Rivers and hills, hills and rivers, Make me shake, make me quiver, For the peace of mind they deliver, With their beauty, I’m in a dither
Sometimes it’s high up that I seek, Other times at the water’s edge I take a peek, Give me a day and give me a week, Whether it’s sunny or it’s bleak.
Whatever path you chose to take, Make sure there are slopes or a lake, It’s the perfect way to give yourself a break, Then finish it off with tea and cake!
Last weekend I was out on a hike, and I saw this lonely looking phone box in a village. It evoked in me the sense that we have to stay connected. Moreover, how it’s important to make the time to chat with one another.
I’m going through my phone contacts and making a list of people that I haven’t spoken to for a while. It’d be good to catch up.
Sometimes life just takes over and people move on – it’s a natural occurence in life. It’s also natural (and important) that we want to reconnect. Going through the names on my phone filled me with memories of times with specific people, and that filled me with joy.
The pandemic may have robbed us of certain things, but one thing that seeing that red phone box reminded me of is the importance of being there for one another, and to listen.
Reaching out to a family member, friend (old or new) or a stranger really can have a positive impact for everybody involved.
Wherever you are in the world, I hope you have a great weekend with the people you love. (And give an old friend a call too).
A few months back, I was looking at a map of the UK trying to work out where to go on a new adventure. I became drawn to Northumberland. I’d visited its neighbours – Cumbria to the west and Yorkshire to the south – a number of times before, and enjoyed those experiences immensely. But, in Northumberland, here was a whole chunk of county that I’d completely overlooked.
I decided to do a bit of research and found out that the county was home to England’s largest and least visited national park. Those facts alone made the idea of visiting there more intriguing to me. So, before I had a chance to rationalise what I was doing, I booked myself a reasonably priced hotel and train journey to go and explore.
I had plans to explore the whole county in six days, but as soon as I got there I knew that I’d need longer. So, this is the first leg of my tour of Northumberland. What follows is the highlights of a four day trek across the southern portion of the county.
Day 1 – Hadrian’s Wall (Steel Rigg and Peel Cragg Circular Walk
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The iconic Sycamore Gap
This was a lovely seven mile walk that involved some short but stiff climbs along one of the most popular stretches of Hadrian’s Wall. The above photo is of the Sycamore Gap, which is the most photographed image along the wall. The cliff faces rose up so high at some points that I couldn’t see beyond them – it truly felt like I was standing on the edge of the world!
Day 2 – Corbridge
Ruins of the old Roman town
Corbridge was the most northerly town of the Roman Empire, so its economic, cultural and historic importance is worthy of note. The village itself today is a charming place to visit with its sandstone buildings, impressive church and tower (where you can stop and have a pint) and abundance of coffee shops. If I had more time, then I’d have loved to have done a river walk. I had a cracking three course Italian lunch for just £8.95 as well!
Day 3 – Allendale, North Pennines
Awesome river walk
Allendale was one of the remotest parts of England I’ve ever visited. The thirty minute bus journey took us deep into the countryside to this village that was surrounded by rolling hills on all sides. I walked a stretch of the river and climbed hills. I spotted nineteenth century farm machinery, fat hens freely grazing across cottage gardens and some truly magical riverside spots like the one above. Then, I ambled back to the village and noticed that Dr Who had popped in…
The Museum Of Classic Sci-Fi, Allendale
Day 4 – Back At Hadrian’s Wall
Looking down along Hadrian’s WallCawfield Quarry
On this last day, I did a seven mile walk that started at the majestic Cawfield Quarry. It’s well worth a moment of anybody’s time to pause by the lake. This stretch of Hadrian’s Wall provided me with some heart-stopping views across the open landscape. I dropped down into the valley, and I was truly the only person in this expanse. On this clear blue day it felt so good to be alive.
Conclusion
I’ve only scratched at the surface of Northumberland. Whilst I haven’t talked about the history or culture of this area in any great detail, I hope you see that by seeing the natural beauty of the places featured that this county is well worth a visit. It’s a county that I want to return to many times: there’s still a great coastline, acres and acres of forest and the Cheviot Hills to explore.
Northumberland rocks!
Have you been to Northumberland? What did you make of it?
Looking Write Back at You 