Chillingham castle was built in the 12 century, and as our guide informed us, originally it had a round tower but this was subsequently replaced by the square design you see today. The castle itself became fully fortified in 1344 which was necessary as it was after all, on the front line of the ongoing skirmishes and battles between the English and Scots.

The tour officially started at 8pm by our group, along with three others, were champing at the bit to get going and we left the central courtyard of the castle to start our tour just after a quarter to. Our guide warned us that when we heard the castle clock strike six, it was actually eight o’clock. (Just one of those oddities of Chillingham)

The first thing we were told was this was a ghost tour, not a ghost hunt, and not to expect to encounter anything para-normal, though if anything did, it would be a bonus. I think the guide was setting expectations here upfront in true Northumbrian style. So off we went on the tour.

Rather than entering the castle we were taken back outside, along one of the high walls towards the woods to the “Monks’ Walk”. This was a route used, as you may have guessed, by monks, walking to and from their church. However, the monks were barely tolerated by the locals, so in order to stay out of sight, they walked through the woods instead of along a track. Nothing too contentious there you may think.

Woods can be scary at night. This one in particular has a history. As it is on the north side of the castle, prisoners from the battles in the area, local criminals, or general miscreants would be hung from these trees by their wrists or ankles and left to die of dehydration. This was because it trouble was coming, it was always be those Scots from the North.

Often they would last three or fours days, hanging naked with no clothes on. Our guide informed us at the time, the monks found this to be offensive. Not the hanging, nobody would dare cut anyone down, but the vitcims’ lack of clothing. So the monks would use squares of unrefined black and white wool to protect the modesty of victims.

Around this tree, people have reported to hear the sounds of children laughing and playing. Quite surprising given what would have been hanging all around them at the time. However these were hard times indeed. Parents would send their children to retrieve the squares of black and white wool from the corpses to use for their own clothing and children being children, they would make a game of it to distract themselves from the horrors all around.

Whilst the Yew trees made great hanging trees due to their large numbers of limbs, they were difficult for adults to climb but presented little challenge to children who could easily squeeze through the small gaps. They also provided a source of wood to produce the classic English Long Bow. A very effective weapon of its day.

Having followed “The Monks’ Walk” to the driveway, we turned back up the hill to the castle to start the interior tour.

On reaching the courtyard, our guide gave us a brief history of the castle, it’s structure and how it was built, before we started the climb up the south western tower to the King Edward I room.

Built specifically to accommodate King Edward I, this room was used frequently in his absence by a very disturbing character by the name of John Sage.

Sage had been sent to the castle by the king, with two demands. He was to be acommodated in the King’s quarters when it was not in use by His Majesty or other nobles, and was also be found gainful employment at the castle. Sage was wounded by a spear to the leg and result of his torturing activities inflicting pain and suffering on up to fifty people a week, as well as his distinctive walk, earned him the nickname of Dragfoot. This presented a quandry for the castle, what role could be given to this dashing, yet disabled man?

Sage, himself picked the role of “meeter and greeter” of prisoners at the castle which meant in reality, he was the torturer.

Sage was suspected in the killing of at least two children in this room and would often lock himself away in there for days on end getting up to who knows what with the women of his choice.

Whilst on our tour a gauntlet fell off a suite of armour which was in the corner of the room. Was that Sage giving us a warning sign or did someone on the tour get too close and knock it off. We’ll never know.

Our next stop was the Great Hall.

This was the main dining area of the castle and a great long table was set out along virtually the entire length of the room.

Now I took the picture to the left generally zapping around the room when the group had started to leave and noticed a blue anomaly at the far end of the room on the camera screen.

However, this turned out to be the gas bottle shown in the insert rather than anything to do with the ghost of Lady Mary Berkeley who is said to walk this room on the far side of the table away from the fireplace.

The guide explained how he personally had an experience in the Great Hall with one of the heavy candlesticks falling over and rolling off the table on to the floor.

He had also smelt the rose petal perfume of Mary Berkeley on a number of occasions.

Watching him deliver his talk in here, it was interesting to note that he stayed on the fireplace side of the table at all times. Entering the room, delivering his speech, then leaving the room. Always on the fireplace side, away from the route Mary Berkeley was said to walk.

As we left the Great Hall, the group were asked to put the candles out as we went. One lady, so engrossed in the speech replied, almost involuntarily, “No Chance”. Much to the amusement of the rest of us.

The next room we were to visit was the castle chapel.

Haunted by the ghost of a young girl called Eleanor who died in the chapel, it was in this room that poltergeist activity got a mention. Rattling of the elements of the lanterns, as well as extreme cold spots had been reported by nothing occurred during our visit. We were all asked to turn our torches off and the darkness in this room was amazing. You literally could not see your hand in front of your face at all.

We moved on through the minstrels’ gallery and down into what is now used as a tearoom during the day.

For me, one of the most best sights of the tour, was the huge Irish Elk antlers on the wall. The picture cannot truly convey the shear scale of these things and the must have been about twenty feet in width. All supported by a relatively small head.

These antlers were recovered from a bog which had preserved them amazingly well and they formed an impressive centrepiece.

