From the Howardian Hills to Lancashire and another reunion…

We left Slingsby in the morning, bound for Abram in Lancashire and just west of Manchester, where our old college friends, Carol and Alan, have their narrow-boat moored on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

We are in Castle Howard country (or ‘The Howardian Hills – an area of outstanding natural beauty’ as I see they now publicise it) and, sure enough, around a bend there is the estate with the magnificent 18th century house in the background.

As we passed the grounds we saw a tall obelisk atop the hill in the distance:

and then an archway:

and another archway with an obelisk in the distance:

Fabulous!

Poppies bring a fiery red to the landscape:

and then we found ourself by-passing the large cities of Leeds and then Manchester before reaching the small town of Abram and the Dover Loch pub where we were to meet our friends.  They were there waiting for us and we had a drink and something to eat in the pub before walking back to their narrow-boat.

Alan and Carol have made the boat their permanent home since the 1990s and are now enjoying their retirement on board, travelling the many canals of England and Wales.  It was great catching up on all the news of the last 26 years and having a good look around ‘Sunbird’.

We said goodbye, vowing not to leave it another 26 years!  And then on to our last campsite of this long adventure at Ipstones in Staffordshire.