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My father came from Yorkshire and although I have never lived there, whenever I visit I honestly feel like I belong or have come home. As with most counties in England, Yorkshire is full of different scenery and there are big variations between East and West. My father came from the East side towards Leeds and Harrogate and his father was a Mill owner. Fabric it seems is in the blood and perhaps that is why I always seem to collect cushions having a rather eclectic mix in my flat!

I have visited the wonderful town of Harrogate and City of Leeds before now and been to see where my father grew up by stopping to see to his old family home. The house is now a well regarded pub (I am not sure what he would think if he saw the place now!) but it was very sentimental being inside and although I never knew the place, I had a wonderful warm feeling just being there.

Before Christmas, I was in need of a short break and decided to go to the north western side of the county. I was absolutely taken aback by the sheer beauty of the landscape which is staggering beyond belief. I ventured into the Yorkshire Dales National Park, only able to see a fraction of it on this trip but was overcome by the soaring natural beauty around me. Like any county, Yorkshire has hidden gems from coastal sandy coves, moorlands, rivers and canals to picture perfect villages and many ancient traditions are still kept alive like drystone walling but my eyes were truly opened wide by this small part of the area.

Just driving north up the M6 past Lancaster is worth the trip in itself. This is how all motorways should be in my mind! The road is flanked by huge hills smothered in greenery with big skies and beauty all around. This may not have been the best time of year to visit, but despite a very gloomy cold and foggy first day, the skies parted to reveal the most glorious scenery I think I have ever seen. As a regular visitor to the Lakes, this trip made me even more convinced that we are so incredibly lucky to live in this beautiful country of ours.

Around every corner and down every lane there is a sight to behold. Staying around Kirby Stephen I was actually technically in Cumbria, you are at the very top of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and, once you leave the main road which I think from memory is the A685, you are transported into a wonderful landscape of hills, valleys, tarns becks, crags, waterfalls and sheep – lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of sheep!

The sheep are beautiful and I was struck by their lovely open faces. I love the fact this breed of sheep still have tails and am reliably informed these are Swaledale Sheep. Thank you so much to Sandy for telling me what breed they are! You are very lucky to live in such a stunning part of the country. I have also since learnt about the rainbow of colours on the sheeps backs which I thought at the time were pretty and matched the colours of the hills! Each colour denotes which ram has had his way with which ewe! Some sheep were very multicoloured indeed !

I must admit I love sheep and felt very at home seeing more sheep than humans while up in the Dales. This area is true walking country and to really appreciate the scenery you really need to get out and walk but being a bit lazy and because it was so terribly cold, I have to admit that I did take more pictures from the passenger seat of the car, warming my feet and only opening the window when necessary! However, I am determined to revisit soon and do lots of walking.

Even from the comfort of the car, it was impossible not to keep stopping at every opportunity to take pictures and wonder at the scenery. Imagine you are gently driving through a valley looking around you, taking in the enormous hills and marvelling at the colours of the land, the small cottages and farms, when suddenly you stop in your tracks and shout out loud ‘Oh my god what is that and why is it here ?’. I did just that when I came across the ancient ruin of an amazing castle which seemed to look even more mysterious and romantic, being engulfed in low cloud behind an old drystone wall densely blanketed in moss.

Pendragon Castle was the castle I suddenly came across, not realising that it was on the road I was travelling down. It is set in the Mallerstang Valley and steeped in folklore and history. The castle sits close to the river Eden and lies between the peaks of Wild Boar Fell. According to legend, the castle was built by the father of King Arthur, Uther Pendragon in the 5th Century and may have been the site of his death along with a hundred of his men. The ruins sits on private land but you can walk around it as long as you are careful. As I love castles and the romance they evoke, I was entranced by Pendragon and actually got out of the car to marvel at it feeling transported back into it’s legendary history. What a wonderful sight it was and I was very loathe to leave it.

Every road I ventured down in the area had something to offer, from picturesque yet isolated farms to waterfalls in the middle of nowhere and stone barns which I could quite happily live in.

I really have fallen in love with this area so much and am determined to re visit as much as I can this year.It seems that everyone has something amazing in their back gardens too- a viaduct anyone ?

Or perhaps a rushing waterfall as below in Hawes?

If you are in need of nature’s tonic, this part of England will not fail to inspire. There are outstanding views and walks, pretty villages and a good range of pubs with great food on offer. What more could you ask for? Well I would like to be back here where I started my journey  – drink anyone ?