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Today we went for a walk, one that I discovered at the very beginning of our trip planning and was determined to include, so fortunately we woke to a beautiful day with no sign of yesterday’s drizzle.

Another bus …

… and it soon started climbing with tight hairpins bends, up to Lake Chūzenji at around 1200m.  It was created 20,000 years ago when Mount Nantai erupted and blocked the river and formed Kegon Falls. It would have been tempting to stop, but we continued to Ryuzu Falls where our walk starts.

The water descends 210 metres over terraces of volcanic rock from a historic eruption of Mount Nantai, and is pretty impressive!  

We walked up the side of the falls …

… and at the to top we could see Lake Chūzenji in the distance.

Over the road, the path entered woods with short bamboo growing underneath …

… and as we went further, signs that autumn is on its way.

We were pleased to see we were still on track …

… and a little later we entered the Senjogahara marshlands where the path changed to a boardwalk as it followed the Yukawa River.

It skirted the grassy plateau, apparently with the imposing Mt Nantai in the background to the east, if only the cloud would lift! 

Signs along the way told us how beautiful it was early in the year with daylilies, cotton grass and pink wildflowers and also how the autumn grass turns red, but we found it lovely nonetheless.

Another wooded section, and walkers coming towards us were wearing bells, so the peace was disturbed by an irritating tinkling!  We realised it was to ward off bears, which might live here but truthfully we were unlikely to see. We were confused at a junction as there was a detour and continued walking with Luke and Teresa, a couple from the Czech Republic.  Teresa was slightly concerned about seeing a bear, especially when we reached the bear warning bell …

… but between us we made plenty of noise and she was reassured by our confidence!

The next highlight was the Yudaki waterfall which is massive, with the Yukawa River descending 75m over the length of the falls.

Having taken pictures then walked up winding stairs to the top we were catching our breath as Luka & Tereza caught us up. 

Not only had Tereza brought me a little hikers bear bell to thank me for reassuring her … but Luka had proposed in front of the falls!!!  We were the first to congratulate them and wish them every happiness in their life together.

Yunoko Lake is at the top of the falls …

… and we walked round the edge to reach Yumoto Onsen where a final treat was in store.

Having clocked up around 8 miles, the sight of the free public footbath was a welcome one.  Chris was dubious and watched as I removed my shoes and plunged my weary feet into the hot faintly sulphurous water. 

My glee won him over and he joined me!

It was a long bus ride back, but fortunately we had seats unlike some of the poor passengers, rocking back and forth as we descended the hairpin bends back to Nikko.  An idle thought during the journey was how the tone and intonation of the bus announcements sound just like Linda in the TV show Ann Droid with Diane Morgan & Sue Johnston!  Again, we opted for an early meal and returned to Taj Nikko for more veggie curry.

Our stay in Nikko was nearly over, but just time for one more onsen before bed.  In the morning, the sun was shining so we couldn’t resist a couple more photos before the longest journey of our trip, south to Kyoto.

(Chris spotted this chap while we were having breakfast and took this great shot!)

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In the morning we had a lovely breakfast with lots of fruit which I’d been missing …

… then set off for a few more temples!  Walking through our neighbourhood we spotted stone wells delivering spring water to the houses …

… some lovely homes …

.. a pretty begonia …

… and a small shrine on the corner.

Having headed to the main temple area, we began with Toshogu Shrine. This is the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled over Japan for 250 years until the Meiji Restoration in 1868 when power was returned to the Emperor. Ieyasu was entombed at Toshogu in 1617 but the complex was significantly enlarged and enhanced by his Grandson, Iemitsu, in the early C17th.

The site is huge, with lots of buildings …

… the first being these three sacred storehouses, modeled after the Imperial storehouse in Nara, to contain ceremonial dress and implements for 1200 people used in the Thousand Warrior Procession.  

This one is being restored …

… and the elephants at the top of this one were probably carved by an artist who had never actually seen one!

This stable was home to the horse that Lord Tokugawa leyasu rode during the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 that unified Japan under Tokugawa rule. It is decorated with a frieze advising children how to avoid trouble in life, illustrated by monkeys.  Sounds familiar?

Well in the panel on the left, the mother looks to the future, hoping it will be rosy and fruitful like the loquats and crimson clouds, but in the second the monkeys tell children to ‘See-no-evil, Say-no-evil, Hear-no-evil’ – the origin of the phrase.

