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Alnwick Still looks like a
stronghold of the Earls and Dukes of Northumberland. You may enter from
the South through the narrow medieval arch of Hotspur Tower and within moments
confront the great barbican guarding the gateway to Alnwick Castle. Within
the town, age speaks for itself from the narrow streets, cobblestones,
passageways, sturdy grey buildings and monuments. The town grew up on the
River Aln beside the great border castle whose walls enclose 7 acres.
Below and around the castle are grounds landscaped by Capability Brown in 1765
which now form a beautiful park. In the town a broad main street with slopping tree shaded
cobblestone parking space alongside, passes near a market square. A free
standing 18th Century hall has an arcade for shops on the ground floor and
assembly rooms above. A very interesting town steeped in history and the
ravages of this wild border country. Alnwick Castle
The main seat of
the Duke of Northumberland. this great border castle whose walls enclose 7 acres
of park has survived many battles during its chequered history. Below and
around the castle are grounds landscaped by Capability Brown in 1765 which now
form a beautiful park. The castle was begun by the Vesci family in the
early 12th Century. When the last legitimate member of the family line
died in 1297 the castle was held in trust by the then Bishop of Durham who
subsequently sold it on to Henry Percy in 1309. The family Percy
eventually became Dukes of Northumberland and have lived here ever since.
Outwardly the castle has altered little since the 14th Century. However it
was severely damaged during the border wars and stood as a ruin for nearly 200
years before the 1st Duke restored it in the 18th Century.
Some of the state rooms in the castle are open to the public displaying superb
paintings by Titian, Tintoretto, Canaletto & Van Dyck. Augmented by
collections of Meissen pottery and superb furniture the fine library is the
largest room in the castle and the main staircase exquisite.
Alnwick Castle
Gardens The rose garden with over 2,000 roses, the grand cascade linking
over 120 water jets into a display utilising 7,000 gallons of water per minute.
Ornamental Garden, woodland walk and much more as this garden opened only very
recently begins to grow. Venerable Bede
Born
probably in 673. In 670 he was sent school in Monkwearmouth but stayed
only two years before being sent to Jarrow in 672. He loved knowledge and
found the libraries of St Pauls fascinating. He enjoyed astronomy,
numbers, Latin and wrote the life of St Cuthbert. He also wrote a famous
history book. The first of its kind about the English Church and People.
He also loved the Bible and was working on St Johns Gospel when he died on may
25th 735. He was 62 years old. He was buried in Jarrow. During
the 11th Century his bones were stolen and brought to Durham. At the time
they were put in the same coffin as St Cuthbert. However in the 13th
Century they were separated and brought to a new tomb in the Galilee Chapel also
in Durham Cathedral.
Barnard castle
Certainly
owes its existence to its unique position above the
River
Tees.
A natural fortification lending itself to a mighty castle which dominates the
town.
Built in 1150 in 6.5
acres of ground by Bernard,
son of Guy
De
Balliol,
and one of the knights who fought alongside
William
the Conqueror.
The
town takes its name from this most important benefactor.
The town which grew
up outside the castle walls has two main thoroughfares,
Galgate
and Market
place.
The market hall built in 1747 and the
ancient Kings Head Hotel
where Charles Dickens stayed
in 1838 when writing Nicholas Nickleby,
together with St Mary`s
Church founded in the 12th Century
are just some of the gems which make this town one of the 51 historically and
architecturally important towns in Great Britain
Beamish museum Step back in time at this wonderful open air museum. 30 years old this magnificent museum spread over more than 300 acres is dedicated to life as it was in the North East of England in 1825 & 1913. From the Manor house to the Wagonway, the town, the garage, the station, sweetshop, pit cottages, school & chapel, the colliery, transport, the farm, all aspects of our ancestors living conditions are bought back to life in reconstructions using original & actual memorabilia. Berwick on Tweed
Berwick is
the most Northern Town in England with a fascinating history, this is the town
that has changed hands 14 times in the past thousand years, it is now English
(act of Parliament 1746) but still a Scottish Burgh (1958) confused, so are the
residents. Sold by Richard 1 to Scotland to get money for his crusade.
Destroyed in 1216 by King John. When William Wallace was executed in 1305,
one quarter of him was displayed here as a warning to rebels. The Tweed
Estuary is spanned by three Bridges, Berwick Bridge, a handsome bridge with 15
arched dating back to 1624. Royal Tweed Bridge built in 1928 is a concrete
structure. The Royal border bridge carrying the main East line railway 38
metre high with 28 arches built in 1847 by Robert Stephenson and opened by Queen
Victoria in 1850. Berwick has a well worn appearance which seems to suit
its historical role as a buffer town. Bowes Museum
A surprise, what
is a French
Chateau
doing in the English
countryside.
Designed by
Jules
Pellechet
in the French
style for John
Bowes
and his French
wife Josephine.
Work
started in 1862 and was completed in 1892.
Sadly
neither John
or Josephine
lived to see the completed work.
John was
the illegitimate son of the 10th
Earl
of Strathmore.
When
the Earl
died he inherited all the family fortune but not the title which went to his
Uncle.
