Max explores Yorkshire - Aug 2022

[mitch84]

Some of you have followed my dog adventures before, and I have been made to take a week off work again.
I thought really hard about going back to Scotland, but the drive is just so far, and I decide if I go closer to home, that my husband can come and join us at the weekend. So I decide on 3 nights in Richmond, 1 night in Whitby, and then 2 nights in Harrogate at the end.

I’m not going to do a full separate trippie this time, but I am going to post a post about each day with some photos as I love looking back at them.

Usual crew. Me, and Max the best boy in the world.

[mitch84]

Day 1 - Home to Richmond

I wake up with my husbands alarm for work and can’t get back to sleep, so I get up, get us all packed up and in the car after a bit of breakfast.
I am meeting an old friend I used to work with near Leeds at 11, and I’m really early, so I stop at Hartshead Moor Services for a Starbucks and to charge my car.
I get to my friends and we have a lovely catch up. We also take Max for a little walk before getting back on the road.
We arrive in Richmond after about another hour. I run into Lidl for urgent supplies (wine) then park in the loading bay outside my air bnb to get rid of the dog bed and my luggage. I bump into the lovely lady who owns it and she tells me where I can park for free as it’s mostly 2 hour disc parking.
The air bnb is absolutely perfect, a little one bed apartment right in the market square, and I could not have asked for anything else.

Max and I then go and get parked (which was incredibly easy) before going for a wander.

I’m starving, so on our walk round town decide to go and get some lunch. I search for a French restaurant I have seen that I liked the menu of, but it seems closed today, so instead I stumble upon a wine and tapas bar. I’m the only one there but it is 3pm on a Monday afternoon, so we head in.
It’s so friendly, and I get myself a wine and order 3 tapas, chicken, meatballs and houmous. This is absolutely gorgeous and whilst I don’t know if I’ll make it back, I hope I do. I ordered too much as always though so I had a little helper.

We head back to the air bnb and just chill out for a bit, have a shower and read my book whilst Max naps. Unfortunately it’s due to be very hot this week and hairy black dogs and heatwaves don’t mix. We are going to have to have a much more chilled out week than expected.
About 6pm Max tells me he’s had enough to resting, so we go for a walk as it’ll be cooler now. We head down towards the river and it’s absolutely stunning, people swimming in the river and everything. I wish I had bought my cossie.
Max finds me a stick and we play for ages, he is in his absolute element and it’s so lovely to see. I even have a paddle.

He is soaking so we walk around until semi dry, then have a glass of wine in a non carpeted pub whilst Max flirts with the bar staff. After a late breakfast and late lunch I’m not that hungry, so I decide against dinner out. We grab a portion of fish and chips to take home to share.

I have a glass of wine and watch trash tv over the fish and chips, then an early night as we want to beat the heat in the morning.

[Disney Planning]

Great photos, the river does look beautiful

[mitch84]

Day 2

I wake up about 7am and it’s clear Max is awake too. He drinks much more when it’s warm and he’s used to a dog flap at home. I risk nipping him out in my PJ’s which works a treat as he uses the first plant pot, then head back upstairs for a shower. Suncream up, pack a bag and we are out of the door. We walk through the park on the way to the old train station which is the start of the walk we have planned.

It’s now an arts centre with a cinema (unfortunately they had their first dog friendly screening last week) cafe/bar, and little indie shops.
I order a latte and a child’s breakfast (still massive) and chill for a bit, we can’t leave too early as the Abbey we are heading to doesn’t open until 10.

We set off and it’s such a beautiful walk through the woods. Max is off lead from the car park off the Station, including in the Abbey as we are the only ones there.

It’s also shaded, and lots of spots for him to have a swim and cool down. On the way back we stop for ages for the boy to swim, and I end up chatting on the phone to my husband whilst Max swims. Several dogs come and play whilst we are there but we’re there a good hour!

The walk is meant to finish at Richmond castle which is near our air bnb, but I need the toilet, and we aren’t going to do the castle right now as it is getting very warm, so we head back to the Station. I use the facilities and then try to buy us both an ice cream but they have run out of dairy free, so I become that person who spends £3.28 on a strawberry ice cream for their dog (child).

After this we mooch back to our air bnb for a quick shower and glass of water for me and half an hour of shade for Max.

I’m a bit hungry so I head out to try an Italian restaurant I have seen but the only dog friendly tables are in full sun so we head on. The French restaurant we tried yesterday is open so we wander in there. They have a great value set menu so I get the deep fried Brie (lovely)

then the steak frites.

