A Visitor's Guide To Whitby Located On The North Yorkshire Coast

By Paul D Teasdale

Whitby is an ancient fishing port, nestled within steep cliffs, and located on the North Yorkshire coast. Upon the East Cliff you can find Saint Mary's Church and Whitby Abbey, also referred to as Saint Hilda's Abbey, both of which look out high over the town and offer some spectacular views. You can visit these magnificent monuments by taking Whitby's famous 199 steps up the side of East Cliff. These steps are accessible from Church Street down in the town.

Whitby is a maze of narrow streets some of which are still cobbled. Smooth paving stones run parallel through the cobbles where cart wheels would have once run. The east and west sides of the town are joined by a swing bridge which is over 100 years old. Opened in 1909 the bridge still operates to this very day in order to let boats and ships pass through.

You don't need to walk for far through the town before you come across the term "Whitby Jet". Whitby Jet is a gemstone formed from the remains of fossilised trees dating back to the Jurassic period. It is only found within a seven and a half mile stretch of the Yorkshire coast that's centred around Whitby. When mined the Jet is carved in to jewellery and ornaments, and although it's totally black, when polished it produces an excellent shine.

Whitby has also been made famous by the Victorian author Bram Stoker who created the Gothic novel Dracula having based parts of his novel in Whitby. This has led to Whitby Gothic Weekend which is currently held twice yearly. It's claimed that Whitby Gothic Weekend is now one of the most popular Gothic festivals around the world and attracts people from far and wide.

Other notable visitor attractions in Whitby include a scale replica of Captain Cook's ship Endeavour. The ship makes regular sailings throughout the year providing trips around the beautiful Yorkshire coastline. If sailing is not your thing then why not catch a ride on the steam bus. Built in 1931 by Sentinel Waggon Works, and called Elizabeth, the bus has a huge chain running from the steam engine at the front to the wheels at the rear to provide drive. It was one of the very last buses to be propelled this way before drive shafts took over.

A trip to Whitby isn't complete without visiting the Magpie Cafe. This large black and white building, originally a Merchant's House built in 1750, is located in the historic harbour. The Magpie Cafe tends to stand out from other cafes in Whitby as, due to its popularity, large queues build up outside as people wait for a table to become available inside.

Paul Teasdale is a born and bred Yorkshire lad. Read this article and others at Paul's website which is dedicated to promoting all things Yorkshire. Please visit Discover Yorkshire to find out more.

The Advantages of Taking a Baitboat on a Carp Fishing Holiday

By Jonny P

With most carp waters in the UK being so crowded with anglers, it is not really surprising that bait boats are not allowed, as they do tend to cause annoyance to other anglers - particularly those who do not use them!

In France, the situation is very different with many waters that can be booked exclusively for a party of anglers, and so it is unlikely that there will be any disagreements over the use of a bait boat. As I see it, bait boats are not dangerous to the fish in any way provided that they are used responsibly, and if they are not going to cause annoyance to anyone, then there is no good reason for prohibiting their use.

Of course there will be those anglers who believe that bait boats should not be used at all because they believe them to be unethical or "cheating" - this is a personal opinion only and I feel that it is absolutely pointless discussing this. Technology is used in many forms in modern fishing, and a bait boat is just another tool to help you to catch fish. If you don't believe in the use of bait boats then don't use one....but please don't go preaching to others about it!

So, with bait boats being allowed on most lakes in France, we can look at the question of whether or not you really need one? The short answer of course is no, on most venues you will be able to catch some carp without using a boat - however this is not always the case. For most people who come to France, time is limited and this usually means one week a year that can be allocated to a carp fishing holiday in France. This holiday will usually involve a fair amount of time, expense and planning, so - taking a boat with you might make the difference between a holiday to remember or one to forget.

Many people assume that bait boats are only useful for fishing at extreme range, when the fish are out of reach of normal casting techniques, but in fact they have many other uses and benefits - some of these are;

Stealth - a bait boat allows placement of your end tackle and/or bait without noise, allowing you to put a bait to the carp without spooking them

Accuracy - placement of your rig and free offerings first time every time is one of the major advantages of using a boat

Fishing tight to far margins - where fishing is restricted to one bank only, the carp will nearly always stay tight to the far margin, without a boat you might struggle!

Distance - if your distance casting is not the best, a boat can even out the playing field somewhat - if the carp are out of casting range and you have no boat, a blank is on the cards!

Fishing to underwater features - if your boat is equipped with an echo sounder, you can find out a lot about the nature of the lake bed in your swim in a short space of time - and without the need to make a lot of disturbance with the use of a marker rod! Having found some interesting looking features, you can now drop your baited rig right on top of them!

Looking at just these few major advantages of having a bait boat at your disposal reveals how much can be gained when you visit your chosen French Carp venue.

