February 2, 2020

northernvicarwalks – January 2020 (everything else)

I started the year with a 7 mile walk – into town via Chester Green and back via Markeaton Brook – and on 3rd I did 5 miles which included a wander past Darley Abbey Mill. A bit more over the next few days. On Saturday 11 I followed some of the paths opposite the University which I had not done before. The following day I had the afternoon off and went to Rotherham to visit the South Yorkshire Transport Museum. They run a connecting bus from the station, but I missed it and therefore had a walk along...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/London/Northumberland/Railway History/Trams/World War 1/Yorkshire Comments: 0
February 1, 2020

northernvicarwalks – January 2020 and the start of a Pilgrimage (to Etwall) – William Stanley Way 1

In 2017 I said I would try and walk 1,000 miles. I failed. In 2018 I said I would try and walk 1,000 miles. I failed again. In 2019 I kept quiet – then had to have a minor op in the autumn which meant I wasn’t in a fit state to do much walking. I did some academic work on pilgrimage to Lindisfarne, but lack of exercise meant my weight and my blood pressure increased. I signed up to try Nordic Walking, and enjoyed it. I purchased some poles for Christmas, and we’ll see how far we get...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Railway History Comments: 0
February 1, 2020

Tadcaster, North Yorkshire – St Mary

Hannah (our daughter) now has a house in South Milford, North Yorkshire. As the bank of mum and dad have helped, I think that owning property in Yorkshire makes me a Yorkshireman! Anyway, we have new churches to investigate. St Mary’s Tadcaster is on the north side of the town, next to the River Wharfe – SE 485435. It looked lovely in the afternoon sunshine on Friday 10 January 2020. The benefice website is http://www.stmarystadcaster.co.uk/ . On 27 January they are still advertising the Christmas services, but at least they have a church guide page at http://www.stmarystadcaster.co.uk/atour-of-st-marys-tadcaster.html. Once again...
Categories World War 1/Yorkshire Comment: 1
January 31, 2020

Norwich, Norfolk – St Gregory

I only managed two churches on these few days in Norfolk. There are lots of churches in Norwich, and after a few hours in the Castle Museum we ended up in St Gregory’s, which is now an antiques centre. They used to say that Norwich had a pub for every day of the year and a church for every week of the year – so what do you do with the churches we no longer need? Norwich Historic Churches Trust has a collection of such churches, and this one is on their website – https://www.nhct-norwich.org/our-churches/st-gregory/. There is a short...
Categories Norfolk Comments: 0
January 31, 2020

Acle, Norfolk – St Edmund

We are having a few days in Norfolk to celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary. Friends Rob and Anne drove up for the day and we walked down into the village. The girls took up residence in the tea room while the boys went and explored St Edmund’s church – TG 641203. There is a website at https://www.abychurches.co.uk/ – Acle and Bure to Yare benefice, lots of churches to visit. It is also worth mentioning Simon Knott’s site – http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/acle/acle.htm  The church is on the corner in the middle of the village. Nice view from the south side, and a...
Categories Norfolk/Railway History/World War 1 Comments: 0
January 30, 2020

A personal pause – another (two) MAs

My wife Julie is the clever clogs of the family. MA (Cantab), PGCE, MA (Open University). I have an MA (Cantab) and a BTh Hons (Nottingham). Once I could put ALA after my name, until I stopped being an Associate of the Library Association. Apparently it is now called CILIP which I guess is Chartered Institute of Library and Information Practitioners (slightly ironically their website doesn’t spell it out!). After a year or so in Derby we decided we needed to stretch our brains. Derby University were starting an MA in Public History and Heritage, and launched it at...
Categories Derbyshire/Personal Comment: 1
November 4, 2019

Melbourne, Derbyshire – St Michael and St Mary

“A little drive” out on Saturday 2 November (and writing it up on 4 November). Melbourne is a small town but, like most small towns, parking seems to be at a premium. We eventually found a space outside the Hall, and I wandered into the church – SK 389250. (Nice to see welcoming notices on both north and south side – south side entrance is flat, but there’s nothing to tell you that). It is rather a wow church when you walk in – https://www.melbourneparishchurch.org.uk/. A church is listed in the Domesday Book, and it may – like Repton...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 0
November 1, 2019

Birmingham – Hall of Memory

On Saturday 19 October I was allowed an escape day. I started with my flu jab, then caught the train from Duffield to Derby and on (on a packed Cross Country train) to Birmingham. I eventually managed to escape from New Street (how could they make such a mess of a station rebuild?) and walked to the Library of Birmingham. Why does Birmingham have a stunning library when in Derby they closed a beautiful Victorian library and handed everything else over to community control? The Library is hosting an exhibition called “Watt in the World, the life and legacy...
Categories Birmingham/Railway History/West Midlands/World War 1 Comments: 0
November 1, 2019

Binchester, County Durham – Roman fort

We drove on about four miles to Binchester Roman Fort. We last came here in 2010 on a warm May Saturday when there was a bunch of re-enactors on site and the place was buzzing. Rather different to a very wet Friday in September when the only people on site are us and the lady from Durham County Council – who came and found us later in our visit to lend us an umbrella. Although there is no café and the loos are portaloos, everywhere in the main buildings are wheelchair accessible (as is a portaloo). More details at...
Categories Durham/Roman Britain Comments: 0
November 1, 2019

Escomb, County Durham – Saxon Church

On Friday 27 September we left Northumberland and drove back down the A68, then we turned off to Escomb Saxon church – NZ 189301. A church literally in the middle of the village, surrounded by a circle of 1960s houses, parking outside, and the key hangs on a hook outside number 28. Church website – https://escombsaxonchurch.co.uk/, and it’s on https://www.explorechurches.org/church/escomb-saxon-church-escomb and http://www.greatenglishchurches.co.uk/html/escomb.html. They also mention a Small Pilgrim Places Network, which looks worth finding out more about – https://www.smallpilgrimplaces.org/ This church was built about 680 AD. Just mull that over – 680. When we read the Lindisfarne Gospels and...
Categories Durham/Roman Britain Comments: 0