#dunstanburgh

[richflintphoto]

Through the gap looking towards Dunstanburgh Castle. Craster harbour, Northumberland, UK.

[2t2r]

6 reconstructions numériques de châteaux britanniques en ruine

Nouvel article publié sur https://www.2tout2rien.fr/6-reconstructions-numeriques-de-chateaux-britanniques-en-ruine/

6 reconstructions numériques de châteaux britanniques en ruine

[tim-dennis]

Cormorant in the grass

[eggfoto]

[azvolrien]

Then this morning, after spending the night in a B&B in Seahouses, we took a walk along the coastal path to visit the considerably more ruined (but still, I think you can agree, very castley) Dunstanburgh Castle.

Unfortunately the castle itself was closed due to the weather conditions (it may look clear enough in these, but it was, to employ the popular vernacular, fuckin wimdy), which I think English Heritage could have stood to put on the gate at the other end of the mile-long walk from the village of Craster, but we still got some good views from outside the perimeter. I'm not sure how much more there is to see on the inside other than a few extra noticeboards.

[nightbringer24]

Dunstanburgh Castle, 1385

The principle of the gatehouse-keep had one major disadvantage in that it became the immediate focus of an attack and whiles in the thick of battles, must also serve as the residence of the defender and his family. As an experienced soldier, this weakness was unacceptable to John of Gaunt and between 1380 and 1385 he commissioned important changes to the castle's defences. Immediately behind the gatehouse an inner ward was created, complete with six domestic residential buildings and a tower that governed access from the outer ward. When this work was completed around 1383, the main entrance between the D-shaped towers was walled up and a substantial new gatehouse, which allowed access to the inner ward, was constructed near the south end of the west curtain wall. This arrangement effectively converted the old gatehouse into a keep, allowed it to serve as a self-contained residence for the lord of the castle and as a final place of refuge if all other defences should fall.

The new gatehouse consisted of a vaulted tower that was equipped with a portcullis, and immediately in front of it stood a barbican. Running south from the barbican and closely parallel with the west wall was a mantlet-wall 54.9m long. Guarding the southern end of this wall was a small tower equipped with a sloping drawbridge, for the land immediately in front of the castle dropped away quite steeply, much more so than it does today. This cleverly contrived approach to the castle's entrance forced any aggressor into a narrow killing field between the two walls. Here, he would be subjected to a hail of missiles from the great west tower, the west curtain wall and the barbican, before he could even attempt to tackle the new gatehouse. From the west, a track leading from the village of Embleton crossed the moat via a narrow causeway. Further access was controlled from a small, fortified gatehouse, which doubtless employed a drawbridge and was flanked by a stout earth and timber palisade that followed the line of the moat.

Strongholds of the Border Reivers (Osprey Publishing)

Dunstanburgh Castle as it stands today.

[richs-pics]

Dunstanburgh castle

[briery]

A STEVE aurora above Dunstanburgh Castle Northumberland, UK. (Image credit: Steve Iomas). (Hi-Res 1, 2).

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Getting back to Marmion! Some bits of context for the last few days’ posts.

A palmer was sort of a continual pilgrim, who spent a period of time travelling to holy sights and praying. The greatest holy sight of all was Jerusalem, where the palmer in the poem has in fact been, along with a huge list of other holy sights, from Mt. Ararat where Noah’s Arc reputedly came to rest after the Flood, to Mt. Sinai, to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and in England Durham and Canterbury among others.

I think (I am not sure) palmer paid for their travels in part by donations from pious people, who might want the palmer to pray for them at some shrine. Marmion himself expresses a more lighthearted picture of palmers in general -

I love such holy ramblers; still

They know to charm a weary hill,

With song, romance, or lay:

Some jovial tale, or glee, or jest,

Some lying legend, at the least,

They bring to cheer the way.”

- and that may not be unrealistic for a category of people that could have included the medieval equivalent of a tourist with a GoFundMe. But this palmer is not of that kind - he’s haggard and gloomy, and kind of disturbing with his nighttime mutterings. But Marmion chooses to accept him as a guide all the same, and the next morning the whole group departs.

The first canto (The Castle) ended, we switch scenes and characters for the second (The Convent), to a boat travelling north, up the eastern coast of England, from Whitby to the island of Lindisfarne (also called St. Cuthbert’s Isle) with a group of nuns aboard. Now, where has Lindisfarne been mentioned in the previous canto? In the bit about Marmion’s former page:

That boy thou thought’st so goodly fair,

He might not brook the Northern air.

More of his fate if thou wouldst learn,

I left him sick in Lindisfarne:

The voyage is both a little scary and exciting for the nuns, who don’t get out much. Many of the castles the pass, like Warkworth and Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh, are ones you can still see on the Northumberland coast today.

But two of the group in particular are not having fun: the abbess (chief nun), who is not named, and the novice (i.e., has not yet taken vows and become a nun) Clare. Clare joined the convent recently after the loss of the man she loved, and in order to escape an unwelcome suitor who is trying to marry her in order to get at her property.

