Today I did another of my photo-drive-walks, returning to Mallerstang for the second week in succession. Last week I did a circular walk between Nateby and Pendragon Castle, taking in Lammerside Castle, so today after a few shots of Pendragon Castle (over the wall; it’s now “closed to public access for building repairs”) I started near Outhwaite and with a combination of driving and walking eventually reached Hell Gill Bridge, up on the old Wensleydale to Eden Valley felltops “Highway”.

Apart from about two minutes of rain, which threatened to continue long and hard but then went away, it was a splendid day with blue sky and clouds, and brief moments in time when the light was just right for some great shots … if only you could catch it before the cloud moved on.

I’ve been hoping for some time to get my “perfect shot” of Hellgill Force. I didn’t achieve it today but was moderately pleased with two – although after shrinking to web-page size they’re certainly not as I’d like. Much can be done by digital processing but quite apart from the little matter of competence I don’t like tweaking images to the extent that they stop being genuine photos and become more like art work.

Discomfort and Problems

Sadly, earlier in the day I had my first experience in this area of being made to feel unwelcome. As I was photographing a bridge alongside the road I had for several minutes noticed a Landrover being driven very slowly towards me. Thinking nothing much of it I crossed the bridge, took more photos, and then found the Landrover had driven slowly off the road onto the bridge, blocking my way out. I nodded to him with a smile, and stood aside to let him pass, but all the elderly driver did was stare at me.

It suddenly dawned that he must have been watching me for some time taking photographs of the area. Granted, I’d taken several photos of Outhwaite village, including the house where the parents of the great nineteenth century scientist Michael Faraday lived for a while shortly before he was born; I’d photographed the parish church (one of Lady Anne Clifford’s 17th century restorations) both outside and inside, and the converted Wesleyan chapel.

Was I therefore a potential burglar checking out the opportunities? Hmm! But why would a burglar include bridges, lime kilns, lambs, streams and felltops in his list of prospects?

Well, I’ve faced worse people in many countries of the world so as he didn’t look the talkative type I decided just to turn around, take more bridge and river photos including the one above on the left and see whether he got out to talk to me. He didn’t. Slowly he reversed off the bridge onto the road and drove (very slowly) away.

I am, of course, aware that there has been a problem with rural burglary in parts of Cumbria, and the police have issued warnings. I can’t be sure that this was the cause of my unpleasant experience, but I suspect strongly that it was and have to ask, Are all camera-toting visitors this summer to be treated as suspicious characters? If anything similarly unpleasant happens again I’ll be the one challenging the watcher to discover what really is going on.

Hell Gill Bridge … and a climb too many

My plan today was to walk from Aisgill Cottages at the Westmorland-Yorkshire (or should I say Cumbria-North Yorkshire) boundary up to Hell Gill Bridge on the old packhorse route. I’d spent more time than originally intended lower down the valley but was determined to get up to the Eden’s first bridge. Otherwise my self-appointed target of getting pictures of all the bridges over the River Eden from Mallerstang to Carlisle by the end of this month was unlikely to be reached, even though I’m now at about 90%. So after taking the above photos at Hellgill Force I continued up the track onto the fell, taking shots of the constantly changing stream as I went.

A couple of hundred yards beyond Hellgill Farm, which is just about visible beyond the barn (left, taken from what I now think of as the Eden’s second bridge) a gate leads out onto the ancient “Highway” that probably dates back to before Roman times and was once the route of Lady Anne Clifford’s frequent journeys from Skipton to visit her Westmorland castles: Pendragon, Brough, Appleby and Brougham.

Did I say the gate “leads out”? Not today it doesn’t! Certainly there’s a sign telling people to make sure they close it, and I’m all in favour of this kind of signage around the countryside, but how can anyone close a gate that they can’t first open because it’s securely padlocked?

“But there’s a style”, I hear someone say. Yes, but what a style! A wall of shoulder height or more, some slabs sticking out to help you climb over, and wobbly cap stones.

Forty, or even twenty years ago, that would have been no obstacle, but now? Well, I hadn’t come so far to allow a wall to be an obstacle so I hoisted my near seventy-year-old bones over it and reached the “Highway”. Now I know that farmers do have genuine problems with some walkers, but can it be within the rules for a gate in such a position on a public right of way to be padlocked? I can think of many people who would have had serious problems at this point in their walk. Is it really necessary to cause such difficulties?

Hell Gill Bridge At Last

Anyway, at least I got my photos of Hell Gill Bridge. Here’s one of them, taken from the eastern side and attempting to show the depth of the ravine that it crosses.

Without trespassing over the fence and clambering riskily through the trees it isn’t possible to plumb the depths with the lens, but it’s deep and the sound of Hell Gill Beck, not yet the River Eden until below Hellgill Force, rises from the depths.

After intending to come here for many months I’m glad that I’ve now got a step nearer to the origins of the river that flows, usually so leisurely, close to my Appleby home.

Not all is sweetness and light in the countryside

It seems a pity to spoil the record of a great day out surrounded by splendid landscape with another comment on human beings. Why do I do it? Well it’s part of the reality of being out in the countryside. Just possibly (very remotely possible, I admit) someone who is less than welcoming to walkers might see this and mend their ways, but more importantly, it may help new walkers to understand that people are people, and we’re not all the same, even in remote places. We just have to accept it and get on with life.

Later I was on yet another bridge when a muddy 4×4 drove off the hillside and down towards me. In this case I think he was simply out monitoring his sheep, not me, but certainly there was no friendliness. I stood aside to let him pass, looked at him, smiled and said hello through his open window. I might as well not have existed. Not a flicker of acknowledgement. In human terms this was not a good day.

A Great Kindness … and More of Beautiful Mallerstang

I must say that the above is not typical of my experiences of walking in the Eden Valley, and it will take more than a few isolated episodes of discourtesy to drive me away.

Mallerstang, and the Eden Valley generally, is beautiful countryside. It’s just a pity about a small minority of the people.

What a contrast with the gentleman who last week, when I’d walked further than intended and was feeling dehydrated, went into his house and got me a glass of cold refreshing water. That was much more typical of Cumbrian people, so let’s put the negative behind us and in closing get back to the friendly landscape – a view (above) from near The Thrang showing Mallerstang Common with Wild Boar Fell behind, and (below) a black and white image of the end of Wild Boar Fell seen from near Hellgill Force.

