Afternoon river bank stroll.

The River Skell is a 12-mile-long tributary of the River Ure. Its source is just north of Pateley Bridge (fabulous village, wonderful walks, great pies!). The river valley is mostly wooded and passes the villages of Skelding and Grantley and Grantley Hall (must try the restaurant here, when we’ve saved enough money) before entering Studley Royal Park and Fountains Abbey. And then on to Ripon and finally the Skell enters the River Ure half a mile east of Ripon.

The name is from the Old Norse skjallr, meaning "resounding", from its swift and noisy course. In the Middle Ages the river was known as "Heaven Water".

Heaven water indeed!