Does your roundabout have its own windmill?

We upped sticks and moved out of our rented flat this morning after three full days in York. Driving down Holgate Road on the way out to the A1(M) we looked for the Holgate Windmill and guessed that maybe the road 'Holgate Rise' might have something to do with it. We drove round the block and entered the road from the other end and to our amazement there was the windmill, on a roundabout in the middle of a residential housing estate!

Build in a rural situation in 1770, it was derelict and was almost lost by 2000 or so. Fortunately however, in spite of local people wanting it demolished as it was a blot on their housing estate, the council decided to completely restore it. It's the oldest five-bladed windmill in Britain.

We drove back to the M6 the 'country way' as we'd agreed to drop Daughter One in Alston, a small market town in Cumbria, which shares with Buxton in Derbyshire the distinction of 'Highest Market Town in Britain'. She was spending a few days with friends in the youth hostel over New Year.  Getting to Alston necesssitated driving through Weardale, which was quite spectacular in the snow - see extra. A long drive, but an interesting one. (My brother, who regularly checks my journal, tells me that an expert from Buxton contends that his town is 1,030ft above sea level, while Alston is only 970! Who am I to argue!)

I'll be back-Blipping the last few days, so do look in if you're interested.