The rest of the frieze is just as charming.

Many of the buildings are richly decorated with gilded lacquer like the Ritual Purification Building.

The lanterns were donated by the feudal lords who fought with Lord Tokugawa leyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, which led to the creation of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Here is the Yomeimon Gate, the most extravagantly decorated gate in Japan, with some 500 carvings including dragons, flying horses and other mythical beasts at the top and people lower down, followed by some details.

Next is the Karamon or Chinese Gate which only people of the very highest rank were allowed to pass through on special occasions. It is protected by sacred animals, including an ascending and a descending dragon on either side of the gate, and by Chinese lions and dragons on the roof.

This small carving is one of the most famous at Nikko Toshogu. The cat protects the entrance gate to the grave of Lord Tokugawa leyasu.

There are 207 stone steps leading up to the Inner Shrine. Special care was paid to the materials used in the Inner Shrine and each of the steps is carved from a single block of stone.

We were pleased for a breather half way up and smiled to see this sign.

Opened to the public only since 1965, the Inner Shrine is the site of the grave of the first Shogun of the last and longest samurai government in Japan.

 There is always some kind of souvenir or charm to buy at each shrine, and that cute sleeping cat fits the bill perfectly …

… and we spotted this roofscape on the way down.

Next is Futarasan Jinja, a much older shrine than Toshogu, it was founded in 782 by Shodo Shonin, the same Buddhist monk that founded Rinnoji Temple. 

Futarasan is another name for Mt Nantai a volcanic peak in the Nikko National Park and the shrine is dedicated to the deities of three important mountains in the area, Mt Nantai, Mount Nyoho and Mount Taro.

Again, a selection of buildings, and guess what the charm is here!

Within the shrine grounds, there is a pool and drinking station, which is fed by three springs that are said to have special powers, one for wisdom, one for the energy of youth and one for eye health.

A bit further and there was a torii leading to a woodland walk lined with little shrines like this one, dedicated to Jurjin who has a connection to health and longevity and we all could do with a bit of that.

Finally, before we left, we were surprised to see what we think of as a fairground game inside a shrine, but of course the focus here whether you can obtain good luck.  Three  rings on the stick out of five – no chance – we only got one each!

Just one shrine left, Taiyuin is the mausoleum of Tokugawa Iemitsu, grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate. In contrast, this site is deliberately more modest to show the respect he had for his heroic grandfather, despite achieving much himself.  Although his grandfather may have consolidated control of the country, he then set the framework that would allow the dynasty to maintain control as long as it did.

The format was very similar, with an outer gate, purification building, a couple of entrance gates and the main shrine beyond.

It was definitely time for a sit down and coffee and cake was just the sugar boost needed, and presented so beautifully!

As we browsed a couple of shops nearby, we spotted these hot steaming buns and had to try! They are a local specialty called sake manju, flavoured with Japanese sake yeast and filled with smooth azuki red bean paste … very soft, very sweet!

We bought our bus pass for the next day at the station, then decided to take some time out and return to the B&B.  It was a great opportunity to catch up with a bit of photo editing, post writing and also to use the onsen in daylight and enjoy this view while soaking.

Nikko was historically a temple town and Buddhist monks enjoy a vegan diet, which is probably why Nikko got so creative with its soy products.  Yuba is the skin that forms when you boil then cool soy milk, and that might not sound like much, but it is really versatile.  That evening we went to Cafe Bell …

… and ordered their monk’s festa menu, a set meal like that at Bon, but this time it came all together!  

The tempura was the crispest and least greasy we’d had, and it came with a little dish of savoury salt seasoning, next was the cold fresh yuba – had to be tried but texture was challenging.  There was also a tasty yuba salad and then two cooked dishes with rolled yuba, one with veg and the other with sweet miso, rice, miso soup and fruit to finish!  Who would have thought one little bean could be used in so many ways!

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Today’s journey started at this impressive 1931 building, the region’s first skyscraper-style station and department store. A recent face lift restored its original elegant exterior with the classic window grids and big station clock and the shopping area has been renamed EKIMISE.

Inside we found our platform easily and took the Tobu line train to Nikko, taking just under 2hrs.

