The Moors

With the sun shining down on North Yorkshire this bank holiday Monday there was nothing better we could think of than taking a drive out to see the new art installation, The Man on the Moors. This is a bit of a hidden gem on the Moorside, driving past Castleton you can only tell where he is situated from the line of parked cars and path full of walkers. Seeing how absolutely packed it was, we drove on by and stopped for a spot of lunch in the lovely village of Rosedale first. 

We scoped out this gorgeous little tea room, Graze on the Green, which was full of the most amazing organic teas, coffees and cakes, plus a great selection of breakfast and lunch options. I opted for a roast chicken and lemon mayonnaise sandwich, fresh apple juice and a good old cuppa and Bakewell tart for afters (because you can't go to a cafe and not have cake)! It's fair to say I was absolutely stuffed after all that delicious food.

After a little walk through the village in the sun, we decided to attempt the moors again, hoping this time it may be slightly quieter. We were totally right and couldn't have picked a better time to go. Apart from a few dog walkers, we were the only people up there and we definitely made the most of this beautiful view. The Man on the Moors is really incredible up close and much bigger than you'd expect, it is a piece of art you can really appreciate, especially as it frames itself alongside the most marvellous backdrop. If I was a sculpture I'd be quite content being stuck up there, in one of the most picturesque spots in North Yorkshire. 

Free as a bird.

Not wanting to finish off what had been a great day we decided to take one last stop at Runswick Bay. 

With its sweeping, sheltered bay and charming red roofed cottages, Runswick Bay is one of the Yorkshire Coast's prettiest destinations. The sandy beach, which once provided anchorage for brightly coloured fishing boats, is now a family favourite for rock pooling, fossil hunting and coastal walks, where you can admire the breathtaking sea views.

This delightful little town reminds me so much of Cornwall (one of my favourite places on earth) and watching the sun set whilst the waves rolled onto the beach, with a glass in hand, was absolutely enchanting. If I could have bottled that moment I would have in a heartbeat. 

There are so many amazing places in the North and today I was lucky enough to experience some of my favourites in the glorious sunshine. Creating magical summer memories once again.

Staithes Habour

Today my family and I had a lovely day out in the pretty, seaside village of Staithes. Although it was bracing (or bloody freezing as I would be more to likely describe it), we wrapped up to the teeth in all our winter warmers and I ended up having a very enjoyable day!

With its higgledy-piggledy cottages and winding streets, Staithes has the air of a place lost in time. Once one of the largest fishing ports on the North East coast, this coastal hamlet is now a well-loved base for exploring Yorkshire's cliff top paths and discovering the delights of rock pooling and fossil hunting on the small sandy beach. - Welcome to Yorkshire. 

Staithes is a small fishing village on the North East Coast, nearby to Whitby. The whole harbour is incredibly picturesque. The cobbled streets are dotted with pint-sized cafes and charmingly tiny houses, a cosy harbour making it the perfect place to beach-comb or hunt for fossils. Staithes is also very well known for its community of local artists and, of course, it is the prime location for the CBBC series Old Jack's Boat, which the locals are particularly proud of. 

Coloured doors make my heart happy.

The most glorious floral display.

Who wouldn't want to live in a house like this?

Although I live just over a twenty-minute drive from Staithes, we usually only have one annual, family visit. It may seem a shame that we don't take the trip more often but ultimately, it does mean it is all the more appreciated when it does come around. 

With its quiet, quaint sandy beach I can imagine it would be a beautiful hideaway in the sunshine. Unfortunately, every single time I have been here it has been chilly, meaning our usual walk on the rocks is always a slippy (and especially windy) one. 

I must say though, it is always fun to see my cousins digging around in the shallow pools searching for hermit crabs, anemones and other slimy looking creatures. Plus, you always must have an ice-cream .. despite the consistently bad weather! 

Rockpooling.

Icies in the cold.

Yes, I am wearing a woolly jumper, waterproofs and Wellington boots in the middle of summer.

Close to the highest cliffs in England, the old village is tucked between between two bulky headlands (‘nabs’) which shelter the tiny harbour.  Home to many generations of fisherfolk, Staithes still has a small fleet of traditional cobles, often to be seen drawn up on the sides of Staithes Beck, where it flows into the harbour. - VisitWhitby.

