The Northern Vicar Blog

              En route to a day at Shepherd’s Deane, the Diocesan Retreat Centre, I photoed this lovely field of poppies just to the west of the A68 on the stretch between the A66 and the Tyne. En the way back I went into Riding Mill to visit St James church (NZ018614). It was built in 1858 with 1879 additions, and was securely locked (despite the fact it’s in the middle of the village just beside the school). So sad. The notice gives the times of services, but no contact numbers. The village website...

While at Embleton I saw a poster for the Farne Churches Together Annual Service at St Cuthbert’s Chapel on Inner Farne on 20 June 2011. Gareth and I drove north on a Summer evening – and Seahouses is a long way north. There was time for an ice cream before the boat, run by Billy Shiel’s – website – left with about 30 of us on board. It’s only about 20 minutes across to Inner Farne, and we were welcomed by the National Trust summer wardens. The fact that their hats and anoraks were covered in guano was a warning...

I haven’t blogged about my two churches – which is daft really. Holy Saviour Milbourne (NZ117751) is lovely. It’s out in the middle of the fields, 4 miles north of Ponteland. Built in 1867 by Miss Jane Anne Bates of Milbourne Hall – it is a Chapel of Ease built to serve the family and staff of Milbourne Hall, to save the journey into Ponteland. I often wonder if the clergy of the time were grateful when they got a new church. It is somewhat ironic that 140 years later people people drive from Ponteland to worship here –...

Just watched ITV’s new drama series “Vera” – the third episode. The funeral at the end of the programme was at Corsenside St Cuthbert – see my February post. There was a Memorial Service earlier in the programme – was that in the same church? And the train in the first programme was at North Blythe. Some lovely shots of Northumberland – and the body count isn’t as high as “Midsommer”.

I came here on 28 December last year and found the church locked. Now I came with Ponteland’s Coffee Club – every year they go out for lunch (today at The Swan, Heddon-on-the-Wall – www.greatbritishcarvery.co.uk/our-pubs/swan-at-heddon – and I was allowed to have the Diamond Over50s Menu even though I haven’t hit the big 50 – excellent bread and butter pud). Then Prof Richard Bailey gives us a guided tour of a local church – this time, St Mary the Virgin, Ovingham (NZ085636). We started looking up at the Tower, and it is a gorgeous tower. Late Saxon early Norman with...

I sing with the Baliffgate Singers in Alnwick, and we were singing at Jemma and Murdoch’s wedding – very odd to be singing and not taking it! In the few minutes between the rehearsal and the arrival of the guests I took a few quick pictures. Pevsner describes it as “a completely Perp church, of a unity and a size uncommon in Northumberland”. Uncommon because up here the 14th and 15th centuries were not periods of wealth and prosperity – looking round Alnwick, I could almost be back in Suffolk. In 1464 Henry VI granted Alnwick a port and...

I had spent a lovely morning at the National Trust property at Cragside – the tulips were stunning: Then I called in at St Mary the Virgin, Longframlington on the way home (NU131010). It dates to about 1190 and is built of local stone. A fourteenth century porch is rather nice, although I didn’t take a photo of the head of Christ which is at the top of the door. According to the guidebook, I also missed a panelled Jacobean chest, with ten trees carved in its cornice. I think I’d better come back … Inside the chancel arch...