A Month on the Island of Java: Part II - Prambanan Temple

Prambanan temple complex.

Ruins of a past earthquake.

We set off from Surakarta by road to Yogyakarta on the 24th of December. The hills and mountainous scenery were reserved for the area surround our destination as our journey took us through a primarily flat landscape, rice fields on both sides between the huts and houses the lined the street throughout the entire 2 hour duration. The only major thing of note while we traveled this road was a beautiful black and bronze domed mosque in the Middle Eastern style as we approached the small city of Klaten, midway between Solo and Yogyakarta. Most of the smaller mosques that can be seen in the housing districts are mosaic patterned with vivid colours, some garish, but this one, Masjid Agung Klaten, was imposing and grand and very new. After Klaten, on the approach to Prambanan and Yogyakarta, the flat countryside became progressively hillier as we entered Java's volcanic interior. One more place of interest on our journey was the mosque opposite the turning for the temple. Named Raya Al Muttaquun, this mosque (or masjid in Indonesia) was funded by the state of Jordan and follows a style peculiar to there, with conical towers and a pyramidal roof with bell tower as oppose to the rounded domes at Klaten. Admiring the architecture was short lived as we turned right into the grounds of Prambanan Temple.

Masjid Agung Klaten.

The largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia, Prambanan Temple complex is the epitome of myth and legend. Although the island of Bali is regarded as Indonesia's Hinduism hub, Prambanan takes visitors back to an era before the spread of Islam, when Buddhism, Hinduism and local traditions provided the main ideologies about religion and thought. The story around the building of the complex centres around a wedding proposal and a woman's unrealistic expectations, much like in the present day! The legend goes that an ogre proposed to a beautiful young maiden who, not wanting to marry the beast yet too afraid to reject his offer for the fear of what might happen to her village if she declined, came up with condition to marriage. The young woman agreed to matrimony on the proviso that the monster would build her 1,000 temples before dawn the next morning. Realising the enormity of the task, the ogre summoned all the spirits of the underworld to help him achieve this mighty goal. Many strenuous hours later, the young maiden, on recognising the ogres progress, gathered all the womenfolk of her village and they began their morning duties earlier than usual, tricking the ogre into believing it was daybreak and that he'd failed his task. Upon hearing about his would-be brides cunning plan, he angrily turned her into the last, and largest, of the 1,000 temples! If there's one thing Indonesian's are good at then it's coming up with epic folklore tales.

Temple devoted to Vishnu.

In reality Prambanan, or Loro Jonggrang as it's locally known, is dedicated to Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu, the deities idolised in the Hindu faith and represented by the three largest temples on the site. On the plateau, facing these three chambers are a trio of smaller shrines dedicated to the animals that protect them; Nandi (a bull), Hamsa (a bird) and Garuda (a mythical phoenix and Indonesia's national symbol). Inside the three main temples can be seen statuettes of the the God's that they are devoted to. The complex's largest stupa, dedicated to the destroyer Shiva, measures 47 metres high making it the tallest temple in Indonesia. The walls of the temples were adorned in bas-reliefs, recalling epic tales about the Indonesian version of the Hindu story of Ramayana. Considering the complex was constructed in the 800's AD, the ancient masonry has survived magnificently into the modern age. Each slab of stone is chiseled into a gargoyle like figurine or represents a brief flash into the Hindu epic. Many of the carvings are of birds and lions, the three deities and others show mass worshiping. Whilst they have survived in brilliant condition, most of the temple complex hasn't. The majority of the 508 stone built stupas have been raised to rubble as the result of an earthquake in the 1990's. Java, as formerly mentioned, is an island situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a boundary where tectonic plates collide, making it one of the most vulnerable areas globally to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. However, the ruins of the small shrines encircling the central masterpieces adds an ancient marvel to the complex. Sometimes the mystery of what used to be is more meaningful and exciting than what remains. The combination of all the aforementioned facts has resulted in this being recognised as a truly marvelous historic site and it has become a UNESCO World Heritage site along with Borobudur.

Bas-reliefs in the temple walls.