Yesterday was a beautiful early Spring day in Mallerstang. Yes, I know that in many parts of the country Spring is already well and truly sprung but up here in the North, in a valley whose lowest points are around 1000 feet above sea level, Spring is still on its way in.

The photo here on the left was taken from the hillside to the west of the river, close to the path from Wharton Hall to Pendragon Castle. The millstone grit of Mallerstang Edge over the lower limestone fellside forms a backcloth to the young Eden in the valley bottom.

Below, looking downstream by Castle Bridge buds can clearly be seen on the trees, and shortly the stream will be surrounded by green.

After a quick look once again at Pendragon Castle I returned down the valley to Watter Yat (called Birkett Bottom on the OS maps) only to be faced with this disgraceful situation. If only the people who left this disgusting mess could be caught and duly punished!

But let’s not get too depressed. The view up the valley today was exceptional.

People who have come to think of Cumbria as being the Lake District are often surprised at the many beautiful areas outside the national park, and Mallerstang (just a few miles from Kirkby Stephen in the Eden Valley) is outstanding among these.

After spending Saturday morning listening to lectures on bridges at a Cumbria Industrial History Society conference I suppose it is appropriate to show a photo from Saturday afternoon of the Appleby “New” Bridge over the River Eden – that is, it was new in 1888.

The next shot is taken from the bridge looking dowstream. Spring is late this year. We’re still waiting for leaves on the trees but at least the daffoldils are now out, albeit I would say not as brilliantly as some years.

Walking down the path by the river I’m hailed by a table full of young people in the cricket ground between the church and the river. “Like your camera; photographing the cricket?” I had been a few minutes earlier.

“How about a photograph of us?” “Now if I took one what would I do with it?” “Put it on Facebook,” suggested one of them. Maybe they were surprised that an oldie like me could offer to put it on Twitter, MySpace and a few others as well. Yes, I was indulging in a bit of techno-bragging. Anyway, as I left they waved cheerfully (bottom left on the next photo) … So if you see it guys (yes, I told them the url) you’ll see I did keep my promise to put you on my site.

So where to next? I decided to have another go at photographing the parish church, something I’ve done before but never been totally (or anywhere near) satisfied with my efforts. I’ll maybe publish the results sometime, but for now here’s a shot looking away from the church up Boroughgate toward the castle.

That’s it for today. After a nice warm Saturday in the Eden Valley we’ve returned to Monday chill. Ah well, no doubt Summer will come.

More on Appleby in Westmorland. (And here’s a link to the new Appleby Town web site)

Last week as I was driving through Tuxford in Nottinghamshire I couldn’t resist stopping to take a photograph of the old windmill. Its sails were turning just as they must have done a century and more ago. A splendid sight.

A few days earlier I’d been looking at watermills in Cambridgeshire. Milling appears to have become something of an interest to me at present.

Anglesey Abbey, a National Trust property near Cambridge, although in parts almost nine hundred years old is in its present form the creation of its more recent owners from the sixteenth century onwards, culminating in the work of the 1st Lord Fairhaven (1896-1966) a grandson of one of the founders of what is now the Exxon oil company. It is well worth a visit on at least three counts: the house, the gardens and the watermill. At this time of year for me the garden Winter Walk is the highlight. It starts well, and gets even better.

Whether looking at the taller shrubs or the low-lying beds the array of colours is amazing.

Continuing our walk we come to a hedge ablaze.

And still there’s more variety:

Photographs can scarcely do it justice. This splendid winter garden deserves a visit, The walk can take anything from twenty minutes to a hour depending on how many times you stop to admire the plants.

At the End of the Winter Garden Walk

… and at the end is the restored and working working watermill, Lode Mill, at which to spend at least another half hour to learn about its history and that of flour milling – and even to buy some of their own produced flour.

If you’re visiting Cambridge don’t restrict yourself to the impressive buildings, the ancient colleges, old churches and museums of Cambridge itself. Explore other parts of Cambridgeshire, and don’t miss Anglesey Abbey. It’s a very special place: garden, house and watermill … and more! It’s a National Trust property; so why not buy a National Trust Membership now and get free access to all their properties around the country.

En route to a weekend conference in Cambridge last Friday I managed to squeeze in visits to two still-working watermills, both at properties managed by the National Trust. The first, at Houghton near Huntingdon, is the only remaining working watermill on the Great Ouse, and I was looking forward to the visit. Sadly I’d misread the National Trust handbook and it was closed for the day (it opens from Saturday to Wednesday) but I did manage to get some photographs from the outside.

As a result of not being able to look around in greater detail I had some spare time so headed to Anglesey Abbey. I’ll be writing more another time about this magnificent house but for now here’s a shot of the watermill framed in the hedge as you emerge from the magnificent gardens.

Although now once again a flour mill (and you can buy the flour) Lode Mill spent some years as part of a cement factory but has now been restored. Inside you can climb the stairs to upper floors and see the machinery. There are very interesting displays relating not only to this particular mill but to the history of milling in general.

I’m especially grateful to the staff who suggested that I take the final photograph below and who, having let me out of the back door, were gracious enough to let me back in through the ‘No Entry’ sign. This was my third National Trust property of the day and I can only praise the staff at the two that were open and who, after hearing of what I’m trying to do with the Around-England site, were so very helpful. (By the way, the first of the day was further north at Woolsthorpe in Lincolnshire, birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton; I’ll write about that another day).

Last week I drove to Glenridding, the popular village close to the head of Ullswater in the Lake District. After a walk up the hill behind the village and a retreat as the snow started to come down quite steadily, I decided to stroll along the lake to St. Patrick’s boat landing by the side of the road to Patterdale.

The snow had stopped (or maybe it never started at the lower altitude) so it was possible to getsome pictures. There were no boats going out. Indeed, the office and cafe seemed to be totally closed and locked up. This wasn’t the weather for messing around in boats, at least not for average mortals.

After a walk back along the water’s edge to the Ullswater ‘Steamers’ jetty a cup of hot coffee was called for. As the light brightened again I thought this shot of the Lady Wakefield would also give a fair impression of a winter’s day by Ullswater.

This area is great in any weather. You simply have to adjust to it, dress up warm and have appropriate footwear. People were walking in the hills from Glenridding, Patterdale and Hartsop as well as by the lake sides of Ullswater and Brothers Water. Based on three recent visits I put together a little site specifically about Ullswater in Winter. See it here.

