April 15, 2016

Bothal, Northumberland – St Andrew

A Sunday afternoon drive – if we’d gone to a garden centre we’d be really middle aged. St Andrew’s Bothal is quite close, and yet I have never visited (though I have done the lovely walk from Morpeth to Bothal and back along the River Wansbeck). The church is at NZ240866, it is an interesting road up and down the river bank. It is not always open, though their website invites visitors to contact them, and the guidebook says it is open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday afternoons in the summer. Today John the Vicar was about to take a baptism when...
Categories Northumberland/World War 1 Comment: 1
April 14, 2016

Ponteland, Northumberland – St Mary the Virgin

Time to blog my other church. We are in the middle of the town at grid reference NZ165729, and our church website is here. Tina and I have done our best to put a good selection of photos and news on the web – see “News” and “Archive”. Some of the photos on this blog were taken on 10 April 2016 and the snowdrops were earlier this Spring. I have added some others that are special from previous years. This sheet is the one produced for the schools about the history of the church. sheet for coates year 5 I have often said...
Categories Evetts' windows/Northumberland/Personal/Railway History/World War 1 Comments: 6
April 10, 2016

Milbourne, Northumberland – Holy Saviour (again)

I wrote “!It is ridiculous that I have never blogged my two churches.” Later I realised I have blogged Mllbourne, in 2011.  I have lots of photos, but it is never easy to find them. I went out on 10 April to take another set – if I find better ones I will edit the blog. You will find our superb church website here – I only have to look at it to tell you the grid reference is NZ117751. Indeed I could simply tell you to look at this page and stop blogging. The church is on the minor road...
Categories Northumberland/Personal/World War 1 Comments: 4
April 8, 2016

Hadrian’s Wall Walk 3 – Carlisle to Newtown

Friday 8 April 2016 was a day for a walk and, even better, a walk with my Godson, his brother and mum. Clare, Finlay and Jonti live near Penrith, so they drove north, I drove west, and we met at Newtown, where the A6071 crosses the Wall just north of Brampton. There is plenty of parking. There is also a bus into Carlisle – at 0953 on a Tuesday and a Friday. When that fails, the local taxi firm advertises itself. They have a very posh bus stop for two buses a week – and the buses are now driven...
Categories Cumbria/Hadrian's Wall Walk/World War 1 Comments: 0
April 6, 2016

Irton, Cumbria – St Paul

Before we drove over Hardknott we stopped at St Paul’s church, Irton. NY092005 – website. The church is up a long track off the road, and it was raining. The OS map marks “Cross” in that lovely antiquarian script it uses – but we’ll do the inside first. In 1856 the old church building was demolished and work started on a new one. The foundation stone was laid on 21 May 1856 and the new church was dedicated on 16 June 1857 – they didn’t hang around in those days! Miles Thompson of Kendal was the architect, and Lord Muncaster paid...
Categories Cumbria Comments: 0
April 5, 2016

Hadrian’s Wall Exploration 4 – Hardknott Roman Fort

We are on the west side of Cumbria, and I think that this is a Roman Fort that Dad didn’t get to. If you want to see a map of Hardknott Pass and some photos taken in the sun, see this website. The English Heritage website has a lovely aerial photo and the note “Be careful the road is very steep”. That is the understatement of the year. Alex was driving. The drive up is about 1 in 3 with the odd hair-pin thrown in for good measure. It was exciting. We should probably apologise to Sue, Alex’s mum, for the...
Categories Cumbria/Hadrian's Wall Walk Comments: 0
April 4, 2016

Hadrian’s Wall Exploration 3 – Ravenglass Roman Fort

  April Fool’s Day – and a train ride to west Cumbria. In the real world the best April Fool is that the franchise for Northern Rail has been handed to Arriva Rail North Ltd from Serco/Abellio. They have spent thousands to remove all the Northern branding before they replace it with Northern branding. Bring back British Rail. When the sun is shining it is a lovely ride down the coast on the line from Carlisle to Barrow in Furness. At Ravenglass you can change to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway and have a narrow gauge ride up into...
Categories Cumbria/Hadrian's Wall Walk/Railway History Comments: 0
April 2, 2016

Hadrian’s Wall Exploration 2 – Senhouse Museum at Maryport

After a Wall Walk and a church crawl we drove on to Maryport to go to the Senhouse Museum – website. There is also a page about the settlement here.  The Hadrian’s Wall Trust produced a 2013 leaflet called Romans in Cumbria, well worth getting hold of – I found it in Carlisle Tourist Information Centre. The Trust was wound up in 2014 as it cost too much – website – again, (as in my last blog) I could have a rant. The Museum is in a Victorian watch house, high above the shore and next to the Roman Fort. The...
Categories Cumbria/Hadrian's Wall Walk Comments: 0
April 2, 2016

Kirkbride, Cumbria – St Bride

Having had our walk we decided to drive south to the museum at Maryport. First we stopped at St Bride’s church at Kirkbride – NY230574 – for future reference there is a car park just in front of the church. Once again we are on the site of a Roman fort. It dates to around AD 80-120 – a coin of the Emperor Trajan (circa AD 100) was found during excavation. There is a good community website here. The Stanegate was the road which ran East/West a few miles south of the Wall. It was the main supply route, and...
Categories Cumbria/Hadrian's Wall Walk Comments: 0
April 2, 2016

Beaumont, Cumbria – St Mary the Virgin

Beaumont (apparently pronounced Bee-mont) is a village on the Hadrian’s Wall Trail.  It is the third of the three East Solway churches – website – and Elaine and I called in on Thursday 31 March while walking Burgh to Carlisle. We walked up to St Mary’s church NY347593, “up” being the operative word – it stands on the site of a Roman turret (70A). Later we saw a poster for their Easter Egg Rolling Competition – I love the idea that the Centurion said “Right lads, keep building, they’ll need this mound nice and tall for Easter Egg rolling”....
Categories Cumbria/Hadrian's Wall Walk/World War 1 Comments: 0