Abbeys and great halls

As Sunday morning breakfast is not until 9am, we make the most of an early start by driving the short distance to Whalley. Yesterday's fine weather has given way overnight to a cold overcast morning with light drizzle. So it is at 8am on a grey, wet morning that we visit the  ruins of Whalley Abbey. 

Although a country house was later built on the site, and is now used as a retreat and conference venue, the original medieval abbey did not survive the dissolution of the monasteries during Tudor times and so only the ruins of the 14th century Cistercian Abbey remain. Except for a couple of people walking their dogs, the ruins are completely deserted. Some magpies chatter in the trees but otherwise it is still.

The newer religious retreat beside the ruins

Ruins of Whalley Abbey

Nature has been allowed to reclaim some of the ruins and soften some of the harsh grey stone ... and its terrible memories.

Whalley Abbey Nature Trail

There is also beauty to be found in small places.

A magical microcosm

The slumbering head of a sunflower at Whalley Abbey

The cold and damp start to chill us to the bone so we stop along the main street for coffee and then return to our lodgings for a hot breakfast. By the time we finish, the sun has reasserted itself and burnt off much of the morning mist. Our next stop is Stonyhurst College, an impressive heritage-listed pile in the middle of the countryside. 

The grand and rather imposing edifice of Stonyhurst College

Parts of the building date back to the 13th Century and remarkably, over the centuries it has mostly remained in Catholic ownership. The private country estate was eventually gifted to the Jesuits in the 18th Century and became a school. It still operates as a Catholic boarding school today but during the school holidays it is occasionally opened to the public for events. Its most famous association is perhaps with J.R.R Tolkien, who lived on the college grounds with his family and is reputed to have written much of the Lord of the Rings during his time in the Ribble Valley.

A rather scary place to go to school

Grand interiors

As luck would have it, there is an antiques fair on at the college today with around 80 dealers displaying their wares. Ross is in his element wandering around the stalls set up along the infinitely long corridors ... furniture, ceramics, paintings, jewellery... but to his dismay, not too many bronzes.

Stydd Gardens

We try to stop for tea and a scone at the nearby picturesque village of Ribchester but we're thwarted by the Sunday lunch crowds. Stydd Gardens is a lovely collection of cafes and tearooms around a little garden centre and discrete landscaped spaces ... but on a sunny Sunday, it proves impossible so we return to Padiham.

Our afternoon wanderings take us to Gawthorpe Hall, which is only a 5-minute drive from our accommodation. It is yet another grand country estate, this time an Elizabethan manor house on the banks of the River Calder. While some of the original Elizabethan features remain, it was extensively refurbished in the 1850s by Sir Charles Barry, the designer of the Houses of Parliament.

Gawthorpe Hall aka the 'Downton Abbey of the North'

Grand reception room - with original Elizabethan oak panelled walls and ornate ceiling 

Ceiling (detail)

To complete our extraordinarily full day and mark our last evening in the Ribble Valley, we go to the Freemasons Country Inn at Wiswell for dinner. It comes strongly recommended by our host at the B+B and has apparently won a squillion awards. Okay maybe not that many... Perhaps it is because we go there with very high expectations that we end up being a little disappointed. The meals are swimming in duck fat... even the complimentary bread rolls... and while the mains are nice, it's like the kitchen is trying a bit too hard to be clever - small but artistically arranged portions, strange ingredient combinations (using things you've never heard of) and there's that oil again... 

At least it gives us the chance to go for a stroll around Wiswell after dinner (to try and walk off the duck fat) and make the most of the long dusk. It is another tidy village with neat stone cottages and even an old red telephone box... although on closer inspection, the village has found a novel use for it.

Wiswell cottages

The village book exchange

Of witches and castles

Feeling energised from our hearty breakfasts and much more optimistic in the morning's sunshine, we take to some perilously narrow and winding country roads towards Pendle Hill. Billed as a 'must-see' destination in the Ribble Valley, Pendle Hill looms large - a monolith rising up from the surrounding patchwork quilt of fields. We pass through the pretty village of Barley and stop near the base of the hill.

