Last weekend we paid an unscheduled visit to Barnard Castle. Our normal pattern when driving over the A66 between Cumbria and County Durham has been to fly past at 60 to 70 miles per hour on the way to or from somewhere or other. This time, however, a glance at the fuel gauge said quite unmistakably that we needed to pay a visit to Barnard Castle, at the very least to fill the diesel tank.

Bridge over the Tees at Barnard Castle

I must confess that before moving back north to live in the Eden Valley my only mental impression of Barnard Castle (the town) was of a pharmaceuticals factory. But there is far more to it than that. The centuries old town centre is well worth exploration and Barnard Castle (the castle) is full of history. It was founded by Bernard de Balliol in the 12th century. This was a time when control of the North of England shifted backwards and forwards between English and Scottish kings. Although descended from the Norman invaders of England, de Balliol appears to have given allegiance to King David of Scotland at least for a time. The castle eventually passed into the ownership of Richard III but after his death it was neglected and fell into ruins. Now the border lands are much more peaceful and the castle is in the care of English Heritage.

The Bowes Museum

The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle

On the outskirts of the town, to the east, is the Bowes Museum. This splendid building, in the style of an elaborate French chateau, looks as though it should have been the residence of an exceptionally wealthy local family. Actually it was built specifically as a museum by John Bowes, a wealthy 19th century aristocratic (albeit illegitimate) art collector and his wife Josephine.

The building was finished only after both their deaths, and now is managed by a charitable trust, housing nationally and internationally important collections of European fine and decorative arts from the Middle Ages onwards as well as hosting many major visiting exhibitions. We ventured only as far as the gates on this visit, but we’ll be back.

Barnard Castle again

Before we left I stopped to take another photograph of the castle. From the western side one gets a better impression of the sheer scale of the ancient fortress.

This is somewhere we simply must revisit and explore more fully, and when I consider that we were little more than half an hour from home (even if over the Pennines) I ask myself why we’ve neglected it until now.

Three more shots of the beautiful Eden Valley. Before reaching the centre of the town the River Eden passes Bongate (the place where in ancient times the ‘bondsmen’ used to live), down below the cliff where Appleby Castle stands proud. Here is a cold January midday shot of the river, reduced in level from what it was a few days earlier, flowing over the weir, frost still lying on the grass from the night before.

River Eden Reflections. That one was taken a few days ago. This next one just a few hours ago this afternoon, a little further upstream toward Ormside. I like the contrast between the flow and the stillness.

And finally, just to show that all was not dark and gloomy but actually bright under an almost cloudless sky, here is the parkland by the Eden banks close to where the second shot was taken. This shot was taken just slightly away from directly into the sun, hence the whiting out of the sky, but I think it does capture the sense of cold January mistiness.

For earlier Eden Valley shots see:

• The Eden in Autumn
• Horse Washing in the Eden at Appleby Gypsy Horse Fair

I hope these help to demonstrate further that the beauties of Cumbria are not limited to the Lake District National Park. Don’t miss the Eden Valley from your Cumbrian itinerary.

The sunshine attracted me away from the keyboard after lunch today. My target, with cameras, was the River Eden at Appleby (or, to give it its full name, Appleby-in-Westmorland). What the warplanes circling and thundering overhead were aiming at, in addition to making white trails in the almost cloudless sky, is anyone’s guess. Ignoring the noise I went down onto the river bank.

River Eden, Appleby - An Autumn Afternoon

Here in the Eden Valley it has scarcely rained for a couple of weeks. The water level was low so it was possible to get down onto gravel and sand at several points. Here are two shots that I quite like, although they could have been better. I forgot that I’d just had my camera set at ISO400. They may have been better at ISO100. Still, technicalities aside, they give a good impression of a glorious Appleby Autumn afternoon.

Autumn by the River Eden at Appleby

Next I walked along the river bank, past the cricket ground and parish church to my right, over the bridge and onto the bank on The Sands side of the river. Here now is a view of approximately the same point but looking downstream from the opposite side.

River Eden at Appleby - An Autumn View Looking Dowstream from The Sands

The sun has gone now. There was just that short spell in the middle of a mid-November day to catch it lighting up the river bank like this. So I’m once again back at the keyboard, trying to think great blogging thoughts.

‘Til next time.

At the very top of the Eden Valley, close by where Cumbria borders with Yorkshire a stream flows down the hillside then suddenly plunges into the depths of a ravine. The stream is the infant Eden. The waterfall is Hellgill Force.