One thing I've come to dislike about Indonesia is how they charge different rates when visiting sites and parks. As a foreign visitor to Prambanan I had to pay 252,000 rupiah (11.70 GBP) whereas Lidya paid just 30,000 rupiah (1.40 GBP) as a local. It's possibly my Yorkshire roots that made me grumble but it seems a bit of a steep rise in price. It didn't help that a local vendor outside tried offering me an umbrella for 100,000 rupiah (just for hire) yet was giving them to Indonesians for loose change. Instead I decided to brave the scorching rays and get a tan in the process. The complex grounds, landscaped with small gardens and trees, was full of recreational activities; picnics, horse riding and train rides for anyone wanting to explore without the effort of walking, the Indonesian way! It seemed I was the only person not to loan an umbrella when we entered the holy site, the shade had gone and the sun's rays shot down on us unrelenting. The only respite from the sun was to either go inside the little grotto of each of the stupas, which were hot enough even without the sun as the throngs of tourists all huddled together, or one of a half dozen trees that were already shading plenty of exhausted visitors. It was here that I found a way to recoup some of the money I'd lost on my ticket price had it not been for my generous character. As the only white guy at the temple at that time I'd attracted the attention of many curious and inquisitive locals. I thought it was from my dazzling good looks but I was informed, with a laugh, it was just for the fact that I'm a foreigner. Nevertheless, I was asked by countless strangers, mainly groups of girls, to pose for pictures, which I duly obliged to and had I been of entrepreneurial spirit I could have quite easily exploited the situation. My sisters in law had bought me Mr. Bean's teddy for Christmas which was clipped to my bag and I was mistakenly misidentified as Mr. Bean. I'm still working out if that's a compliment or an insult.

Statue of Brahma inside the stupa dedicated to him.

Among the temples.

A random photo with some inquisitive strangers.  

I really enjoyed our excursion to Prambanan Temple and it has been on my Indonesian wishlist for four years. The ruins are magnificent and they're astonishingly well maintained. The only downside is that it is so close to Yogyakarta that it almost merges into the urban landscape so, although it still seems secluded from the modern world, it is so crowded you can barely move. Despite my little rant over the price it still equates to value for money by Western prices and it's be somewhere I'd love to visit again, hopefully at a quieter period.
For any additional information of Prambanan, visit UNESCO website for photo's and details.
 

Scenes from the Hindu epic of Ramayana,
carved into the temple stones.

A Month on the Island of Java - Part I: Surakarta

Our month on the Indonesian island of Java was, to say the least, very eventful. We could have spent our month island hopping, ticking as many islands as possible off 'the list' but unless you slow down and start to embrace the culture and way of life of the locals, you can really be oblivious to what makes a place special and unique. We spent our time between 4 of Java's 5 provinces; Banten (the most Westerly province), West Java, Central Java and the Special District of Yogyakarta. The only province we didn't visit was East Java. I will break down our travels into sections to make it more digestible to the reader and easier to follow. Part I will be about our observations of the city of Surakarta and the subsequent parts will include Yogyakarta, Puncak, Tangerang and Jakarta.

Surakarta: Java's Cultural Capital 

View from our Lionair flight of Surakarta. The
cultivated land looks like a patchwork quilt.

The view from the plane window excited me. It looked very different from the concrete jungle that is Jakarta. Although the island of Java is extensively cultivated it looked vibrantly green and healthy from above, small patches of forest topped the hilly mounds that were too steep to farm. Surakarta, also known as Solo throughout Indonesia, is titled the 'Green City', or so the roadside sign claimed as we drove to our hotel after the short 1 hour flight from Jakarta. It was easy to see why from the plane window and the rice fields that squeezed between space in the urban sprawl added a rural aspect to Central Java's second most populous city. We were eating dinner in what seemed like a tranquil country retreat among trickling waters and landscaped woods, only in actuality we were across the road from our hotel on the main Airport/City road. This is the kind of experience Jakarta lacks and something I believe is needed in all cities; a natural retreat. On an island that is called home by more than 140 million people it's no surprise to learn that whatever space isn't lived on, is set aside to farming, whether that be rice paddies or palm oil, guava or coconut. It was therefore refreshing to visit a city in a developing country that manages it's urban space and surrounding area so well.

The setting for the restaurant across the street from our hotel.

Our hotel, The Alana, was a great hub from where to begin exploring. 10 minutes from the airport and 10 minutes from the centre of the city meant easy access to the locations a person may require when travelling. We had only one slight hiccup whilst there which was a double booking of a room and consequently we were kindly asked to relocate about 30 minutes after arrival. The staff were courteous and dealt with the situation politely, even delivering our shampoo to our new room as we'd accidentally left it in the previous room. Breakfast was superb with a wide variety of food although I've still not mastered the art of having chicken and rice at this time in a morning yet. I'm happy with toast and possibly an omelette if I'm feeling adventurous. As you'll come to understand, Indonesian's live, breathe and worship food, especially if it comes with a serving of rice! The hotel even served Venetian all-you-can-eat high tea for a very reasonable price which suited me fine as a cake lover. The lobby was decked in decorations as our visit here was two days prior to Christmas, there was even an Indonesian Santa, definitely not like the one you see in the films.  With our bags unpacked we were ready to set out into Solo.