Pendle Hill

There's history to explore here linked to some infamous 17th century witch trials, but for us, it's more a chance to walk to the top of the hill and take in some sweeping views of the valley. Always a good idea to take some 'before' pictures... that is, before the punishing climb up to the top of the 557m 'hill'. 

It turns out to be quite an effort. Our unconditioned bodies find the uphill slog very tough going. A few years ago, with our Coast-to-Coast fitness, it wouldn't even have rated a mention but it proves to be a steeper climb than we imagined and we have to stop frequently to catch our breath. Just to make us feel even worse about our lack of conditioning, we're swiftly overtaken by an 8-year-old who runs up the hill.

A steeper climb than we imagined

The views of the surrounding countryside make the effort worthwhile though. It's a glorious morning and the recent hot weather has not diminished the surrounding greenness.

The green carpet 

And at the summit... the Boy.

At the summit

There is a small crowd of weekend gym bunnies and walkers at the summit and we bump into a very enthusiastic local who insists on taking our photograph.

The 'after' shot - we're both a bit exhausted

Our new friend tells us there's another way down the hill - it's less steep (HA! That intel would perhaps have been helpful a little earlier on) but it also leads back to our car. He waves us off but only after introducing us to his son and nephew, and taking a few selfies with The Funny Australians Who Decided to Walk Pendle Hill in Little Ol' Lancashire on a Saturday Morning.

Our legs welcome the downhill path and really welcome having a seat in the car again. It is not far so we stop for coffee in the picturesque village of Downham. It is a very welcome spot to rest for a while and admire the stone cottages and views of the valley.

A beautiful spot for coffee

Stone cottages

The village church offers us some space for quiet contemplation, and its residents eternal rest in the shadow of Pendle Hill. 

Downham village church

The view to Pendle Hill

Our next stop is Clitheroe, the main town in the Ribble Valley and although it's a bustling Saturday and the market is on, we manage to find a parking spot right in the centre of town. Just in case our legs weren't hurting enough from the morning's hill walk, we inflict some more steps on our weary muscles by walking up to the ruins of Clitheroe Castle.

Clitheroe Castle

Clitheroe

The Bowland Food Hall is apparently one of the places in Clitheroe so we seek it out. It is a magical wonderland of local produce and gourmet food. If only we could bring food home with us...! Sadly we are limited to taking away only some fruit, fine honey and muesli for our impending visit to Wales. 

Although it is only mid-afternoon, it feels like we have already had two days in one so we go back to Padiham for some rest and to figure out a dinner destination. As the sun starts to dip, we take a short drive to Forest in Fence... a bit of a confusing name but Forest is the pub, in a place called Fence? It's a fine Saturday evening and the place is buzzing. More importantly the food is lovely... oh my gosh rice! I haven't eaten rice since leaving home so a hearty chicken meal with rice is the ultimate comfort food and a fitting end to a busy day.

Towards the Ribble Valley

After breakfast we take leave of Russell and Hilary, who have been such kind and generous hosts. Our holiday has gotten off to such an incredible start and we can only make them promise that they'll brave the long journey(!) and visit us soon so we can return the kindness... next year right? Right?!

Our (now) roadworthy hire car gets us to nearby Sale by mid-morning to catch up with some more dear friends. Together we drive to Altrincham and brave the crowds at the popular Market House to grab some lunch.

Lunch with Vaughn, Jeannie and Dave

The day starts out sunny and warm but it becomes overcast and increasingly humid. After saying our goodbyes we hit the motorway for the one hour drive to the Ribble Valley. By the time we reach Padiham on the outer fringes of Burnley, there's a steady drizzle. The stone buildings in town look particularly grey and bleak and our new home for the next 3 days doesn't look particularly inviting. Once inside though, The Lawrence Hotel is comfortable and we're made to feel very welcome. 

Our room is at the top of a narrow stair (which makes lugging heavy suitcases quite fun) and although refurbished, still retains a few quirky heritage features. The boutique hotel is in a historical building used previously as a doctor's surgery. Fortunately no hospital trolleys but there is a large claw foot bath in the room ... which takes up a lot of space. 

