100.000 Snowdrops!

Couldn't photograph them all!

Not our usual walking group today as we wanted to go with some other friends to visit Austwick Hall, in the Dales, above Settle,to see their snowdrops.
The gardens are only open this weekend end and next.

The gardens are perched on a steep hillside above the village with wonderful views of the dales inbetween the trees.
There are also several sculptures along the trail, as well as over 100,000 snowdrops, and 40 different species.
After the snowdrops have finished there are wild daffodils and bluebells.
It is quite a magical place.

We had just got out of the car when we heard some shouting and 200 sheep came running through the village being followed by two sheep dogs and two lads on a quad bike. They were bringing them down from the hills to the farm. It was a wonderful sight.( couldn't decided to have that photo to blip, or this)

Then after our snowdrop trail we went to the Game Cock Inn for Sunday lunch.
One of the best roast beef (from a farm just 3 miles away) and Yorkshire pudding dinners I have tasted!
Potato and mustard mash, carrots and swede, cabbage(lighty boiled and then fried in olive oil garlic and herbs de Provence..So tasty!) Plenty of slightly spicy gravy.
It was Yorkshire with a French twist as the Eric who runs the pub with Maree his wife is from France.

This pub is what everyone dreams a proper pub should be like! (Real log fire too! Oh and a delightful young French waitress!! Not very English but ...Oh la la!!)

The sun was still shining in the lovely blue sky as we walked back to the car.
Then suddenly another herd of sheep came charging through the village in the other direction going up onto the hills!(perfect timing!)

What a wonderful day. One of the best ever!