First things first, Indonesian Mother's Day. I'm useless enough at trying to memorise the day in England when the adverts for Mother's Day start about a month before so it was news to me when I was told on the morning of the damn thing at 8am. Having traveled to Solo with Lidya's parents and siblings we worked as a team, a few distracted their mum to keep her preoccupied whilst we went in search of flowers. One thing that baffles me when in Indonesia is how the markets work. Where in England a market will sell everything from meat, vegetables to trinkets, in Indonesia you find that one road is designated to one item and one item only. Therefore, that morning, we headed to flower street! For me, one or two flower market stalls would have sufficed for everyone's flowery needs in that particular area, so I was a bit shocked to see seller after seller, lining both sides of the road, cutting and preparing roses. Just roses. A few adventurous vendors had dyed some to varying shades of red and pink but that was it. I'm not qualified in the world of business and economics but I'm sure the term is 'market saturation'. We chose our stall,this one branching off from the norm and incorporating different flowers into magnificent bouquets. The attention to detail was outstanding as

they sculpted a grand posy of colour, trimming any flailing stems or leaves. As an avid reader of the natural world and history, I couldn't help being envious towards the great British naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace, as large, tan coloured beetles emerged from among the flowers that were being prepared. As a beetle enthusiast, Indonesia must have been rich pickings for his travels back in the mid nineteenth century, as it appears to still be. The vendors did seem a little bemused why I was interested in them. Our bouquet finished, and costing just Rp40,000, we headed back to the Alana to a happy mother.

On the face of it, Solo appears like any other Javanese city. The streets are lined with food vendors, the roads in the city centre are like a slalom for bikers and moped drivers. But Surakarta is different and has a unique charm that I haven't seen in other cities throughout Java. It is a green city as previously stated. The pavements are lined with trees forming a green canopy above the roads. There stands hugely immense banyan trees, twisted roots and trunk, centuries old giants that have stood through the development of the town. We saw traditional masks depicted local folklore characters displayed around the city, 10 feet tall, adding vibrancy and colour to the greenery. Javanese architecture still prevails in a world that it rapidly modernising. Where Jakarta is becoming a concrete and glass urban jungle, Solo retains a lot of its traditional architecture, even the mosques follow a Javanese structure as oppose to the more commonly seen Middle Eastern domed roof. Regrettably we were in the city at the wrong time to ride on the train, which has become a tourist attraction and one of the best ways to see the city and grasp its cultural heritage. Built in the eighteenth century during the Dutch colonial period for the rich gentry at the time as a way of transport around the city and beyond, it now acts half train half tram like, chugging through the streets. Its 3 hour tours are only operational if upwards of 30 people buy tickets as otherwise it becomes uneconomical as we were informed by the information desk. The ancient writing of Sanskrit is still predominantly used on street signs and some shop signs so the city also maintains its cultural heritage through its written word.

A mosque in a typical Javanese architectural style.

   Current Indonesian president Joko Widodo was born in the city and held the mayoral role in the Solo up until as recently as 2012. The city is very much in favour of his appointment as president and I'm led to believe Surakarta's claim as a green city and its eased traffic congestion is in part down to Jokowi (his affectionate name). It seemed only right then to do what Indonesian's do best and eat at the presidents favourite restaurant. The Diamond Restaurant Cafe had many photographs, proudly hung at the entrance, showing the president with the staff and other government delegates all eating at its tables. It's easy to see why it's his favourite place, the black pepper beef was superb, the nasi georeng (or fried rice. These are the first Indonesian words you need to know!) was beautifully flavoursome, full roasted quail that was rich and tender and even the Western selection was more than adequate. I'm still learning the different ingredients and flavours that make great Indonesian food but judging by the families reaction the meal was top notch. I ate chicken fried rice at another eatery nearby at night that was divine, only it slightly more spicy than my body thought was natural and I ended up drenched in sweat! Indonesian's like spice and it's a little more than my Western palette can handle. The advantage of knowing locals of a place is that you experience life beyond the beaten track. On my first ever visit 5 years ago I bought a Lonely Planet guidebook and the first thing it mentions with regards to street food is to avoid it due to the hygiene. 5 years later and every night we've spent in Indonesia has revolved around eating street food at unnecessary hours in the morning. Lidya, her dad and brother took me to a inner city backstreet, dimly lit at 11pm. Two stalls had pots bubbling away, while whole families sat on sprawled out mats on the roadside, chatting and listening to a guitarist whilst eating their meals. Street food is a way of life in Indonesia, it's a base in which friends congregate and call a hub, it's where families gather and socialise, it's where you practise your instruments, your singing and meet new people. This street stall was also the place where Surakarta gudeg is at its best, a combination of jackfruit, rice and chicken of a stew like consistency, accompanied by chicken feet. The dish is said to be a specialty In Yogyakarta but Solo has a more subtle take on the flavours.    