A very brief item today. I just noticed that I had two photographs taken from almost identical positions (close to Burns Farm at St Johns-in-the-Vale near Keswick) showing Wanthwaite Crags, one from last October and the other this past week. So here they are together, the contrast of Autumn and Winter colour in the Lake District.

And while I’m looking at this area, here’s another of Wanthwaite Crags in the snow, seen from the Castlerigg stone circle. (Oh, and for the benefit of those who don’t know Castletrigg, I should say that the small circle shown here is the smaller one inside the main circle).

Almost exactly a year ago I wrote a short piece here about Barnard Castle and the Bowes Museum. It occurred to me this morning that, although later last year I visited the nearby village of Bowes and took photos of its castle, I never put any of the the photographs on this Around-England site. So here is a small selection, both from wandering around the site and (thanks to advice from a local gentleman polishing his car just outside the gate to the castle grounds) also from a strategic viewing point up the hill behind the village. I’d have liked to get a shot of the castle looking up the valley toward the Pennines but there wasn’t time to explore further and that will have to wait for another visit.

Bowes Castle, through a long lens from the hillside above the village

Bowes village (and I feel sure the locals won’t mind my saying this) is not spectacularly picturesque – although it does, as will be referred to below, have some interesting characteristics. From the point of view of most visitors the main interest is the castle which was completed in 1187, making it well over eight hundred years old. There is not a lot of it, just the square tower, but it is a solid memorial to the history of Border warfare that plagued this part of Northern England for centuries.

Bowes Castle – A Little History

The castle was built on the site of the Roman fort Lavatris. There was a smaller timber castle there before 1171 when it came into the ownership of King Henry II. Henry wanted a stronger defensive position to guard Stainmore Pass and so the keep was built. It came under attack from King William of Scotland during the Great Revolt of 1173-4 even before it was finished, but survived as relieving English forces arrived from York. As far as is known there were no further extensions following the building of the keep. Read more of the history at English Heritage – Bowes Castle.

A Closer View of the Remains of Bowes Castle

As the picture below shows the walls were built of a solidity to resist serious attacks. However, the only time that it appears to have suffered defeat was not by an army but by an uprising of aggrieved local tenants against the Earl of Richmond in the early 14th century. “The village of Bowes was built after the castle and formed a planned site running up to the castle, complete with a church and a market place; this form of planned village is .. unusual in England.” [Wikipedia - Bowes Castle]

Bowes Castle – See the thickness of these walls.

In 1987 the local community celebrated the eight hundredth anniversary of the completion of their castle. The plaque below commemorating that event was placed in the boundary wall on the lane between the castle and the church.

Bowes Castle – 800 Years Memorial Plaque

Bowes Castle – A Video

The following video on YouTube was made by Daniel Staniforth in 2011 while walking the Pennine Way. (The weather is not untypical of the region!)

More on Northern castles

This weekend I received a text message from my granddaughter. She was doing a survey about weather for her geography homework. The question was, “Which is your favourite of the following six songs about the weather?” My choice was “Let it snow!”

Some people may not appreciate that sentiment but I love snow. Although born at sea level in what is now the southern end of Cumbria I spent most of my childhood and all my teenage years in East Lancashire. From the front windows of our house we looked out over the River Calder to a hillside over which was the village of Worsthorne. (There have been “little boxes on the hillside” for many years now, but not then). The Pennine hills rose beyond and in Winter it was a majestic fairyland. I love the Northern England hills in the snow and as I wrote here three years ago find walking in it a joy.

The River Hodder, 1991? – scanned from an old colour print

I don’t recall the terrible winter of 1955, although having been twelve years old at the time that’s a little puzzling. I do, though, well remember one Sunday evening in 1963 being stranded along with my fiancée in Clitheroe and having to stay with friends there. It was in one of these two extremely snowy winters that Worsthorne village, already mentioned, caught it. The local paper carried a photograph of a house covered in a snowdrift up to the roof.

In 1963, when doing a part-time course at the Royal College of Advanced Technology (now Salford University), I used to travel the 25 miles into college by bus. One day, after the snow ploughs had done their work, the bus edged its way up the long hill from Burnley town centre and over the moors to the Rossendale Valley. Sitting on the top deck of the double-decker we had to look upwards to see the sky; outside the windows was just a solid mass of snow; we were driving through a white-walled corridor. This was a real North of England winter, and that was snow!

This morning I saw a Tweet from mountaineer Alan Hinkes (Thanks, Alan) in which he attached a link to a clip from the British Transport Films archive. It’s on YouTube so I’m able to put it here. It refers to an incident in the winter of 1955 when a train was stuck for four days on Stainmore Pass. This is just a few miles up into the North Pennines from Appleby in Westmorland where I’m writing this. In those days there was still a railway line from west to east over Stainmore. You can still see traces of the track bed at various points on the stretch between Kirkby Stephen and Barnard Castle as you drive over the A66. It’s wild country when the weather turns, and that is where this happened:

There’s another film below, this one from 1963, but the black and white Snowdrift at Bleath Gill (1955) is my favourite of the two. I enjoyed it best with the sound turned off, although the narrative does add some interesting explanation of how they thawed out the steam engine to get it going again.

While writing this piece I’ve just learned that the A66 over Stainmore Pass is closed by snowdrifts. Yes, snow can be a serious inconvenience to people, but in spite of everything I love snow.

It’s time for another news post. I haven’t done one for some time.

Starting with the North West, the big news in recent days has been the Lake District National Park Authority’s rejection of an eighteen month trial installation of a Zip Wire at Honister Slate Mine, a centuries old industrial site on the side of Fleetwith Pike, in spite of its being recommended for approval by their professional staff.

Decision to reject Lake District zip wire bid

Lake District planning bosses have thrown out a proposal for a controversial tourist attraction for the second time against the advice of their own experts. Honister Slate Mine, in Borrowdale, sought permission to set up a zip wire to allow thrill seekers to descend Honister Crags after scaling Via Ferrata. The wire, which attracted nearly 400 letters of support, would have been in place for 18 months while an independent impact assessment was undertaken by the University of Cumbria.…
Read more from the NW Evening Mail

The decision pleased the “Friends of the Lake District” but certainly did not please their vice-president, Sir Chris Bonington, probably Britain’s most eminent mountaineer who had spoken in favour of the development. (Sir Chris Bonington falls out with Lake District conservationists over zipwire [The Guardian]).

