Newbiggin by the Sea, Northumberland

The earliest recorded spelling of the name Newbiggin is dated 1187 and is Niwebiginga which in Old English means ‘new building or house’.   

In 1240 the village was in the hands of John Baliol, Regent of Scotland and founder of Baliol College, Oxford.  The estates passed to King Edward 1^st after John was forced to abdicate in 1295, then they passed onto John Dreux, Earl of Richmond.  However it would appear that the estates were largely managed by appointed bailiffs and freeholders who enjoyed full rights for cattle grazing.  The Crown again acquired ownership then passed it onto John de Denton of Newcastle followed by the Widdrington family.  However after the Widdrington’s backed the wrong side in the Jackobite Rising of 1715 it again passed back to the Crown. 

One of the more noticeable buildings in the village is St Bartholomew’s church situated on a barren treeless promontory known as the ‘Point’.  The church dates back to early 13^th Century with the addition of a spire in the 14^th Century.  It later undertook a rescue and remodelling package in the 19^th Century.  The position of the church on the ‘Point’ means it is of greater benefit to mariners and fishermen than to its followers.  It is believed a smaller church occupied this site before 1174.

                                            St Bartholomew's on Church Point

The passage of time saw the expansion of the village and the development of the port facilities for the export of grain and grindstones (it was rumoured that it was third in importance after London and Hull).  However in the early 19^th Century this industry was overtaken by Newbiggin’s oldest and most notable industry – fishing.  The local fleet expanded to accommodate large herring boats as well as shallow draft cobles (fishing boats).  Amongst the fishing cottages there can be found the Lifeboat House 1851 (oldest working lifeboat house in the country), sheds, cobles, sea tractors and the Herring House (for coopering, barrelling and kippering).  The drive to build the Lifeboat house came from the tragic loss of 10 young fishermen from 4 boats in March 1851 when a storm suddenly arose.  The lifeboats were regularly hauled by the women folk in support of the men.  In 1940 during the rescue of the Eminent the lifeboat was launched, landed and relaunched at the other side of the Point having being dragged by 60 men and women through wind and snow.

                                                                                                               Fishing cobles

        Sea tractor for pulling boats ashore  

During the Edwardian and Victorian periods the village became a much sought after beach resort for the middle and working classes of Tyneside and South East Northumberland, attracting hundreds of visitors per day during the summer months.  A new gas works was opened in 1865 followed by a fully functioning railway station in 1870.  In 1862, The Haven, a large summer residence was built with views over the sea for a member of the Trevelyan family from Wallington, the house subsequently became the Newbiggin colliery managers home.  Other houses overlooking the sea were summer homes for rich business people and ship owners from Tyneside.  1,3 and 5 Front Street are said to be the oldest properties in the village which prior to 1850 housed the Johnson and Company brewery.

                                                The Bandstand on the Piazza

In 1868 the first telegraph cable from Scandanavia came ashore at the Point.  Cables were floated on tar barrels, towed ashore by longboats, pulled up the beach by horses then placed in trenches cut by fishermen, terminating at the Cable House.

The Promenade and Piazza

In 1908 Newbiggin colliery was sunk and did not close until 1967, at its peak it employed 1400 men.  The first manager came from Durham and, it appears, quite a number of Durham folk made their homes in Newbiggin shortly afterwards.  41 men have lost their lives in this pit.  However, this did not detract from the tourist industry, as a promenade, bandstand and bathing shelters were built between 1929 and 1932.  The promenade was opened by Sir Charles Trevelyan in May 2932.  Visitors came by bus and train to enjoy trips around the bay, the Pierot shows and other entertainment.  The faded glory of bank holidays in Newbiggin is still maintained with Bertorelli’s 1930’s period Café Riviera and the Coble Public House.

                                                             

                                                                 Front Street

Storms, extreme sea erosion and collapsed mine workings destroyed the sea front and led to flooding of the village.  In 1993 a sea wall improvement scheme was introduced which included the refurbishment of the bandstand and development of a piazza.  In 2007 the beach was recharged by importing 500,000 tonnes of sand from Skegness and deposited on the beach through a 1m diameter pipe.  Breakwaters were installed and a brass statue by sculpture Sean Henry named Couple, is anchored at the centre of the bay.

