Weardale wander

After a good nights sleep, we decided to wander the other way from our cottage towards Cowshill. So, fuelled by a breakfast of coffee, squash and a bacon sandwich, we set off in the glorious sunshine.

All was going well until we reached the Killhope Burn at Lanehead. Here the path completely disappeared beneath moss and overgrowth that was even taller than Victoria! All this just to avoid one farm! After 10minutes of searching in vain, we decided to cut our losses and walk up the bank to the main road and bypass the problem area.

Eventually we recovered the path by the burn and continued on our way towards Cowshill. Here we passed a large reservoir formed out of an old quarry: it really looked like something out of a Hollywood film set. Leaving Cowshill we were greeted by the sound (but unfortunately not sight) of a waterfall: it wasn't possible to see it from the path as the trees were too thick and the bank just too steep.

The Weardale Way broadened out at this point, passing through pasture land rather than moorland. In no time at all we arrive at Wearhead, where the Killhope and Burnhope Burns converge to form the Wear. Passing through the small village (complete with shop) we continued through farmland and wooded riverbanks towards Ireshopeburn. Here we decided to turn around, but not before visiting the Weardale museum. This coincidentally opened as we arrived, and was worth the £3 admission fee. Inside Andrew learnt all about the numerous railways located within the valley, while Victoria was intrigued by the story of the Bainbridge family.

Eventually we decided to head back, but rather than head along the river, we decided to go upland. Things went pretty well navigating back towards Wearhead, although it was a bit frustrating to find that all paths converged here. So we made the most of it and had a mid-walk ice cream. Resuming our walk, we headed up hill towards Moss Moor; this is where things got a little sticky. Trying to navigate using the fencelines, and at the same time trying to find a route that didn't mean losing Victoria in the overgrowth, Andrew missed the turning for the path and we ended up fitting our way up hill through 2 additional fields, one complete with a dead sheep. Needless to say, we were relieved to get up to the top of the fenceline and be able to make our way towards the cottage.



Just as a note, it's called Moos Moor for a reason: it's a good job we did this walk in the dry as the moss and peat would have been horrendous in the wet.

We finally got back, a good days walking with some good points (weather, scenery) and bad (dodgy navigation, dead sheep). It's clouded over again so no star gazing tonight, instead it's Iron Man 2 and Thor as the mighty Marvel marathon continues!

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Location:Cowshill, Wearhead & Ireshopeburn

From trains to chariots

After last night's stargazing ended at 2am, it was unsurprising that we didn't surface until mid morning. Despite contemplating a full English brunch, we settled on bacon sandwiches and planned a sedate day (well, half day as it was nearly midday).

The outcome was a trip to Alston, mainly to get some toothpaste, but also because, well, we'd not been there before. Setting off in the car past Killhope and Nenthead, we arrived at Alston and found some free parking. This by coincidence was beside the South Tynedale Railway; great for Andrew, not so much for Victoria. We decided that we'd get the shopping and then go for a trip on the train. The shopping was slightly harder to come by than we thought seeing as Tuesday appears to be half day closing in Alston. Nonetheless, we got all we needed (as well as some other bits & bobs) and after depositing said items in the car, boarded the train for the 1415 departure.

The trip up the South Tyne valley was spectacular, with clear blue skies and bright sunshine lighting up the river, fields and moorland. Being the only people in the carriage made it a really enjoyable trip - yes, even Victoria enjoyed it!



On returning to Alston, we headed back up to the village for tea & a scone (with gorgeous sour cherry jam) and then hit the road home. This road however lead home via Hadrian's Wall, namely Housesteads roman fort. This was the first time either of us had been here with cloudless skies, let alone with the sun shining! Despite having only an hour to look around, we clambered round the ruins and saw the same hypocausts that we had seen on our previous visit 10years ago. We also saw the other holiday cottage we'd been considering, however I think that we chose the right one in the end!



The drive home was stunning in the early evening sunshine. We came back through Allendale, another valley with lead mining ancestry, and on reaching Cowshill we decided to have a quick peek to see what was there. The answer: not a lot, so we quickly made our way down to Wearhead where we found there was a small shop (in fact, this is the nearest shop to us, but I doubt we'd have found our toothpaste there).