It is now almost thirty years since I decided not to renew my membership of the “Friends”, and I’ve seen little since to make me regret that decision. The campaign to preserve the Lake District in a style that fits a fundamentalist Romantic mental model of landscape purity is extremely damaging. It ignores both the region’s genuine historic heritage and the present day needs of its people. (Yes, people do have to live and work here!)

I hope the (unelected) members of LDNPA who voted against this will soon come to realise their mistake. They should determine to work for a vibrant Lake District that takes account of a younger generation for whom this would have been a great attraction, as well as being a most appropriate development for the site of an historic mountainside industry.

Turning to more welcome news after a grouse about the LDNPA, it’s good to see the strengthening of the Pennine black grouse population. These are beautiful birds.

Grouse on the Pennines

The Guardian blog Black grouse stage recovery in their Pennine stronghold. The Guardian blog New figures from a survey of the North Pennines area of outstanding natural beauty show that over 1000 male birds birds were found more than 200 more than the number recorded after the recent series of hard winters. The birds are found in greater.…
Read more on The Guardian blog

And now two items from the North York Moors, one about the past and another the future.

North York Moors archaeology work unearths water mill

BBC News – North York Moors archaeology work unearths water mill. BBC News. Archaeologists have unearthed what they believe are the remains of a 16th Century water mill on the North York Moors National Park. Volunteers made the discovery on Yearsley Moor near Helmsley. They found the remains of a complex of buildings …
Read more at BBC News

A step closer to potash mining under the North York Moors

Sirius Minerals took a big step towards building a potash mine under the North York Moors as it succeeded with a key planning application. The Marine Management Organisation granted Sirius permission to extract potash from a 525sq km area off the North Yorkshire coast. The company wants to mine under the moors and extend out under the North Sea … still needs three more planning approvals this month. It will then make one final application for a pipeline …
Read more at The Daily Mail, Money

Three of the four news items this time are related. Honister and the North York Moors water mill are historic industrial sites. Industrial archaeology is a fascinating subject and it is easy to wax sentimental about the industrial activities of our forefathers. It is, however, important to remember the need for present and future industry. All too easily people living on pensions (I’m one of those) or public service incomes can come to demonise wealth creation and forget that even their own personal economic survival depends in the last analysis on industrial activity. Especially in the most beautiful areas of our landscape it must be managed with sensitivity, but it must not be rejected except for the most serious of reasons.

Leaving Appleby the sun was shining. By Penrith it was raining. At Dalemain it was bright. At Pooley Bridge there was light drizzle. And so it went on, oscillating between bright patches and light rain. Familiar Lake District weather at this time of year. Pooley Bridge, the village, was looking a little sorry for itself.

Pooley Bridge on a Damp New Years Day

First stop was some lunch, and Granny Dowbekin’s was open so we headed there. After a satisfying combination of Cumberland sausage, mash and peas followed by a beautiful slab of carrot cake it was time for some photography. First stop the river, by the bridge.

River Eamont at Pooley Bridge, New Year’s Day 2013

The water was almost spilling over into the car park. The River Eamont is full! Here’s a shot from a spot very close by, taken in July 2011. See the difference?

River Eamont at Pooley Bridge – July 2011

Further downstream by Pooley Mill the water was not far from spilling out onto the road.

River Eamont at Pooley Mill – 1st January 2013

If you’re not familiar with this spot the photograph may not mean much, but I would estimate the river to have been around three times its normal width.

Anyway, I’ve got a little out of sequence. I’d better go back to the the boats landing stage at Pooley Bridge. There were no sailings today, and I think it would have taken a super-hardy type to enjoy it if there’d been any.

Landing Stage at Pooley Bridge, Ullswater – New Year’s Day 2013

To my mind at least, this was not a day for being on the water, even if we had enjoyed looking at it. Maybe I’m becoming soft in my old age. A cup of steaming hot coffee was now called for, so off we went to find one.

Rain hasn’t put off all the visitors

It was good to read that many visitors to the Lake District had not been put off by the weather. Here’s a report on Windermere:

On New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day the water level of the lake was reported to be around 2ft higher than the typical level for this time of year. But the wet weather has not deterred visitors from enjoying a boat ride across the lake – and hasn’t stopped tourists from across the world enjoying a visit. Windermere Lake Cruises, which operates every day apart from Christmas Day, has had a good December period, which was up on December 2011.
Read more at www.in-cumbria.com

Lake District Photography in the Rain?

Some people may wonder what is the point of taking a camera out on a damp day. I would argue that there’s every point. You never know what you’re doing to come across. So far as the Lake District weather is concerned Val Corbett has proved the point with her book, Rainy Days in the Lake District

• Rainy Days in the Lake District
• List Price: £9.99
• Price: £4.19
• Read Reviews

Lyvennet Beck flows down from Crosby Ravensworth Fell where it rises close to one of the country’s many “graves of Robin Hood”. After passing Maulds Meaburn and Kings Meaburn it takes the name River Lyvennet before joining the Eden.

Here at Maulds Meaburn it passes through one of the most beautiful villages in Cumbria, if not the whole of England. Today’s photo is an autumnal view looking upstream to the south, away from the village.

The Lyvennet Valley is close to Penrith and Appleby-in-Westmorland, not far from the Lake District.

For more photographs of Cumbria in the Autumn see “Autumn in the Lake District“.

Last updated: Feb 9, 2013 @ 17:48

The North of England is rich in scenic landscape, ranging from historic coastlines with fishing villages and castles to mountains, moors and lakes.

Last week I was speaking at an event in Babes Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, the second city of Romania. Many people asked where in England I lived. On being told the far north, it was pleasing to be greeted with “Oh, near Yorkshire? My friend flies to Luton, then goes walking in the Yorkshire Dales every year”, or “The Lake District? I’ve heard that it is very beautiful.”

Yes the reputation of the North of England is alive and well in other countries. How sad it is that so many English people from further south head off every year to the Mediterranean but never venture to the National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in County Durham, Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland and Yorkshire. So, for all my British readers who have never been to this wonderful part of England here are three photos taken of rivers on opposite sides of the Pennines, both close to the east-west A66 road. Two rivers, each in outstanding landscape, and with castles alongside.

First, to the eastern side in County Durham. Barnard Castle is an imposing medieval fortress standing high above the River Tees. The photo above looks up the Tees. The next one looks downstream showing the ancient bridge far below, both being taken from the castle ramparts.

