Friday, 14 September 2018 - Moving Day
Our week long stay at Airton in the Yorkshire Dales came to an end on a drizzly damp day. Today we are headed further north to Northumberland, specifically Budle Bay just north of Bamburgh and just south of the Scottish border. We are detouring east a little to visit another of Julie's cousins, Jacqueline, who we haven't seen for several years.
 |
| Cousins - Jacquie and Julie |
The roads up the north of England were a lot quieter and in better condition and the two hour drive to Jacqui's place was very pleasant without any traffic jams or delays. Because of this we were going to be 30 minutes early according to TomTom so we started looking for a cafe with an hour to go. Well, we drove through village after village, past pubs and nurseries but to no avail, they were all yet to either open or even exist. We eventually found one 100 metres from Jackie's place. The owner, come local baker, knew Jacqui, and even more so Jacqui's daughter Karen and was able to give us directions to Jacqui's cottage.
We spent a wonderful few hours with Jacqui and Karen at Jacqui's place, an outer manor building that was the original laundry now refurbished into a spacious cottage with a garden full of apple trees dropping their fruit, some of which fell into our hands. After morning tea and lunch we headed off around 2pm after saying farewell to Jacqui.
 |
| Views from our front door |
The three hour drive to Budle Bay was again uneventful with no traffic holdups, miles and miles of clear fast moving motorways that, as usual, always lead to incredibly narrow single lane laneways to deliver us to our next accommodation, Beach View cottage, overlooking Budle Bay with the holy island of Lindisfarne in the distance. Beach View is a lovely modern stone building newly fitted out and decorated. The kitchen has an AGA stove that heats the room as well as providing a very different way of cooking. The place is fully heated, with three large bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge lounge room, a separate sitting room and a place to sit outside on that single day of the year it is comfortable to do so. There are no shops, pubs, post offices or anywhere to eat in Budle Bay, just a couple of houses and a caravan park.
 |
| Budle Bay accommodation |
After settling in we planned our week around the weather and the must-do's, deciding that our first walk would start from our place as it intersected nicely with an AA walk that firstly took us into the farms behind us, to the beach in front of the Farne Islands and then to Bamburgh Castle in the village of Bamburgh. It was described as a medium difficulty walk of 13.7klm.
 |
| We might be lost but can still look good on a style |
Day 1 Saturday - Away we went out the front gate leaving our hire car behind for the first time, turned left and walked along the coast road looking for the intersection of our walk. The derelict pier never eventuated, nor did the WWII gun emplacement or the golf course or anything described on the directions or depicted on the now-coming-to-realise indistinct little map. Turning to our highly recommended App, Pocket Earth, we (I) established we should have gone right at our front gate which was now a couple of kilometres behind us. Now experts at getting unlost, using Pocket Earth, we plotted a course up in the paddocks in the hills behind us where a marked path intersected with the planned route up the back of the golf course. What could possibly go wrong?
 |
| Our path to the proper path |
 |
| Lost but still nice scenery |
Cows!!! and Bulls!!! and frisky bulls at that - the stuff Julie's nightmares are made of.
All started off well climbing harvested wheat fields with the Holy Island of Lindisfarne coming into view in the distance, the sun intermittently showing its warm face, walking through a farmer's paddock while he picked up stones from his field and then it happened - a field of cows and calves (at this point we didn't realise there were a couple of bulls mixed in with them too).
 |
| Lindisfarne in the distance |
Over the style and into the paddock we strode, heads down and aiming for the far side where a wide open gate stood with an empty paddock beyond. Now what goes through a cow's little mind remains a mystery to us both, but they are naturally inquisitive, huge and dangerous beasts and we, cows who can walk on just their back legs, are worth getting a closer look at.
 |
| The cows coming for a look |
 |
| Stampeding cows |
So the 30+ enormous and deadly beasts trotted over to have a closer look, a real close look in fact. We ignored them (ha, that's a laugh) and set on our path to the gate in the corner of the paddock, our only escape route. Suddenly these massive prehistoric wild untamed animals spooked and took off in a rumbling stampede to the same gate we were headed for where they all stopped and turned and looked at us, our path blocked - bullies.