This was actually hilarious as I couldn’t even get the steak knife through it to cut it into acceptable pieces to feed Max (there is no way I can eat it). I eat the chips then plump for a Creme brûlée (lovely again).

It’s the real heat of the day now so wander back for a couple of hours in the shade and I read my book for a bit.
About 4pm we head back out again and straight to Richmond castle.

I have an English Heritage card so it’s free. It’s really lovely and there is a lovely garden, but Max is struggling so we sit in the shade for a while until he gets his breath back.

I pick up a TooGoodToGo bag from Costa on the way back for lunch tomorrow, then another shower for me, and another nap and drink for Max whilst I have a wine in front of the tv.
It’s much cooler now so head back to the Italian we tried to get in at lunch. No issues this time so I order a chicken Kiev and a wine and sit on the terrace!

It’s lovely.
Bill paid we walk back down the hill to the park next to the river.

He splashes about before walking back up the hill, tv and bed.

[Disney Planning]

We enjoy the breakfast too at the train station cafe. Think we have been to that Italian too. It is so warm for mooching around, but the shade of the trees makes walking more bearable. It all looks very beautiful.

[mitch84]

Originally Posted by Disney Planning

We enjoy the breakfast too at the train station cafe. Think we have been to that Italian too. It is so warm for mooching around, but the shade of the trees makes walking more bearable. It all looks very beautiful.

See more...

It’s such a lovely place! Will defo try to come back outside of a heatwave 😂

[mitch84]

Day 3 - Around Richmond

Wake up again about 7am and decide after yesterdays success to risk nipping Max out in my PJ’s. Fail. He’s clearly not desperate and has me up and down the road in my Pinocchio PJ’s. The monkey.
Come back in and potter around getting ready, before taking the long way round to the car.

It’s market day so I didn’t know whether to risk moving it but we are ready for a walk elsewhere. I load the car and drive to Catterick Garrison. There is a nature reserve right in the middle of one of the barracks called Foxglove Covert. It isn’t far, but it’s pretty complicated to get in. I had to park up, leave my ID, get a permit and a map (which I fail to follow almost immediately) then set off. I get lost, and have to ask 2 soldiers who embarrassingly insist on walking me there.
It’s amazing when we arrive though, people are so friendly and it’s a great big nature reserve with ponds and hides etc. We choose the shortest 45 min walk just because of the heat but it’s pretty shaded so wish we had chosen the longer one.

Once done we have a mooch round the visitor centre, then get back in the car and head for Richmond. Park up no issue at all, and walk to check out the market. Think they were having me on, one fruit and veg stall and one flowers. Not being able to buy either we check out the indoor market. This is pretty small. I fancy a coffee so stop at a dog friendly cafe and get a cafe and am tempted into some crumpets that we share.

I decide to walk down to the station again so that I can buy my husband some beers from the on-site brewery. On the way there I let Max have a dip, but it is so busy in the day.

I get him a 4 pack plus have a cider to drink in the shade before braving the walk back up the hill. I am pouring with sweat by the time I get back to the car to drop the beer off but it’s worth it to not lug it to the air bnb and back to the car on Thursday.
Time for a chill out now, we are both hot so I shower and change, and heat up the costa paninis I got yesterday. Max and I share these, have a glass of wine and relax in the cool.
At 4 I drag us both up, there is a museum in the market place that lets dogs in and it closes at 4.30pm. Get there and turns out last entry is 4.30pm so we have a bit of time. It’s a really interesting little military museum and only £5 to get in. It’s also cool so Max doesn’t complain once ( HE HATES MUSEUMS). I’m really glad we made the effort to do this.

We duck into a pub on the square for a quick drink whilst we decide on dinner. I get a glass of wine and we share some peanuts. I fancy eating outside and so we end up just at the Spoons for a curry special. Cheap and cheerful, I forgot to take the photo before I got stuck in as I was starving.

We are moving on tomorrow and I have some wine left over so we walk the long way back through the park and river for one last run and paw dip, then back for shower number 5 and TV, PJ’s and wine.

[OB1LukeLucas]

Another adventure, I do like to follow your trips. It’s definitely too hot for dogs to be out and about which is a bit frustrating but at least you have found the river and Catterick was nice and shaded. The heatwave makes a change from all the heavy rain last time, no coat buying required 😆
You always seem to find nice food and wine!
Our dog really likes stairs so loved Whitby, looking forward to reading about your day😊

[tigger48]

Your trip looks lovely, and Max is gorgeous!

[Disney Planning]

Despite the heat you have managed to do a lot. Glad Max suffered the museum for you 😂