Knaresborough

Years ago when I was in the cycling club at York University we used to pass through Knaresborough on the way to the Yorkshire Dales. Not sure I ever really stopped in the town until a couple of weeks ago. The first day we stopped was cloudy and grey. I took a few photos, but realised Knaresborough (like anywhere else) would look so much better under blue skies. The next weekend, we woke to sunshine and drove to Knaresborough before 8:30am - nice and early to avoid crowds. There's a car park just off the A59 by the river Nidd opposite a pub called The World's End. Good place to start. Just cross the road and you're onto Waterside, a quiet street which runs along the river Nidd. Well, certainly quiet at 8:30am!

(above) It doesn't take more than a few minutes walk until you can see the viaduct which carries the railway - the viaduct was completed in 1851 and certainly adds a certain something to the town. We keep walking along Waterside ...

And a bit further ...

A beautiful river view in the early morning light! A little further and the street is right up against the sandstone rocks.

Up above the river on the east side is Knaresborough Castle with a couple of narrow stairways leading to it from the riverside road. We first continued along this road, reaching Low Bridge (photo below), after which the riverside road changes name to Abbey Road.

We walked a little way along Abbey Road admiring some very very nice houses and flowers on both sides of the river. Almost every house we saw made us say "I'd love to live there!" Part of the road near the bridge is very narrow, as below ...