 |
| The cows blocking our exit point following their stampede to the gate |
It was then that the bulls decided to have sex with anything and everything. Bulls - we didn't know there were bulls! We decided to retreat back to the style over the stone fence where we entered this nightmare field. The herd then started to follow us as they could not ever remember seeing cows walking on just their back legs before. Over the fence we scrambled, Julie first for some reason. The farmer came down to help us thankfully.
 |
| Oh look a cow standing on its back legs |
 |
| Hello Julie as they followed us back to whence we came |
He said to just go into the paddock and whoosh them and they will leave us alone and not to be worried about them.
 |
| Bamburgh Castle in the distance |
I started to do just that as Julie asked if they were his cattle. They were his neighbours and he only grows crops but anyway just say whoosh and we will be OK. So I did just that and to our relief they turned around and headed up the paddock and started quietly grazing. We quickly made a beeline for the now clear gate, briskly strode across the next paddock and clambered out onto the laneway and as a bonus we had joined our planned walk.
Away we went through numerous farmers paddocks, "green laneways", over styles and thoroughly enjoying the cow free lifestyle we now had. In one of the green laneways we came across a badger feeding just 10 metres in front of us. These nocturnal omnivores are rarely seen during the day so we were very fortunate. We've only seen them as roadkill previously and they do look much better in one piece.
We passed by a paddock of donkeys, over harvested fields, beside piles of hay for the upcoming winter, down little laneways, past WWII gun emplacements and finally to the beach near Bamburgh Castle where the treacherous Farne Islands lay just offshore.
 |
| WWII gun emplacement |
 |
| Anything I say will get me in trouble |
The Farne Islands are where literally 100's of ships have been lost over the centuries and today it is a popular dive site and seal colony.
The biggest surprise for us was the quality of the beaches here. They have lovely sand, grassy sand dunes and waves that can be ridden by surfers. The downside is the weather is cold and the water freezing. Everyone on the beach was wearing hiking boots, long trousers, jumpers, jackets and hoodies and no-one was swimming or even thinking about it.
 |
| Sand dunes |
 |
| The beach and Farne Islands |
 |
| The beach with Bamburgh Castle on the left |
 |
| Bamburgh Castle |
Meanwhile the spectacular Bamburgh Castle loomed above us. We have decided to visit the castle on Friday when we check out of Budle Bay as we have just a short drive to our next accommodation in Peebles, Scotland.
We had a well deserved lunch in Bamburgh before heading back down to the beach for the walk home. In total, this walk was supposed to be 13.7klm but, with getting lost at the start and running away from cows for 30 minutes, we ended up walking 17.2klm. It was fair to say that we were quite weary at the end of the day however this walk had so much variety in it. A great day.
 |
| The speck in the middle of the horizon is Lindisfarne Castle |
 |
| Clearing shower on the way to Kirknewton |
Day 2 Sunday - a 30 minute drive to Kirknewton in the clearing morning rain delivered us to the start of today's walk - a climb up Yeavering Bell with its enormous ancient hilltop fort with views over the picturesque Cheviot Hills. My tour secretary, who is afraid of cows, printed off this walk back in Australia minus page two of three pages. Page two just happens to contain the map and all the instructions for the walk except for the last instruction which is on page 3 that says "turning left into the lane, head straight ahead to return to your car". So we had a fair bit of the walk to make up ourselves.
Fortunately our tour guide, who is not afraid of cows, got out his little iPhone and found the walk on the UK AA website. I was able to follow the directions and map on my phone. This walk was beautiful.
 |
| Start of the walk |
Tracking around a hill, through paddocks full, and I mean full, of cows who had seen, and could remember seeing, cows walking on just their back legs and were therefore were not as inquisitive in us nor were they interested in performing public sex acts in front of strangers.
 |
| There's a cow, and another one, and another one, ...... |
We eventually escaped the terrors of walking through cow filled paddocks and could now focus on the beauty of the Cheviot Hills rolling out in front of us.
