Heading to the Yorkshire Dales

We said our goodbyes to Steve and Hazel and got back on the road. It is just great to meet such lovely, hospital people.

We decided against going to Sheffield as we had such trouble navigating in this city last time. Instead we just chose a road and took off, stopping at a McDonalds to plan which direction to go. We decided North!

Heading north on the A1 we suddenly decided to go and explore Boroughbridge which sounded interesting. We wandered around this old village until we found some ancient standing stones. They are called the Devils Arrows and are from around 2000BC. They are quite unusual from what we have seen previously as they are deeply grooved, it is thought from millenia of rain falling on them.

The largest one is taller than any of the Stonehenge stones.

This is a pump over the village well which is the deepest well in England.

Then we did a walk out to a Roman village

First stop was the site of the Battle of Boroughbridge which was a battle fought on 16 March 1322 between a group of rebellious barons and King Edward II . The culmination of a long period of antagonism between the King and Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, his most powerful subject, it resulted in Lancaster's defeat and execution. Wish we had Ashley's metal detector for the river. Imagine what finds there are around here.

Then we walked onto the gorgeous little village of Aldborough.

The village green had some restored stocks and a maypole which is still used.

This was to commemorate the Battle of Boroughbridge in the 14 th century.

Is this a re cycled Roman sarcophagus?

Then we saw an ancient church, St Andrews. St Andrew`s Church was partially destroyed by Scots raiders in 1318. The present building is the third church to occupy what is thought to be the site of a Roman Temple of Mercury.

Aldborough was once the important Roman garrison town of Isurium Brigantium a major settlement for the Brigantes, the largest tribe in Roman Britain. We got to the site well within the opening times but it was shut. We were not happy after walking for a few hours to get there.

We stayed overnight at Ripley next door to Ripley Castle.