Old stamping grounds

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If we were going to choose a day out, Thursday was a pretty good one to choose.

OH and I had decided to visit the NE – we go regularly, it’s OH’s homeland, and where we began married life. A super part of the world.

We had intended to leave at 5.30 am, but finding ourselves wide awake at 4 am, were on the road well before 5, and just north of Lancaster by 6. It was a lovely morning, and apart from some cloud around midday remained so all day.

Our first port of call was the round of family graves, which we always visit. OH’s great grandfather is buried at St Paul’s, Jarrow, which is – I believe – the second oldest extant church in Britain. It is built around the Saxon remains of the monastery where the Venerable Bede lived and worked. It is always a source of wonder to us when we visit. When we lived in Jarrow, although the monastery was taken for granted by locals, and known to academics and historians, it was of little note to most. Now it is restored, well-presented and a candidate for world heritage status. The park adjoining it was an overgrown field, full of debris and hardly safe to walk through. The visitor/education centre was a derelict building. How times change!

St Paul’s Church : the part to the right of the tower is Saxon, and part of the old monastery:

Remains of the Monastery where St Bede worked:

The view in the other direction. These cranes are on the south bank of the Tyne:

The park between the church and the visitor centre – it was impossible to walk across this space when we lived here :

After leaving Jarrow, we headed north to Craster, on the Northumberland coast. This lovely fishing village is another old haunt of ours. We had two memorable holidays here when the children were young. We rented one of the cottages overlooking the harbour. The front gardens of the cottages are across the road, bordering the harbour. The village has most definitely been “discovered” and was actually quite busy when we visited this time – mainly over 60s (like us) mostly walking along the low cliffs to the dramatic Dunstanburgh Castle. It is definitely my favourite castle ever, but today was not the day to go. I know it so well, but I enjoy it best when it is quiet and lonely, even in poor weather. When we stayed there, we used to like it in the evening, when it was closed, and we could walk around the outside and imagine how it must have been, so long ago.

A fishing boat in Craster harbour.
A plaque on the wall reads “Hodie felix, cras ter” which is a Latin pun meaning “today happy, tomorrow thrice [happy]”.

As you can see, the sea was like a millpond. Lovely weather, of course, but on this rocky shore, I rather like to see the waves and hear the sound of the water! (Never satisfied, eh?)

The white house was our home for a week in 1987, and again in ’88. The front gardens – which are across the road – are on the edge of the harbour, and awash with colour:

Next we drove into Alnwick. No – we didn’t visit the garden. We didn’t have time (and have you seen the price of the tickets? – only joking!) We had lunch at the White Swan, where one of their rooms is decked out in the original panelling, mirrors and ceiling salvaged from the Olympic, sister ship of the Titanic – quite a sight! We often visit Barter Books here, a superb second-hand bookshop in the old station, but again – no time on this visit. You need to allow plenty of time in that treasure-house. It’ll wait – we’ll be back!

After lunch, we headed south and west to Corbridge, another frequent destination. After browsing the antiques centre, we enjoyed a coffee at the Angel Inn, which we have been visiting for 45 years. The weather was hot and sunny and everywhere looked beautiful.

Corbridge:

Finally, we decided it was time to head home – early enough to miss most of the traffic on the A69, and late enough to miss the worst of it in Preston. I love the M6 north of Lancaster. The countryside looks beautiful at this time of year – so lush, so many different greens.

M6 – part of one of the most dramatic stretches, just south of Tebay:

We were home by 8, feeling rather pleased with ourselves for fitting so much into a great day. We have no more day trips planned for a few weeks… (the next one will undoubtedly be to Paisley to see daughter, s-i-l and grandson!)

• 14 Jun, 2014
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