Anglophile Friday - Yew Tree Farm, Borrowdale

 Yew Tree Farm Bed & Breakfast

Note: All of the photos shown here are from the website, www.borrowdaleherdwick.co.uk.
The map is from mapquest.co.uk

Last week's Anglophile Friday post, as you may remember, included a video of working dogs, and especially Border Collies in the Lake District fells. (The link takes you to a map of the Lake District fells. Evidently Yew Tree Farm is in the Central Fells area.) Joe Relph and his Border Collies were showcased in that video.

 Joe Relph and one of his Border Collies

 So where is Yew Tree Farm and where are Joe Relph and his Border Collies?

Right there, where you see the purple marker.

Of course, as soon as I (originally) watched that show on PBS, I went to the computer and tried to track down that beautiful scenery and those amazing Border Collies. Joe Relph was thrown in for free. I found them at Yew Tree Farm near Rosthwaite in Borrowdale. It seems that not only is it a working farm (they raise sheep for meat), but they run a B&B and a tea room as well. There seems to be no end to their entrepreneurial bent.

Joe Relph seems to be a busy man. He's a shepherd. He's got work to do. I'm sure he didn't set out originally to be a host at a B&B, let alone become featured in a Nature TV show. (Kevin figures that the B&B was probably his wife's idea.) :-). Whatever, I found a few reviews of the Yew Tree Farm B&B in Borrowdale on Trip Advisor.

I laughed when I started reading them, and with the first review listed, I knew I'd like this no-nonsense farmer-businessman. (It helps to have watched the video first, to have gained some respect for his work and to have seen what a remarkable dog trainer and owner he is.)

From a Trip Advisor review: "Apparently Prince Charles and his sons have stayed here, and perhaps that explains the slightly haughty attitude from the owner...
When is breakfast, I asked...
Between 8:44 and 8:45 was the reply...
Oh well 8:44 then please, I wish to make an early start."

I think the first three reviews mentioned the non-negotiable breakfast time. :-) But there were lots of positive reviews as well, people who loved the B&B, the food, and the hosts.


Another Trip Advisor review:  "We have just returned from a four night stay at Yew Tree Farm and have had a wonderful time in this lovely cottage despite the poor weather! Everyone at Yew Tree made us so welcome, the rooms are very cosy and breakfast was fantastic which really set us up for the day. Breakfast is set out on one large table which is great for chatting to other guests, and we met people from America and Australia plus some English guests who were staying there on their way across the Coast to Coast Walk. This is such a peaceful place and if you need some time to chill out and relax in a beautiful setting then this little gem is the place for you!"

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More important to me than the B&B, however, are the Border Collies, those amazing working dogs that allow Joe Relph and his wife Hazel to make a living on that harsh terrain.

Look at the gorgeous views in any direction from Yew Tree Farm!

Yew Tree Farm, Rosthwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom.

It's on my bucket list.

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Anglophile Friday - Border Collies in the Lake District

A few years ago, Nature ran a special titled, Dogs That Changed the World. The most interesting part was that about Border Collies. The particular Border Collies were owned by Joe Relph from Rosthwaite in Borrowdale in the Lake District of England.

If you're a dog lover, I think you will enjoy watching this video. Move the cursor to begin the video at 42:30 and stop the video at 50:13 to get the section on Joe Relph and his Border Collies. It is a fascinating video, and scenery you won't want to miss!


I hope you enjoy it!

***

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Anglophile Friday - Skipton Castle Revisited

 Entrance to Skipton Castle

 It's only 43 miles from York to Skipton
So many places within a relatively short drive from York
would fall into the 'Must See' category

The following text is taken from Skipton Web:

"Skipton is a country market town, up in the Pennines, at the southern base of the Yorkshire Dales. It's a small, friendly town with a population of around 16,000. It has history, a castle, cobbled streets, ducks and canal boats. It's a pretty town to walk around, and gets thousands of visitors.

The name Skipton comes from the Saxon word for sheep - the town really began as a trading centre for sheep and wool. The canal came and went, the mills came, and now it's a big tourist centre for people passing through to see the Yorkshire Dales. The biggest employers in Skipton nowadays are HML and the Skipton Buiding Society. Formerly kingsley Cards was one of the main employers but has closed down and the mill converted to apartments.

Skipton Map 1757 photo credit

"Skipton 'The Gateway to the Dales' was probably originally just a sheep farm, back before the Norman Conquest. In Airedale, the settlement commanded the Craven Gap, the best passage through the Pennines, and so grew in importance to become the main market town of Craven, and a major trading post for livestock. 

The town of Skipton was granted to Robert Romillie after the Norman Conquest, who built the first Skipton Castle, and some parts of the building are still original.

Skipton supported the Lancastrians in the Wars of the Roses, and was on the Royalist side in the Civil War. After the battle of Marston Moor in July 1644, Skipton was the only Royalist stronghold left in the north. The castle was under siege for over a year until December 1645, when a surrender was negotiated. 

Cromwell had the roof of the castle removed, but it was replaced just 10 years later, on condition that the new roof was not strong enough to hold cannons. Lady Anne Cliford planted a yew tree in the conduit court of the castle, in 1659, to mark the restoration of the castle. It's still there. 

She also had the Clifford family's motto carved over the main gateway entrance to the castle: 'Desormais' which apparantly means 'henceforth'. [See First Photo] Skipton Castle is well preserved, and a very popular tourist attraction.

Clifford Family Coat of Arms

 Checking out the Dungeon

At least the prisoners had room service...such as it was .

'Slighting' the original castle wall

A Narrowboat and a couple friendly natives

"Britain's longest inland waterway (127 miles) was opened in 1816. The Leeds Liverpool Canal took 46 years to build, and finally came in at five times the original budget. The first part to open was the lock-free section from Skipton to Bingley, in 1773. The canal was busy all through the nineteenth century and carried stone, coal and other goods. 

The canal passes right through the centre of Skipton, and at the canal basin there is a junction with the Springs Branch (Lord Thanet’s) Canal. Only half a mile long but a beautiful stretch of canal that winds around the back of Skipton Castle, acting as a moat, and until 1946 was used to transport limestone from a quarry higher up the hill. The old chute where the stone was loaded into the barges can still be seen."

Some day I'm going to live on one of these for a summer!

or buy a ticket for a 30 minute ride from the canal basin to Skipton Castle?

Border Collies are everywhere in Yorkshire,

especially visible in the gift shops. This shop was on the castle grounds.

I can't believe I came away from there without at least one of these cute little figurines.

Ah yes, I remember now...it was the discouraging price tag.

But I get to see our Border Collie grandpuppy quite often,

and she's the real thing!

For more photos of Skipton, check out the Gallery at Skipton Web.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

***

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This post is linked to:
'The Places You'll Go'