Buying a bait boat involves a significant outlay of cash, and bearing in mind that they are not allowed on most UK waters, so at our French Venues Les Croix and Les Levades, we have bait boats for hire at a reasonable cost. Offering this service means that those anglers who do not own a boat do not have to feel that they are at a disadvantage.

http://www.lescroix.co.uk
http://www.carp-fishing-holidays-france.com

Outdoor Activities in the Lake District

By Michael P Grant

As a land of mountains, lakes and coast, the Lake District area is home to a great variety of outdoor activity centres. Many of them are happy to embrace all levels of experience and age and offer everything from short taster sessions to day-long adventures. Here is my pick of the best. There are several holiday cottages in the lake district which would make an ideal base from which to experience these fabulous activities.

Mountain Biking
Whinlatter Forest Park is the place to go if you're a committed mountain-biker. The Altura Trail is one of two routes at Whinlatter, and this one is red-graded, 19km long, and described as suitable for experienced riders with good off-road skills and a high level of fitness. If you can take your eyes off the berms, jumps, rock features, skinnies and cork screws, you'll see fabulous views of Bassenthwaite Lake, Derwentwater, Helvellyn and Skiddaw from your position 500m above Keswick.

The other mountain bike route at Whinlatter Forest Park is the Quercus Trail. This is a blue grade route suitable for moderately experienced riders, with a choice of 3.5 or 7.5km lengths. There are rolling jumps and gradual climbs, and trickier parts that are designed so you can choose them or not depending on your skill level. The route takes you through an oak forest and towering conifer glades.

Bikes can be hired at Whinlatter Forest Park's on-site Cyclewise centre. If you want to record the experience for dull days and doubters, Cyclewise can also hire out head-cameras for the duration of your trip!

High Wires and Cable-Assisted Routes
Do you want to 'get in touch with your inner Tarzan'? If so, the two Go Ape courses at Whinlatter and Grizedale will be just your thing - have a go on their high-wire tree crossings, zip wires and 'Tarzan drops'.

The Go Ape Centre at Whinlatter has the highest such course in the country at 360m above sea level, with a zip wire that roves through the forest, over water and clear blue skies (hopefully). The views on a good day can stretch all the way across the county to the Scottish border.

The Go Ape Course at Grizedale Forest travels the side of steep hill, 200m above Grizedale Beck.

The Newlands Adventure Centre has a high wire course, in addition to a wide choice of outdoor activities (see below).

Rookin House also has a zip wire course. They offer a wide range of other activities (see below).

The Lakes' latest high-rise adventure is the Via Ferrata, or 'iron road' at Honister Slate Mines. The route, constructed of rungs and cables, allows you to climb 2,126 feet with relative ease. Combine the trip with a visit to the mine itself, or ramp up the adrenaline further with a trip on their zip wire.

All Things Horsey
If your normal hack takes you across a bit of scrubby ground on the edge of town, you'll love the opportunities in the Lakes.

Low Farm Riding Centre takes riders of all levels out in the fells, or - bliss! - along the beach at Allonby. Short rides are available in the lovely countryside local to Aspatria, too.

Rookin House Activity Centre also offers riding for beginners and the more experienced.

If you used to make an annual appointment with the famous Lowther Show (now sadly defunct), you'll know that carriage driving is popular amongst native Cumbrians... and the royal family. You can try the sport out for yourself at the Lakeland Heavy Horse Centre at Dearham near Maryport. You can also find out all about these traditional breeds and meet some miniature Shetland ponies.

Rough Terrain Driving
Rookin House Activity Centre at Troutbeck, Penrith, is a multi-activity site offering a lot of skill and bucketloads of invention. Here you can trek out on a quad bike or mini quad bikes for 6-11 year olds, try madtrax (rough terrain buggies), JCBs (yes!), an army truck or the 4x4 course.

Rookin House also offers riding, an assault course and zip wire.

Climbing, Abseiling, Scrambling and Walking
Apparently Carol climbs, walks, paddles, scrambles, angles and dangles, or at least, that's what it says on CarolClimb's website! Carol and Richard are based in Wasdale, close to Scafell Pike and Wastwater. They offer guided mountain walks, scrambles up ghylls in full torrent, a spot of abseiling and rock climbing. They also kayak in many of the region's lakes.

The Keswick Adventure Centre is a great one-stop shop for a myriad of outdoor activities. Beginners aged 7 to 70 can join 'taster' sessions or the more experienced can enjoy more challenging sessions. Choose from rock climbing (on the indoor climbing wall or outdoors), abseiling or walking.

The Newlands Adventure Centre in the Newlands Valley offers ghyll scrambling, climbing, abseiling and mountain walks.

Paragliding
If you're a lover of the Lake District, you'd really enjoy a new perspective on this wonderful county. Take to the air in a paraglider!

Air Ventures operates from Keswick and flies over the northern Lake District. Kids can join in, too, in special tandem flights.

Eden Soaring takes advantage of the notoriously fierce thermals of the North Pennines in the Eden Valley.Within easy reach of the Ullswater and Penrith area.

Lakes and Rivers
Many parts of the Lake District have outdoor activity providers with experienced instructors to teach you basic or more advanced skills. Try these for size...

