Heading North for a 'Little' 36 Night 'Holiday' Day 15 - 20

Heading North for a 'Little' 36 Night 'Holiday' Day 15 - 20

Thursday 1st July 2021  ⛅⛅⛅🌞🌞⛅⛅

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Today the fortified town of Berwick-on-Tweed was our target and Wiki informed us that it's the northernmost town in England lying just 2 and a half miles from the Scottish boarder, and that the town sits at the mouth of the River Tweed - a 97 mile long river that flows mainly in Scotland but which crosses the boarder into England for it's last 2 miles.   

The River Tweed as it flows into the North Sea

When we first got to Berwick we had a very nice surprise!  In almost every town we've ever visited we've always had to pay for parking but just below the walls of the city there was a huge free long stay car park, and as there was plenty of space we took full advantage of it!

We're just in front of the trees

And then we were off for a walk atop the city walls which had loads of info boards explaining about the history of town and the massive defences that were built between 1558 and 1570 in the reigns of the Tudor Monarchs - Mary 1 and Elizabeth 1.  Apparently the ramparts were designed to mount guns on to defend the town at a time of great conflict between England and Scotland and there was still plenty of evidence of the old gun emplacements to be seen!

A little later our walk took us out onto the very long pier which ends with a red and white lighthouse.  Now, although the concrete structure is called a pier the info boards told us that it's actually a breakwater that was built to protect the entrance to the Tweed from the sea, and that it's  length measures 960 yards and it took 11 years to build from when work started in 1810.

Nowadays the lighthouse shows a fixed green light to the 
landward side and a flash every 5 seconds to the seaward side 
that's visible for 10 miles.

Some of the old cobbles at the edge of the breakwater looked as if they might have been originals but it had obviously been renovated and it provided a lovely place to stroll, and additionally, because there were benches along it's way it was a great place for our picnic lunch in the very warm sunshine.  

Our view over the water to Spittal

Then once refreshed we still had a bit more exploring to do, initially a bit further along the town's high walls from where we spotted a curlew hunting for his grub

Later still we walked beside the Tweed and found ourselves at the foot of The Grade 1 listed railway viaduct 'The Royal Border Bridge'.  

It was built between 1847 and 1850 and was opened by Queen Victoria and amazingly it's still in regular use today with major repair work not being needed until 1993.  While we were there we saw several trains traverse it's 2,162 foot length at a height of 121 feet, and in so doing they passed over the bridges 28 arches as they went!

Friday 2nd July 2021 ⛅⛅⛅🌞🌞⛅⛅

Today we finally released our bikes from their shackles and managed to nip out for a little 26 miles which started and ended just outside the  town of Belford which is were we're calling home at the mo!  At the beginning  of our ride our route headed quite steeply up hill out of Belford but once we got to the top we were rewarded with views out to sea and also in the distance we could just about make out the Holy Island of Linisfarne and the start of the causeway that crosses over to it, and that was our first target.  

However, our plan didn't include crossing over the causeway that links the island to the mainland despite the tide being in our favour!  Instead we retraced our tracks back to the A1 where we took our life in our hands in our attempt to cross it  🚘 🚙 🚓  🚛 🚌 🛵 😨 before we pedalled on to the little hamlet of Lowick where we found a lovely 'green' for our picnic.  And while we ate we were entertained by multiple fly by-s from lots of acrobatic birds, but initially we  couldn't decide if they were swifts, swallows or house-martins😕!  But when we looked them up in our trusty pocket guide bird book it seems that only House-martins have white under-pants parts so that must have been what they were!

After lunch we continued our ride and although much of what surrounded us could be described as arable fields full of crops we were quite surprised to come across a huge field that was very closely packed with unopened poppy heads - we wondered if there was an opium factory near by - and maybe it's a good job they weren't all in flower because I think we might have got high just in our passing!

I later learnt that they were actually opium poppies similar to those grown in Afghanistan for the production of heroin😲but these poppies are grown and harvested to manufacture medicinal opiates such as morphine and codeine!

A 'pinched' pic of the poppies in bloom

Soon after that the road became quite shaded by trees and tall hedge rows and it was here that the many MANY MANY adolescent pheasant chicks kept jumping, running and fluttering as we startled them as we passed by!

Then, as we rode along John informed me that the road we were on was part of the 😈 Devil's Causeway😈 - a Roman Road that in total runs for about 55 miles but we only rode along a short part of it!  But that led us to the last uphill of today's ride and it was a long 2 mile drag to the top 😰, I was okay cos I had plenty of e-power, and although John mostly made it he needed a bit of minor resuscitation by the time he got to the top!  But once again we had splendid views over the rough open moorland and on our left distant views out to sea.  And the final bit of our reward was the long swoop downhill back into Belford!

Saturday 3rd July 2021  ☁️☁️☁️☁️ 🌧️ ⛈️🌧️

Unfortunately on this tour we still haven't done as much cycling as we'd like, and as my bike is new I'm still trying to bed it in and tweak it to fit me better, so with that in mind we'd thought we'd go out cycling again today!  However, the weather predictions were for heavy rain from early afternoon so we ditched that plan and decided to go walking this morning and then to nip out to do a bit of bike and John's birthday shopping this afternoon!  