Map of Newbiggin by the Sea

http://goo.gl/maps/qC1xr 

Additional Reading:

www.newbigginbythesea.co.uk

www.stbartholomewsnewbiggin.co.uk

www.northumberland.gov.uk

Alnmouth

Alnmouth has a long and varied history with evidence of nearby early bronze age activity.  The river Aln was marked on a map by the geographer Ptolemy which dates back to AD 150, suggesting an interest by Romans cartographers who mapped the coastline and rivers.

 

Adtwifydri or Adtuifydri (‘at the two fords’) is the name used by the Venerable Bede to describe the meeting of river and tributary at the mouth of the river Aln.  It is also the probable site of a great synod in 684 AD in which St Cuthbert was chosen as the Bishop of Lindisfarne.

 

In about 1152 a Norman knight – William de Vesci was given permission to hold court at Alnmouth, which raised the importance of the locality and a new town was started.  During the medieval period the town thrived on the exporting of stone, grain, wool, sheepskin and leather, and became quite prosperous.

However, in 1314 the English were defeated by the Scots at the battle of Banockburn.  Later, in about 1336, Alnmouth was raided, which together with the subsequent effects of the Plague in 1348 saw a general decline in economic activity and labour shortages.

The 16^th Century saw the rise of the Border Reivers across Northumberland and the Scottish Lowlands and the corresponding increase in lawlessness throughout the area.  Economic prosperity continued at low levels until 1603 with the Union of the Crowns of England and Scotland.  By the 18^th Century Alnmouth was prominent for grain exports and importing goods from London.  Many new granaries were built to accommodate the rise in industrial activity.

To the south of the river estuary is Church hill which has an Anglo Saxon cross and was the probable site of an Anglo Saxon church.  The river Aln always flowed to the south of Church hill which was joined to the main township by a low lying piece of land.  On Christmas Day 1806 a huge storm caused the river to breach the land and changed its course directly into the sea, leaving the estuary to fill with silt. 

 

As ships became bigger and built of iron and steel, they became harder to dock in the tricky harbour conditions and this again led to a decline in the towns prosperity.  Now the granaries have been converted into houses and Alnmouth has embraced tourism as the ‘new’ industry with its picture postcard pastel cottages and red painted 18 century roofs.

Map of Alnmouth

Glencoe and Glen Etive

This blog takes me away from my beloved Northumberland and into the dramatic hills and Munroe’s of the Scottish Highlands.  If you ever want to take a hiking, climbing, skiing or photographic break (or a combination of all) then I would recommend staying at either the Clachaig Inn or Kings House Hotel (Glencoe). Both are dedicated to the outdoor enthusiast and keep a fine selection of ales, whiskey and food to die for.  I would certainly recommend the venison stew, aberdeen angus steaks, haggis and salmon.

The journey north through Scotland takes you past the beautiful scenery surrounding Loch Lomond.  The most distinctive sight you will see is the towering bulk of Ben Lomond (974m). 

Ben Lomond

Eventually the A82, being the principle road passing east to west across the Highlands, will take you through the majestic scenery of Glencoe and Glen Etive.  The history of Glencoe is steeped in Celtic mythology and early Viking influences.  The Clan MacDougall, which owed its origins to the Vikings, ruled over Glencoe until the end of the 13th century.  However, their empire collapsed after 1308 when Robert the Bruce gifted Glencoe to Clan MacDonald.

By 1501 a feud had begun between the MacDonalds of Glencoe and the Campbells of Argyll.  The basis of the feud seems to have been the Campbells' attempts at expanding into MacDonald territory and the MacDonalds' frequent theft of the Campbells' cattle.  On the mountain Bidean nam Bian (1150m) there is a hidden valley, Allt Coire Gabhail (Glen of Capture).  Here the MacDonalds' found a perfect hiding place for the stolen animals.

