Downpour in The Dales (or Grrr, Grassington)

The second week of our holiday was to be spent in The Yorkshire Dales, more specifically Swaledale which we didn’t know at all.

We tried to get a pitch in the Leyburn or Hawes club sites, but were unsuccessful (although we could have had a pitch at a site in Masham); but we were fortunate to get a pitch at the Caravan Club site at Grassington in Wharfdale – a place we knew quite well.

The drive across from Whitby was also interesting, taking us on a northerly route towards Middlesborough skirting the North Yorkshire Moors (Heartbeat country) and through Ripon which I can’t remember ever visiting before.

Upon reflection, we should have tried to get a pitch at the CC site there, but we have made a note to return when next visiting Leeds and spending “extra” nights in Swaledale, Nidderdale and Wensleydale.

The pictures of our stop in Grassington can be viewed on Picasaweb by clicking on this link.

Through The Dales to Leeds at EveryTrail

So we ended up at Long Ashes near to Threshfield. As we arrived in Grassington, we could see that things were not as they ought to be – and that was not a comment upon the lovely sunny day! No, the village had been taken over by a 1940’s Re-enactment Event. Apparently these occur almost every weekend through the summer, and we’d landed in the middle of one without realising it was taking place. So … a quick setting-up of #duettovan, and a walk into Grassington to investigate, was called for!

The place was really buzzing and happy. We rang the Grooms and suggested they came up for a walk and to enjoy the event on the Sunday. We retired to the Long Ashes restaurant on the static campsite for a pleasant meal.

The weekend is recorded in the slideshow below …

Grassington 1940’s Weekend 2012 from David Harrison on Vimeo.

If you want a more leisurely scan through the photographs, you can find that here.

The videos are embedded below:

The weather and the fun was not too last. Although it had rained quite a bit on the Saturday, that was nothing to what fell on the Sunday night; and with the promise of more to come we scurried off back to Leeds early on Monday morning. A wet end to a lovely tour in #duettovan.