Not much more than an hour away to the west, over Stainmore Pass, is Brougham Castle near Penrith, by the River Eamont which flows out of Ullswater and a couple of miles downstream from Brougham joins the River Eden. Both Barnard Castle and Brougham Castle are cared for by English Heritage. If you have a head for heights you can climb to the top of the keep from where there are splendid views over the surrounding countryside including further west to the Lake District mountains.

When I was at school way back in the fifties we had a great young biology teacher, “Mr. Douglas” (no first names then!). The school was in a big industrial town but on the fringe so that we could easily go out in groups for our ecology lessons “in the wild” as it were.

We were taught the importance of oxygen for animal life. We were also taught the importance of carbon dioxide for plant life. There was no mention of “greenhouse gases”; the term had probably not been invented then. Carbon dioxide was not portrayed as an undesirable alien chemical, and carbon was not yet hated as a pollutant.

Carbon was revealed as the element around which our entire life system is built. Carbon dioxide, once excreted by animals, became the foodstuff of the plant world. Sadly, today a scientifically semi-literate population seems largely to have lost any positive understanding of this amazing natural system.

Instead of demonising carbon, we need to understand its vital role. We are all carbon-based life-forms, both ourselves and the grass and the trees.

It is, of course, possible for any system to get out of balance; it is the balance that matters.  The following linked article explains how our forests contribute to maintaining the balance.

Read it here.

It was back in 2008 that I first wrote on this blog about Britain’s Lost Railways and the old railway station at Keswick, harking back to the days when it was possible to reach the northern parts of the Lake District by train. (I’ll not link to that article here just now, as I see some of the links on it no longer function; it needs some renovation work, one of the challenges of a blog coming up to its fifth year).

However, this morning I was reminded of the Keswick station by two different means, firstly by a mention on Twitter of the path along the old railway track. The station sign is still there on the back of the station house, which is now incorporated into the nearby Keswick Hotel. You can just about see the sign, still mounted on one of the old cast iron posts, in the photo below.

The path continues on from there through beautiful wooded countryside. It’s a great shame that Keswick has lost its railway access, but the route along the old track has been well preserved for the enjoyment of thousands who visit Keswick every year.

The station house also still stands, externally more or less as it always was, now serving as an annex to the hotel.

I said at the start that there were two things which reminded me of the railway to Keswick. The other one was an article in the English Heritage magazine, Heritage Today about transport-related heritage and the work of John Minnis. Although, to be honest, I question the wisdom of giving Grade II listing to a filling station forecourt (not least because I wonder whether future impact on the business was taken into consideration; celebrity could become a curse rather than a blessing) it was good to be reminded of his previous work on Britain’s Lost Railways: The Twentieth-Century Destruction of our Finest Railway Architecture, published last year.

“Around-England” temporarily moved office today to The Rock, Hause Point, Crummock Water. Back in my usual base at Appleby in Westmorland tomorrow morning!

]]> http://around-england.co.uk/crummock-water-today/feed/ 0 http://around-england.co.uk/ullswater-on-a-misty-morning/ http://around-england.co.uk/ullswater-on-a-misty-morning/#comments Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:59:52 +0000 David Murray http://around-england.co.uk/?p=5544

Here is one of my shots from this morning. Until almost eleven o’clock there was quite a mist over the water. This was taken as it lifted.

One, if not the, major theme in the Northern news in recent weeks has been flooding. My schoolboy geography lessons told me that the east of the country was drier than the west because the clouds from the Atlantic dropped most of their rain on the Lake District mountains and the Pennines before arriving on the east coast. Well, this doesn’t seem to have worked recently. Today’s BBC News reports that Flood-hit bridges in North Yorkshire remain closed.

River levels are still high on both sides of the Pennines. Driving along the A66 in the past couple of days I’ve noticed both the Eden and the Derwent very close to the top of their banks. In places drivers are not taking notice of flood warnings, which seems rather more than foolish.

North Yorkshire Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Iain Spittal said, The last thing I want to happen after the efforts of all the agencies who have worked tirelessly to keep everyone safe this week is for someone to lose their life after ignoring …”
Read More: North Yorks police warning after flood advice ignored [The Northern Echo]

Windermere—Bods (Flickr.com)

Changes to the Rules on Windermere

“Changes to the rules which control safety and operational activity on Windermere – England’s largest lake – have been approved by the Government following an extensive period of consultation with lake users. …”
Read More: Changes make lake ‘safer and more enjoyable’

This is very welcome news, especially the clause “allowing exemptions to the overall lake speed limit for special events which are in harmony with the aims of the Windermere Management Strategy and relevant national park policies.” The inability of the Park authority to allow exemptions for exceptional events has been a problematic restriction in the past.

Unintended Consequences of Improvement

In September’s “Across the North” I wrote about a proposed bypass for Bedale. Today we have more about roads and the difficulty of “getting it right”. When a long stretch of the A1 in Yorkshire was upgraded to a six-lane A1(M) I was one of the many frequent road users who said, “Not before time! At last!” This view is not totally shared, though, by the villagers of Masham which has been widely known as a gateway to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

“For decades it has been the picturesque gateway for millions of visitors to the Yorkshire Dales. Countless sightseers en route to the rolling countryside have discovered the gentle charms of Masham with its cobbled tree-dotted Georgian market square and more. …”
Read More: The town that was wiped off the map [Daily Mail]

Let’s hope that some solution is found to redirect visitors to the area through Masham before it is too late to revive its traditional visitor-oriented village economy. As the article continues, ‘The route through Masham and the lower Wensleydale area is about 12 miles long, and other villages such as East Witton could lose out. … We are not talking about a pub and six houses. There are hundreds of businesses involved.’

My question is, why was this unintended but surely predictable consequence not taken account of years ago during the initial planning of the A1 upgrade? See also the Yorkshire Post article.

Masham Town Centre—Effervescing Elephant (Flickr.com)

Village Population Trends

I have several times commented on this blog about problems of villages in the Lake District, especially the disproportionate number of second-homes in some areas and the unafforability of housing for young families. Other village problems, this time in the Dales, are highlighted in a Yorkshire Post article a few days ago. Declining population or imbalanced age mix is already an issue in some places and worse is expected.

“Ryedale and Richmondshire in the stunning Yorkshire Dales are among four of the region’s districts where experts say little or no population growth will happen over the next 25 years raising fresh fears about the sustainability of many tiny villages. …”
Read More: Fears for survival of region’s flatlining villages [Yorkshire Post]

Indeed, the problem is not confined to small villages. As the same article says, “In the Scarborough borough more than 40 per cent of residents will be 65 or over by 2028 – more than twice the national average.”