Waterfall leading up to Allt Coire Gabhail (hidden valley of the MacDonalds)

  Allt Coire Gabhail - the Hidden valley with Stob Coire Sgreamhach (1072m) in the background

A' Chailleach (997m) from Allt Coire Gabhail

The traditionally held view is that this feud provided the background for a tragedy which has become the most famous event in the Glen's history “The Massacre of Glencoe”.  However, in reality the massacre was the result of the clans' involvement in a wider conflict between King William III and the House of Stewart.  In 1689 when James II was ousted from the throne most highlanders remained loyal to the deposed king and an uprising began.  Amongst James' supporters were the MacDonalds of Glencoe while many Campbells owed their positions in government and in the military to the new regime.  Although the uprising eventually failed measures were taken to ensure the Highlands were brought to order.  Alistair MacDonald, Clan chief of the MacDonalds was 5 days late in taking an oath of fealty to King William III.  Alistair's lack of punctuality was enough to seal the MacDonalds' fate.

Believing the oath had been accepted, the MacDonalds welcomed a government force of about 120 men, led by Captain Campbell of Glenlyon, which came to Glencoe at the beginning of February, 1692.  For 12 days the government soldiers received the Highlanders' hospitality: slept in the MacDonalds' beds, shared their food, drink and company.  At 5 am on the 13th of February the government troops turned on their hosts: murdering men, women and children.  However only 38 of around 400 defenceless MacDonalds were slain by the soldiers while the remainder escaped into the mountains, where an untold number died of starvation and exposure.  Despite the ineptitude of the troops, The Massacre of Glencoe has gone down in history as a day of infamy.

Glencoe is epitomised by the famous pyramid of Buachaille Etive Mor, the guardian at the entrance to the glen. The highest peak is the great multi-summited massif of Bidean nam Bian (1150m)  who’s three great buttresses rise impressively above the road and are known as the 'Three Sisters', whereas the north wall of the glen is the turreted and notorious ridge of the Aonach Eagach (967m).

Gearr Aonach (Short ridge) - one of the three 'sisters'

Glencoe Valley from Creag nan Gobhar

Glencoe Pass

The buttresses of Aonach Dubh and Chasm of An t-Sorn from Creag nan Gobhar 

Creag Bahn from Creag nan Gobhar

The River Etive rises on the peaks surrounding Rannoch Moor, with several tributary streams coming together at the head of Glencoe. The River Etive flows for about 18 km, reaching the sea loch, Loch Etive. At the north end of Glen Etive lie the two mountains known as the "Herdsmen of Etive": Buachaille Etive Mor and Buachaille Etive Beag.

The Glen Etive road meanders for some 14 miles to the head of Loch Etive, where it ends in a turning circle near a pier. And that's it. The road down Glen Etive is the original "road to nowhere".  The single track road first leads you down the south eastern flank of the ridge of Buachaille Etive Mor. As soon as you are out of sight and sound of the main A82 the sense of retreating into another place and time begins to build.

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The first half of the Glen is a steady descent of an open heather-clad valley. The character changes at the southern end of the twin mountain ridges of Buachaille Etive Mor and Buachaille Etive Beag. Here, near the large house at Dalness, is a junction with two of the great mountain passes of the highlands, the Lairig Eilde and the Lairig Gartain, both extending north to Glencoe and providing the punctuation for the Buachailles, dividing them from one another and from Bidean nam Bian.

The southern half of the glen is more enclosed and wooded, and all too soon you find yourself at the road's end. Looking back along the glen you see a magnificent view of Stob Dubh (956m).

Stob Dubh

Loch Etive is a beautiful and serene area which quickly gives you a sense of solitude – if you are looking for somewhere to chill far from the madding crowd, this is the place.  The Loch is surrounded by majestic Munroe’s which are a haven for climbers and hikers alike.  The local wildlife mainly consists of otters, birds of prey, deer and stags which roam freely wherever you look.