We rest for a while before venturing out in the late afternoon. Having eaten plenty in the last few days we fancy some light snacks for dinner, so we wander down the hill to Tesco and bring some food back to our room. Padiham itself is nothing to write home about - its old buildings give it some character, and the many pubs give it some life - but it is not particularly aesthetic. Hopefully it is the gateway to the Ribble Valley that it promises to be. In any case, that is something to worry about in the morning.

For now, it's just the hope that jet lag has finally been banished and there's some uninterrupted sleep to be had...

*******

Sleep at last!

Sleeping for England

Although it was a late night and we managed to stay awake until 11pm, sleep is evasive. Wide awake from 2am, I spend the rest of the night listening to the Incredible Sleeping Man while feeling increasingly frustrated that I can't sleep but he can (sleep thief?). What's he doing... sleeping for England?! Ross gets up feeling quite refreshed while I try desperately to get a couple hours sleep. Not to be.

Our hosts have places they need to be, so after breakfast we are left with the key and the freedom to go out if we please. Ross decides to check the oil in the hire car and so starts the Europcar saga. The dipstick only registers a minuscule amount of oil and of course the 'Customer Service' number is anything but. After trying several numbers, keying through nonsensical directory options and finally speaking to a human, Ross is advised not to drive the car and that the AA will come and inspect the vehicle. It was probably just as well that we had no plans (and just as bloody well we didn't discover this the hard way having broken down on a motorway somewhere in North Wales)... It makes for a very quiet morning as it takes a while for the AA man to arrive, inspect the car, determine that not only is oil nonexistent but also fluid in the radiator and windscreen washer reservoir. Then it takes more time for the AA man to get the necessary supplies and return to fix the problem...

Afternoon comes and we are too tired to go anywhere so when Russell and Hilary return we sit in their lovely garden. Warm sunshine and beautiful flowers, what a nice way to while away the hours.

A sunny afternoon in the garden

It is our last evening with our delightful hosts so we enjoy a meal at a local Italian restaurant and return to our comfortable room... hopefully for a better night's sleep. Not that it really matters to Ross, he's out like a light *sigh* 

Tackling Manchester

The problem with going to sleep so early is that we find ourselves awake in the wee small hours of the morning. The house still sleeps while we creep downstairs with our iThings and sit in the lounge to eagerly connect to Wifi. Slowly it starts getting light and we hungrily eye the breakfast table that has already been set with delicious items.

The table set for breakfast... and the garden beyond

Breakfast is as wonderful as the set table promised and once we are all set, Russell drives us into Manchester so we can wander around for a few hours while he goes to work. Our first stop is the Manchester University campus to see the grand old buildings and ivy clad quad.

Manchester University

We gradually walk towards the city centre, stopping in at the Manchester Museum along the way. School holidays mean crowds and lots of noise, and our jet lagged bodies just want to sit and rest... We force ourselves on and pass numerous cranes and construction sites. Everywhere we look, the city is booming with redevelopment. The crowds get thicker as we approach the city centre and we start to wonder if we have perhaps been a bit too ambitious to spend so many hours out and about on our first day. Happily a short break for food and a sit down helps. Manchester is a big city and a juxtaposition of historic buildings and new development, smartly dressed office workers and the desperate and homeless who approach to ask for spare change, slick shops and seedy laneways, light skies and greyness. 

The John Rylands Library provides some welcome quiet. It is our second visit here but we are just as awestruck as before.

Sweeping staircases and vaulted ceilings

The magnificent reading room just lends itself to quiet contemplation... it would have been a perfect place for writing a thesis?!

Reading room 

A thesis writing space

There are new discoveries to be made on every visit... all we had to do was look up and see the skill that went into the ceiling carvings.

Ceiling carvings... every one is different

Russell collects us at 3pm and we return home for a few hours rest. Hilary has been busy all day and when evening comes, we are treated to a wonderful home-cooked meal with the rest of the family. There are lots of laughs and funny stories and it is so nice tonight to be part of this close-knit family and warm and welcome home. 

A great evening with a beautiful family