Bike ride to Wetherby
We've cycled over to Wetherby today - see map in title link. It was just over 40 miles in all. We set off after 1.00 p.m., stopped in Wetherby for something to eat, then back. We went out on back roads: from Otley via Pool, Castley, Weeton, Kearby with Netherby (and up 'Kearby cliff') and Sicklinghall to Wetherby - where the marker is on the map. We came back via Pannal and Brackenthwaite, down through Leathley and back to Pool, then home. I almost got knocked off my bike at Pool, when some idiot overtook me, on a bridge, when I was already halfway across the lane to turn right and was still moving right. And yes I had signalled, and I was wearing a bright yellow fluorescent jacket, and there wasn't any rain or fog. It gave me a nasty shock and caused me to jerk sharply back to the left, which didn't do my shoulder much good.
It's been raining on and off all evening, quite heavily at times - though we're nottalking sub-tropical downpour (yet). There were just a few drops of rain while we were out, near Pannal on the way home. It's been cooler today - about 17C - mainly overcast, with 'bright spells' and there is a breeze. It was a beautiful ride without too many steep hills and largely on quiet roads. I was surprised at how arable and pastoral the countryside is in that part of North Yorkshire, just a few miles away from here. I've seldom cycled out that way before and certainly not for years. all my bike rides used to start from Bradford. We passed fields of yellow corn, green barley and maize, another cereal - perhaps oats - fields of brown stubble and fields full of flowering potato plants.
At this time of the year the banks, verges and hedgerows are thick with plants and wild flowers. The roads are bordered with thick hedges containing hawthorn, blackthorn, holly, honeysuckle, brambles and elder. There was a lot of gorse at one point on the way back. I saw a large bunch of sloes at one point although it seems a bit early for sloes (do they grow in bunches?) The hedges are festooned with cleavers and flowering bindweed and ferns are growing up through them in places. The banks and verges are a mass of colour too. Apart from all the greenery, the wild flowers and blossoms are abundant at the moment:
Saw the red kite again - twice! Once near Pool, then again near Kearby. I'm sure it is following us around. At first we only saw it up near Almscliff Crags, but then last week I saw one on the back road to Ilkley (well, above it actually, not on it). There was a pair released at Harewood a few years ago. I'd not seen any round here until a couple of months ago. Paul says he saw a pair of them up near Almscliff in the winter snow and ice (when I was in warmer climes).
It's been raining on and off all evening, quite heavily at times - though we're nottalking sub-tropical downpour (yet). There were just a few drops of rain while we were out, near Pannal on the way home. It's been cooler today - about 17C - mainly overcast, with 'bright spells' and there is a breeze. It was a beautiful ride without too many steep hills and largely on quiet roads. I was surprised at how arable and pastoral the countryside is in that part of North Yorkshire, just a few miles away from here. I've seldom cycled out that way before and certainly not for years. all my bike rides used to start from Bradford. We passed fields of yellow corn, green barley and maize, another cereal - perhaps oats - fields of brown stubble and fields full of flowering potato plants.
At this time of the year the banks, verges and hedgerows are thick with plants and wild flowers. The roads are bordered with thick hedges containing hawthorn, blackthorn, holly, honeysuckle, brambles and elder. There was a lot of gorse at one point on the way back. I saw a large bunch of sloes at one point although it seems a bit early for sloes (do they grow in bunches?) The hedges are festooned with cleavers and flowering bindweed and ferns are growing up through them in places. The banks and verges are a mass of colour too. Apart from all the greenery, the wild flowers and blossoms are abundant at the moment:
- White: bindweed, cow parsnip, yarrow, dandelion clocks, the down of the sow thistle, bramble flowers, the last of the elder flowers.
- Yellow: vetch, buttercup, groundsel.
- Pinks and reds: red clover, rose bay willowherb, comfrey ( near rivers and ditches), foxglove, poppies.
- Purple: thistle, vetch.
- Blue: cranesbill.
Saw the red kite again - twice! Once near Pool, then again near Kearby. I'm sure it is following us around. At first we only saw it up near Almscliff Crags, but then last week I saw one on the back road to Ilkley (well, above it actually, not on it). There was a pair released at Harewood a few years ago. I'd not seen any round here until a couple of months ago. Paul says he saw a pair of them up near Almscliff in the winter snow and ice (when I was in warmer climes).
posted by Anna at
20:05 PERMALINK
1 Comments:
thanks for the word postcard of rural Yorkshire. Lovely to hear the descriptions of the hedgerows. thanks
Love Mark x. By the way the Prayer babies have morphed into Fire and Theft and now have a harmonica player [extra]and they play swing, back at the raiway hotel. The dog in my blog is Bessie from Everton.
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Grump, at July 09, 2006
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