Finchale Priory (or Abbey) near Durham is much underestimated as a place to go yet we thought it was tranquil and pretty earlier this week.The heron fishing in the Wear thought so too!
Sited on a meander, like Durham Cathedral, it is English Heritage, has a little cafe & picnic site. Bonny!
I wonder why Blagdon, home of Lord Ridley, has white bulls over gateways? We must research we decided (if we ever get time!) as we drove under the pale bovines in the dusky moonlight after a meeting there.
I can't tell you how I felt walking in the Cheviots with friends- a realisation that we were alone, saw no one, but were surrounded by nature; curlews with long, curved beaks silhouetted against the sky, calling to us to come away from their nests on the moors. Skylarks spiralled high above twittering at us for the same affect while lambs skeetered,bleating for their mams.
We followed a stream banked with foxgloves and newly colouring heather,
up over a waterfall
and lunched on cushions of white flowers dotted with tiny, yellow tormentil, speedwell blue and white stitchwort.
How much work has the farmer had to do to cut round areas of heather then fire them so each year the ling shoots again to give some fresh, green grazing for his flock? From our stand up at the trig point we looked down on a harlequin patchwork of diamonds on the sides of Cheviot and 100 metres below that on Hedgehope.
Waterproofs on, waterproofs off; fleeces on , fleeces off; T-shirts sweating, T-shirts suntanning...... a real mix of weather. So ... to the caravan then pub for tea.
Apparently the corner turning descent of Hartside offers one of the top 10 views in Britain- today the climb was being taken by trudging horses pulling vardo up from the Appleby horse fair.
A cuppa at 'Brief Encounter' then under the line to meet the gang to board the Carlisle -Settle train via Ribblehead viaduct.
What was the beautiful house wine at the pub in Settle?
Another lovely day....
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