Beautiful scenes around the Bolton Abbey estate when I visited on a crisp, bright, early Spring day recently. The stepping stones across the River Wharfe need a bit of attention, but thankfully there are also crossings via footbridges, so a circular walk is possible.
From the high path you can look down on the Strid Gorge and, when the trees are not in leaf, the view is quite good. The river narrows dramatically here and rushes through a dangerous stretch of rapids. Most of the river is quite shallow (as you can see where the fisherman is standing, above) but the depth at the Strid is reputed to be more than the equivalent of two double-decker buses, with swirling currents and underground caverns that have claimed the lives of several people.
The monument is the Cavendish Memorial, erected in memory of Lord Frederick Cavendish, an English Liberal politician, who was murdered in Dublin in 1882 by Irish Republicans, on the day he arrived to take up his appointment as Chief Secretary for Ireland. He was the second son of the 7th Duke of Devonshire, (the Dukes of Devonshire being the landowners of the Bolton Abbey estate.)
Great looking Abbey ruin, and what a lovely little river!
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful portrait of the Abbey.
ReplyDeleteFly fishing seems like such a relaxing activity.
ReplyDeleteThe abbey ruins are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I love the steppingstones but can't imagine trying to cross on them. As if.
ReplyDelete