We’d thought a visit to Skipton Castle would be our Sunday 22nd April outing, but decided once we saw the entrance cost to forgo that having spent such a large amount on the steam train and Brontë Parsonage Museum the day before. We’ve chosen to live more simply, we obviously includes less income and that entails being selective about where we spend any funds.
We usually find there’s always a free alternative to dampen our disappointment, and packed another picnic to spend time exploring Skipton Castle Woods.

At over 900 years old, Skipton Castle is one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England
Skipton woods lie behind the castle and are well worth a visit. The weather wasn’t so warm (I suspect there’s a weather spirit joker who loves watching the British public appear scantily clothed expecting the heat of the previous day only to discover their whole body becoming a mass of goosebumps when the temperature plummets!), but it was dry until the afternoon. Better late than never the leaves were just beginning to sprout in many of the trees, showcasing canopies of bright green above us.