So this evening we've had a lovely tea of bread, cheese & pâté, some blackberry wine (made drinkable through the addition of 7Up) and watched The Incredible Hulk (not the greatest of the Marvel genre, but still ok). No star gazing planned for tonight, but we'll see what happens tomorrow night.


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Location:Alston, Housesteads and Lanehead

Going underground

Well, we managed to get some sleep despite the howling wind last night. Although Victoria was a bit concerned at how dark it was, and the fact that whenever the wind blew, the bedroom door creaked! Nonetheless, it was great to wake up naturally this morning, and to discover the predicted rain had failed to materialise.

Over breakfast (banana, coffee/tea & a toasted muffin with jam) we decided to walk up to Killhope Lead Mining museum. So with walking boots on and map in hand we set off for the 2.5mile walk up the valley.

Along the way we saw grouse, rabbits, something worryingly resembling dried rats and numerous (shy) sheep. In next to no time we had crossed track, burn, coppice and moorside to reach the Weardale forest and the drop into Killhope. Here we were surprised to see how much the Weardale forest had been cut back on both sides of the valley; we're not sure if it's managed decline or something rather more serious.

We arrived at Killhope in time for lunch, and after a bowl of homemade leek & potato soup, we wandered round the site, visiting the mine shop, offices and - my favourite- the jigger house and water wheel. In next to no time, it was time to get kitted out for our trip into the mine. Armed with wellies (essential to negotiate the 3-4inch deep water flowing out of the mine), hard hat and miners lamp (which barely worked), we ventured into the hillside.



Our guide wasn't great, in fact we thought he was a bit abrupt and didn't really explain too much. However it was fantastic underground. Over minutes, we wandered through old workings, experienced just how dark it was with only a candle to see by (and also without), and encountered an underground water wheel. On emerging mole-like into the sunlight, we decided to head around the woodland walk, the highlight of which was when 2 deer bolted out of the gloom.


With the time nearing 4pm, we decided to head back home by retracing our steps along the Weardale way. We were slightly concerned by the ominous dark clouds gathering over the hills, and with a slightly quicker pace, made it back to the cottage only to find no rain was forthcoming (as Andrew had predicted).


So what have we done since then? We've begun the Marvel Avengers box set, with Captain America & Iron Man, and spent a wonderful hour outside doing some stargazing. The darkness here meant that we could see all of the Pleiodes, clearly saw the Milky Way and saw numerous shooting stars and satellites. With a stiff southerly wind blowing however, we've now come inside to warm up.


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Location:Kilhope, Weardale

Ahh! Tranquility!

After travelling up to Sunderland on Friday night, and a day of anguish for Andrew (football purgatory in Harrogate) and delight for Victoria (a day of cuddles and fun with Elliot), the day arrived for us to head up into the hills to our holiday cottage.

First however, we were off to church for Ryan's christening. This gave an opportunity for Victoria to catch up with some of her friends from home, and despite some struggles with hymns during the service, we made it through to the reception at the Stadium of Light. As an unexpected bonus, after lunch, we were all allowed to head down to the changing rooms, player's tunnel and out into the stadium itself at pitch level. We're not too sure who was more excited: the children or the adults. This was a nice touch, as it meant those who had travelled up from Nottingham got to see what a proper football stadium looks like! It was also nice to see Ryan give his first press conference to a packed audience.




We then realised it was mid-afternoon, and we could really do with setting off to find our cottage. So after a quick pit stop to change, load the car and check maps, we set off on our journey - our advice: go west (life is peaceful there)!

We headed through Durham, Crook, Stanhope and Wolsingham, climbing into the hills and voyaging further up into Weardale. Eventually we reached Lanehead and slowing to a crawl, managed to identify the right telegraph pole that signified our turning. This lead us onto a farm track, which dipped into the valley and rose steeply (very steeply) on the other side. Lets just say that upon reaching the apex of the summit, you really hope no one is coming the other way!