Our track climbed high up into the hills and then down again through dense bracken fern sometimes as tall as us.
 |
| The start of the bracken |
 |
| Hilltop fort encompassed these two peaks - that's our target at the top of the peak |
 |
| The bracken gets taller |
Our goal was the the top of Yeavering Bell where the remains of an Iron Age fort exists, from the age when wives actually ironed (Julie!).
 |
| Outer fort building |
This ancient fort was huge with its now rubble walls originally three metres thick at the base and over two metres high. It's area was 5.5ha and contained more than 130 timber buildings, the largest being 12.8m across. The now tumbelled down wall traverses two hilltops with commanding 360 degree views of the hills and valleys below.
 |
| Inside the fort with outer walls now behind us |
We climbed to the top and sought shelter from the howling winds behind a pile of rocks. There we sat overlooking the spectacular hills and valleys below us, just like the original inhabitants did over 2000 years ago.
 |
| Seeking shelter at the summit |
The wind chill eventually chased us off the the hill and to the steep descent down the other side.
 |
| The start of the long steep walk down |
 |
| The fort walls on the other side |
Gliders from a nearby field were being towed and launched to circle above us like silent vultures riding the updrafts as we slowly and carefully made our way back to the car parked in the village of Kirknewton.
In Kirknewton is the old church of St Gregory the Great with its 12th century carving of the Adoration of the Magi on the wall of the unusual stone ceilinged 1000 year old chancel.
 |
| Adoration of the Magi (three wise men - better make that 4!) |
 |
| 1000 year old chancel |
The cemetery contains the grave of Josephine Butler the famous 19th century social reformer. She spent her life rescuing women from prostitution and the 'white slave' trade and ironing too I think but I'm not sure about that.
After all this we headed home via Wooler, where we had lunch, then back to get ready for further adventures.
Day 3 Monday - with the weather suitable and it not being a weekend today was the day for us to visit the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Access to the island is by one of two ways, walking for three miles, and back, over muddy tidal flats or waiting for the tide to go out enough and drive over the causeway - we chose to do the latter. To do the latter required us to wait until 11:30am when the waters were due to part. So, to fill in time, we travelled north to Berwick-on-Tweed to have a look at this historic walled city.
 |
| A model walking on the walls of Berwick-on-Tweed |
 |
| The thick walls of Berwick |
 |
| Changing of the guard at England's oldest barracks |
 |
| A model taking a photograph of a lady on the Berwick ramparts |
 |
| "Did you get all three bridges in?" |
Berwick, just three miles from the Scottish border, changed between English and Scottish bloody hands 13 times, finally falling into English hands in 1492. During the turbulent 400 year border wars period huge ramparts and sophisticated defences were built and these still stand today. We parked inside the old town and climbed up onto the walls for a beautiful walk high above the shores of the North Sea and the River Tweed, with views to its three bridges of varying eras, all the while looking down into the old town with its lovely Georgian buildings.
 |
| "Did you get the flowers and the three bridges in?" |
At the appropriate tide time we set off from Berwick and headed south to the Holy Island and joined the long line of cars and motorhomes making the pilgrimage causeway crossing.
 |
| Just missed being at the head of the queue by 400 cars |
A mandatory donation at yet another pay-and-display carpark enabled us to start our explorations linked to St Cuthbert's pilgrimage which ended in Lindisfarne as he died and was buried here on the Holy Island on 20 March 687. The place was founded by St Aiden.
 |
| Pay-and-display |
 |
| Badger sett |
The island is just 400 hectares in area at high tide. It contains the remains of the priory and Lindisfarne Castle. Our walk initially took us away from the village to the beach on the other side. Numerous seabirds and seals frolicked in the water while several badger nests, called setts, were visible in the sand dunes. Low tide on a flat seascape is not particularly attractive but our walk took us right around the island, past the ancient quarries and more recent lime kilns and to the base of the castle. The castle is comparatively small and was built in 1550. It has had many uses over the centuries and today it is used to lighten the pockets of visitors.
 |
| Lindisfarne beaches |
Our walk ended in the village of Lindisfarne where the remains of the priory sit. A quick walk around the site ended our day. I have to say that I was underwhelmed by the visit to Lindisfarne. It doesn't have the historic or atmospheric feel to it like a lot of important historic religious sites do. We were pleased we visited but are not interested in returning.
 |
| Inside lime kilns |
 |
| The priory and distant castle |
 |
| Lindisfarne harbour |
 |
| Emptying the Pay-and-Display cash tin |
Next Day Tuesday - On a rainy, blustery and overcast day we set off for the 1.5 hour drive southeast to Housesteads where Britain's most intact Roman fort stands high on an escarpment. As an added bonus Hadrian's Wall also intersects with the fort so we get two famous Roman ruins for the price of one.