Workshop where Batik is made. Sanskrit is still used in everyday
life in Surakarta and can be seen on the green sign.

Below shows the original stamped pattern; above, hand painted
golden wax is added to colour the garment.

Surakarta's main claim as Indonesia's cultural capital is due to its production of batik. Batik is a style and production of cloth that is Indonesia's national dress and used in all formal occasions, from interviews, presidential addresses to birthday parties. Right here in the centre of Java is where the true identity of Indonesian dress is born. To understand the work and technique that goes into making the garments we visited Batik Putra Laweyan, in the Batik Quarter, in the centre of Solo. This is an open factory where visitors are educated on this traditional technique and the process can be viewed at various stages. The batik produced here is using the traditional technique. A silken cloth is laid out on a table and, using a copper patterned stamp pressed into melted wax, is stamped, printing the pattern on the cloth. This is repeated over the entire garment to form the background of the material. Once dried, the cloth is then hand 'painted' using a pen like implement with an attached 'inkwell' in which varying colours of wax are added. This pen is used to form mainly dotted patterns around the original stamped cloth to add layers to the design. Different wax patterns can be hand crafted or stamped in numerous stages as the wax dries. This is a slow process as you can imagine and consequently can take weeks and sometimes months to complete one item of clothing. Another technique bypasses the stamping process altogether and is entirely drawn out by hand if a regular pattern is not required. It's not uncommon for this type of process to take several months, made even longer if the natural ingredients used to colour the wax are unavailable locally at the time. Buying shirts from here can cost Rp600,000 (the mixed stamped and hand drawn versions), an expensive by Indonesian standards but reasonable considering the work that goes into it. Unique and designer versions of Batik clothing can cost millions of Rupiah.

The pot in which the wax for hand painting
is melted. 

   After seeing the production process we headed to the Museum Batik Danar Hadi, rated number 1 on Trip Advisor for attractions in Surakarta. Set in a grand Dutch colonial palace, the interior mimics the exterior for grandeur, displaying an array of Batik cloth from before the Dutch arrived to the present day. Unfortunately photography was prohibited inside the museum so we couldn't take any photographs of the designs on display. The sultans of Surakarta and Yogyakarta throughout the ages wore their own unique batik designed attire representing their own empires. The guide, who spoke in English, told us that the Sultan would wear his batik clothing of a certain pattern that would signify his position as ruler, his staff would wear garments of similar design but subject to their rank all the way down to the maids. The Surakartan maids and lowest in rank would have designs that would almost mimic that of the Sultan of rival kingdom of Yogyakarta. I love the pettiness of idea! As the tradition grew so did its range. Batik has spread throughout Asia and Sultans and Emperors across India, Japan and China took on their own designs, using patterns, colours and direction of stamping to signify their own unique place. I asked about their most expensive piece among the 1,600 items on display and the Dutch era Hansel and Gretel, amidst other fairytale designed items, was one of the priciest. It was bought for Rp 150,000,000 (around 7,500 GBP) in the Eighteenth century. When asked how much it would fetch if sold today, the guides answer was 'priceless'.

The wax ready to be melted and stamped with the copper print.

Our two days in Solo weren't sufficient to see everything we wanted although we did get a glimpse at the cultural heritage that the place is famed for. Although not as influential as Yogyakarta, Solo still has a Sultanate and therefore a the city has a grand palace where he resides. There are also a lot of ancient ruinous temples around Central Java that are easily accessible from Solo including Candi Kalasan, Sukuh and Cetho. There are also an abundance of natural sights including volcanoes, rice paddies and waterfalls due to the fertile and undulating volcanic landscape.

An underground market, full of cheap batik style printed shirts.

Coming up: Yogyakarta (Mount Merapi and Prambanan Temple) 

A Month in Indonesia

We've just returned from an amazing trip to the Indonesian Island of Java. I'll be writing our account on our travels in due course. Stay tuned folks.

TwentyToesUK: Behind the scenes

Posting travel stories, experiences, photographs, reviews and posing questions over social media all seems superficial without a background into the person or people behind the screen name. We've already wrote an introduction earlier in our blog but I feel now is the time to add some other information about our goals and what we hope to portray in our blog and social media accounts.

Faces behind the name.

