Knaresborough

Although it's only about an hour's drive from here, I go to Knaresborough so infrequently that each time I just end up with the usual iconic tourist shots. One day I must try and find a side of it that is less often seen! It is an attractive place though, so you can't blame anyone for snapping a view like the one above, looking down on the River Nidd from Knaresborough Castle, with the railway viaduct in the middle distance. 

The castle itself is now just a ruin but has quite a history, dating back to Norman times. Read about it HERE. It was a Royalist stronghold during the Civil War and was besieged after the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644. When it eventually surrendered to Cromwell's troops, he ordered it to be demolished to prevent further use by the Royalists. The King's Tower and the Courthouse survive because they were used by the townspeople to hold and try prisoners. 

There are various steep steps and lanes from the castle and market square down to the riverside, where an elegant promenade has a plethora of bars and cafés to delight today's visitors. I enjoyed my first ice cream cone of the year as I strolled along the riverside. (I've had more since! 😋 ) The views are fascinating, with a real hotch-potch of very old and newer housing crammed together on the hillside. There's a thatched cottage and several buildings painted in chequerboard black and white, which seems to be a Knaresborough trademark. 

The steepest cobbled street is called Water Bag Bank, since it was this track that ponies used to carry water up from the river to the town. 

Down on the riverbank there are several places to hire rowing boats, should you feel the urge.