She was betrothed to one now dead,

Or worse, who had dishonoured fled.

Her kinsmen bade her give her hand

To one who loved her for her land;

Herself, almost heart-broken now,

Was bent to take the vestal vow,

And shroud, within Saint Hilda’s gloom,

Her blasted hopes and withered bloom.

On top of these griefs, there’s been an attempt to murder her, and the people who attempted it are now prisoners in Lindisfarne awaiting trial:

And jealousy, by dark intrigue,

With sordid avarice in league,

Had practised with their bowl and knife

Against the mourner’s harmless life.

This crime was charged ’gainst those who lay

Prisoned in Cuthbert’s islet grey.

Moving back a bit to yesterday’s entry, this is why the abbess of Whitby is going on this journey: to sit in judgement on these attempted murderers.

Sad was this voyage to the dame;

Summoned to Lindisfarne, she came,

There, with Saint Cuthbert’s Abbot old,

And Tynemouth’s Prioress, to hold

A chapter of Saint Benedict,

For inquisition stern and strict,

On two apostates from the faith,

And, if need were, to doom to death.

Lindisfarne is a tidal island: at low tide it is a peninsula that can be reached from the mainland across mudflats, but at high tide it is an island.

The tide did now its floodmark gain,

And girdled in the saint’s domain:

For, with the flow and ebb, its style

Varies from continent to isle;

As the ship reaches Lindisfarne, the nuns of Whitby on the ship sing a hymn, and the nons and monks of Lindisfarne sing one in return.

[trade-wind]

Lindisfarne to Amble

Sunday 4th August 2024

A grey and slightly blustery day today. We had planned to go ashore but the tides run strongly through the anchorage and we thought we might be dragging in the gusty winds so decided discretion was the better part of valour and admired the scenery from the boat! Weighed anchor at 14.30 and headed south past Bamburgh castle and Dunstanburgh castle with the helmsman's 'mate' taking it all in his stride... Berthed comfortably in Amble marina at 17.30. A pretty place with the prospect of a nice walk along the beach tomorrow.

[art-glimmer]

Paul G's Photos@pgaskell@toot.community

Embleton Beach and Dunstanburgh Castle

[northeastjobs]

Cleaner (Dunstanburgh Road Day Nursery)

Newcastle City Council are seeking to recruit a Cleaner at Dunstanburgh Road Day Nursery Contract Type: Permanent | Working Pattern: Please see advert text | Salary: £24,309 pro rata, per annum (£12.60 per hour inclusive of Real Living Wage) | Advert End Date: 15/05/2025 22:59 |  http://dlvr.it/TKW1dm

[ziggyplays]

Embleton to Dunstanburgh. A 6X3 inch watercolour which is in my Etsy shop. Follow this link to view it. https://etsy.me/3EzznPo Thanks for looking. #Artynorthumbrian#Dunstanburghcastle

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[twoblackcats-com-blog]

dunstanburgh by Dave Binyon Via Flickr: Soundscape : Please Right Click and select "Open link in new tab" www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-V77_moZYw Pino Palladino + Blake Mills: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert SET LIST • "Just Wrong" • "Ekuté" • "Djurkel"

[dykepuffs]

How big is the biggest subdivision of your country that someone can invent and put in a story without it feeling like an obvious alt universe?

Like, if I set a story in the beautiful cathedral city of Lazencester, about an hour and a half on the fast train from London, that's immediately obvious (to me?) that this isn't *quite* set in Real England. But if it's set in the village of Hanble-on-Thrips in the Vale of York, then even though it isn't a real place, it feels like a plausible addition to the real world - Likewise if I wanted to write something set in the Dunstanburgh estate, a grey swathe of towerblocks and midrise maisonettes on the site of a former goods yard and railway embankment on the outskirts of Gateshead - Nobody who didn't themselves live in Gateshead would go "Hang on, in the real world there is nothing between Federation Brewery and the bypass...".

But then, maybe there is a difference between adding something by cutting out ("In this world, the real hamlet of Knicky Water is replaced by the fictional Tapper's Bridge Farm") and by sort of folding or stretching space ("In this world, there is a whole highland county in the centre of the Pennines, so after Brown Cow Bridge instead of immediately reaching Lancashire you reach Scammondenshire which has three county towns and a small airfield, and it's a further fifty miles to Rochdale.)

[eazy-group]

Visiting Hogwarts and Ancient Abodes: A Castle-to-Castle Trek for Movie and History Buffs

New Post has been published on https://eazycamping.net/visiting-hogwarts-and-ancient-abodes-a-castle-to-castle-trek-for-movie-and-history-buffs/

Visiting Hogwarts and Ancient Abodes: A Castle-to-Castle Trek for Movie and History Buffs

In far northeast England, the county of Northumberland has a higher concentration of castles than any other part of the country. If you’ve seen some of the most popular movies and TV shows of the last two decades—think Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Downton Abbey, Transformers, and the Netflix series The Last Kingdom—you’ll almost certainly recognize at least a few of them. 