Finally we reached the farmhouse next door to our cottage. Victoria having waked the last portion of the journey having dealing with the gate, no mean feat in the "strong breeze" that was blowing. Having met up with Lynn (cottage owner) and being shown around, we set about unpacking and making ourselves at home. This was undoubtably helped by some homemade scones, butter and jam very kindly left for us by Lynn.



Right now, we are sat very contentedly in the (upstairs) lounge, listening to the wind howling outside and contemplating whether to have any more of the wonderful bread, cheese & pâté. Despite there being a telescope, it's unlikely we'll get any stargazing done tonight as it's a bit cloudy, but it looks very promising for later in the week.

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Location:A689,,United Kingdom

Mega mussels

Having woken up to a howling gale our plans for a restful day on the beach were hastily revised. Over petit dejeuner we decided to instead drive to Ouistreham (eestreham) and visit the Pegasus memorial.
This museum was devoted to the British role in D-Day, namely the capture of several bridges on the Caen canal and silencing the gun emplacements covering Sword beach. The first -and most famous - bridge to be captured was Pegasus bridge. We arrived in time for a briefing around a large model of the area, and a film introduced by Prince Charles. We then walked through the exhibits (including decoded messages from Bletchley Park) and found out about how the paratroopers and medical staff arrived and held out against German counterattacks.
Outside was a replica of a glider used in the attack, along with a replica (we think) of the original bridge. Considering we were a little unsure of the €5 admission fee, we were pleasantly surprised by how good this museum was. After a good 2 hours, it was time to head back for some moules et frites!
A note to all; even restaurants close for lunch in France! At the second attempt, we manages to get a table in the Charleston (Pizzeria) and ordered our food. Victoria went for Moules au ail, persil et creme, Andrew for moules au cidre. We expected a small portion, so were both amazed when large cooking pots(the size of a large pressure cooker) arrived filled the brim with mussels! We began to eat.
About 30min later, both of us had eaten most but not all of our mussels, and rounded things off with a crepe suzette and a coffee. Suitably stuffed (and impressed at a €40 bill) we wandered (waddled?) along the windswept but sunny St Aubin sur mer promenade.
Distracted by the sound of the sea, the smell of seaweed in the sun and swept by wind, we didn't stop until we reached Longrunes sur Mer, the next village towards Ouistreham. Having slowly made our way back to the car, it was then back up to la petite ville for a coffee and to think about packing ready for the journey home.
So, we have now experienced Normandy, from the Norman invasion to Liberation by the allies in WW2. It's been fantastic; seeing the Bayeux tapestry was certainly a highlight, as were Arromanches and Pegasus bridge. We've had our moules frites and crepes but are saving waffles for Bruges in December. We didn't get to Falaises, the site of William the Conqueror's birth, but that was just too far to go.
So, we went on holiday to Normandy and we visited: Arromanches, Bayeaux, Caen, D-day beaches and Ouistreham (see what we did there!). We sail from Ouistreham at 4.30 tomorrow and arrive in Portsmouth at 9.15pm.
C'est une bonne vacances!

Caen Gone

After another night in our Maison Rustique we were aiming for the 9.38 bus to Caen. We missed it, so after another breakfast of fresh croissants, we drove towards Caen instead. We negotiated the park & ride tram system and arrived right outside le Caen Chateau (a proper castle).
The castle was built in 1060 and was where the dukes of Normandy (and therefore kings of England) liked to hang out. Here we apologise that Guillaume is spelt like that and not Guilliame. There's not much left of it - some reconstructed ramparts that we could walk round, and a wall built by the English during the 100 years war as they distrusted the French (no idea why).
Then we walked to two of the Abbeys in Caen - first Abbaye aux Dames - Abbey of ladies (b&w photo). This is where Mathilde, Queen of William the Conqueror- nee Bastardo is buried and was built as a pay off to the church to allow William & Mathilde to marry (they were cousins & this wasn't allowed).
Then we walked through the Centre Ville of Caen to Abbaye aux Homme - Abbey of Men. It was shut for lunch, as is so much of France, if indeed things open at all. We wandered back through town in search of lunch. Since the rest of Caen were enjoying their 1.5 hour lunch time (assuming they don't only work afternoons) there were queues, but we found a boulangerie - le Petit Choux Normande - on the Rue San Pierre for a baguette/hot dog & the finest petit pain au chocolate ever tasted.
We wandered back to Abbaye aux Hommes (now open after lunch, colour pic) and found - ta da- the tomb of William the Conqueror! We overheard the guide telling an American family that they'd excavated the tomb & found a single femur which had been tested & found to be of a date & build consistent with William. Don't know where the rest of him is though.
There wasn't much more in Caen - surprisingly disappointing place if we're honest. The French aren't big on tourism and the place is lacking a decent one stop shop for the Norman invasions. So we headed back via the Radar Museum at Douvres - reduced rate with our Normandie Pass and, as we seem to find in most places, we had the place to ourselves!
This was part of the German Atlantic Wall defences. We got to go into two bunkers to see how the Germans used them & learn about the history of radar. Totally geek heaven.
We also got to climb into a radar dish - the Wurzburg Riese radar. This had been part of the German radar system but after the war was the first French radio telescope! Cool! Apparantly there's also one at Duxford but we don't remember seeing it.
Then Victoria had her first taste of French driving and drove us back to the holiday park where we are now relaxing in the bar with ice creams and disco/europop before dinner.

