Main photo courtesy of Andy Barratt

Our two night/three day residential trip to York was off to a flying start when we visited Ripley Castle, a 14^th Century country house.  At all the places we visited we were given a warm welcome and imbibed the history of ‘everything’ from knowledgeable and well informed guides.  On to Newby Hall in a snow storm, again this is a must see 18^th Century Adam building, with stunning gardens although they may look their best in the summer months. The details in the renowned Dolls House collection are fascinating for children and adults alike.

The ‘sun of York’ welcomed us on arrival to the Alhambra Hotel and we enjoyed a convivial meal together on both evenings in the city’s restaurants.

And as you probably know very well, York can keep a person interested for days on end.   Some of us walked the Roman walls, some visited Viking remains. By visiting Barley Hall and the Merchant Adventurers Hall we were delving into the city’s mediaeval past.  Those touching Victorian and Georgian times visited the Castle Museum and Fairfax House.  Ancient history was seen at the Yorkshire Museum and Modernists were satisfied by a ceramic exhibition at York Art Gallery, and also saw the Albert Moore exhibition – of Beauty and Aesthetics.  What with boat trips, minster guided tours, railway museums, ghost walks, chocolate factories, there was something for everyone.

We had an abundance of Yorkshire heritage. Oh! and the de Lacy’s also followed us around again on our last day at Temple Newsham and Kirkstall Abbey. All the venues were worthy of another visit and are manageable for day trips.

The general feedback so far has been very positive and the big question is where do we go next?    Perhaps it might be somewhere the de Lacy’s haven’t yet owned.  Keep watching foph.co.uk….