Parking at the Roman Pay-and-Display carpark we donned our wet weather pants and jackets and set off up the hill to the fort which, like us, was being bathed in drizzly rain and cooled by howling winds. A quick visit to the museum and short video and we were fully armed with all the knowledge we needed to look at the extensive pile of wet rocks before us.
 |
| Dressed and ready to look at wet rocks |
Hadrian's Wall was started in 122AD to create a barrier between the Roman empire in the south and those barbarian Scottish people in the north. Housesteads Fort was started in 124AD as one of the eighty Roman mile observation and protection points on Hadrian's Wall. 800 soldiers were stationed here as well as numerous locals all servicing the needs of the large military base.
 |
| Hadrian's Wall |
Many of the 1900 year old building foundations are clearly visible inside the walls of the large fort. The large commandant's accommodation still has the underfloor heating visible. One of the outlying houses, the Murder House, when excavated by archaeologists contained the bodies of two people buried under a newly laid floor.
 |
| Underfloor heating in the Commandant's house |
 |
| The mother of one of the Roman soldiers |
The Romans were very clean and were aware of the benefits of proper toileting facilities and this fort was no exception. In the lower south-east corner was located a very sophisticated 30 person toilet building. Large stone water tanks are located outside and fed from building runoff further uphill and, using a complex arrangement of stone channelling, the toilets were rinsed with everything going into a sewage system. The building is all but intact even down to the stone rinse tubs where the stick with moss on the end did then what Sorbent does today.
 |
| A 30 seat Roman latrine |
 |
| Of all the puddles to play in Julie ... not that one |
 |
| Capability Brown ... OMG!! |
We wandered the fort and gazed at Hadrian's Wall before setting off for some lunch as it was now 1:30pm and our target was to be at a yet to be determined location. By sheer chance that location ended up being Kirkharle Hall. I know, I know you are just like me, Kirkharle Hall the birthplace and home for 23 years to Capability Brown. I know, I know you are just like me, who the hell is Capability Brown. Well according to Siri, my travelling companion and navigator, Capability Brown is/was England's Greatest Landscape Gardener. Yes two people, who don't even own a plant, had landed in the centre of royalty as far as English gardening is concerned. What luck! (Snooze...). What is even more astounding is that Julie, who can kill any plant at 100 metres, knew all about Capability Brown.
 |
| Capabilities lake ... OMG! |
We capably scoffed down lunch in the farmhouse restaurant before walking around a recently created lake and landscape based on one of Capability's designs. It looked just like a lake too, so he obviously was very talented.
After such a pinnacle ending to the day we headed home. It wasn't until then that I realised how basic the gardens are at our accommodation, not even a lake.
Wednesday 19 September - Oblivious to the oncoming Storm Ali sweeping across Ireland and Scotland, we headed south along the coast from home to the seaside village of Craster famous for its smoked kippers. Julie had already permanent markered in lunch at the Craster Seafood Restaurant and all of today's arrangements were made around arriving there at precisely 12noon for opening time.
 |
| Craster village harbour |
 |
| Oooh .... |
A walk along the craggy coastline towards Dunstanburgh Castle filled in the hours until 12 noon was due to ring. The Craster Harbour and the North Sea outside its door were smooth and calm however as we started towards the Castle a cool niggly breeze from behind us started up. Our goretex jackets soon saw the light of day for the first time in a while but the sunny skies and cool breeze made for nice walking.
 |
| "Tell me that's a sheep behind me .." |
 |
| "Is that Dunstanburgh Castle over there Jeff?" |
Dunstanburgh Castle was built between 1313 and 1322 high on a cliff overlooking the North Sea. It was the scene of many a battle and was important in the War of the Roses where Capability Brown wanted the pretty flowers for his new design of a thing called a 'Lake', one of which we saw yesterday. Now a ruin, it still remains spectacular and makes for a lovely backdrop for our walk.
 |
| Front door |
 |
| Walking around the back of the Castle |
 |
| Lilburn Tower |
Walking around the otherside the strategically placed Lilburn Tower was the northern lookout tower in the walls of the castle grounds and still stands relatively intact. Today it looks out over the Dunstanburgh Golf Course and the golden sandy beaches beside it. We walked along and through these all the while looking for a place for morning tea. The solution to this latter issue was a sign to the Clubhouse just 5 minutes away. Perfect. The 5 minutes was really 15 minutes but the coffee and scones were a reward for all the effort.