It took ages to clear the urban sprawl of Tokyo, but finally we were into farmland …

… and then the mountains.

We picked up a hiking map at the station then got the local bus to B&B Turtle Hotori-An to leave our luggage.

Straight away we realised that our initial plan for the next couple of days needed to account for the slightly drizzly weather and that everywhere seemed a bit further apart than we expected! 

We began by visiting the Kanmangafuchi Abyss, but before we had got too far, Chris spotted the Kanman teahouse!  

Soba Dango are a traditional Japanese sweet treat made here with buckwheat. We had one with miso glaze and the other with a soy glaze … miso won!

As we left we saw a sign we certainly weren’t expecting … bears … here!?!

The path follows the river and is lined with small statues wearing red caps and bibs. 

These are Jizo statues, images of the kind Buddhist god who protects children, travelers, and souls in the afterlife.  They are wearing red as this is believed to ward off evil spirits and illness.

In 1902 a great flood swept through Kanman Gorge, washing away the Jiunji Temple and damaging most of the statues. Since then, their number seems to change whenever they are counted so they are sometimes called phantom Jizos.

As we continued we came to the Reihikaku Pavilion where written prayers would be burned in the altar, thereby delivering the prayers to the deity Fudo.

Returning, we headed next to the Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa which was built in 1899 as a health retreat for then Crown Prince Yoshihito, and later used as a royal summer residence until it was closed in 1947.  

The heart is an Edo period building gifted to the royal family around which later buildings have been added … and it sprawls … with over 100 rooms!  After years of disuse, it was opened to the public in 2000.  We removed our shoes to walk round, and here is the audience chamber, but the rest was unfurnished with no decoration so seemed a bit uninspiring.

The best views were to the garden outside.

It was already mid afternoon, so just time to see Rinnoji Temple as it was the first in the area, founded by Shodo Shonin, the Buddhist monk who introduced Buddhism to Nikko in the C8th.

The hall has been recently restored and is very splendid. Inside are statues of the three Buddhist deities representing Nikko’s three mountain gods enshrined at Futarasan Shrine. 

We also saw the beautifully decorated Pagoda Toshogu Gojunoto, built in 1818 to replace the original which burnt down.

On the way back down was this statue of Shodo Shonin … 

… and some quite steep stairs!

At the bottom was the Shinkyo Bridge which has been a crossing to the temples and shrines since 1636 and is an iconic image of Nikko.

Our B&B is a bit of a walk back, so we decided to eat early and save a walk later.  Most of the visitors seem to come on a day trip so evening restaurants are limited, and veggie ones more so.  We weren’t really planning a curry, but the Nikko Taj did us proud with one of the best curries we’ve had for ages!!

One of the biggest attractions of our B&B is its private onsen with water from the Nikko Hot Springs. It’s a simple system, if it is vacant you can use it for 30 minutes morning or evening!  Etiquette has to be followed, so we changed into our yukata (remembering to fold the right side under as the other way is reserved for funerals!)

Once in the bathroom we locked the outer door, disrobed, and entered the inner bathroom where we showered first to make sure we were spotless before entering the bath for a soak.  There is a panoramic window, but at night it was black outside and nothing to see. It certainly ensured we had a good night’s sleep.

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On our way to breakfast we visited the one part of Senso-ji we’d missed, the Shinto shrine which honors the three men who founded Senso-ji and is one of the few buildings in the area that survived WW2.  We entered through a torii gate …

… admired the fierce lion and the brightly painted hall before going for breakfast.

Meal sets seem very popular here, and the breakfast set at The February Cafe featured cheese toast and great coffee.

We took the train to Ueno Park where we visited the Tokyo National Museum for their gallery of chronological highlights of Japanese decorative art. 

There was everything from ancient pottery and Buddhist statues to samurai armour and kimonos. Also lots of ceramics, metalwork, lacquerware, and painting and sections on Japanese theatre and the tea ceremony.  

The rest of the day was spent walking through Yansen, a traditional old-town district in Tokyo made up of three neighborhoods: Yanaka, Nezu, and Sendagi.  This quiet area survived major wartime bombings, allowing it to keep its narrow alleys, historic wooden houses, and slow pace of life. It has also become home to several artist and galleries.

Our first stop was Kaybaya Coffee. This two-story wooden machiya-style building began as a milk bar and sweet shop when it opened in 1916, then continued as a coffee shop with its original counter and seating until its owner died in 2006. 