Two weeks ago I strolled briefly around there, leaving the car by the county boundary, reconoitering for later more extensive walks in the area. Here is a quick shot. I’d have liked to scramble around for a better viewpoint but wasn’t either dressed or equipped for that. Here’s to another visit, and I’ll try to time it so as to get some sun into the ravine and to the foot of the falls. A sunny afternoon following some heavy rain will, I’m sure, be spectacular.

Upper Eden Valley - Hellgill Force - October 2011

Congratulations to the Yorkshire Dales National Park for their new award for the Far Moor bridge. This innovative design and timber construction was developed with the help of the Forestry Commission and provides an important river crossing on the 200-mile Pennine Bridleway national trail currently being developed, and opening next year.

Far Moor bridge in the Yorkshire Dales picked up a special award at a British Construction Industry event. Officers from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority thought they had missed out on a win after another project gained the award in the bridge’s category, but the structure, over the River Ribble, was given a judges’ special award in the London ceremony.
>> Read the Full Article at grough >>

Far Moor Bridge last winter (photo by YDNPA)

How good it is to be back in the Eden Valley after a week in Brussels. A string of lectures, project supervision and a panel debate with Euro-officials and politicians were hard work but very enjoyable, especially the days spent with a group of twentyfive wonderful 20-25 year old students from countries all over Europe.

The River Eden looking upstream to the Stenkrith Bridges

These photographs were taken three months ago in early July. This weekend the roar of the water was much stronger.

Two bridges can be seen here. The road bridge towering over the Millennium footbridge also, to the left of the photo, crosses the track bed of the railway that used to climb up from Cumbria and drop down into County Durham over the Stainmore pass. The railway then had to cross the Eden. That bridge is long gone, but its foundations can still be seen and there’s a river viewing point accessible from the caravan park on the other side.

Stenkrith is one of the many “hidden treasures” of the Eden Valley. It deserves to be far better known but at the same time its quietness, apart from the music of the water, is one of its great attractions.

The River Eden in July, looking downstream below Stenkrith Bridge

The River Wharfe, with bridge and stepping stones, at Bolton Abbey

Growing up in the Lancashire-Yorkshire borderlands I quite often found myself crossing the Pennine watershed from the red rose into the white rose county. One of our frequent outings was to Bolton Abbey. As a child, following in the footsteps of former generations, I did exactly what the children are doing in the photograph above – take on the challenge of the stepping stones over the River Wharfe, sometimes getting very wet!

This beautiful spot on the Duke of Devonshire’s estate (now managed by the Cavendish family’s Chatsworth trust) is a favourite destination for thousands from the large cities of the North and much further afield. The 30,000 acre estate has 80 miles of footpaths. You can walk along the river bank, wander through woodland, admire the power of the Wharfe forcing its way through the rocks of the Strid, or climb higher onto Barden Moor and Barden Fell. Alternatively, for those less energetic, there are tea rooms and an area allocated for barbecues.

The “Bolton Abbey” itself, although its has been known as such for centuries, is not strictly an abbey but a priory. It was founded in the 12th century the land having been given by Lady Alice de Romille, mistress of Skipton Castle, to the Augustinian order of monks who had earlier set up a small monastery at nearby Embsay. It developed over the next four hundred years in spite of occasional setbacks due to destructive visitations by Scottish raiders. At the time of the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s the main priory buiding was still work in progress. The shell of the east end still stands proudly over the river whilst the west end continues to serve as the local parish church.

Bolton Abbey, by the River Wharfe in the Yorkshire Dales

Bolton Abbey should not be missed by any visitor to the Yorkshire Dales. To my mind it is probably the most beautiful spot in the whole of Yorkshire. Check the Bolton Abbey web site for more details.

In Lanthwaite Wood, by Crummock Water - August 2011

Lanthwaite Wood is a National Trust property at the foot of Crummock Water in the Lake District, alongside the point where the River Cocker leaves the lake. The car park there provides an excellent starting point for walks, which often give opportunity to see Red Squirrels.

The River Cocker flows from here down Lorton Vale to Cockermouth where it joins the River Derwent on its journey from Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite Lake to the coast at Workington. This area was devastated by flooding in November 2009 with loss of life as well as property and great damage to infrastructure. The repair and renovation work is still continuing. And that is the reason for posting this not-very-good photograph.

This is the only shot I took during my brief pause there last Monday afternoon, so it will have to do in spite of the washed out brightness of the river and field beyond the trees. However, the point of the picture is to highlight the small plaque visible half way up the wall of the building. It has been placed there to show the level to which the flood water rose on that destructive day.