Lidya and myself, Rich, decided to blog our adventures together purely as something creative to do. I've never been big on social media so it never really entered my mind, however, I do write up my travels and opinion on places in a travel journal. Ironically it was social media where we met and amazingly, despite living on the other side of the world and being in different hemispheres when we first chatted, we are now happily married and living in Sheffield, England together (Lidya is starting a vlog very soon, as you can see, she is the one with the good looks, and I'm sure this may be covered as a weird kind of love story). Lidya is Indonesian, a Jakartan, with routes in Sumatra and China and also having lived in Timor for a period when younger, while I have lived in two homes during my life, both in Sheffield, about two miles apart. No guesses who's had the most exciting upbringing with regards to travel! My childhood consisted of holidays to islands around Europe, your typical family vacation destinations such as Majorca, Corfu, Santorini, Menorca etc. but now that I am older and free to take on my own travel adventures I have begun to spread my wings. I've always had a keen fascination on travel and the world we live in. Having studied Geography, Environmental Sciences and Geology I feel I have a sound knowledge of the world as much as is possible without having actually been to a place and lived in its environment. I also read travel books, naturalists journals, ancient historians, city and country biographies.

Lidya's father, a construction company owner who specialises in major infrastructure projects in Indonesia, has given me a unique opportunity to live on the island of Java, Indonesia and work along side him. I currently work, fitting the stereotype perfectly, in a large independent steel works, the defining industry that has put Sheffield on the map globally. Lidya and myself will hopefully be taking the plunge in 2016 and starting a new chapter in our lives and one that fills me with excitement. Having visited Indonesia 9 times in the last 5 years, I've had the privilege of seeing many things; I've seen Jakarta grow as a city, I've witnessed festivals, seen how a typical family live day to day, I've seen monuments, wildlife, tasted things I never knew existed! I spent my days in school reading Alfred Russell Wallace's 'Malay Archipelago' and being entranced by his encounters, how he must have felt being the first Westerner to step foot on the remotest of islands, the densest of rain forests. I studied Krakatau as a Geology student, watched video's and read books about the aftermath of what was one of the Earth's biggest natural disasters of recent times. Living in Indonesia for me would be a surreal dream and one I never thought would present itself, never mind while working on projects that cover a whole host of potentially environmental issues and urban planning design, two criteria I've learned during my college years. 

While our goals at TwentyToesUK was to show you the forgotten, lesser known areas of the world, we might be turning our sites extensively on Indonesia in the not so distant future. While I continue to write on our blog, share the best photo's on Instagram and Facebook, Lidya will be starting her vlog after Christmas on all things you could ever be remotely interested in!

In the meantime, we head to Indonesia on the 11th of December for 30 days! So stay posted, we'll have daily photo's and updates to the blog as we go and hopefully we'll inspire you along the way.

Rich 

Yorkshire Sculpture Park: Photo Gallery

We had a day out at Yorkshire Sculpture Park during the hottest British November day on record last weekend. I actually wore just a T-shirt. In November! Located just off the M1 north of Barnsley in West Yorkshire, Yorkshire Sculpture Park encompasses 500 acres of undulating greenery, Bretton Hall, a chapel, lakes, cafes, art galleries and a sprinkling of sculptures across this English country landscape. I'm not an arty person so although I wasn't exactly enthused by the artistry of the statues, I could appreciate the creative inventions and it created some fantastic scenery and a different dimension to a nature walk. Below are the photographs we snapped through the day.

A rabbit created by interwoven wires.

The next time I need a new sink I know where I'm getting it from.

View of the lake through the trees at the Greek temple.

The poppy cascade overlooking the lake.

The lake.

By far the sexiest rabbit I've ever seen.

Poppy cascade for Remembrance Day.

An Autumn tree.

The effects of Autumn are non-existence in the greenhouse.

Fungi that I've christened 'Chimps Ear'.

The other half of the Easter Island statues.

Moss on a fallen branch.

Any further information about Yorkshire Sculpture Park can be found on the official website - www.ysp.co.uk

Knaresborough & A World Heritage Site Pt. II

An Autumn vista from the secret view, looking towards the Abbey.

A 20 minute drive through undulating country lanes, scarcely wide enough for two cars, brought us to the entrance and visitors centre of Studley Royal Gardens and Fountains Abbey from Knaresborough. Thankfully the park is well signposted near enough the entire way from Knaresborough, as modern technology in the form of internet signal once again proved that it's not quite as reliable as a good old paper map. North Yorkshire may also potentially be a black hole to the advances of GPS signals. After driving over the dipping blind spots and sharp turns of the countryside roads, giving us the same butterflies that you get from a modern day rollercoaster, we entered the gated grounds of Studley Royal Water Gardens, one of UNESCO's 1031 listed World Heritage sites. The park is preserved and maintained by a combination of UNESCO, National Trust and English Heritage, all of which made our visit very memorable.

The bell tower of Foundations Abbey from the dreaded sheep field.

The extensive ruins of Fountains Abbey.