It was saved by a local historical society, the upstairs living quarters changed to additional seating and reopened, still serving its signature egg sandwiches and ‘Russian’ coffee which Chris ordered, while I had a very retro corned beef sandwich.

Across the road is a preserved liquor shop.  Built in 1910, it shows features of merchant architecture from the mid-Edo period to the Meiji period …

… and inside there were rice straw sake barrels and original vintage advertising posters.

Next we stumbled across a cemetery, and were fascinated by the bundles of wooden planks by each stone, covered in text. 

I discovered that they are sotoba and show the deceased’s posthumous Buddhist name and are updated during memorial services which is why some look newer than others.  Also most Japanese people are cremated, and their ashes are placed inside a single stone family tomb, so these bundles of planks represent a whole family.  

The SCAI gallery is housed in a building which was once the public bath house.

When we first looked inside, I was a bit dismissive of the rocks and poles on the floor, but as I looked and walked round them, I liked seeing them from one direction more than another and was pleased to have looked longer.

The artist Lee Ufan said this work called Relatum was ‘an inquiry into the encounter between thing and thing, thing and human being, and thing and place’.

Another gallery was that of Alan West, an American-born artist who is renowned for mastering Nihonga, an ancient style of traditional Japanese painting using natural mineral pigments and gold leaf. We walked round his studio, a converted auto repair shop fronted with an old temple gate …

… and saw where he sat to paint …

… and some of his work. 

The combination of spring blossom and autumn maple is a popular Japanese design  called unkin and I remembered seeing a bowl decorated this way in the museum earlier and he has used it on this screen.

In between galleries were temples including Enju-ji where the monk Nichika Shonin known as the god of good legs is enshrined, so popular for leg and foot complaints …

… and also a mixture of homes, some older and others more modern.

The final gallery is the former residence and studio of modern Japanese master sculptor Fumio Asakura.  He personally designed the striking black, curved concrete facade which contrasts beautifully with the traditional wooden residence inside, with views over the central courtyard and pond. 

The house was well worth visiting although photos were only allowed in one room which contained a collection of his bronze animal sculptures.

We headed down the staircase known as Yuyake Dandan …

… to the retro shopping street of Yanaka Ginza busy with people browsing, and sitting with a coffee or a beer.

Our last stop was Nezu-jinja Shrine, one of the oldest surviving structures in Tokyo.

First though, we walked through a tunnel of small red torii gates, many with the inscription of the family or business that donated it …

…until we reached the shrine.

We passed the bridge on our way out, and lots of azaleas that must look stunning in spring.

Our day done, we got the bus back to Asakusa and went straight for dinner at our local Ippudo Ramen …

… where Chris could have the vegan special while I chose their Shiramaru original taste ramen with pork. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meal and I’ll be looking out for Ippudo in Kyoto!

We’ve had a great start in Tokyo, but are eager to get out into some countryside so tomorrow we move on, northwards to Nikko.

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A greyer start to the day, and the Skytree was hidden in the clouds!

A couple of museums at the beginning of a trip to set the scene and give some context are always good so after coffee and cinnamon buns to get us going …

… we took the train to the Edo Tokyo Museum which traces Tokyo’s evolution from the Edo period to modern times, illustrated with some cool city models.

City views of Edo …

… and a reconstruction of a traditional kabuki playhouse …

… transition to the modernisation of the Meiji era complete with a modern playhouse, aka cinema!

It ended with the 1923 earthquake and WW2, both of which devastated the city, followed by the rebuild and the post-war pop culture.  There was lots to see and read so we were ready for a sit down.

A quick sandwich in the cafe …

… and we walked next door to the Sumida Hokusai Museum, in a very shiny modern building. 

The main exhibit told about his life and it was interesting to see some of his early work, quite unlike later landscapes. 

There was an explanation of how his wave was made …

… and a model of him working.  Inspired, we bought postcards to frame at home.

That evening we had a dinner reservation, bravely made by telephone from home before we came. The restaurant came highly recommended so we made a special effort to go.  Fucha Ryori Bon serves Fucha Ryori, a rare style of Chinese-influenced Zen Buddhist vegetarian cuisine established in Japan around 300 years ago and we had booked a 6-course seasonal tasting menu.

