Monday - Ripon

We drove to Ripon where we had booked two nights at The George Country Inn.

 On the way we visited the village of Washington and  Washington Old Hall, a manor house  associated with the family of George Washington, first president of the USA.

As the National Trust café at the Old Hall wasn't open we lunched on the village green where two trees were planted in 1977, one by President Jimmy Carter, one by PM James Callaghan, to mark the USA's bicentenary

In the afternoon we visited Barnard Castle and toured the impressive castle ruins, high above the River Tees.

We'd booked The George Country Inn because it had a restaurant. But that and the bar were closed all week so we had to drive into Ripon for dinner at an Italian restaurant. When we got back to the George we decided the stairs between the bedroom and bathroom were too dangerous to manage while half asleep, and we decided to drive home, so we  left. And thus our holiday ended.