A window in the weather......

.......gave us the opportunity to set forth in 'Nellie' for another drive and picnic.

The forecast was good, just for the one day of course, because tomorrow and indeed for the next few days it's scheduled to be raining again. So, with temperatures expected to rocket to a searing 17 degrees ( I am being cynical!!!) we set off.

Quick stop in Great Eccleston to pick up the pies and goujons for our picnic.

Our target for today was Gordale Scar near Malham in the Yorkshire Dales, a place that I last visited with my family about 54 years ago. 

Coffee stop en route.

Gordale Scar is a dramatic limestone ravine 1 mile or 1.5 km northeast of Malham^. It contains two waterfalls and has overhanging limestone cliffs over 100 metres high. The gorge could have been formed by water from melting glaciers or a cavern collapse. The stream flowing through the scar is Gordale Beck, which on leaving the gorge flows over Janet's Foss before joining Malham Beck two miles downstream to form the River Aire.

Malham

Malham Beck.

The route was M55, M6 briefly thank goodness, the A59 to Skipton and then left on the Settle/Kendal road for a short distance before heading up into the hills at Gargrave. Beautiful scenery on what, at that moment, was one of those blue and white days, white puffy clouds scudding across a glorious blue sky.

Picnic in the car park!

Sadly, it didn't last, it rarely does in the UK and darker clouds stated to thicken, threatening showers.

The path up the gorge

The Scar with the lower waterfall just visible in the centre

Anyway, the day was dry for the most part although we did have a light shower on the way home and it was obvious, as we passed through Bentham that we had been fortunate in missing some heavy rain by the size of the puddles at the side of the road and the amount of spray that was being generated by approaching vehicles. Sadly this means that the Morgan is going to need a good clean!

Not really my 'cup of tea'!!

The journey home through some gorgeous scenery