A stitch in time

In 1066, Anglo Saxon Britain came under attack from a well organised army under the command of Guilliame de Bastard - soon to be known as William the Conqueror. Guilliame had been really put out because King Harold had claimed the English throne on the death of Edward the confessor, when Edward had quite clearly stated that Guilliame, his cousin and someone he'd spent a lot of time holidaying with in Normandy over the previous 20 years, should actually become king on his death. Indeed, in the absence of the BBC, Edward had asked Harold to go and tell Guilliame this himself. Guilliame welcomed him with open arms but, just to be safe, made Harold swear on the bible, the altar and anything else he could find, that Harold would honour this. Of course, said Harold, anything you like so I can get outta here & back to England. And besides I had my fingers crossed when I took that oath.
Once back in England, Edward popped his clogs and Harold promptly claimed the throne himself = Harold II of England.
Zut alors!!! Said Guilliame. Now who is the bastard?!? And he quickly pulled together an army and sailed to England.
Arriving at the hell hole which is Pevensey, we are surprised he did not turn back, but he continued towards Hastings. there they met Harold's army and a huge battle took place. Norman archers, cavalry, infantry, Anglo-Saxon bows and foot soldiers, Halleys comet etc etc.
Like JJ at Hever Castle, Harold was made to look a bit of a tit as a carefully placed arrow hit him in the eye. And so ended Anglo-Saxon England and we can consider Norman England as the beginnings of the Team GB we know so well.
And that's what the totally amazing Bayeaux Tapestry has taught us today. There's none of the complex backstory about Harold Hardrada and the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Nothing about the resistance in the northeast, but as William the Conqueror's 11th century Facebook timeline substitute, we think it does a pretty good job.
It's 70m long and you need an audio guide to help you work along it, which is amusing considering it was created (probably in England) for a largely illiterate population. It's housed in a huge museum with a cinema & exhibition (see photo). A must see.
We then went into the lovely cathedral which was originally built by William's half bro the Bishop Odo (who also fought in the battle). Despite being party destroyed by Williams sons as they fought over which one of them should become king of Normandy, it was rebuilt and enlarged.
In the 19th century the main tower nearly collapsed and was rebuilt again by the same engineers who built the Paris-Cherbourg railway (Andrew was pleased about this).
When Normandy was liberated in 1944, Bayeaux remained largely intact so it still has some medieval charm. Quite pretty - not as pretty as Talinn though.
We lunched on a croque Monsieur from a street vendor and headed back to the car.
Next stop was the Musee America Gold Beach in Ver sur Mer. A rather misleading name as this is the only British focused museum on the Normandy coast and the America bit relates to a plane carrying the first air mail from the US that crash landed in Ver sur Mer. We were the only visitors there so we had time to look at all the maps and photos - including a map if Middlesborough and photos of HMS Belfast.
After that we headed back to our Hotel Superieur and the bar for a cafe et wifi gratuis. We may head to the beach after dinner as the sun is still shining.
Bite looking much better but ankle gets tired easily. Any excuse for cafe!