The visitors centre is made up of a cafe, information desk, toilet facilities and a large shop, selling National Trust merchandise and local produce, as is the norm at these kinds of attractions. Entering through the grounds, you take a pleasant stroll through countryside fields and wooded footpaths. When I was younger I used to hike in the Peak District National Park and one of my most memorable days, not for the right reasons, was getting charged by a ram so it's fair to say I am not their biggest fan. Unfortunately for me, my dad mentioned this to Lidya and her family, so I seem to be the brunt of a long and tedious (for me anyway) ongoing joke. Therefore I had little to no sympathy for Lidya when we walked through a field, on our way to Fountains Abbey, of a large herd of grazing sheep. Now these sheep were the most dormant of livestock, munching away on the grass, but it didn't stop Lidya squeezing and cutting the circulation in my arm whenever one raised its head in our general direction. Coupled with the fact that being brought up in Jakarta, Indonesia, she's unused to pheasants and their often hectic movements, she was very wary of all these hugely 'menacing' animals around us. After recovering her composure we walked along the footpath, the ruinous bell tower of the abbey towering above the trees in front of us, silhouetted against the darkening Autumn sky above us, the aura complete by the cawing of black ravens swarming around the abandoned steeple. Having meandered around a bend through the wooded lane, the extensive grounds of the abbey opened up in front of us forming a vast foundation of what was clearly a magnificent church in its heyday. The grand arches still stood over the entrances, a labyrinth of passageways and corridors jinked through the ancient masonry. Arriving at the western church arch you stand in awe as you grasp the size of the cathedral, still imposing despite being the the grand old age of 800. When considering that this was built all those centuries ago it makes it even harder to comprehend how much of an astonishing accomplishment of architecture this is, coupled with the fact that it's in the middle of nowhere! To the right of the church at the western

Vaulted Cellarium.

doorway is the cellarium, a 100m long vaulted cavern, spine tingling in the day and goodness knows what at night. The one defining feature of any cathedral is the bell tower and until we stood immediately in its presence we didn't quite appreciate the shear size of this one. Despite being a hollow shell, the roofs of the major of the Abbey buildings have since fallen in, the enormity of the cavity still made a resounding echo as Lidya tested with great effect. The arched doorway alone must
have exceeded 10 metres in height. We spent at least half an hour just winding around the rocky outcrops of foundations visualising what and where everything used to be in its glory days. One of the striking features of the smaller buildings attached to the abbey was the refectory where the monks would eat and socialise. Protruding through the ceiling was a chimney, clearly where the large stove had been as there was a large squared out crevice in the side of the wall. I attempted to take a photo looking from the fire place up through the chimney chute, as the National Trust Instagram challenge was to shoot 'Looking Up', but the local ravens had different ideas, perched on the top it decided it would have a poo, fortunately missing me by inches. I took that as a sign that I shouldn't be entering the photography contest!

The bell tower.

After wandering around the ruins we had a walk through Studley Royal Park, an eighteenth century landscaped water garden, complete with Romanesque mausoleums and columned temples. To the west of the abbey is Fountains Hall, a Victorian era period house, built partially from the stones of the collapsed abbey. Although we didn't walk around the house, the grand facades, sculptures and prettily trimmed and maintained gardens add a charming and very much still living aspect to the area.

The facade of Fountains Hall, a Victorian era house.

This section of the grounds has a cafe and information centre for all the details about the life and times of the Abbey. As we visited in Autumn, the trees were just starting to changed hues and go through the brilliantly vibrant process of shedding leaves, the old stone built bridge over the passing stream complimented superbly with the splashes of orange and yellow of the oak trees.

We strolled along the sculptured valley bottom to the east of the abbey, passed a collage of colour and shapes as the foliage of the range of common and more peculiar trees mingled together. We walked the forested path, above the water ponds, snaking along a path with little surprises at each turn: Anne Boleyn's seat, named after a headless statue which was situated here more than 300 years ago, has a glorious view over the lake towards the abbey in the distance (top photo), only marred by the digger employed in maintenance work; the temple of fame, a columned domed structure featuring a giant sculptured birds nest with a cracked egg shell; the octagon tower, pretty self explanatory, with a hall of mirrors inside and a balcony overlooking the water gardens below; and the serpentine tunnel, a pitch black bricked tunnel, complete with freakishly placed doorways throughout to scare even the hardened soul. Why? I have no idea! All I know is the light on my phone did little to illuminate the passageway, it only enhanced the mysterious doorways and portrayed odd looking shadows on the way. Remember the 

The Octagon Tower.

circulation being cut off in my arm because of the terrifying sheep? Well if it had all but returned to normal it was about to be stopped for a second time!

