Postcard from Yorkshire, 5. The Terrace, Rievaulx.

A day of two halves. We leave Helmsley this morning for a few days in Newcastle-Gateshead. We take a minor road over the moors so that we can get a glimpse Roseberry Topping, an iconic hill on the Cleveland-Yorkshire border. (See Anniemay’s blip)

To our surprise the road takes us past Rievaulx, scene of yesterday’s mud, sweat and sore feet along the Cleveland Way. We stop and drive into Rievaulx Terrace, an 18th-C landscape garden, comprising woodland and a grass terrace with stunning views down on the Abbey below. Yesterday, the walk up to The Terrace meant a 1:6 climb. Today the car purred up without breaking sweat.

We take a half-mile walk along the grass terrace and then return back through the woods. There’s something quite magical about this woodland - we can’t quite put our finger on it. But something seems to make it special for us.

After an afternoon spent driving up to Newcastle, we check into our hotel. The magic goes; Anniemay spends nearly an hour on the phone to BT because the internet does not work in our room. This probably wouldn’t matter but for two things; (1) we’re blippers - we must have access. And (2) the hotel charges £15/day for internet access.

So - we may or may not post and comment over the next few days. In the meantime here’s a calming picture of some trees from Rievaulx Terrace.