We felt like we were stepping back in time as we approached the door, removed our shoes and were shown into our private room with horigotatsu seating, sunken into the floor. 

We then had a succession of dishes, each a work of art and a vision for all the senses.

Here is the first appetiser on a beautiful plate and soup.

This plate was the prettiest with so many contrasts in texture and flavour and so much hard work in every morsel.

That was followed by soup …

… then a little parcel of millet porridge wrapped in a crispy tofu skin served in a china bowl decorated with millet seed.

 The chilled tofu was made to look like a tiny piece of grilled eel, complete with a piece of seaweed to copy the skin which also gave it a briny ocean flavour.  It was a masterpiece, so much so that Chris chose not to eat his!

Tempura followed, then rice with pickles and soup.

Finally we ended with fruit and tea.

The entire meal was an unforgettable experience, one that is usually only possible in a very exclusive ryokan far beyond our budget so this was a real find and will no doubt remain one of the highlights of our trip.

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Our trip got off to a great start with this lovely early morning view of Fuji on our approach to Tokyo airport …

… and despite feeling groggy from the long flight, we easily negotiated our way through the airport and by train to Asakusa.  The short walk to our hotel took us directly through Senso-ji temple with this impressive gateway …

… but we didn’t linger, and continued to Other Space, where we freshened up and left our luggage as our room wouldn’t be ready till later.

I had booked us onto the free tour from the information office so we would get an introduction to the area and not have to think too much on our first morning!  We took the lift to see the view from the top of the info centre towards the river …

… and also towards Senso-ji down Nakamise-dori, a historic 250m shopping street with over 100 stalls selling traditional snacks and souvenirs.

It was just a small group and our guide Aki started by telling us we were lucky to have sunshine as there has been rain in Tokyo every day for the last 33 days!  He took us first taking to the Sumida River, for a view across to the Tokyo Skytree. 

This huge broadcasting and observation tower was opened in 2012 and at 634 meters, is the tallest tower in the world, and stands beside the headquarters for Asahi who make Super Dry, probably the most famous beer in Japan.  It is topped by a giant golden flame designed by French architect Philippe Starck in 1989 to represent the “burning heart of Asahi beer,” though locals famously nicknamed it kin no unko – the golden poop!

Senso-ji is Tokyo’s oldest and most iconic Buddhist temple and entrance is by the Kaminarimon or Thunder Gate with its massive 700kg red paper lantern. 

Aki showed us round the temple area explaining that much was destroyed in WW2 so these are perfect modern reconstructions with fireproof materials.  He also told us about the coexistence of Shinto and Buddhism here in Japan where Shinto handles celebrations of life and beginnings, while Buddhism manages rituals concerning death and the afterlife.  He showed us how to visit the Buddhist temple, firstly by washing, then to approach, give a coin, bow and clap and make a prayer – the Shinto shrine was similar but with an extra clap!  The tour was a great start to our trip and afterwards went for some lunch.  

One of our biggest concerns in planning was that vegetarian in Japan just means no meat and it needs to be vegan to avoid fish in all its forms, which is not available everywhere.  Fortunately, Asakusa Udon also make a rich soy-based kelp dashi for vegans so we were both happy, and shared tempura veg, spring onions and pickled plums which were delicious.

We tried to keep going, but the jet lag hit so we gave in to a 45 minute power nap, showered, then explored Senso-ji some more.

Here is the shopping street we had seen from above …

… with decorated shutters on stores that were closed …

… and then the Hozomon or Treasure House Gate with the temple’s sacred Buddhist sutras inside.  The front is guarded by two fierce Nio warrior statues, one with his mouth open …

and the other with his mouth closed!

The back has two massive straw sandals, suggesting the power of the guardians to frighten away evil.

This is the giant central incense burner where we wafted smoke over ourselves for health and good fortune.

The water fountain is topped by Sakura, the King of Water or the dragon king …

… and here’s me carefully washing each hand then the ladle handle for the next person.

Finally, we had reached the Hondo or main hall.  Rebuilt in 1958, the curved roof is made of titanium tiles which mimic traditional clay.

We dropped our coin into the box and offered up our prayer, before entering.

That evening we returned to have our fortunes told using the Omikuji or traditional Japanese fortune slip.

The box is shaken, a wish made, a numbered stick falls out and the correct slip located. 