Having survived the tunnel we succeeding in making it to coffee shop number II, after passing the water garden over a small wooden bridge. Here you can enjoy a tea, soup and slice of cake enjoying the picturesque lake and water sculptures. The distance between the Abbey and the cafe is around a mile and a further mile brings you full circle back to the visitors centre so it concludes a good walk. The last stretch of the grounds is through a 'deer' park. I could sense a third and final loss of blood circulation to my right arm but having tiptoed apprehensively to the peak of the field we saw no deer. I had no i-deer (dad joke) where they were! (I apologies profusely for that). The last highlight of day was the church of St. Mary, an 1870's church, exquisitely decorated with stain glass and marbled stonework, plus a beautiful organ. Even though it's not as awe inspiring as the ruins of Fountains Abbey, let's hope that St. Mary's is better preserved in its current state that the state the grand abbey finds its self in today.

   

 

The Facts

Studley Royal Gardens is according to UNESCO one of the finest examples of 18th century landscaped gardens to survive it close to its original form, having influence all over Europe. It was the owner of Studley Royal, John Aislabie, who transformed the grounds into their current state back in the early to mid 1700's. The Abbey began life after 1132 when defected monks from York started to build their own at its current location. The abbey today is the largest medieval ruins in the whole of the U.K.. St. Mary's church is claimed to be the masterpiece of English Victorian architect William Burges. For any further information check out the websites of either English Heritage, National Trust or UNESCO.

Ratings

The Abbey - 5

Studley Royal Gardens - 3

St. Mary's Church - 3

Fountains Hall - (didn't visit)

St. Mary's Church.

Knaresborough and a World Heritage Site Pt. I

With the world focusing on UNESCO's Palmyra ruins in Syria, we heading an hour up the M1 into North Yorkshire, England, on a day trip to the market town of Knaresborough and Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Park, a considerably safer World Heritage site. The site was the fourth of UNESCO's list I have visited in the U.K., following Durham Cathedral, the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. We started the day however with a trip to the photogenic town of Knaresborough.

Knaresborough viaduct as viewed from Marigold's riverside cafe.

   Yorkshire, being England's largest and, of course, most beautiful county, has a diverse array of towns and villages, each with a unique history and its own claim to fame. Knaresborough, a little over an hour north of us in Sheffield, stands out from the rest due to its geographical position on the River Nidd, its houses clinging to the northern valley face, forested to the south and set apart by the nineteenth century railway viaduct whichstill in use today. We began the day trying to figure out how to use our new waffle maker but since we'd woke up later than intended and it came with a bible thick manual we ditched the idea and set off. We parked at the end of the valley, by Mother Shipton's Cave, England's so called oldest tourist attraction, and walked along the riverside. Although we didn't enter the cave it's a very popular visitors spot, famous as the dwelling place of local crackpot (or described more kindly by their website as 'Prophetess') and her ability to foretell the future during the reign of King Henry VII in the sixteenth century. She also predicted doomsday when the bridge, crossing the Nidd between the cave and the pub, aptly name World's End, collapses three times. No need to start panicking just yet though, it's only fallen once and it looked in excellent condition on Monday! Walking along the northern gorge bottom towards the viaduct you can see the towns mishmash of housing styles, some  Elizabethan (the black and white timber beams), some brick built and more curiously, a style I haven't encountered in other places, a black and white chessboard patterned exterior. Down at the waters edge are bed and breakfast's,  cafes and boat hire stalls, embracing the tranquility this part of the river holds. We breakfasted in Marigold's at 10, left hungry by a frustrating waffle iron, overlooking a peaceful Monday morning stream. It's worth noting that the food here was lovely and fairly priced, since cafes and restaurants seem to charge extra for a view. We drank tea and ate scones next to Rosemary, Charlotte and  Anna, little wooden paddling boats, tethered up to the waters edge. Across on the other bank is a meandering path through the autumnal trees of Knaresborough forest.

The ruins of Knaresborough Castle.

Opposite Marigold's in a steep path that winds up the hill to Knaresborough castle. The view gets more picturesque with every stride taken, as the changing leaves add a warming tint to the valley sides, framing the viaduct across the Nidd. The ruinous state of the towns fortifications stands overlooking the gorge, stood like a sentinel on watch. The keeps crumbling remains and castle museum were unfortunately closed for maintenance during our day trip so we missed the opportunity to see the spectacle that previous occupants would have enjoyed. We did see an old lavatory chute which the castle's inhabitants would have used, exiting near it's foundations, so that's something! The castle grounds were peaceful, well kept and free to roam around, currently and historically part of the royal crown, in possession of the Duchy of Lancaster at present. King John, made famous in connection with the writing of the Magna Carta, is supposed to have spent more money on both Knaresborough and Scarborough castles, the destination of our trip last week, than any others in the whole country (See, I told you Yorkshire was the best county!). It's not hard to see why given their stunning location and panoramic views, he was obviously a fan of gazing out of his window. Heading into the town centre is a short walk of a few hundred yards, through brick and stone uneven terraces, taken up in the modern era by trading and antiques stores, art shops, tearooms and butchers. Aside from the checkered facade designs on some of the buildings there were a fair few 'false' doorways and windows that had been painted to incorporate a scene: one being of an Italian style restaurant with a table for two in a courtyard. It's this sort of singularity that makes Knaresborough different from the next market town.

