So it’s decided: 2023 will be the year that we explore Northumberland, England’s most northerly county. Parts of it will be day trips, parts will need an overnight stay.
Our first outing, a day trip, was to Corbridge - taking in Hadrian’s Wall and associated antiquities. After a lovely drive in bright sunshine, we crossed the country from Carlisle towards Newcastle. Corbridge has fine Roman remains and these were where we started.
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| These exquisitely detailed figures are only a few inches high |
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| Vines - in the very north of England? |
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| Sophisticated drainage systems |
We next headed into modern Corbridge, an attractive small town on the Tyne, but first we explored the Old Pottery - a 19th century pottery which looks like it belongs 200 miles to the south in Stoke-on-Trent. Its bottle kilns are distinctive and can be seen from quite a distance.
Our final stop was Aydon Castle - more a fortified house than a traditional castle. We both loved the castle: hardly a ruin, the floors and many windows were still in place
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| Model of how Aydon looked originally |
All that remained was for us to head back towards Carlisle and then down the M6 to home.