I recently hiked from castle to castle on a self-guided trek with Inntravel. I did all the walking, and they handled everything else, including a luggage transfer between hotels so I would only need a daypack to hike. I walked about 30 miles over five days, taking ample time to explore the castles. Along the way, I also made time for a boat tour of the nearby Farne Islands, where I was lucky enough to see seals, dolphins, puffins, and a variety of other marine birds.

If you’re a movie buff, a history buff, or both, this is the trip for you. Here are five of the spectacular castles you can expect to see.

1. Warkworth Castle

Image by David Tomlinson

I started my trip at Warkworth Castle in the town of the same name. Inntravel arranged a cab from the Alnmouth train station, which has connections to London, and set me up at the Warkworth House Hotel, just minutes away from the ruins of a castle that dates back to the 1150s. Today, the site is managed by English Heritage, which occasionally runs events like the Knights’ Tournament to show you what life was like in the Middle Ages.

2. Alnwick Castle (aka Hogwarts)

Image by Inntravel

After two nights in Warkworth, I hiked north through the seaside town of Alnmouth, then inland to Alnwick. It’s basically a pilgrimage site for Harry Potter fans—it plays the role of Hogwarts in the first two films and this is where Harry first learned how to ride a broom. In honor of that bit of film history, Alnwick Castle runs free broomstick training classes daily for all ages (unless there’s bad weather). 

Alnwick—pronounced Ann-ick—has also been featured in Transformers: The Last Knight, Downton Abbey, and many other films. Also worth exploring is the nearby Alnwick Garden (you’ll need a separate ticket), which feels like something straight out of Alice in Wonderland with its leafy labyrinth and hedge-tunnel walkways.

The Percy family, which includes the Duke of Northumberland, has lived in Alnwick Castle since it was built over 700 years ago. The family’s living quarters, the State Rooms, are occasionally open for visitors and are an elaborate sight worth seeing.

I stayed at the Cookie Jar, a posh hotel just steps from Alnwick Castle (yes, your room will have a cookie jar in it). It’s stylish, has an incredible breakfast, and is super-convenient to walk around town. 

3. Dunstanburgh Castle

Image by Inntravel

From Alnwick, I took a bus to the seaside town of Craster. Just beyond the town, the ruins of Dunstanburgh stand tall and serve as quite the backdrop for a nearby golf course. Construction on the castle was begun in the early 1300s. Today, the land is owned by the National Trust, and the property is managed by English Heritage. If you’re traveling with a family and planning to visit more than a few such sites, you could save money with an annual membership, even if you don’t live full-time in the U.K. 

From Dunstanburgh, I hiked onward across beaches with nesting Arctic terns to the town of Beadnell. I stayed two nights there at the beautiful Beadnell Towers hotel, which has an excellent dinner service. 

4. Bamburgh Castle

Image by Inntravel

Perhaps the grandest of them all, the privately owned Bamburgh Castle has changed hands extensively over its 1,400-year history. (You read that correctly. Construction on the castle started in the 500s.) More recently, you may have seen the castle in the opening scenes of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which was just released in June.

It was also featured in Transformers: The Last Knight and is the real-life inspiration for the Netflix series The Last Kingdom. Bamburgh Castle and Alnwick Castle are separately and independently opened but both are part of the Historic Houses network. So, if you plan to visit other castles, homes, or gardens in their collection, membership could save you a bit of cash.

5. Lindisfarne Castle

Image by Inntravel

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne, famous for the handwritten Lindisfarne Gospels, is only an island during low tide. When the tide is out, you can walk or drive across the causeway. But a far better way to see it is to take a boat tour. 

I walked from Beadnell to the picturesque Seahouses, where I caught a ride with Billy Shiel’s Boat Trips. We saw dolphins and seals on the way there and countless puffins on the way back. On land, you can explore Lindisfarne Castle, which was renovated into a holiday home for the founder of Country Life Magazine. Today, it’s managed by the National Trust and well worth a visit, even if you go only for the stunning Gertrude Jekyll Garden, which is free to visit. 

The island is also the site of the ruins of Lindisfarne Priory, which dates back to the 600s and is where the Lindisfarne Gospels were written. Today, it’s managed by English Heritage, and the gospels can be seen at the British Library in London. I highly recommend adding a day to your trip so you can explore everything here without being on a time crunch. 

Pro Tip for Ultimate Flexibility

If you’re planning to do this trip as part of a bigger tour around the United Kingdom and Europe, you may be able to save on train tickets with a Eurail pass or Interrail if you’re a resident of the U.K. or Europe. While some routes require seat reservations, most don’t, so you can leave your departure date and time open-ended if you fall in love with a place you’re visiting and want to add an extra day or two to your trip without losing your train fare.

Editor’s Note: Inntravel hosted our writer on this trip and Eurail/Interrail comped a train pass to cover her travel expenses.

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