Back to Skipton for Water and Lunch.

 Monday 23rd May 2022 in Skipton.

 

This morning, we took the two buses from Gargrave to Kildwick to join Richard and Annette at their mooring. Our Old Codgers bus passes have proved invaluable this week!

Kildwick is an interesting small village with narrow streets and a lot of traditional row housing all made with Yorkshire stone.The canal runs right through the middle of the village, so the attraciive church and the pub are on one side and the major part of the village on the other.

As ever on the eastern end of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, there is a swing bridge every half mile or so. After a while, you do get into a sort of rhythm with opening and closing them!

The old mill buildings beside the canal have all been converted into very nice looking apartments.

Richard has proved to be a natural at guiding the boat and certainly looks the part.

For most of today, R enjoyed the very rare privilege of being able to walk to towpath, while M enjoyed the rare treat of sitting in the bow of a boat.  She and Annette sat there together, chatting away. When we moored up for a cup of tea, M was still sitting on the side of the bow. Suddenly she jumped up with a yelp. A swan had come up behind her and had the temerity to bite her bottom! You didn't need to understand "swan" to know that he was asking to be fed, please!

Soon, his other half appeared with their four cygnets. Unfortunately, we didn't have any suitable food, so they had to make do with grass. As a good mother, she was pulling grass off the bank and dropping it into the water for her little ones to eat.

While we were having our tea, one of their two little dogs, Zak, was nuzzling up against R. and almost fell asleep.

Back in Skipton, we topped up Carleton with water, then moored up and walked into the town to get some lunch. We found a lovely little cafe in Sheep Street and sat outside. The food was very good indeed. M had a fish finger sandwich!

After walking around town for a while, during which time the Two Rs found an interesting model railway shop (what a surprise!!!) , we left Richard and Annette on Carleton and took the bus home to Gargrave.