black, isolating the swan. Just what I wanted.

mute swan

So graceful, they ate and then swam on.

The Cow and Calf Rocks

Cow and Calf Rocks

Where hast tha bin since I saw thee, I saw thee?
On Ilkley Moor baht’at
Where hast tha bin since I saw thee, I saw thee?
Where hast tha bin since I saw thee?
On Ilkley Moor baht’at
On Ilkley Moor baht’at
On Ilkley Moor baht’at

It’s a song I’ve sung since I were a lad, yet I’ve never been to Ilkley Moor, with our without a hat. With our few precious hours without the kids, my wife suggested we head up there for the afternoon. Ilkley Moor is perhaps as close as a Yorkshireman will get to a place of pilgrimage, and having lived so close to it for the last few years, it feels almost sinful not to have been before now. But repented I have. And I wore a hat.

Cow and Calf Inn, Ilkley Moor

We drove up to the Cow and Calf Inn for a bite to eat – they do an apple pie to die for – and then it was a short trek up to the Cow and Calf Rocks. The Cow and Calf over-look the town of Ilkley and the scenery is stunning, even on a day like today when a cold wintry haze hung in the air. Snow still showed in places, but most of it had melted and frozen and a lot of the paths were more akin to ice rinks, but it was worth it.

Bench with Ice
It was cold. Very cold!

The place had a certain wild charm to it in the winter weather, but I can finally say I’ve been. And I shall be visiting again.