This week photo quality has lost out to Fun. I’m hoping you won’t mind though, because it’s all in a good cause. The village of Kettlewell in the Yorkshire Dales is throwing open its doors, from 13th to 21st August. I know it’s short notice, but you won’t regret a visit.
The scarecrow festival has been running here for more than 20 years, and it must have been in its infancy when I last visited. Coming over the tops from a rain-soaked Malham, sunlight beamed across the valley. An afternoon of smiles had begun, and what a cast of characters!
It is the most picturesque of villages, and the surrounding scenery could steal any show. A field just beyond the village has been earmarked for parking, at a cost of £3. Smiling villagers direct traffic, and sell trail leaflets for a further one pound. The map shows the route to follow through the village, with the added bonus of a riddle to solve on the reverse. For a prize, of course.
Food is widely available, and everywhere a gentle Yorkshire sense of humour prevails. There are village matrons, with a refined glass or two. A maypole, with scarecrow children dancing, and Red Riding Hood, tucked quietly in a corner. Someone always ends up in the stocks, and someone else gets eaten, while a soldier looks gravely on.
The festival has grown hugely since my last visit, but still retains warmth and intimacy. I chat freely as I wander. ‘Isn’t it lovely to be here?’ One lady says she lives in Skipton, at the head of the Dales and just a few miles down the road, but has never thought to come before. This time the whole family are here, and having a great day out.
One of my best memories is the lovely bridal scene outside St. Mary’s Church. Now the doors of the church have been flung wide, and inside the bishop awaits. He’s in wonderful company.
There are many crowd pleasers and figures from popular culture, and all within the most beautiful setting.
There is the prettiest of village greens, and beekeeper’s rule, you’ll be glad to note. Hard to stop smiling, isn’t it?
‘Star Wars’ is a obviously a village favourite, along with ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ and ‘The Wizard of Oz’, of course.
‘Ding, dong, the witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked witch.’ I hope you’ve had as much Fun with this stroll as I did. It’s not at all the walk I intended to post today, but the timing makes it imperative- just in case you should be in the neighbourhood. I’ve only shown you a fraction of the whole but I hope it’s enough to whet your appetite. The proceeds all go to the school and village funds.
Even if you miss the festival, you will still receive a warm Kettlewell welcome. This website guides you round the village, accompanied by a wealth of historical facts. And now, I really must have some breakfast!
Many thanks to you all again, for your good company and contributions this week. If you’ve never joined in with a Monday walk before, I’d love you to do so. Details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page. Just click on the logo. Now, settle in for a terrific read :
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Debbie was swift away this week, with a stunning coastal walk :
Meet Judith, as she shares some lovely woodland walking in France :
Jackie does history again, coupled with a nice bit of sculpture :
High in beautiful Andorra is a fine place to be with Drake :
You all know Cindy? Glorious photography is her middle name :
Do you find Meg’s graffiti disturbing, or not? Don’t be a fool like me- click on the gallery!
Vignettes from a morning walk- 7
Pretty and peaceful with Jaspa, in the capital of Slovenia :
The Streets of Ljubljana Old Town
Anyone fancy meeting Jude in Coffee House Passage? Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Scrobbesbyrig/Shrewsbury : Town Trail Part 2
Get set for pagodas and shopping! That’s Cathy in Myanmar for you :
City Walk : Yangon’s Colonial Treasures
Anyone for waffles? Don’t mind if I do, Susan :
Walking Brugge, Belgium, Without Regrets
Mesmerising colours in Kathrin’s walk this week. I know you’ll love it :
Garfield Peak Trail, Crater Lake
That’s it for another week. I hope you have a good one. Next week I’ll be showing you a little more of what took me to The Dales. The ladies from Monday Escapes are about again, if you’d like to join them. And, of course, I’m up for the Daily Post challenge.
restlessjo 
This is so lovely. I have never heard about a festival like this. I like the sheep and minion scarecrows. I can see people how very proud of their cities and area since they get very creative to receive visitors.
