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November 9, 2023

northernvicar September 2023

We’re back in Northumberland, and the gardens at Belsay (English Heritage) are looking beautiful. I had a trip on the South Tynedale Railway and a hospital visit to Manchester via Liverpool. At Carlisle I was pleased to see 46115 “Scots Guardsman”, built by the North British Loco Company in Glasgow in 1927. It is the loco which featured in the film “Night Mail”. Beautiful National Trust gardens at Wallington. A trip to George Stephenson’s birthplace at Wylam – a rarely opened National Trust property. A trip to Carlisle, for lunchtime communion and a meet up with Clare. I decided...
Categories Cumbria/National Trust/Northumberland/Railway History Comment: 1
September 10, 2023

northernvicar August 2023

We started the month with a trip north over the Border to Melrose, and a visit to the Roman Museum at Trimontium – https://www.trimontium.co.uk/. It reminds us that the Romans did move north – by 79 AD they were pushing into southern Scotland and constructed their fort at the place of the three hills, the three peaks of Eildon. There were Iron Age forts here, indeed several thousand people may have lived in the area the Romans conquered. This same site was to be used several times over the next hundred years or more, as the site was abandoned...
Categories National Trust/Northumberland/Personal/Railway History/Roman Britain/Scotland/Trams Comments: 0
January 1, 2021

northernvicarwalks December 2020

The November lockdown made zero difference as so many things remained opened, government is incompetent, test and trace is a complete failure, and the virus has become more efficient. The death toll is horrendous, yet crowds still gather outside hospitals refusing to believe we have a problem and refusing to wear their masks. We ended December in “Tier Four Stay at Home”, so we’ll see if that makes any difference. In some ways it was quite nice not to be so busy in December, but I missed the music, the crowds and the celebrations. We produced a Zoom service...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/National Trust Comments: 0
September 23, 2020

northernvicarwalks August 2020

I’ve already blogged the National Memorial Arboretum and my 5 mile walk there on the 1st of the month. We opened St Edmund’s in Allestree on 2 August – so both my churches were open within three weeks of it being possible. I commented it would have been so helpful if the Church of England had provided all the signage we needed – which they did, in the middle of September (8 weeks after I’d needed them). After the service we drove to the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway for tea in Queen Victoria’s carriage. Built in 1885 for...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/National Trust/Railway History/Staffordshire/Wales/Yorkshire Comments: 0
September 23, 2019

Hughenden, Buckinghamshire – St Michael and All Angels

On Friday 17 August 2019 we drove out of High Wycombe and spent the morning at Hughenden, the National Trust property which was the home of Benjamin Disraeli. Julie enjoyed the author links – although neither of us (and most of the visitors) have never read anything by Disraeli. There was a good exhibition upstairs about his life, politics and relationship with Queen Victoria. The best bit was the exhibition about the house in WW2 – bomber command had done all their map work there. The NT didn’t know this until they heard a visitor talking to his grandchild...
Categories Buckinghamshire/National Trust Comments: 0
June 28, 2019

Cotheridge, Worcestershire – St Leonard – and The Firs, Elgar’s birthplace

Friday 31 May, the last day of the holiday – but we live life to the full! We were out of the flat nice and quickly, and headed towards Elgar’s birthplace. We were there so early we went and had an explore. St Leonard’s, Cotheridge church – SO 787547 – is now part of the Lower Teme Valley parish, in the Worcester West Rural Team – https://wwrt.churchinsight.com/Groups/305347/Lower_Teme_Valley.aspx. No guidebook, just a laminated sheet, and nothing about the building on the website, but at least it was open. Reading the sheet, they’ve done a good job of putting it in...
Categories National Trust/Worcestershire Comments: 0
June 15, 2019

Croome, Worcestershire – Hall and St Mary Magdalene

Croome is a National Trust property not far south from Pershore, so we headed there on Sunday 26 May. The car park was filling up as we arrived, and there were queues to get in. However they soon sorted us, and the chap went to get the wheelchair accessible buggy. He drove us down – quite a way through the Park. When we got to the House we were introduced to the stair climber. It worked. The landscape and the house are the product of the vision (and money) of George William, 6th Earl of Coventry (1722-1809). He employed...
Categories Churches Conservation Trust/National Trust/Worcestershire Comments: 0
May 29, 2019

Hanbury, Worcestershire – St Mary the Virgin

Friday 24 May and we are en route for a few days in Worcestershire. Hanbury Hall NT property is on our way – http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hanbury-hall-and-gardens. The Vernon family moved to the estate in the 1570s, and Thomas Vernon started work on this house in about 1706. He had married Mary in 1680, became an MP, and wanted a Country Estate. The house was designed by provincial architects and craftsmen, but the interior decoration is by James Thornhill. He worked at Hampton Court, Greenwich Hospital, St Paul’s, and did this work in about 1710. The story is of Achilles, but there...
Categories National Trust/Personal/Worcestershire/World War 1 Comments: 0
November 18, 2018

Sudbury, Derbyshire – All Saints

On Saturday afternoon (20 October) we drove across to Sudbury Hall National Trust property. Even disabled drivers have to park in the main car park and there is an electric van – but it’s not very easy to enter. We started with the Second Hand Bookshop, then did the Museum of Childhood – it’s all accessible and good fun. An interesting display about the portrayal of race – more information here. And they have a dalek. The House is not accessible for those in wheelchairs, so we went for a walk/roll through the gardens and up to the church....
Categories Derbyshire/National Trust/World War 1 Comments: 2
July 29, 2018

Blickling, Norfolk – St Andrew

Blickling Hall is one of my favourite National Trust properties – website. The parish church of St Andrew is on the right of this top photo, right at the entrance of the Hall – grid reference TG 178285. There is a sign outside it, and another lovely welcome as you enter – but it is rather hidden from the main NT entrance, courtyard and café (and the biggest second-hand bookshop in the country). The first task is to sit down with the Property Team and see if there can be some better signposting – a greater percentage of visitors...
Categories National Trust/Norfolk/World War 1 Comments: 4