Now it was in this room where things started to get a little weird.

Several of us heard knocking and banging from the direction of the minstrels’ gallery whilst the guide carried on delivering his talk. Other members of the group on the tour, reported similar noises from completely the opposite direction.

Also, Julie took a photograph of the corner diagonally opposite where we entered the room and got an anomaly. I took a picture with a different camera completely and was surprised to get something similar.

I’ve no idea what it is, why it should appear on two different pictures, from two different cameras. I think all we can say if we can rule out any camera fault.

Again, on leaving this room, I made sure I was one of the last to leave in order to take pictures. However, as the group had moved away and there were only three of us from my group left in the room, the noises from the direction of the minstrels’ gallery happened once again.

Nobody commented on them at the time and I just assumed that the tour was being followed round at a discrete distance by the estate manager, locking up the rooms behind us as we went along the route.

My suspicions this was happening were further strengthened once I had taken this picture.

Just after I took this shot. Clear as a bell I heard a cough. It has to be someone locking up behind us. Yet talking to the estate manager on the way out, at the end of the tour, he told us that nothing had been locked up and he still had to do that. Even after some pressing questions he maintained he had to see us down the steps and to our cars and then lock up. So I cannot explain the noises or the cough, but I know I heard both.

The tour continued into a room showing the types of torture equipment that John Sage would have used in his day and crossing the courtyard once again, we ended the tour in a room where you could take a peek into the dungeon of the castle down the oubliette.

Stepping back out into the courtyard, I took some final pictures in the dark.

There are a few things going on in this picture however it was raining at the time so the flash picked up raindrops rather than anything else. At least that is what I thought at first. On looking at the full size picture in Photoshop, some of the anomalies were blurred, except the blurring was at the bottom rather than the top. Why is this significant? As the rain falls to the ground you expect to see the blurring on the top, forming a little tail a bit like a comet. If the blurring is on the bottom, whatever it is, must have been traveling upwards. Rain doesn’t go up. Does it?

It just one of the many mysteries of Chillingham. Like Royston Vasey, you may never leave.

Chillingham

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You will be able to see a short film of a visit to Alnwick Castle by clicking on the play button below.

However, whatever is said, whatever is shown, nothing can replace the history and excitement of an actual visit to the castle itself.

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Today the only way to reach Dunstanburgh Castle is on foot along the exposed Northumberland coastline. We started out at Craster, home of the famous Robson and Son smoke house. The weather was overcast and windy, with the tide edging in as we walked, leading to some stunning waves breaking against the rocky coastline.
The route along the coast is littered with wildlife from various cattle to the Spot Eider Duck (known locally as Cuddy’s Duck after St. Cuthbert) and I won’t lie, lots of cow pats!

The castle itself, on which building commenced in 1313 by The Earl of Lancaster, sits alone, fringed on two sides by the North Sea, looking bleak and imposing. A great deal of the castle sits in ruin but it is still possible to climb (some very steep stairs) to the top of one of the towers. Once at the top it offers imposing views out across the North Sea, back to Craster and in the distance Bamburgh Castle.

As you walk the perimeter of the grounds you are rewarded with more magnificent views down into Gull Crag, whose 30 metre high cliffs provided ideal defences for the castle, and Queen Margaret’s Cove, where the waves crash in and over where the medieval builders placed the latrines!

Although it is in a ruinous state Dunstanburgh remains steeped in history and for all of its bleakness it is a stunning, peaceful reward at the end (or the middle) of your walk.

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On the National Trust website, Wallington is described as “Magnificent mansion with fine interiors and collections, set in an extensive garden and parkland”. It is an accurate description of what was once the home of the Trevelyan family, in Border Reiver country.

As you approach the estate,one of the first sights to greet you are the Griffins on the east lawn.

However, these stone heads do not mark the entrance to the site, you will have to continue a few hundred yards to the north to find the car park and entrance. The estate now owned and managed by the National Trust, is at the centre of a number of working farms which supply produce the farm shop at the southern end of the car park.

Having paid your entrance fee, or shown your National Trust membership card, you enter the Courtyard by walking through the archway under the clock. The Courtyard is a mis-leading description for this area of the estate as there is a large grassed, well tendered lawn to cross or walk round before reaching the big house itself. This area provides an ideal space for a picnic if the weather is nice, whilst other took the opportunity to kick a ball around during our visit.

Formal stable blocks house displays showing the history of the estate, some carriages, as well as the obligatory gift shop, tea room and restaurant. During the visit I stopped for a cup of tea and a scone, very reasonably priced and served quickly with a smile.

The house itself did not open until 1pm, so that provided ample time to take a look around the extensive grounds and woodland areas. One of the highlights was the walled garden, whose formal displays were clearly the result of many hours work by skilled gardeners. However, all this work was upstaged by mother nature herself, when a dragonfly made an appearance at the pond.

This rare sight drew cameras from bags and pockets from everyone in the area.

After the walled garden came a long walk in the extensive grounds of Wallington, though be warned, make sure you are wearing appropriate footwear. Thick soled shoes or boots are best as the paths vary in quality. That said virtually all sections are accessible to those who use wheelchairs.

