Oxford

This will be the last footprint for this trip; we are heading home due to the sad passing of Chris Andrews, our dear brother-in-law and friend.

With two days to get to London to catch a plane, we had very much a flying tour of some of the sights from North Yorkshire down to Oxford, where we had to return our car and hop on a train to Heathrow.

We left lively Whitby and followed the coast north to Staithes , another picturesque fishing village with connections to Captain James Cook, RN, white person discoverer of Australia (although the Dutch beat him to it on the west coast).

From Staithes , we headed inland to Rievaulx Abbey, travelling over fog-covered hills and through numerous tiny villages with twisting, narrow streets.

Rievaulx was interesting, a ruin that would put many others to shame, and looking extremely handsome under the grey skies. The monks slept 140 to a dorm, ate mainly vegetables (and didn’t talk as they did so) and attended eight church services a day, so perhaps the grey skies were looked upon as a plus.

We also popped in to Knaresbrough, which has a wonderfully picturesque bridge carrying the railway over the River Nidd, with great views, boats on the river and families strolling about everywhere. It was more than nice enough for us to spend a couple of hours wandering down to the river and, with an ice cream, back up again.

We stayed a night in Harrogate, then headed down to Oxford, from the outskirts of which this footprint originates.

With time of the essence, we had one place to see in the Cotswolds, so we chose - unsurprisingly - Bourton- on-the- Water.

On a Monday afternoon in October it was crowded, so on Saturdays in June must be impossible. It was also incredibly photogenic, a warm, sunny day for a change, and the trees beginning to change colour. Naturally, there were also huge numbers of local people with their dogs in tow. Whether on a bus or train, or in a pram or carry bag, a cafe or a museum - the canines of Britain are well looked after!Read more