Monday 17th
Sunday evening we arrived in Alnwick for a night in the Youth Hostel – ex old Court House. Lovely welcome, VERY compact room, enough to swing half a cat. Plus a bell clock that chimed every quarter hour and the full works on the hour! The following morning we explored the very pretty town – lovely yellow sandstone buildings, many quite, and some very, old. We chose not to go to the castle or gardens, preferring to avoid the throngs and do our own thing.
We ended up at Barter’s Books which occupies the old Railway Station. Amazing bookshop, café – a place to hang out for at least a day. If you were local it would be a go-to place. We didn’t buy any books – already have too many to carry home!
On from Alnwick south around the Teeside area and then east across the very top of the North York moors to Whitby. Herbert (our SatNav) took us up to the abbey high above the town where the Whitby Youth Hostel is housed in a grand old mansion. We got a much better room – more spacious and with beds that didn’t creak and threaten to come adrift in the night.
Russ had a look at the abbey while I secured accommodation for the following night, having failed to book the two nights I assumed we had. Then out past the abbey in the twilight and down the many steps to the abbey side of the town where we found somewhere to have – fish ‘n chips!! Up the steps again (working off dinner) with the town lights spread out below us and a much better night’s sleep for me.
JaneRussell journeys 