When the Tour de France came to Swaledale

Our day started early with the first car arriving to park at the farm at 5 30 a.m.

 

 

Family & farming friends (six quad bikes in total!) joined us for a memorable ride over the moors to the Buttertubs Pass.

 

There were tens of thousands of people in the dale and a carnival atmosphere prevailed throughout the weekend



A parade of floats, cars and motorbikes came first .....

and then the cyclists (pelaton)

 



They simply flew past and so close together, it was all over in a flash!



 



Throughout the TdF weekend a rota of volunteers manned the Countryside & Heritage Centre in Keld.

Chris took his vintage Massey 35 as an added attraction.



Scilla demonstrated weaving on her hand loom and Majorie demonstrated hand spinning.

It was a busy time for everyone but a truly memorable one and will go down in Swaledale's history as a great success.

Looking West

From Pry House, looking west towards Sledale and the source of the Swale

Bird Watching Paradise

 

Every day dozens of different species of wild birds visit Pry House Farm; curlew, lapwing, redshank, oyster catches, starling, wagtail, house martin, barn owls are all frequent visitors but the rarest so far has been a pair of ring ouzel feeding on the home field.

 

The ring ouzel looks very similar to a blackbird but has a distinctive white bib.



Le Gran Depart was a Grand Day Out.

 

At first just Chris & I were going to take a bike and make our way across the fells to the Buttertubs Pass to watch the Tour de France cycle race .......

 



...but word got out and soon Le Gran Depart turned into a Grand Day Out!
 

Pry House - all dressed up for Tour de France

 Tour de France is coming to Swaledale.
Only four day to go to and counting!  Bunting is up and tubs all planted yellow ......

cycling sheep, yellow bikes .....
We are ready and can't wait for Saturday to arrive.

Pry House Farm Nature Reserve

 

Because the Tour de France is happening next weekend and we are expecting some people might want to camp at our farm Chris has cut a swathe of grass from the meadow in front of the house. To our surprise it has attracted lots of wildlife which we know is there but rarely get to observe at such close quarters.  

Several Oyster Catchers - my favourites.  I love their bright orange beaks and legs and their sharply defined black & white plumage.
 

 

A tiny lapwing chick.  Its mother is never far away and is very protective if other birds get too close.

 

A female Snipe and her young brood ( a bit camera shy!)

 

Other visitors include Curlew, Redshank, Starling and Wagtail but the most special sight of all is when three brown hares come out of the long grass and dance on the newly mown ground. Its a wonderful sight and one that I would love to catch on camera.

 

There will be no cycle race next year to give us cause to cut a strip of the field so early but I think it will happen.  Its like having Springwatch outside the window.

 

  

Surprise Visit

Old friends of ours from Startforth / Boldron near Barnard Castle happened to be passing by this afternoon on their vintage tractors and stopped for a chat.

Big boys toys?  Ann proves that girls have fun too....

...and Timmy the dog just loves to ride. 
How about this ingeniously adapted pooch transporter?