As I looked at that, and saw its height above normal river level, I found myself staring uncomprehendingly at a mental picture of what hit the people downstream through the valley and in Cockermouth town, the childhood home of William and Dorothy Wordsworth.

These mountains and their lakes are beautiful, but what potential also for destruction. I’m reminded of the Old Testament psalmist: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help” (Psalm 121). But his sense of strength and reassurance there is balanced by Psalm 29 where the mountain waters pour down with destructive force upon the cedar trees and the low-lying land below. Yes, life is a mixture of storm and of calm, and these Lakeland hills illustrate it so powerfully.

Looking toward Crummock Water from the Lorton-Loweswater road

This afternoon in the Cockermouth sunshine the confluence of the Cocker and the Derwent looked tranquil. On 19th November 2009 it was a very different picture. Record volumes of rainwater poured down the two rivers from the Lake District mountains and inundated the centre of this historic town.

Cockermouth - where the Rivers Cocker and Derwent meet - 9th August 2011

Parts of the town that day were under six to nine feet of water. One property affected was the poet William Wordsworth’s birthplace. National Trust staff hurriedly carried irreplaceable items up stairs to higher floors before eventually being compelled to leave to avoid being completely cut off by the rising water. Today the water level is marked on the wall of one room, just a few inches from the ceiling.

The Garden of the Wordsworth House, Cockermouth - 9th August 2011

Outside, the garden was completely swamped, plants and shrubs carried away by the force of the pounding water. But here it is today, above, looking toward the river with the new flood defences in the background, and below, looking toward the house. What a tremendous restoration job the staff and volunteers have done. Were the apple trees washed away and later replaced, or did they stand firm against the waters? I forgot to ask, but the apples on them looked incredibly tempting. (Yes, I resisted!)

The Garden at the Wordsworth House, Cockermouth, 9th August 2001

Inside the house all is to the standard one has come to expect of the National Trust. If I were to make just one criticism (but really, it pales almost into insignificance against the excellence of the work that has been done) it would be that I’d have benefited from a simple sheet of card somewhere in each room outlining the nature of the room and identifying its principal contents. In fairness, though, I had failed to take one of the guide cards from the entrance hall.

William and Dorothy Wordsworth’s Birthplace, Cockermouth – 9th August 2011

It feels almost unfair to have separated out for prime attention this one building. So many homes and businesses were torn apart by that 2009 flooding – but look at Cockermouth today. Great credit is due to the people of the town and to the authorities for such a splendid work of restoration – which in some parts still continues. Well done, Cockermouth.

More on Cockermouth

Cockermouth on the Around-England blog

The Lake District, West: Cockermouth

It was a sunny Saturday a few weeks ago when we set off to drive from the Eden Valley down to Skipton and beyond. We hadn’t gone more than thirty miles or so when my wife said, “Let’s stop in Kirkby Lonsdale and walk down to Ruskin’s view of the River Lune”.

Kirkby Lonsdale is a quaint old town well worth visiting for its own sake, quite apart from the view which we’ll see in a moment, to walk around slowly and to enjoy a meal. That day we didn’t stay to eat but we did stroll through the streets before heading for the churchyard.

Kirkby Lonsdale Churchyard – Ruskin’s View

Down past the old church at end of the graveyard is a viewing point which attracts thousands of visitors each year to see the view of the Lune valley which John Ruskin in 1875 described as “one of the loveliest in England” – the River Lune flowing peacefully down past meadow land, then sweeping round as it hits the rocky escarpment – “a gentle panorama of river, meadow, woods and hills in almost perfect balance”. I have to agree with Ruskin. It is splendid. I’ve gazed at it repeatedly through my life and never tire of seeing it yet again.

Walking back toward the church by a different path from the one we used to get to the viewing point we passed something else I’d noticed repeatedly over the years.

This part of the churchyard now has its grass uncut as a deliberate attempt to encourage wildlife, but still clearly visible by the side of the path is an unusual gravestone. The stone had been here eight years when Ruskin famously praised this view of the Lune. I wonder whether he noticed it as generations of others have done since.

This is not an elaborate monument like Ruskin’s own monument in Coniston churchyard. It is a simple stone. But the words are so forceful. I’ve often wondered about its history. Who was Ellen Cookson? Did she ask for these words to be inscribed over her grave? Or was it the idea of some surviving relative struck by the suddennness of Ellen’s loss? I don’t suppose I’ll ever know. But almost a century and a half later, here in Kirkby Lonsdale churchyard, she still speaks to passers by.