I have not always been an enthusiast for big strategic plans, but am fast moving toward the conclusion that the county councils and National Park authorities of the Northern counties need to get together to take a coordinated strategic overview of population issues and the factors affecting especially rural areas. Along with the crisis in upland agriculture, which itself includes an escalating problem of age structure, this is becoming a matter of urgency.

Easier Access to the North Yorkshire Dales

Having had to negotiate my way through Bedale on a number of occasions in recent months I must say that a bypass is welcome news.  Of course, new developments like this are never without their challenges. There are always pros and cons to be weighed, and difficult dilemmas are not unusual. However, the news this week suggests that careful thought is being given to impact on the historical and archeological heritage of the area.

“POLITICIANS have allayed concerns that hidden archaeological treasures dating back to the Roman era will be put in jeopardy after a £42m bypass to provide a gateway to the Yorkshire Dales took a major step towards becoming a reality. North Yorkshire County Council yesterday approved a planning application for the long-awaited road scheme for the North Yorkshire market town of Bedale …”
More at: Bypass for Yorkshire Dales town closer as care over archaeology pledged – Yorkshire Post

Hill Walking – Go Well-Prepared [See also the video down the page]

Forest of Bowland—Ricky Cosmos (Flickr.com)

The Forest of Bowland used to be my favourite upland walking area when we lived in East Lancashire. I’ve walked it in sun, rain and snow both in company and solo. Magnificent! But from time to time things can get difficult, even for the experienced and well-equipped, as this story illustrates:

Four walkers were rescued after two of their companions were swept away by a swollen river. The four were stranded in the Langden Valley in the Forest of Bowland, unable to cross the brook which had turned into a torrent. … Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team was alerted by Lancashire Police … A spokesperson for the team said: “A group of six well equipped adult walkers had attempted to cross a swollen river. Two were swept away but thankfully managed to self-rescue after being carried a distance, and made it to the nearest house – about an hour’s walk …”
More at: Four Bowland walkers rescued after pair swept away by river torrent – Grough

Finally, though, as I think about this I can’t resist including reference to a different story from the Lake District earlier in the month. Going onto moors and mountains ill-prepared seems to have become something of a “bee-in-my-bonnet”. It’s happening far too often.

“Lake District mountain rescuers have criticised ill-prepared fell walkers after being called to help the same family twice on successive nights …”
More at: Lost Lake District fell walkers rescued twice – BBC News

Met Office Video on Mountain Safety

That’s it for this time. I’ll be tweeting, but probably not blogging, from Brussels next week – scarcely “Around England”.

Yes, there’s an autumnal chill in the air, and the media have been telling us for a fortnight that it’s Autumn. But is it really? No! Autumn starts at the equinox which isn’t until the 21st of September. So, Hey! We still have another week of SUMMER.

Anyway, regardless of the technicalities of seasonal dates many organisations are now well into an autumnal mindset – in fact if you’re a retailer the Christmas work is probably well under way. The National Trust is no exception, and they’ve just put up on their web site a listing of gardens that come especially to life at this time of year. I’ll not go down the whole list, but in the North of England they mention:

• Sizergh Castle, Cumbria
• Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, Yorkshire
• Gibside Landscape Park, Gateshead
• Lyme Park, Cheshire

The full listing includes more from places around England.

Here’s a great shot of Studley. (Click on the image for more from “alh” on Flickr).

Studley royal water garden, Yorkshire, Fountains Abbey - alh1 (Flickr.com)

This morning I was giving some overdue attention to the fuchsias outside our kitchen window when I sensed movement to my right. Looking up I saw a squirrel, no more than three feet from me, sitting on the wall – and it was a red squirrel! I hadn't seen one for a long time until this morning although as people drive into Appleby in Westmorland from the direction of Orton Fell they pass a sign telling them that they're entering a red squirrel zone.

Red Squirrel—Alastair Rae (Flickr.com)

Its' sad, isn't it, that the population of this most beautiful of British mammals has shrunk so far. There are projects afoot here and there to encourage their revival but against the takeover by the greys it's expremely difficult.  In Cornwall, where there have been no reds in the wild since 1984, they've announced a grey squirrel exclusion zone. The aim of the Cornwall Red Squirrel Project is to re-introduce Britain's native red squirrel  into two pilot areas.  The project is supported by Prince Charles (Duke of Cornwall, an Patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust) but is controversial as it involves cujlling the greys.

“If the population of greys is not urgently and radically reduced, they say, then the reds will be driven to extinction in the UK within 20 years. There are an estimated 120,000-140,000 reds in the UK, with 75% of the population in Scotland….”
More at 'If you want red squirrels, you have to kill greys' – The Guardian

Having mentioned Scotland, how about Wales? Well, Anglesey has a red squirrel project too, but now that's been hit by a new threat – a virus.

“Red squirrels were re-introduced to Anglesey 15 years ago in an effort to save the endangered species. The island is Wales' refuge for Red Squirrels, whose numbers are threatened by the grey squirrel. Between just 400 and 500 red squirrels remain on Anglesey, where a programme to eradicate the grey squirrel is in place….”
More at Anglesey's Red Squirrels hit by killer virus – ITV News

One might think that the government's environmental people would be concerned, and also other major bodies with a nature focus but Robin Page writes in the Telegraph this morning:

“Defra’s indifference to the plight of the red squirrel along with that of several other major conservation bodies – including the National Trust and the RSPB – is remarkable. While badger setts are protected, the dreys of a red squirrel appear to be worthless….”
More at Country diary: standing up for the red squirrel – Telegraph.co.uk

Let’s hope the red squirrel can be helped to survive and thrive again. Here’s a video about the Cornwall Red Squirrel Project

Related Links:
Nature in the North
Virus fears over red squirrel deaths on Anglesey [Bangor and Anglesey Mail]
The reds are coming back to Killiney [Irish Times]
Volunteers see red for wildlife [Morpeth Herald]
Alan Titchmarsh on the red squirrel

In spite of economic hardships in many areas between the wars, people wanted to get away from day to day life for an annual holiday or seaside weekend. The North of England was no exception, not only as the home of millions leaving for their annual “wakes weeks” but also providing an array of popular holiday destinations for people from around the country.