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Smaller scale scarecrow festivals are not uncommon here, Ruth, but this one was easily the best I’ve ever seen. 🙂 Thanks for your company.
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Had a great time on this walk. Would have loved to be there. My husband and I spent our vacation hiking in the Yorkshire dales many years ago and had a grand time.
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The scenery is so beautiful, Noelle, that I could forgive the weather anything. 🙂 It was very wet in Malham but glorious in Kettlewell.
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Very fun. very cool. Did any of them speak or have sound effects? That would have been the icing on the cake.
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The Wizard of Oz had a soundtrack running, Draco. I do love a good witch’s cackle 🙂
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So inspiring, an amazing walk… 🙂
I think that washtub and watering can sculpture, it would be my favorite here… 😀
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I had a soft spot for Tin Man too, Drake 🙂 The whole thing was enormous fun, and the sun shone! 🙂 🙂
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What a great walk, Jo. I love all the characters but the the Ab Fab girls are my favorite 🙂 I wouldn’t like to walk around the village at night xxxx
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The witch might get you!!! Unless the cowardly lion takes action 🙂 🙂
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What fun and I think it also belongs in my open gardens theme, after all its a whole village open for charity! Love the cat teacher and the bridal group. I hope you have a lovely peaceful week with plenty of sunshine 🙂
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Doing well for the sunshine so far 🙂 Thanks, sweetheart. You too!
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What a fun cast of characters, Jo! Love the humour which is so evident. The tiger one really tickled my funny bone. The onion seller is gorgeous, though. 🙂
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It just seemed to go on and on, Ad! I couldn’t believe the effort that had gone into it all. I liked the church best 🙂
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This is a fantastic walk, Jo!! Never seen anything like it 🙂 🙂
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Thanks, Hanna 🙂 🙂 We have much smaller versions locally, but I really loved this one.
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Jo I am beside myself with glee. I would have needed to have a chat with each one of these cuties. You could pretend you don’t know me while the one way conversing goes on. LOVED this and so much fun!
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You could talk your head off, Sue! And nobody to answer back 🙂 🙂
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Of course I would have to make up their half of the conversation. 🙂
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What a fun and wonderful stroll that was. I can’t believe how many creatures you showed us. And there are more… The villagers know how to attract a crowd in an original way. I assume that horse is real? 🙂 Thanks for taking us to Kettlewell, Jo. I love the name as well. Mark and I went on an interesting hike earlier in the month: http://www.roamingabout.com/hiking-to-tannery-falls/
Have a great week!!
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Thanks a lot, Liesbet 🙂 The horse was primarily to showcase the lovely backdrop but he was a good looking creature too. 🙂
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What a great way to attract visitors to a village! And having been married to one for 11 years, I agree: You can tell a Yorkshireman, but you can’t tell him much.
Stephanie @ SV CAMBRIA
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I know a few of that ilk, Stephanie! But they’re good guys at heart 🙂
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It’s been a hot steamy summer here with practically no rain!
http://junkboattravels.blogspot.com/2016/08/summer-in-city.html
OMG your walk was so much fun!
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Glad to amuse you, Jackie. Thanks, sweetheart 🙂
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Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous…I actually made two scarecrows this year: one for the strawberry patch and the other for the blueberry bushes. Works so well.
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I never really know why they work, Sally? But I’m glad they do, and I love this lot 🙂
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These are really fun photos and remind me of the Bisterne Scarecrow Festival I loved when I lived in Ringwood, Hampshire! – Sol.
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Our local village, Elwick, usually has a much smaller version in June but they haven’t bothered this year. Such a shame. It always seems to rain so I can’t really blame them. Thank you 🙂
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That’s funny, I had never heard of a scarecrow festival before and now that’s two! We passed a village in Ayrshire on Friday which had one on, but unfortunately it was too wet to stop ;-( You did much better.
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After a very rainy morning the weather was glorious, Anabel. 🙂 Our local villages usually have one in June but it’s almost always wet 😦
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Hilarious village! I would love to live there!
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Me too, Ann, but mostly because it’s in the most glorious location. 🙂
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