Travelling further along the River Wharfe we come upon an absolute monster – Kilnsey Crag, the most spectacular limestone feature in Wharfedale.  On this dramatic, glacially carved overhang of rock  you can be sure that you will see climbers with their safety helmets and ropes making their way upwards, looking like dolls from the foot of the crag.  The crag is 140 ft (40m) high and the overhang projects a record 30 ft (10m). 

If you cross the road and walk alongside the crystal waters of the stream you will catch your breath to see the amazing feats of the intrepid climbers across the road.  You will also soon find three or four powerful springs where the most beautiful wild flowers grow:  banks of delicate primroses, violets, early purple orchids and mossy saxifrage.  The boggy ground may be full of yellow kingcups, lady’s smock, watercress and birdseye primroses.  It is like finding heaven on earth.

See picture of Kilnsey Crag:  http://www.fotocraftimages.co.uk/photo-images/wharfedale/kilnsey-crag-5982.htm  There are also other lovely photographs taken by the same photographer here:  http://www.fotocraftimages.co.uk/wharfedalethumbs.htm

Now we are in an area of Wharfedale that I know really well, and if you were here with me, we would definitely stop at The Kilnsey Park Trout Farm, adjacent to and underneath the gaze of Kilnsey Crag.  This is a working farm which utilises the clean spring water that flows through its land to breed trout for the table.  They have a wonderful shop where you can buy lots of good things from the farm, including trout, and I can recommend their lovely little restaurant for a wholesome meal and friendly service.  I never pass.  It is lovely to walk around their little lake and see all the different kinds of ducks, who love visitors, of course.  Last summer when we stopped, there were many trout around the edges of the lake also, but they hadn’t realized that the visitors would eventually eat them of course.  They swam near to the surface of the lake with all the ducks swimming on top of them, and yet they seemed to be in perfect harmony with each other. 

The Kilnsey Park has done a lot to save the red squirrel too.  In 1988 they purchased a breeding pair of red squirrels, which are a rare and endangered species of squirrels in Britain today, for the introduction of the grey squirrel from America has almost eliminated them.  If you walk along the nature trail, you can see the red squirrels at close quarters as well as visiting the butterfly garden and the water garden.  We can’t stay here all day, though, and our next stop is the little town of Grassington.

As you travel through the very quiet roads of Wharfedale, you might be forgiven for thinking that there’s nobody much about, but when you turn left into the little town of Grassington, it seems as if all the world is here, and you will certainly find it difficult to park a car.  The name Grassington comes from the Middle English word gresing meaning a grazing farm.

Grassington is one of the best loved towns (or village as the locals call it) in the Dales. (See photographs: 

http://www.skiptonweb.co.uk/gallery/gallery.asp?town=Grassington ) 

 In fact it really is a town and was granted a charter for a market and fair in 1282 and these have continued right into the 19th century.  Grassington has tiny cobbled streets and people just walk everywhere.  Driving through Grassington requires a great deal of concentration.  Along the streets are tables and umbrellas outside of little pubs and cafes with hanging baskets all over the walls.  In fact, the wall of one pub looks almost like a garden in itself to me.  There are lots of individual craft shops, tea rooms, hotels and restaurants,  antique shops, and country clothes shops etc.  The people are so friendly.  I used to take my overseas students to Grassington at the end of their course with me.  “Now, go and see Rita in a certain shop.  Ask her a question about her dog,” and then listen carefully.  Tell me if you understand her for she speaks with a broad Yorkshire accent."  Rita knew that this was part of their “exam” with me and played along well.   In fact Rita would say to me:  “Leave your little Gemma (my Jack Russell) here under my counter with me and go and get yourself a good cup of tea at the Cafe.”  And this I did regularly, knowing full well that Gemma enjoyed visiting Rita as much as Rita enjoyed having her.  I can also show you a little shop that makes jewellery on the premises and the best sweet and chocolate  shop for miles around.   Grassington has its own cottage museum of life from by-gone days, showing exhibits from its farming and lead mining past. 


You mustn’t think that country folk don’t appreciate the arts here in Yorkshire.  Far from it.  I have never lived in an area where so many artistic events take place throughout the year.  Grassington obtained money to have its own little theatre for the millenium.  In fact it was the refurbishment of the village hall which resulted in an enlarged and modernised foyer, new premises for the local playschool, disabled access to all areas and an inspiring new studio and lecture theatre.  The town was awarded £313,750 lottery grant for this, which was roughly half the cost.  I find that in all the little towns and villages in Wharfedale there is a spirit of working together on projects.  Visitors to my home from Italy are amazed at the things which we have done and still do in our communities by working together, and often people just turn out, roll up their sleeves and get stuck into whatever is needed.  There is such a wonderful community spirit in The Yorkshire Dales.

Grassington has a Festival of Music and Arts every summer and attracts some of the best performers in the arts and music world.  See the summer 2008 programme:  http://www.grassington-festival.org.uk/  Every town that I know of here in the Yorkshire Dales has its own theatre companies and Grassington is the same.   “Penny Plain is a new and unique theatre company based in Grassington and specialising in researching and dramatising historical tales and legends drawn from our local heritage.”    http://www.pennyplaintheatre.co.uk/

Throughout December Grassington holds Dickensian Days when it is advisable to travel there on the little Dales buses, for parking is impossible.  There is an old fashioned market with entertainment all day, bands, choirs, buskers and much more.  In the afternoons there are torchlight nativity processions.  You will hear carols being sung, Morris Dancing on the cobbled streets and handbell ringers, and everyone wears Dickensian Dress.  It is a wonderful atmosphere.  The market stalls sell lots of produce from local farms, and a great deal of our Yorkshire cheese, especially from the smaller farms, never leaves the Dales. 

Now we must leave all this merrymaking and we move on tomorrow to see some waterfalls etc along our route to Burnsall.