Overall, you should allow yourself a good four hours to get the most out of your visit which includes the interior of the house itself. Contrary to the plaintive cries of one young man who said “What are we doing in here, it’s all just old stuff?” there is plenty to see and do.

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Acquired by The National Trust in 1983 Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal are part of a huge site just outside of Ripon. Fountains Abbey was established in 1132 by 13, French, Benedictine monks who left their order due to their outrage at the way their order was being broken. The monks originally travelled to York but were given the land on which Fountains Abbey now stands.

We spent much of the morning on a guided tour of the abbey with our most informative National Trust guide, John. All the while trying to avoid a large group of school children who were being taken on a tour, dressed as monks, by guides who were also dressed for and acting the part, complete with bell ringing, fighting and singing in the abbey!
Lunch was eaten in the grounds of the abbey which is incredibly tranquil.

After lunch we moved on to walk along the banks of the River Skell to the Studley Royal Water Gardens. Studley Royal was inherited by John Aislabie in 1693. He became the first Tory MP for Ripon in 1695 and 1718 became Chancellor of the Exchequer. The water gardens were influenced by the work of French gardeners but the design in entirely original.
Also in the gardens are several temples. These include The Temple of Fame and The Temple of Piety (which became known by us as the temple of pie eating – sorry).

You can also wander the cascades, formal canals and various bridges.

Our walk back to the visitors centre was via the deer park (not a deer in sight!) and St Marys Church, with a quick stop for a clotted cream tea at Lakeside.
All in all we spent a very pleasant day at Fountains. If you do go for a visit then I would highly recommend joining one of the guided tours, be it of the abbey or Studley Royal. Take a picnic and just enjoy.

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There are not many places left where you get a genuine feeling of stepping back in time when you arrive, but Blanchland is certainly one of them.

There is a strange tranquility about the place, even on a busy weekend. The sound of nature surrounds you, only interrupted by the occasional passing car or van.

Communication appears to centre around the parish noticeboard that, unlike other places, has a number of notices placed upon an open board which are not interfered with by the younger members of the community. People sign up for community events on the board and receive information. A polite notice indicates that all Freedom of Information requests for the council should be addressed to the Town Clerk as there is no full time member of staff to deal with them.

Blanchland could accommodate far more visitors to the area but appears to have made a conscious decision to keep its open spaces. Visitors must park in the car park at the edge of the village and walk the few hundred yards into the centre. Perfection all round.

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A quick visit to the gift shop on the edge of the village green will equip you with a very reasonably priced leaflet showing three circular walks in the countryside around the village.

Parking is usually easy. The parish council allow you to park at the village green and whilst there are no fixed charges are made for parking a donation towards the upkeep of the greens is request via the honesty boxes.

 It is a very small price to pay to park at the centre of the village, however be warned, if you visit on a public holiday parking can get very busy. Go early to make sure you get a spot.

Perhaps one of the nicest things about Reeth is its central location which makes it an ideal start or end point on a number of circular walking routes.

You can head down towards the river and slowly walk west before returning north towards the village green again. This is a fairly easy walk which will provide a pleasant stroll in most weather. Or if you’re feeling a little more adventurous you can head up the hill to tackle a more adventurous route up the side of the moor.

If the weather is particularly wet and you do not want to tackle any of the grassed routes, you can follow the road north and head towards Tan Hill where you will find the famous Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in Britain and star of the Everest double glazing  and solar panel TV adverts.

Whichever route you take, don’t forget to make sure you have clothing and equipment suitable for all weathers. A sunny day can turn into a torrential downpour quite quickly, or even worse if you’re walking on higher ground, the mist can descend. The last time I visited Reeth, there was a timely reminder about going out unprepared with a display by the Mountain Rescue Team on the village green.

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The Sage in Gateshead is probably the most technically advanced music and performance venue in the North East of England and even in the dead of night (as above), the building is the most eye-catching on either bank of the River Tyne.

From the outside of the building it really is hard to get any idea of the scale, but once inside it is easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place.

The building itself houses a twenty five room music education centre, a rehearsal space and two auditoria with precision, state of the art (or perhaps that should be science) acoustics which guarantee perfect performance delivery.

The Sage is also home to the Northern Sinfonia orchestra and Folkworks, that provides opportunities to watch, play or listen to music traditional to the region.

The official site of The Sage, together with its programme of events may be found here.

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Lindisfarne Castle (shown above) dominates the view over the bay of the island. In fact there are not many parts of the island where the castle is not visible.

Boats ashore for maintenance and storage. The village can be seen in the background.

There is a rich history associated with the island with both St Aidan and St Cuthbert having close ties all the way back to 635AD when the first monastery was built.

The village streets are all fairly narrow and careful siting of the visitors’ car park at the end of the causeway ensures the village largely remains free from traffic. This adds to the feeling of peace you will get as you wander around. The photograph below shows the influence of the sea is never far away. Note the lobster pots at the end of the street on the left.

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The former Kings Head where Charles Dickens stayed whilst researching information for his novel Nickolas Nickleby in February 1838.

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