Loch Etive with Creag Dubh (947m) and Dubh Choc in the distance 

  

Loch Etive with Stob Dubh and Bienn Ceitlen in distance

Loch Etive with the snow capped peaks of Ben Cruachan (1126m)

 and Stob Diamh (998m)  

Beinn Trilleachan (840m) dominates the western shore at the head of Loch Etive.  It is a steep sided hill with the summit at the confluence of its two ridges and dominates the western shore of Loch Etive.  This hill is famous for its huge inclined granite slabs which lend themselves to friction climbing.  However this was the hill we decided to climb.  Experience is a hard task master and reality shows hills can be deceptive in height and gradient.  However after deciding to tackle Beinn Trilleachan, my intrepid set of explorers and hikers managed to climb about three quarters of the way up before common sense took over from the adrenalin.  Again I would suggest from experience that it is far easier to climb with a lightweight day sack than a heavy ‘bergan’ complete with camera, kit and tri-pod.  However, as any serious photographer will tell you, the images captured by trying to balance a tripod at a 45 degree angle with one hand, hang onto a rock with the other and wedge your body into extremely boggy mountainside are worth all the pain, aches, injuries and soggy clothing.  The whole experience of hiking, climbing and photography in the Scottish highlands is very memorable and a cracking 2 days and enjoyed by all.

As far as we got – Beinn Trilleachan

  

   

  A team of happy hikers

 

          Ready for a Pint!

Newton Tors and Yeavering Bell

No matter where you walk in the Cheviots or the boundaries of Northumberland you can guarantee breathtaking views, whether it is the moody and dramatic hills or the lush green valleys with spider webs of rivers and tributaries.  One place which constantly draws me back is Newton Tors within College Valley.  The Valley can be accessed at Kirk Newton which is situated approximately 6 miles west of Wooler.

The Valley is ringed with remnants of Bronze Age forts and steeped in ‘bloody’ history.  Across the years the English armies have fought the Scottish armies and the Border Revivers have raped and pillaged on both sides with respect only for the ‘family name’. 

This walk begins at ‘Ad Gefrin’ which I have referred to in a previous blog.  As you approach the start you cannot help but feel dwarfed by the towering bulk of Yeavering Bell.  Yeavering Bell is 361m above sea level and there are two paths which will take you to the remains of the hill fort situated on the top.  There is access from the south which is a relatively easy climb or the north which is practically a 1:1 climb (steeper in some parts).  I have climbed both and can tell you that the south path is strenuous but north requires a good supply of oxygen and has the potential for a heart attack. 

As you leave Ad Gefrin you head towards Old Yeavering and a path which leads you upwards and onwards.  The path circumvents Yeavering bell, for now, and heads towards Easter and Wester Tors with heights of 438m and 518m respectively.  As you progress along the path there is a point where is becomes St Cuthbert’s Way.  There are two options either to carry on walking in the same direction along St Cuthbert’s Way and all points west or take a sharp left and follow the path to the east.  I decided to go east and upwards between Easter Tor and Yeavering Bell.  After a short while there another path intersects your route which takes you to Wester Tor and gives you the opportunity to divert to Easter Tor.  Both Tors give breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.  The landscape is rugged and moody with a continuous wind sweeping across the hills.  As you contemplate the views you can easily fall back in time to another age when life was harsher, bloodier but simpler. 

After leaving Wester Tor you can divert to Easter Tor then continue back to Yeavering Bell.  A brisk climb up the south access route brings you to the remains of the fort situated across the twin peaks of the hill.  This is an ideal place to light your camping stove and settle back with a hot cup of tea to raise your sugar levels before ‘free falling’ down the north access route. 

Overall the walk is approximately 8 miles – hard going in places but definitely worth the effort.

Ready for the Off !!

    Dramatic skys from Easter Tor


        Wester Tor in the distance

View from Wester Tor

Wester Tor to Coldburn Hill

Northerly view from Wester Tor

Ad Gefrin and Yeavering Bell, Northumberland

Some people have called Yeavering Bell a slightly strenuous walk, however, I believe this only applies if you are a fully fit hill walker who just happens to be part mountain goat.  For myself, who I consider to be of average fitness, when I was half way up the hillside, could see the benefits of a doctor, paramedic, oxygen and alcohol (not necessarily in that order).  It is easy to see the advantage of Yeavering Bell as a stronghold as any attacker wouldn’t have the energy to fight once they reach the summit.  However lets begin…..

