Nigel's Photo Blog

 Rievaulx Abbey Tonight, I am reprising a one-day tour of key medieval sites in northern England. We covered key objectives of Middleham Castle and Rievaulx Abbey and then managed to fit in a late visit to Durham city and it's Cathedral. MIDDLEHAM CASTLE Middleham Castle was probably built around AD1170-80, possibly by Robert FitzRanulph. Ownership passed to Robert de Nevill in 1270 under whose descendants the castle was extended. In 1472 Richard, Duke of Gloucester acquired Middleham and used it as a residence. He later became Richard III, having been crowned in 1483. Richard stayed at the castle for a short period in 1484. He was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. After the death of Richard III the castle passed to the new Royal line and Henry VI but was used for administration rather than a Royal residence. In 1604, the castle was granted to the Linley family and later played a minor role in the Civil War. Post 1662 the castle was in hands of various private owners and pr...

Cup and ring marks at Achnabreck , Scotland. Tonight, I am continuing the 'rock art' theme but this time from a British Isles wide perspective. Such carvings can be found widely distributed around the British Isles. The images in this post emanate from a number of  sites, including Achnabreck (W.Scotland), Isle of Arran (W.Scotland) and Ireland.  Dating of the carvings is very difficult but they probably range between 3000 and 5000 years old. The rationale behind the designs is not known because we cannot get into the minds of the people who spent may hours chipping away with stone tools to make them. Many of the carvings appear on glacier smoothed rock outcrops on high ground which may have been adjacent to ancient trails. The shape and surface of the rocks appear to be significant relative to the actual designs with the latter possibly enhancing the rocks' position in the landscape. It may be that the carvings had some territorial or mapping function or may have recorde...

  Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Tyneside, England This evening, I am focusing on an unusual concentration of bridges which span the River Tyne between Gateshead and Newcastle-upon-Tyne in N.E.England. These bridges display a wide range of engineering and functionality with latter including road, rail and pedestrian. Specifically, the bridges are: Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Tyne Bridge. High Level Bridge. Metro Bridge. King Edward Bridge. Redheugh Bridge. Scotswood Bridge Scotswood Railway Bridge. Tyneside Bridges, N.E. England Tyneside Bridges, N.E. England Tyneside Bridges, N.E. England Tyneside Bridges, N.E.England One of the industrial wonders of the Victorian age, the Swing Bridge connecting Newcastle and Gateshead was a product of the visionary engineering genius Lord Armstrong. It was designed to improve navigation and expand trade by opening the upper reaches of the river to larger ships. On completion in 1876, at 171 metres long and 14 metres wide it was the world’s ...

  Above image shows Roman wall with St. Nicholas Church in distance.. This evening, I am posting information on Ratae Coritanorum (Roman Leicester) supported by images of remaining tangible evidence in the form of bathhouse remains. Today, Leicester is situated about 100 miles north of London and is home to a population of 330,000.  Here is a summary chronology of the Roman period: Prior to the AD43 Roman invasion, the area was populated by native people known as Coritani. Post invasion two military forts were built. The existing native settlement formed a ready made vicus (civilian settlement). Around AD80  the area converted to civilian control and a new town was laid out . Commercial activity increased wealth which in turn led to improved quality of housing in early 2nd century. During the late AD130s construction of a forum and basilica commenced. Construction of a bathhouse commenced AD 145-50 and was completed AD 155-160. Underneath the existing...

  This evening, I am focusing on an what has become an iconic site in northern England, namely Sycamore Gap on the line of Hadrian's Wall .   This site rose to fame in tandem with the 1991 Hollywood film 'Robin Hood,Prince of Thieves' starring Kevin Costner. However, this site has nothing to do with the Robin Hood legend which is based around Nottingham and Sherwood Forest, about 200 miles to the south.   Sycamore Gap is close to Milecastle 39 (on Hadrian's Wall), the village of Bardon Mill and the Roman era site of Vindolanda .   Video clip     Images shown here were taken from (a) the B6318 road which runs parallel to the Wall and (b) from my hiking exploits along the Wall. Insofar as the road is concerned, it is narrow and there is no parking or viewpoint.    Sycamore Gap    Sycamore Gap This site is very popular with determined photographers who are prepared to 'go the extra mile' in all seasons and visibility conditions.  

Decoration inside York Minster Tonight, I am reprising a one day tour entailing visits to two of England's top visitor attractions, namely Stratford-upon-Avon and York. First, we departed our lodgings in Moreton in Marsh and drove north for about 30 minutes to Stratford-upon-Avon . On arrival we visited the birthplace of famous playwright, William Shakespeare (1564-1616).who authored 46 principal works including Richard III, Hamlet, Othello and Taming of the Shrew. At rear of the house we encountered two Shakespearean actors who treated us to impromptu performances of Midsummer Night's Dream and Taming of the Shrew . Impromptu performance of Taming of the Shrew Impromptu performance of Midsummer Night's Dream Shakespeare's Birthplace Shakespeare's Birthplace from rear. Stratford upon Avon Stratford upon Avon Stratford upon Avon Next, we drove north for about three hours to our next destination of York , a major English city with a history dating back to Rom...

  Bewcastle Castle at Bewcastle, Cumbria This evening, I am posting information on the Norman castle at Bewcastle in Cumbria, England. This castle was built in 1092 using stone from the former Roman fort on the same site and lasted until 1641 when it was destroyed during the English Civil War. A summary history is as follows: The first known structure on the site was ‘Fanum Cocidi’ an outlying fort connected to the Hadrian’s Wall defence system built by the Romans in the 2nd century AD. Distance is about 7 miles north of Birdoswald Fort on Hadrian's Wall . The Roman site was hexagonal and extended to six acres. It was abandoned in the 4th century. The site remained important after departure of the Romans. The name Bewcastle is actually derived from a mix of Old Scandinavian and Old English (reflecting immigration patterns) and means ‘Roman fort within which shelters were situated.’ The Roman site was effectively occupied by squatters. In the nearby churchyard is an information r...

  River Wye at Bakewell This evening, I am reprising a fascinating one day tour of northern England which encompassed a popular filming location. First, we departed our lodgings in Ambleside , Lake District and drove south to our first stop at the Yorkshire town of  Hebden Bridge where we availed of a coffee stop. Next, we continued south for about 45 mins to Holmfirth , a former mill town in West Yorkshire. We elected to stop at Holmfirth because, for about 35 years, it was the 'set' for long-running British T.V. comedy show, Last of the Summer Wine which finished in 2010. At Holmfirth we joined a 45 min guided bus tour around the key sites which mainly comprised the 'Summer Wine' sites. After the tour we visited Ivy's Cafe and Nora Batty's House. [ Holmfirth with weavers' houses (with large windows) in background. Holmfirth , West Yorkshire Ivy's Cafe, Holmfirth   Nora Batty's House, Holmfirth   Landscape at Holmfirth , West Yorkshire Ne...