The Cod and Lobster Inn on the Quayside has had to be rebuilt multiple times due to the destruction caused by high tides. 

Most excitingly, Staithes is home to a sweetie shop with a very similar name to my blog - Betsy&Bo! Enchantingly decked out and filled with yummy treats; including things like Yorkshire fudge and Rosé/Prosecco gummies, I couldn't have been happier to see my name in lights (or golden balloons) in this shop. It certainly was my idea of heaven!

Betsy&Bo.

Staithes is such a wonderful little seaside town to walk around. I always hear it said that before fleeing to far off countries, you should treasure and explore the locations that are closest to you - this summer I can certainly say that I have! 

Ciao for now, from me and this funky purple Lobster.

A Northumbrian Holiday

The Forge, Powburn. Our beautiful little holiday cottage.

In July, after a tough couple of weeks, I was lucky enough to bag myself a free trip away to Northumberland with my lovely family. Although I was originally disappointed about having to cancel some pre-existing plans, this was exactly the time away that I needed and my God was it jam packed full of adventure, and lots and lots of laughter.

Pots and Paws, Rothbury.

The summer holidays obviously have to begin with a flurry of horrible weather, however, we didn't let this ruin our time away and started the week with a trip to a pottery painting studio. I am such a perfectionist and ended up spending way too long making sure every inch was up to scratch, forgetting about the actual floral design that I had planned. The shop ended up closing before I managed to finish but I'm still happy with my little bowl. This was a charmingly chilled way to start our holiday, plus I got a homemade souvenir to keep my jewellery in. Win!  

The first few days of rain also brought a fair few rainbows and of course the chance to use the wood burner, which was one huge, toasty plus. No cottage experience is complete without a log fire and we certainly got a fair few uses out of ours. 

We found a holiday home located in the small town of Powburn, just outside of Alnwick. Powburn is incredibly quaint and quiet (it doesn't have any shops ... or a pub) but it was the perfect destination as it meant we were a hop away from all the places we wanted to visit during the week. 

On Monday we took a trip to Edinburgh. Over 70 miles away from where we were staying, it was a bit of a journey, but the weather was beautiful and we spent the day walking round in T-shirts, eating ice cream. This was my second trip to Edinburgh this year and I'm glad I got to see it in the summer sunshine.

 I even had my first taste of haggis, neeps and tatties (hidden inside a shepherds pie, meaning it was strangely delicious). A truly Scottish experience!

Another rainy Tuesday meant a trip to Alnwick. A walk around the Poison Gardens and the Treehouses, plus the most delicious soup, made this one of my favourite days, despite the weather.

My family and I have been to Alnwick Castle quite a few times in the past and as (for a family ticket in particular) it can be pretty pricey we opted to stick to just the gardens for this day. July sunshine had encouraged a bloom of beautiful plants meaning there was more than enough to see.
As usual, after a long day of walking around, my mum and I were especially excited to visit the cafe, discovering that Earl Grey with Blue Flowers is our all time favourite tea. Now we just have to find out where to buy it ...

Alnwick Gardens & Treehouses.

Skipping Wednesday, which was a bit of a write-off due to the weather, (it mainly consisted of eating cake - and I have no photos to show for it)! Thursday was much, much better. Seahouses is a picturesque, coastal village renowned for its boat trips around the Farne Islands. This is something I will never forget and would absolutely recommend if you ever get the chance. I mean who doesn't want to see puffins and grey seals in the flesh? Adorable! 

We spent the remainder of the day playing mini golf, walking around dinky shops and sampling tea and scones in the garden of The Copper Kettle, Bamburgh. Overall a perfect day. 

Farne Islands.

Friday was the last proper day of our holiday and it is safe to say we were all very sad at the prospect of leaving. To keep spirits up we made ourselves busy and took a trip to the Holy Island. Although windy, the Holy Island was a lovely little place to walk around and spend one last day with the family.

 Quickly moving on to avoid being trapped by the tides, we spent our evening lying on the beach of Beadnell Bay, in the sun. Eating tortilla chips and watching my little brother surf on the waves was an absolutely idyllic way to end one amazing holiday.

We are already planning to visit a few stops over the summer that we didn't manage last week, including Hadrian's Wall and Sycamore Gap. I must say - I can't wait to be back!