Abbey ruins

Over shadowed by Fountains Abbey, Jervaulx is a little gem.
In Wensleydale , it was dedicated to St Mary by Cistercian monks in 1156.
Also the home of Wensleydale Cheese, and with a lovely little tearoom, which won the 2016 Deliciously Yorkshire award for the best afternoon tea in Yorkshire.
See Abbey website here

Great weather today for our walk starting out at the Abbey carpark.
Only 7 of us, but all good company. (  Some members on holiday, and a bit too far for others to drive.)
From the Abbey the walk took us through lovely parkland, and to the Kilgram Bridge over the river Ure.
This early 12th century bridge  ( see extra) was built over the site of a Roman ford, and said , maybe, to be the oldest bridge in Yorkshire.
From here we walked up the other side of the valley to Thornton Steward, which is where we had our picnic lunch sat on the village green, with wonderful views of Wensleydale.
What a pretty little village this is. Very much off the beaten track as the road goes no further than the church.
Built in the 11th Century , and the oldest church in Wensleydale.

From here we crossed more fields, again with beautiful views, before we came to the magnifcent  Danby Hall. ( see photo)
Still in private ownership. I hope they have a cleaner, or several!!  A real Downton Abbey of a place!

A few miles on and we crossed the river Ure again. 
One of our friends was struggling with an old ankle injury, and so P decided to rest at the pub, (The Cover Bridge Inn), and Mr C stayed with him for company, while the rest us us walked back along the river to the Abbey carpark.
I then took the car to pick them up, and we drove back to partake of a brew at the tea rooms.
( They both had a shandy while resting at the pub!)

A very enjoyable 7-5 mile walk, and we called at the Nosterfield Nature Reserve on the way home, where we saw, among other birds,  some avocets with young ones.
A good ending to such an enjoyable day, and we didn't get caught up in any traffic hold ups on the A1 , which was a bonus.