The Lake District was heavily promoted with a variety of designs as were the Yorkshire Dales, in the heart of the North, and Teesdale in the North Pennines. The North East coastal areas of Yorkshire and Northumberland (this was long before county reorganisation and the creation of “new” counties) got publicity for individual towns as well as the region as a whole. Bamburgh, Saltburn, Scarborough, South Shields and Whitby are just a few examples. This was also the case with inland towns such as Harrogate and west coast seaside towns like Lytham St. Annes, Morecambe and Southport.

Scenery was not the only theme of the railway posters. This was a time when as Britons we were still proud of our engineering and industrial achievements and had not yet fallen to the idea that money grows on trees. The old Yorkshire saying, “Where there’s muck there’s brass,” could be used without “muck” being denigrated as pollution and “brass” being taken to imply ‘private’ (with a disapproving slur in the voice) greed. Life was hard for most but there was still pride in our major industries and this was reflected in the choice of industrial subjects in railway posters such as this next one of Sheffield, and finally of the coal mining industry on which, of course, the railways depended for fuel.

Old Railway Posters of England – Hundreds of them!

Posters, posters, posters. There are hundreds of them reflecting aspects of England. They’re available as reprints in many sizes, unframed or in a variety of frames. For more see my fledgling site, “England on Posters“, on which we’ll be gradually building links to a variety of sources of posters picturing our wonderful country – or click here for a listing of over 800.

Eagle Owl at Muncaster Castle

I tweeted about eagle owls earlier this afternoon but decided it deserved a longer reference here on the “Around-England” site. It really is good to see an increasing number of birds of prey settling back into the English countryside. Ten days ago we had a 3-generations visit to Muncaster Castle on the West Cumbrian coast and spent a sizeable proportion of our time there in the World Owl Centre. If there were nothing else apart from that at Muncaster (and there is!) it would have been well worth the trip over the Wrynose and Hardknott Passes (No, you don’t have to go that way! There are easier routes) just to see the birds.

I learned a lot that afternoon, and it’s good also to know that we have eagle owls in the wild here in the North of England. Here’s an extract from a blog post I came across today.

Eagle Owl – The Dark Night Rises

Potentially Britain’s rarest breeding wildlife species, the Eagle Owl has successfully reared two Owlets in the Dunsop valley, Lancashire. The iconic species are widespread over most of Europe and are not included on the British species list even though wild birds have been producing young here for a good number of years …
Read more on the “Geltsdale Wildlife Warrior”:

Added to recent news about the Bassenthwaite ospreys and the release of more red kites into the wild in Grizedale Forest (click here for BBC report) this is great news. Of course, I appreciate that some people won’t agree but birds of prey are an important part of a complete natural system.

The Eamont is one of Northwest England’s shorter rivers, rising among the Lake District mountains at Ullswater and flowing northeast to join the Eden, which then flows north and west into the Solway Firth and the Irish Sea.

Ullswater looking southwest from Pooley Bridge

From where it leaves Ullswater at Pooley Bridge (the photo above was taken from the bridge) the river flows northeast, surrounded for several miles by trees and passes Dalemain. Dalemain is an historic house, home to the same family for around three and a half centuries), open to the public and often the venue for interesting events such as the annual “World’s Original Marmalade Awards & Festival”.

From Dalemain the river continues for two or three miles before flowing under Eamont Bridge. For decades this was one of the great horrors of motoring between England and Scotland on the west of the country. This narrow bridge, day after day used to cause long tail-backs of traffic in both directions. Today it is still busy, but the bulk of the traffic now passes a few hundred yards to the west on the M6 motorway. Some environmentalists may object to motorways but the older residents round here remember what it was like without one.

There’s more to come. The Eamont will soon pass Brougham Castle on the way to join the Eden, and will collect the waters of the River Lowther en route. At ground level it’s not easy to get a good photograph of the confluence of the Lowther and the Eamont, but here is a shot of the river from the top of the 800-year-old keep at Brougham Castle, with the houses of Penrith just visible in the background.

The narrow, and sometimes, dark, circular stairs built into the wall of Brougham Castle’s keep are still usable and open to the public. The views from the top are splendid. In the previous picture we were looking upstream and now we look downstream from the other side of the keep to the ancient Castle Bridge, and behind it the modern road bridge carrying the busy A66 east-west major road.

Just a couple of miles to go now and the Eamont joins the River Eden. When I get some better photographs I’ll add them in here, but for now here’s the best I’ve managed so far by risking a walk across field with a “Beware of the Bull” sign. Visible through the trees ont the bank the two rivers (the Eden coming in from the left) merge quietly, and with no splendid scene, before continuing together down the beautiful lower Eden Valley past Lazonby and Carlisle to return their waters to the Irish Sea and beyond that the Atlantic.

Here is the next in our series on historic castles in the North of England.

Scarborough Castle from the North Bay

Today we have two Yorkshire castles and one in Cumbria sitting between the Lake District and the Eden Valley. Two are preserved ruins in the care of English Heritage while the third in the list below is still lived in. All are open to the public.

Scarborough Castle on the Yorkshire coast sits high on its promontory between Scarborough’s north and south bays. Its origins go back to the Iron Age, and the ancient fort was then occupied, and of course rebuilt, by the Romans. Next came the Vikings, followed by medieval kings. With this long history (there were battles in the 17th century Civil War, and the castle was even bombarded during World War I) English Heritage, its present day guardians, consider it to be one of the finest tourist attractions in the North.

Brougham Castle is beautifully situated where the River Lowther joins the Eamont in its branch of the Eden Valley just outside Penrith in Cumbria. It was originally built in the 13th century by Roberth de Vieuxpont. For centuries it had an up and down history, not only due to the long period of border warfare but also because its owners were in and out of favour with various kings. Having fallen into disrepair it was restored following the 17th century Civil War by that great northern castle rebuilder Lady Anne Clifford, Countess of Pembroke. She died here in 1676, aged 86, and was buried in the parish church at Appleby close to one of her other restored castles. Today Brougham Castle is cared for by English Heritage, is open to the public, and houses an exhibition on the life of Lady Anne.

Ripley Castle in North Yorkshire, between Harrogate and Ripon, has been the home of the Ingilby family for seven hundred years and continues to be run as a family business and visitor attraction. Many thousands of visitors every year are welcomed to enjoy the house and grounds. The walled garden is a special attraction, with glorious perennial borders and an extensive herb garden. In Spring the National Hyacinth Collection is seen in all its splendour. The grounds are open all year and often host events such as the annual Ripley Show in August, and other countryside and musical events.

Don’t forget the Northern Castles Online Mystery Tour.