But where to go?  St Cuthbert's Cave and a walk up on to the ridge above it was where we chose, and luckily when we got to the small car park at the base of the climb to the cave there was plenty of space.  The cave itself is steeped in legend and it's said that the ancient monks from Lindisfarne laid St Cuthbert's body  to rest there in AD875.  

Today the Cave is in the care of the National Trust and it's structure is formed by an overhanging outcrop of Sandstone rock supported by an isolated single stone pillar, but it hasn't always looked how it appeared today!  In the mid 19th Century the entrance was enclosed by a stone wall and used as a lambing shed, and later when it was owned by the Leather family it was used as the their burial place after being consecrated in 1936.  Memorials to members of the family are carved onto a large rock in front of the cave but as this is also sandstone these are fading fast!

Maybe these scardy lambs were descendants of those kept in the cave

After our walk we nipped back 'home' for lunch and set of for 'Go Outdoors' cos we thought we'd be able to get all our 'shopping' there but what we got was a big fat ZILCH!  So instead we headed back in Berwick and went to the only bike shop in town, but low and behold, the very helpful owner was able to provided shoes and cleat peddles for John (his early birthday pressie🎁) and bar ends for me!  

And the weather, well it did rain quite hard for a short while but it wasn't nearly as bad as the fairy tale weather forecast indicated!

Sunday 4th July 2021  ⛅⛅⛅⛅⛅⛅

Today our aim was to try out our new bike gear and we did that by completing a 30 mile circuit which was described as moderate to strenuous in our Cycling Guide Book!  And for the most part it was a lovely ride, but it has to be said, it had a couple of 'horrible' bits thrown in for good measure!  Once again we set off steeply uphill as we left Belford and this was one of the 'horrible' bits - but not because of the hill - it was more because of the many hundreds of flies which surrounded our sweating heads due to our slow pace as we ascended 🪰🪰🪰😓🪰🪰 🪰  Luckily they weren't of the biting kind but we must have looked as if we'd got Tourette's as we attempted to waft them away😂.

By the time we got to the top of the first hill we were half way to the town of Chatton and initially we had panoramic views or the Cheviot Hills, and then as we proceeded we thought we might be able to see Chillingham Castle and maybe some of the famous wild cattle that roam in the parkland but both were hidden by a high stone wall and a fee needed to be paid to enter so we didn't bother.  And it was as we proceeded from there that we found another mahousive hill was challenging our progress!  There was absolutely no chance that either of us were going to conquer this one (not even me with my e-power) so it was 'Shanks's Pony🐎' right to the top and by the time we got there we/I was completely knackered!  However, a good reviving picnic soon put me right and then it was forward and onwards across sun drenched moor land that was almost completely traffic free and home to a huge number of 🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑!

After about 7 miles of this lovely undulating road track (it was a bit rough in places)  the lane plunged back down to the A1 but this time we didn't have to take our life into our hands because there was a very convenient underpass to see us safely across the road but it was only a short distance after that (just after the town of Ellingham) that said life was at risk again 😂!  John had led me down a rough  track were eventually we would have had to pass through a gate, but on the other side of the gate stood this well endowed chap!

He looked quite placid but I wouldn't have wanted to risk getting on his wrong side!

So this resulted in a little back tracking but luckily John had a 'plan B' so only an extra couple of miles was added!  A little later (and by now I was flagging again) we came across  an unusual structure called 'The Ducket'

A 65 foot high tower that overlooks Budle Bay that was built in the 18th Century

Apparently it's initial function was as a windmill, then later it became a dovecot that provided a good supply of meat, eggs and manure to Outchester Farm, but more recently it's been converted into a luxury self catering holiday home.  However, unsurprisingly to stay there you'd need deep pockets! 

Then from that point it was only a few more miles home for a very well earned cuppa and slice of cake!

Monday 5th July 2021  🌦️🌦️⛅⛅⛅🌞🌞🌞

I really do think we ought to stop looking at the weather fairy tales because once again if we'd listened to the prediction we might not have done what we did!  We stayed in for the morning to do chores but after a substantial Brunch of egg and bacon sarnies we set off for the fishing village of Craster for a walk along the Coast Path to the dramatic ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle.  

The 14th Century Fortification of Dunstanburgh Castle

The site is owned by English Heritage, and of course there is a charge to enter the walls but we were quite happy to partially circumnavigate it and admire it from the cheap side!

Coffee and scones were indulged in on the far side of the castle and while we consumed them we watched the many antics of the gulls, razorbills and guillemots as they ducked, dived and swam beneath the cliffs that they call home at this time of year!

There was even a little family of ducks battling the waves

Tuesday 6th July 2021  🌧️ 🌧️ 🌧️ 🌧️ 🌧️ 🌧️

Well, for once the weather man got it right!  The rain started banging on our roof sometime in the night while it was still dark and it hasn't given up since!  So other than to nip to the very nearby farm shop for 2 delicious sausage rolls for lunch we're having a duvet day and staying in our van snug and dry!  However, we have kept peering out at the very soggy tents and feeling very sorry for the poor wet campers!

Bye for now 😘

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