Days out from Harrogate

On A59 on the way to York is the small ancient village of Nun Monkton- down a 2.5 mile lane.  

There is an ancient coaching inn, now a pub, serving food- Alice Hawthorn-

The ancient church was once part of a Benedictine nunnery. 

The village dates from Norman and Anglo Saxon times though most of the houses were built around 1600, if you look carefully you can see the corner stones were taken from the nunnery.  Nun Monkton was originally a ford, caused by the natural build-up of silt caused by the counter flows of the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Nidd.  Today this part of the river is dredged to prevent the sand bank from forming.  It was known to the Romans and they used it as a crossing point on the way to York.  Until the 1940s there was a ferry taking people across.   The  layout of the village affords a good example of an unspoiled ancient Yorkshire Village. The village is situated at the confluence of the River Nidd and River Ouse - do not attempt to swim or paddle - there are dangerous undercurrents.

Heading north along A59 takes you to Skipton. Today a thriving market town with markets most days.  Skipton has an ancient castle mostly in tact which you can visit. There are good car parking facilities in the town centre and near to the castle.

Continuing north takes you to the famous Lake District - 1.5 hours from Harrogate. A lovely day out. - see our separate blog on the Lake District.