The unique checkered design of some of the towns buildings. 

The false painted doorways and window frames.

 If you've read any of our previous blog entries about day trips in England I'm sure you're aware that they always include a good old fashioned tea room and today was no exception. Situated in the main square opposite the Town Hall, Lavender Tea Rooms, a Trip Advisor winner from 2014, sits above Ye Oldest Chymist Shoppe In England. It's no wonder non natives struggle with our language when we still embrace our ancient vernacular and written word. The inviting exterior of blackened timber and white framed windows gave the appearance of an old worldly time when this style of architecture was common, only made less enticing by the fact that you could choose between this or the much newer 'Wine Shop' next door. If I hadn't have driven then alcohol may well have won the day! Established in 1720, or so the signage reads, it exudes character and if it wasn't for the more recent products displayed on the shelves, you'd be none the wiser knowing if it had changed at all since its foundation. What it was, was simply a little shop of Yorkshire, selling local preserves, sweets, biscuits, cakes, comedic remedies to peoples most common complaints (Man Flu, although this is a genuinely excruciating condition, moody teenager syndrome etc) and ceramics. They even had a bottle of Henderson's Relish, God's favoured condiment choice, which is rarely seen outside its hometown of Sheffield, nevermind South Yorkshire. Upstairs through a creaky low ceiling (WATCH YOUR HEAD) staircase we entered the Lavendar Tearooms, the walls lavished with paintings and trinkets of eras gone by, the black timber frames revealed upon the roof. The thing I like about Georgian architecture is that it seems like there is no planning involved, the only thing that is instructed to the builders is what kind of building is required. Construct a two storied shop between these two buildings? Ok, we'll start with timber. Oh, we've run out of timber? Nevermind, we'll call this the ceiling then and make the rest out of brick. More timber's arrived? Ok, we'll make the roof of wooden beams. I think we've forgot the staircase! Nevermind, we'll fit it in between there, you'll just have to crouch down to enter and duck out of the way of the wooden timbers. In a nutshell, that's about all I can imagine when I study the layout of such floorplans. The outside looks just as haphazard as well. Fortunately, the food and service wasn't as peculiar as the design of the rooms, although the choice of soups (Pear & Parsnip, Tomato and Orange) did raise a few eyebrows. As it was, I opted for the pear and parsnip soup as it sounded bizarre but turned out to be intriguingly sweet and hearty, perfect for Autumn, Lidya opting for the just as flavoursome tomato and lentil. I very much enjoy the shop and tearooms combined and think they are worthy of a visit whenever in Knaresborough.

A little off the road square.

We went to Knaresborough knowing we were fitting in two destinations in one day trip. I think this proved to be the correct choice as 3 hours after our arrival we had pretty much seen what we wanted. Other than the cave and a few nature walks there's not a massive array to do within walking distance. Knaresborough is a pleasant little town, great photogenically and easy to get to but just isn't so fulfilling for a full day. For a full day of exploring, visiting nearby Harrogate or head to where we did (in part II), Studley Royal Park.

To Do

- Walk along the river Nidd to the Castle - Only about 500 yards from Mother Shipton's Cave to the castle but a steep path to the top. The views make it worth it.

- Lavender Tearooms - Fairly priced (homemade soup with thick cut bread was only £3) combined with the shop downstairs takes you back centuries to ye old England.

- Mother Shiptons Cave - I can't add anything from a personal point of view as we didn't visit but it's highly popular so can't be bad! £6 for adults.

The Facts

Without doubt, the viaduct is the most photographed of all Knaresborough's landmarks. Construct finished in 1851. The current castle was established in the fourteenth century despite being pre-dated by earlier fortifications as alluded to by its old name 'Chednaresburg' (Burg meaning defensive structure).

For any other information about Knaresborough feel free to look at the official town website - www.knaresborough.co.uk

Ratings

Knaresborough - 3

Castle - 2

Lavender Tearooms and shop - 4

Views - 4

Marigold's - 3

View of the River Nidd and the viaduct from Knaresborough
Castle.