The clubhouse was the outer limit of our walk away from Craster so we headed uphill through harvested farmers paddocks to walk the skyline of the walk we had done by the coast below us. By this time we discovered that Storm Ali was coming, in fact it had arrived. 80 to 90 mph (128 to 145 kph) winds had started blowing and we walking head on into them. The North Sea below us was being whipped into a frenzy nearly as much as Julie was thinking we would be late to lunch.
The walking was getting harder and harder as the winds increased however we made it back to the restaurant with one minute to spare. The owners were late opening as they had a tree blown over their driveway but Julie remained happy for two reasons, we were at the head of the queue that was now a total of two people (us) and she had time to read the menu and tell me what I had to order so she could have some.
 |
| A good seat and bucket of wine |
The doors opened with the French/Brazilian owner apologizing for being a little late because of the fallen tree, Julie pushed past, "Whatever" and we raced to the best table in the corner with views over the harbour making sure we beat absolutely no one as we were the queue. However the place filled up quickly, the food was very good, and Storm Ali was intensifying outside.
 |
| And the smell of smoking fish. Notice the goo oozing down the outside walls. |
Heading to our car we both started to get a little worried about the strong winds. The drive home was even more worrying as large branches and trees were falling all along and over the roads. The countryside power lines that usually hang limp between the poles were literally being blown sideways.
The winds buffeted our little car and flying debris was everywhere. We made it home in one piece but the car parking bay in front of our house was covered in large broken branches and leaves. If the car had been parked it would have been badly damaged. I ended up parking the car away from under the trees as the wind storm intensified. We went inside and sat and watched everything happening outside.
At 4pm the power went out. We had read the news to hear that a lady in Ireland, asleep in her caravan, was killed after her caravan was blown off a cliff. By 10pm the power came back on and the storm was abating but still very bad. Next day the countryside was covered in fallen branches, trees and leaf litter was everywhere. We drove past fallen power lines, huge branches partly across the road and leaf litter was everywhere.
 |
| Start of walk in Rothbury |
Thursday 20 September - Our last walk in Northumberland started 50 minutes away in the pretty village of Rothbury at the foot of the Cheviot Hills and in Coquet Valley all just near the Scottish border. The carpark beside the Coquet River was a pretty start point for the walk that took us through the village and up on to the moors behind.
 |
| Storm damage from yesterday |
The walk took us through the once large Cragside Estate where Lord Armstrong had numerous carriage tracks laid so that his family and his guests could on occasion go out for an 'airing'. Julie felt I was in need of a good airing so the tracks are still useful to this day.
We initially walked through a beech forest before popping out into the highland moor covered in flowering ling heather. This heather has been used since Neolithic (4000 BC) times for bedding, thatch, fuel, baskets, ropes and brooms so it too would benefit from a good airing.
 |
| High above Rothbury |
 |
How to get past a fallen tree -
Evaluate on approach |
 |
| Realise you can't bend like you used too |
 |
| Have wife throw a stick and try to retrieve it |
 |
| Form a one person Rugby scrum and PUSH |
 |
| Or ... walk around it. |
The path tracked beside the Coquet Valley cliffs and provided us with wonderful views of the region.
For a good hour the distant Cheviot Hills formed the backdrop of our walk before we once again entered a forest before heading down the valley wall back into Rothbury via very narrow paths.
 |
| These toadstools do exist outside Alice in Wonderland |
Meeting a Rothburyian chap called Nigel cleaning up after yesterday's storm we found out where there was a good place to lunch in Rothbury. He had lost his greenhouse in yesterday's storm, flattened by a tree.
 |
| In case you were wondering how long "All Day" is |
Lunch finished off a good week in Northumberland. Tomorrow we head into Scotland to stay in the centre of the village of Peebles in the Scottish Borders.
All remains well with the two of us.
Bye for now,
JeffnJulie
Comments
Post a Comment