I wished for good fortune on our trip and it said ‘Red clouds move and cover your way, and sign of being fortunate is always on your way’ so it  seems that despite momentary confusion, protection and good luck will be on our side. Definitely a good fortune and worth keeping but Chris was not quite so lucky.

Fortunately there is a simple way to dispose of bad luck, just tie the slip to a railing in the temple which leaves the bad luck behind, and it will be burnt later.

That evening we went for okonomiyaki, a Japanese savoury pancake cooked on a griddle, usually containing cabbage with various toppings and sauce. We picked a place with a vegan menu and ordered cheese and cabbage for Chris, shrimp and bonito flakes for me and some veggie side dishes too …

… including fries just to be on the safe side!

All was lit up on the way back which was a fine end to our first day.

But there was more in store! I was cleaning my teeth before bed and I could feel the building sway – in fact it was over so fast we almost thought we’d imagined it, but next morning we found it was caused by a 5.1 earthquake in northeastern Chiba Prefecture which was felt throughout Tokyo.

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Our first trip to Japan was planned for autumn 2021 but has taken until now to actually happen – the build up has been immense!  Everyone who returns says Japan is amazing, but with such a variety of destinations, sights and opportunities available, it becomes clear that no two trips will be the same and everyone will have their own personal experience.

We’ve learnt not to rush our travels, so we are just visiting the main island of Honshu, where we will explore Tokyo and Kyoto and also spend time in the countryside with excursions to Nikko and Hakone. This should leave enough time to figure things out along the way, as in a country so culturally different, it’s likely to be the little things that takes extra time to navigate, from deciphering menus and finding the right place to stand on a train platform, to mastering slipper etiquette!

It will all be an adventure … but the big question is will we actually see Mount Fuji … !?!

Itinerary

Asakusa … Exploring Senso-ji

Asakusa … Culinary Zen at Fucha Ryori Bon

Asakusa … Strolling through Yanesen

Nikko … Guardians of the Gorge

Nikko … Mausoleums of the Shoguns

Nikko … Hiking the Senjōgahara Plateau

Kyoto

Nara

Hakone

Tokyo

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Just before we left Seahouses there was one last thing I wanted to do  – visit the Smokehouse and pick up a kipper roll for breakfast!  It certainly set me up for the day and was definitely one of the culinary highlights of the trip!

As we drove homeward, our last stop in Northumberland was The Angel of the North, which is actually less obvious from the motorway now the trees have grown up, but is huge when you get there! Always pleased to tick off another Gormley, it was interesting to read about the engineering feat required for such a sculpture.

By lunchtime we had reached Yorkshire, and while it was looking a bit grey the drizzle was holding off and it was time for a stop.  Fountains Abbey was a Cistercian house which grew into one of the largest and wealthiest monasteries in England before its closure by Henry VIII in 1539.  In the C18th its picturesque ruins were integrated into the landscaped Georgian water gardens of Studley Royal, the creation of John Aislabie and his son William, and the entire site is now managed by the National Trust.

We picked up the map and started walking round the site.  The first stop was Fountains Hall, built in Elizabethan times by a local landowner using stone from the ruined abbey.  Later it became part of the Studley Royal estate and was leased to tenants, but when the Vyner family inherited the estate in 1923 they chose to restore the hall and live here instead. 

It was a very welcoming building made of honey stone decorated with lovely flower arrangements. 

Upstairs, the Great Hall had an imposing Jacobean fireplace showing the Judgement of Solomon and a recently restored portrait of Sir John Mallory and family who owned the medieval Studley Royal estate from the 1400s.

As we left we saw the Vyner memorial to siblings lost in WWII …

… then walked through the small garden by the stream …

… and on the watermill …

… and the abbey. 

On a brighter day the photos would have been better, but the ruins are striking and extensive.

As we moved through the estate, we also moved on in time.  Around 1700 the original Studley Royal house had burnt down and was replaced by a Palladian mansion by Sir John Aislabie who had inherited the estate.  His parliamentary career came abruptly to disgraced end in 1721 with the popping of the South Sea Bubble, a scheme he had heavily promoted, and the gardens became his grand, theatrical project to reassert his family’s power and prestige.