Local Accommodation

When you visit a castle, if you plan to stay overnight in the area look here for accommodation:   Hotels   -   B&B accommodation

Some related pages:

• Fortnightly Selection of Northern English Castles [1]
• Castles of the North [2]
• Castles of Northern England [3]
• Castles of England’s Northern Counties [4]
• Historic Houses and Castles in Cumbria
• Visit a Northern England Castle – A Mystery Tour

Who thinks that the Lake District is behind the times? Well, the people at the Wordsworth Museum in Grasmere have shown once again that it's up with the best.

New app marks a world first for a museum

Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum in Grasmere, the Lake District, has marked a world first for a museum, by creating and launching an app that takes an indoor exhibition outside for the first time. The new app, already described as a breath of fresh air by one user, runs in conjunction with the current exhibition at the attraction – ‘Pen, Paint and Pixels, Touring the English Lakes across 250 years’ (running to January 6, 2013) and gives 18th century art a new 21st century relevance, through a unique means of interaction with the gallery goer….
Read more at:  New app marks a world first for a museum – Easier (press release)

A few weeks ago I referred to the exhibition and the book with which it is associated on one our our sister sites. You can read that article on The Lake District in Books.

Moving across country I'm sure we've all been watching the Olympics with great interest, and not a little national pride. Today, though, while looking for items on the Yorkshire Dales, I came across a short piece about Yorkshire's remarkable Olympians and couldn't resist putting it in here.

Yorkshire Olympics Medal Table

After their strange geographical error a few days ago, when they located the Lake District in the Midlands near Nuneaton, Trip Advisor have got something right this week. They've awarded a Certificate of Excellence to the Housesteads Roman Fort and Museum in Northumberland by Hadrian's Wall. 

Housesteads Museum | What to see at Hadrian's Wall

"Housesteads Fort at Hadrian's Wall is thrilled to have been awarded a Certificate of Excellence by travel review website Trip Advisor …"
Read more

The development of the attraction for the 2012 season is clearly paying off and the article continues:

"The interactive new museum at Housesteads is open daily throughout the summer 2012.  Visitors can see collections of Roman finds, artefacts, a trip round the museum for youngsters, by ‘Felix’ (the new Roman recruit) and a stunning CGI film, narrated by film and television star, Bernard Hill."

A YouTube Video of Housesteads from 2009

And now for a less positive bit of news:

Helicopter rescue from Lake District fell cost £24k

"WALKERS prompted a £24,000 rescue when they scaled Scafell Pike with no map, compass or waterproofs. … 

After one of the men turned around and walked back to the Wasdale Head Inn, the other two continued – only to become lost in one of the most remote areas of the Lake District."

Read more

Sorry to beat up on this same theme once again, but for goodness sake who in their right minds would go up into the Lake District mountains without map, compass, and waterproofs? We're in the middle of one of the wettest summers on record and people are still going up on the fells without wet weather kit. It's madness!

A large scale Lake District map would have cost a few pounds. The night-time rescue cost thousands, and could easily have cost lives.

That’s it for this morning. I’m off to Keswick now.

Yesterday afternoon, using a free afternoon between meetings in Keswick, and following a wet drive from the Newlands Valley over to Buttermere I decided to pay a quick visit to the Honister Slate Mine. First, though, even in conditions far from ideal for photographing mountains, I could not resist a shot over the head of Buttermere toward Warnscale and Haystacks with Fleetwith Pike climbing up to the left of the picture.

The Head of Buttermere, Warnscale and Haystacks

At the top of Honister Pass I’d just missed the start of a tour of the slate mine so decided to wander around and take photographs. I managed to catch the lady leading the tour just as her group was boarding the bus for the mine. She kindly stopped for a couple of minutes to answer my questions about the planned Zip Wire, and suggested I go across the road to get a view of Fleetwith Pike from the track leading up to the Yew Crag quarries. Here is one of the products.

Honister Crag and Fleetwith Pike, looking across from the old quarry track.

I’m planning to write more about Honister and its slate but, rather than delay until that is done, thought I’d put up just a few quick photos from a not very bright but extremely enjoyable afternoon.

Looking down on the Honister Mine Buildings from the Yew Crag quarry path

Having taken this not-quite-bird’s-eye view of the mine buildings, with cafe and shop for visitors as well as the working sections, I turned my eyes to the east to look down the other side of the Honister Pass toward Borrowdale which is where I was next headed – then back to Keswick for the evening before driving home to Appleby. By this time the light had improved a little but it was time to go.

Looking towards Borrowdale from the top of Honister Pass

I hope to be back before long. Will I try the Honister Via Ferrata? And if (no, when!) the long-awaited Zip Wire (or ‘Zip Weir‘ in memory of Mark Weir) is built will I glide down through air from Fleetwith Pike? Hmm! In my seventieth year I think maybe I should leave those things to my grandchildren, but I’ll be happy to see them do it. Can’t wait!

I've heard it said that many English people know more of the geography of Spain than of their own country but a recent error on the TripAdvisor site beats the lot. The Lake District in the Midlands? Near Nuneaton? What next?

Trip Advisor error puts Lake District next to Nuneaton

"The travel website Trip Advisor has been criticised for locating Cumbria's Lake District in the Midlands. Its page for the region showed a map of Nuneaton and surrounding area – 170 miles (280km) south. Lakes Hospitality Association president Jonathan …BBC News"
Read more

The North was in the news this past week, especially for royalty watchers, when Prince Charles spent a day or two with the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland and visited several places on the Northumberland Coast. The surprising thing to me was that the visit was described as his first to the area. For our news here today I've picked out from the reports from many places his visit to Lindisfarne.

Charles visits historic Lindisfarne

"Charles met islanders on Lindisfarne, near Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland – some of whom met the Queen on her 1958 visit – and traced the route she took around part of the island. He was shown around historic buildings including Lindisfarne Castle …"
Read more

Farm incomes have been in the news recently from several different directions. This is especially an issue in the North with upland agriculture a continuing struggle for survival. Now the dairy industry in in the spotlight and it is good to see Dr. John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, speaking out for the northern farming community.

Let struggling British farmers use 'Fairtrade" label to save industry, …

"Dr John Sentamu said farmers in upland areas such as the Yorkshire Dales were struggling to survive with cheap imports flooding the market. He said that consumers were “colluding” with supermarkets to keep prices down at the risk of forcing farmers out …Telegraph.co.uk"
Read more

That's it from Across the North for this week.  More next time.