John
Bowes
and his wife who had no children of their own therefore set about putting
together a remarkable collection of artefacts over a period of nearly 15 years
intending that the public should be able to see and enjoy them.
This
was the purpose of the building, to house the collection.
Although
the collection does have a strong
European
influence, more English
displays have now been added.
The
collection is said to feature 10,000 objects in 22 exhibition rooms in a home
which stands in a 21-acre park.
Ceramics,
textiles, furniture, tapestries, paintings, clocks, objet d`art,
English
furniture, silver, costume, toys etc. Brancepeth Church
The
Church
of St
Brandon
one of the finest
Medieval
buildings in the country, stands in the shadow of the
Saxon
stronghold of
Brancepeth
Castle.
The
castle and its inhabitants are a part of the history of
England
but the church is entwined with them all.
The
oldest part is the tower thought to date from the
Norman
era of 1170. Josephine & John Bowes Museum A
surprise, what is a French Chateau doing in the English countryside.
Designed by Jules Pellechet in the French style for John Bowes and his French
wife Josephine. Work started in 1862 and was completed in 1892.
Sadly neither John or Josephine lived to see the completed work. John was
the illegitimate son of the 10th Earl of Strathmore. When the
earl died he inherited all the family fortune but not the title which went to
his uncle. John Bowes and his wife who had no children of their own
therefore set about putting together a remarkable collection of artefacts over a
period of nearly 15 years intending that the public should be able to see and
enjoy them. This was the purpose of the building, to house the collection.
Although the collection does have a strong European influence, more English
displays have now been added. The collection is said to feature 10,000
objects in 22 exhibition rooms in a home which stands in a 21-acre park.
Ceramics, textiles, furniture, tapestries, paintings, clocks, objet d`art,
English furniture, silver, costume, toys etc. Durham
It is not only the lover of
architecture who will be thrilled by Durham. It is one of the most
visually exciting cities in Britain. The magnificent Norman Cathedral and
the Castle stand proudly on a sandstone hill almost enclosed by a steep banked
wooded bend of the River Wear. It is a scene well worth looking at from
every vantage point. The best views are obtained from the railway station,
Prebends Bridge, South Street, Silesgate and also Palace Green. The Castle
was built in 1069 by the Norman invaders and the town grew up under the Castle
walls between the two river crossings at Elvet and Framwellgate. Durham is
not a large city but is a centre of local government and education (Durham
University was created as the third university in England by an act of
Parliament in 1832) Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral was
founded as a shrine for the body of St Cuthbert. When Viking raids forced
the monks
on Lindisfarne to flee in
875. They carried with them the body of the saint, they reached Durham in
995 after time at Chester le Street and Ripon. In Durham the coffin seemed
to become rooted to the ground and the spot for the new shrine was revealed in a
vision. By 998 they had built a church (nothing remains of this early
building) it quickly became a place of pilgrimage. The Bishops became
Prince Bishops of Durham giving the city the right to raise armies, own
nobility, coinage and courts. All these privileges were ended in 1836.
The present Cathedral Church of Christ and blessed Mary the Virgin was built
between 1093 and 1133 to a plan of Bishop William of Calais. He died but
the work continued under Bishop Flambard. It is possibly the finest Norman
building in Europe. St Cuthberts body was brought to his shrine behind the
high altar in 1104. The Cathedral was the first in Northern Europe to be
covered with stone ribbed vaulting and it has the earliest pointed transverse
arches in England. There are few monuments because of a long held rule
that no one should be buried in the shrine of st cuthbert. From the South
side aisle a door leads to the monks dormitory, a great timbered hall 194ft by
39ft where some of
the Cathedrals prized possessions can be seen, they include St Cuthberts
illuminated manuscripts. In front of the font is a line of marble, the
nearest point that women were allowed to get to the altar. Almost no
amount of time is to long to spend in this unique place of worship.
Escomb
Church
A place
of Christian worship for over 1,300 years. It is impossible to tell who
built this little church, when, or why in this particular location. Though
not mentioned by Bede the fabric is definitely 7th Century. Archaeologists
consider somewhere between 670 & 690AD. Built of reused roman stone.
The circular (Celtic) Churchyard and sloping walls are evidence of the Irish
influence prior to the Synod of Whitby in 664AD. The South wall offers
visitors a window each of Saxon, Norman & Gothic traditions whilst the old
cobbled flooring in the Nave could well be Saxon. The Church is not large
or a real architectural gem, it sits so simple in the landscape, its importance
really magnifies the Christian faith of endurance and those who work tirelessly
to preserve such wonderful buildings.
Hadrians wall
The
most important monument built by the Romans in Britain. It is a world
heritage site and is by far the best known frontier in the entire Roman Empire.
Built by order of Emperor Hadrian on his visit to Britain in 122AD. It
took 6 years to build and is 73 miles in length, 15ft high and runs from
Wallsend in the East to Bowness on Solway in the West. It was built to
separate the Romans from the Barbarians.
When the Romans left in about 400AD the wall became derelict and stones where
used in buildings and walls all, over the area.
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