We came to several large lakes and some cascades which are more impressive when you realise the labour it would have taken to excavate them by hand …

… and also the slightly overgrown Surprise Viewpoint which reveals the abbey ruins in the distance.

And what of the Palladian Manor? Well that mostly burnt down in 1946, except for a converted stable block which is now in private hands.

Walking back past the deer park, Chris stalked a prime specimen …

… while I took a look at St Mary’s Church which was designed by William Burges in High Victorian Gothic Revival style.  It was the flamboyantly decorated interior I wanted to see … but I was too late as it had just closed for the day!

We drove to The Black A Moor Inn where we had a reservation, only to find it has been sold, rebranded and no longer offers rooms! Fortunately we hadn’t paid, and we found room at The Royal Oak in the centre of Ripon instead.  

After dinner, we went for a walk round the town square and were very lucky to see a piece of living history.  Every night of the year without fail, a horn is blown at the four corners of the Obelisk in Ripon Market Place to set the ‘watch’ and then outside the house of the Mayor. This ceremony commemorates the time in the Middle Ages when Ripon’s first citizen, the Wakeman, was responsible for crime prevention in the city from 9 pm until dawn and had to compensate victims of burglary.  The Wakeman had constables to patrol the streets, and also had the right to levy a rate on houses of 2d a year per outside door.

Today Wayne is one of four hornblowers who take turns and although it was nearly 10pm, he was still in the square, told us about his job and posed for a photo.

In the morning we had a quick look round, at the town square with its Obelisk, complete with horn on top built by John Aislabie …

… the town hall with reference to the Wakeman.

The cathedral also beckoned …

… built on the remains of the C7th monastery founded by St Wilfrid with its crypt said to be the oldest surviving structure of any cathedral in England.  

Can you spot the hand to help the organist signal the choir?

It also has a misericord of a griffin and a couple of rabbits, one heading down a rabbit hole is said to have inspired Lewis Carrol whose father was a canon here.

Enough pottering, it was time to get on the road as there was a long drive head.  There was plenty of time to reflect on how lucky we had been with the weather and how quiet it was considering it is still the middle of August!  There is still so much more to see and I’m sure this won’t be our last trip north.

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Finding ourselves with a spare day, we decided to visit England’s most northern border town, Berwick on Tweed which changed hands between England and Scotland 13 times before being permanently retaken by England in 1482.  It is famous for its unique bastioned town walls built by Elizabeth I which are still complete and we planned to walk round the ramparts.  

As we sat having coffee at the quayside, we also found out that Berwick was a favourite destination for L S Lowry who was a regular visitor here and made many images of the town.  The Lowry Trail enables visitors to follow in his footsteps so we thought we’d keep an eye out for them.  

We found the first board as we joined the walls at  Bridge End and took our own photo to compare!  

There were some handsome Georgian houses and the Custom House along the first section …

… and also a good view of Berwick’s three bridges over the Tweed.  The closest is the Old Bridge, built of sandstone in 1624 and still carrying traffic, next is the Royal Tweed Bridge built in 1925 to carry the AI and behind is Stephenson’s Royal Tweed Bridge from 1850, a railway viaduct with 28 arches.

Then we came to the main guardhouse which is the beginning of the Elizabethan walls …

… and they became much thicker, with wide ramparts.

The pier featured in another of Lowry’s sketches and it has hardly changed …

… nor has the house he considered buying called The Lions, which he rejected as it was rampant with damp! 

We were only halfway round, but getting hungry, so we made a break for Bridge Street where we had been told there were some lovely shops and eateries.  Atelier proved perfect for lunch, and I tucked into another plate of mussels!  

As for the shops, there was Lucy selling her own hand made paper, another offering fabrics for dressmaking as well hand dyed yarn from local sheep and classes to learn to use both, a haberdashers, and then there was Jennie with all things woolly! 

I couldn’t resist a couple of balls of the selvedge trim, especially some in a blue/green that I fell in love with.  These are made from the edges of textile cloth which are trimmed off after weaving.  I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing to do with them, but she gave me some ideas and I bought some large knitting needles as well!

Time to get back to the wall, which was becoming more impressive. 

Here is the magazine for keeping gunpowder …

… the Windmill Bastion …

… and the stretch down to the Brass Bastion with the garrison on the left, at present closed.

Finally we reach Meg’s Mount with a lovely view of the viaduct. 