Derwentwater Marina is a great place to go for all things watery - sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, kayaking, and raft-building. You can learn the skills from scratch, or just hire a canoe, kayak, sailing dinghy, surfboard or rowing boat and set off across the lake.

The Glenridding Sailing Centre, at the pretty village of Glenridding on Ullswater, offers the opportunity to learn to sail dinghies and traditional boats, or more modest, but just as enjoyable, canoes and kayaks. You can also hire craft to take out on the lake yourself.

The nattily-named Platty Plus at Keswick offers something different on the boating scene. Ever fancied going out in a Viking long boat or a dragon boat? Well, here's your opportunity. Platty Plus can also teach you to handle canoes, kayaks and power boats.

Just Plain Bonkers
The sort of people who set up outdoors activities businesses here in the Lake District invariably have a sense of adventure and a well-developed fun muscle. Their imagination knows few bounds...

Ever wanted to walk on water? Well, if you've visited Derwentwater recently, you will have seen people captured in large transparent balls, running across the lake in a manner a hamster would appreciate - these are the Keswick Adventure Centre's Waterwalkerz.

It's hard to know whether the staff at Rookin House had fun, revenge or punishment in mind when they invented human bowling. Perhaps a delicious combination of all three! So, if you have a strong stomach and sense of humour, you can climb into a cage-like, human-sized ball, and allow your friends to bowl you at some very large pins.
There are plenty of self catering lake district cottages across Cumbria which would be an ideal starting point to go and experience some of these great activities. Just follow the link in the resource box.

http://www.sallyscottages.co.uk

Snowdonia Makes an Ideal Destination for Winter Activity Breaks

By Dipika Patel

Whether you love horse riding, hiking or fishing - or perhaps all three - you may want to make Snowdonia your next destination for winter weekend activity holidays. The national park, which is the second largest in England and Wales, measures some 823 square miles, meaning that if you're keen to experience the great outdoors on UK short breaks there is hardly any better place to do so.

Snowdonia is located in the north-west of Wales and while it is certainly a great destination in the summer, UK holidays here in the winter are sure to be equally exciting and there will be a wide variety of activities for you to take part in. Indeed, taking weekend activity beaks here can be a good idea if you are into your watersports. There are over 100 lakes in the national park that measure more than an acre in size, the largest of which is Llyn Tegid that is four miles long and in places three-quarters of a mile wide.

Also known as Bala Lake, Llyn Tegid can be the perfect spot to indulge in a spot of coarse fishing. Cast a line here to catch a variety of species, ranging from pike and perch to grayling. However, you may want to keep an eye out for the rare gwyniad. This species is protected and is believed to have been imprisoned in the lake some 10,000 years ago during Britain's last ice age. As such, you may find that a spot of fishing here allows you an insight into what life was like thousands of years ago.

But if you're not into fishing, do not worry, there are still plenty of activities that you can take part in while on a short break in Snowdonia. With so many lakes you may want to take a boat or kayak and head out on to the open water, doing so can certainly be a great way of getting some fresh air! However, a trip to Snowdonia does not entirely have to be spent by the water. Why not explore the national park by two wheels? With a variety of traffic-free cycle paths, you are bound to find travelling around by bicycle a pleasure.

You can head along the Mawddach Trail, which stretches for nine miles from Morfa Mawddach to Dolgellau. There are also a number of forestry cycling trails, which are particularly well-suited for mountain bikes. As you go along these paths during your winter activity break, you may be able to gaze in wonder at the frost-covered ground and trees that are bare of leaves.

Horse-riding and geocoaching are just some of the other pursuits you can try your hand at while on a visit to Snowdonia.

One item you should be sure to take with you on a trip to Wales is a pair of good-quality walking boots. Snowdonia is full of paths and trails and as the park's vast scale takes in environments ranging from coastal areas and rivers to forests and valleys, you can be confident that going for a walk will give you the opportunity to take in some splendid sights.

But if you're looking to learn something while you walk, check out the Bwrlwm Eryr audio trail. This six-mile path goes from Llanuwchllyn to Llanycil and as you walk along it you can find out more about local folklore and the region's residents. These include Owen Morgan Edwards, a 19th century editor and educator who was keen to foster pride in Welsh language and local traditions.

Alternatively, why not take the trail between Aberdyfi and Gwelfor? As you walk along this route, you will be able to see some fantastic sights, with the route ending by the coast. There are paths and trails suitable for people of all ages, however, if you're looking for something a little more strenuous during your activity break then you may want to consider tackling Mount Snowdon.

At 1,085 tall, the mountain is the highest peak in Wales and England. So if you're seeking a challenge while in Snowdonia, scaling the mountain - which is known as Yr Wyddfa in Welsh - could be the perfect activity. There are several paths leading to Snowdon's summit, so you will find plenty of ways to approach the mountain. The national park offers so many things to do in the winter, you may want to make it an activity holidays destination for many years to come.

For weekend activity breaks look no further than Wales. The country is perfect for both weekend activity holidays and UK short breaks. By going on UK holidays to Snowdonia, you will find that Wales is the perfect best place to enjoy the great outdoors.