We also spotted another board, this time with a bird’s eye view of the high street and town hall.

We wandered round the centre, had a cuppa and found a final board down a back alley.

Time to go, but being so close to the border, we couldn’t resist a quick trip to Scotland, just to take photos of the border posts!

That evening I experimented knitting the trim which has a little mohair in it and feels lovely to work with … I’m just not quite sure what it will be!

Next day was our last in Seahouses and we spent it with Heather & Stuart finding out more about their new home on the Ford & Etal estate, where their cottage has views across to the Cheviot Hills.

They took us to the pretty village of Ford which is famed locally for the Lady Waterford Hall, built as a school in 1860. 

Lady Louisa had been widowed young, and threw herself into philanthropic work for the community during her life at Ford Castle, now a youth centre.

She was also an accomplished artist inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites, many of whom were friends such as Rossetti, Ruskin and Millais and decorated the hall with watercolour murals of biblical scenes, which took some 20 years to complete.

We also saw the monument to her husband by Gilbert Scott …

… and her grave which was designed by GF Watts and his wife Mary.

We had lunch in a bus at the Chain Bridge Honey Farm …

… but then rain brought our outing to an end, so with more to see, it looks like we’ll need to make a return trip!

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Determined to make full use of our English Heritage membership, today we visited Warkworth Castle, a striking medieval fortress that sits inside a loop of the River Coquet. 

It was the favoured northern residence of the powerful Percy family and is famous for its grand, cross-shaped great tower built by Henry Percy, the first Earl of Northumberland.

It certainly looked impressive when we entered the bailey …

… although this Percy lion has lost his tail!

One of the most famous of the family was the good looking and fearless Henry or Harry ‘Hotspur’ Percy but his hot temper and plotting backfired and he died before he could inherit the earldom.  He lives on through his nickname used by Shakespeare and Tottenham Hotspurs!

We looked round the great tower …

… with views in each direction …

… including the river, which is our next destination.

I was intrigued when I found out that there were the remains of a chapel known as the hermitage, carved directly out of the cliff rock and accessible only by boat which we could visit.  We walked down to the crossing …

… and saw the boat returning to shore. 

Once across, we saw flood markers showing how high the tide can rise here. 

It is thought the chapel was built by the first earl as a chancery chapel where prayers would be said for the souls him and his family …

… and it has lovely carved ribs and vaulting and even a worn coat of arms. 

The idea that it was a hermitage may have arisen to keep it safe from attack, and living quarters were added later to the front.  It certainly felt a little like a hidden treasure.

Returning, we found the perfect grassy spot to eat our picnic in the castle then were set for the afternoon.

While it is easy to get into Alnwick garden, tickets to the Poison Garden sell out fast but we managed to book on a late afternoon tour.  Created by the present Duchess of Northumberland and opened in 2001, this modern garden combines sculpture, water features and planting to create a wonderful family attraction according to the website.  We passed signs to Lilidorei play area and adventure golf on the way in and once inside, with all the children riding round on their diggers, it felt a little more like a theme park! 

We wandered round, admiring the fountains and rills, hornbeam hedging, bamboo maze and the ornamental garden, dodging children running this way and that, but it really only took an hour and then we were done.

Our tour of the Poison Garden was a bit of a show too, starting with the entrance!

Our guide was most engaging telling tales of the various plants which included very common plants like rhubarb with its poisonous leaves, and deadly nightshade with poisonous berries.

Some like this castor oil plant which contains ricin were kept in black cages …

… and this Gympie Gympie from Australia which we were told may be the most dangerous plant in the world is kept in solitary confinement in its own glasshouse. 

It is covered in fine, needle-like silica hairs that inject a powerful neurotoxin and victims describe the sensation as being burned with hot acid and electrocuted at the same time.  After 20 minutes, it was time to leave and we weren’t allowed to stay unsupervised for our own safety!

We returned to the car through the town, passing through the Hotspur Tower …

… and spotting a statue of the Harry himself. 

Last stop was Barter Books, one of the largest secondhand bookshops in the country housed in the old Victorian railway station. 

We didn’t buy, but couldn’t help having a quick browse and a look at the mural of writers through the ages.

Fortunately we had survived the poison garden, but on the drive back I couldn’t help thinking it was a bit like a curiosities exhibit at an old fashioned fair.

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