Ad Gefrin literally translates as ‘at the hill of goats’ and was The Royal Township of the 7^thCentury Anglo Saxon Kings of Northumbria. It features in Bede’s Ecclesiastical History as the centre of Bishop Paulinus’ mission to the Bernician kingdom, where the saint accompanied the Northumbrian king Edwin and his queen AEthelburgis and is said to have baptised the local population in AD 627. Ad Gefrin was subject to a major excavation by Brian Hope-Taylor 1952-1962. Conclusions drawn from the excavations showed the complex contained a great defended or enclosed meeting place with adjacent halls and a timber built arena.

Ad Gefrin was the inland counterpart to the coastal fortress of Bamburgh. Although Bamburgh remained as a principle political stronghold Ad Gefrin was eventually replaced by a new, more enclosed site, Maelmin, approximately 4 km further north.  Ad Gefrin is now remembered by a plaque situated on the B6351, approximately 5 miles to the west of Wooler. This is the best place to park a car and start to walk.

Ad Gefrin - now just a roadside plaque

Start of the journey......

If you walk west along the B6351 you come to a junction which leads to a farmstead.  This is the path which will take you to the brooding Cheviots. Yeavering Bell lies directly in front of you and seems to go up, up and up. 

View towards Kirk Newton

View from Yeavering Bell to Gefrin

Yeavering Bell - Hill top Fortress

Yeavering is situated at the western end of the Glendale valley, where the Cheviots gives way to the fertile plains of the Tweed valley.  The most prominent feature is the twin peaked hill of Yeavering Bell (361m) where a hill fort and stronghold was built during the time of the Iron Age. The fort was the largest of its kind in Northumberland and had dry stone walls around both peaks.  On the hill there were numerous Iron Age round houses supporting a large population, later identified as the Votadini. 

In the early mediaeval period, Yeavering was located within the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Bernicia. 

There are two routes to the top of Yeavering Bell, a more gentile climb which approaches the fort from the south or the more arduous north face.  It does not really matter which route you take because the end result is spectacular views across the valleys, hills and Tors for as far as the eye can see.  There are two peaks within the outline of the fort and standing on either gives you a sense of the history both peaceful and bloodied, from early settlers, Roman and Anglo-Saxon cultures to the roamings of the notorious Border Reviers.  The area is wild, harsh, moody and dramatic.  Sitting on the summit looking over the kingdom of Northumbria gives you a well deserved sense of peace far from the madding crowd.

Yeavering Bell - view towards White Law

Snow Capped Newton Tors

Yeavering Bell - view towards Hethpool

All Saints Church - Rothbury

This walk starts at the picturesque market town of Rothbury, however this particular walk was under the distinct threat of snowy blizzards.  These days Rothbury is renowned as a motorcycle stop over (generally by solicitors and accountants going through a mid life crisis) or by hill walkers dressed as ‘Tinkers Rucsac’ (for those of you who remember the characters from Vic Reeves Big Night Out).  However Rothbury is ancient and was first mentioned around 1100 AD, when it was known as Routhebiria , or ‘Routha’s Town’.  All Saints church, in the centre of the town, still retains fragments of an Anglo-Saxon cross, believed to be 8^th C. 

Rothbury is historically important due to being a crossroads over a ford along the river Coquet.  This led to an influx of families during the middle ages and became chartered as a market town in 1291 AD.  The town has had a bloody and turbulent past.  In the 15^th  and 16^th C the Coquet valley was a hunting ground for bands of Reivers who attacked and burned the town frequently.  Near the parish All Saints church stands the doorway and site of the 17^th C Three Half Moons Inn, where the Earl of Derwentwater stayed prior to marching into a heavy defeat at the Battle of Preston. 

The industrialist Lord Armstrong (1810–1900) helped shape modern Rothbury. Many local buildings reflect his Victorian style and prosperity. At the same time the planting of more than six million trees and shrubs transformed the surrounding landscape.  

Rothbury's parish church building - All Saints' Church - dates from circa 1850, largely replacing but in parts incorporating the fabric of a former Saxon edifice. The church has a font with a stem or pedestal using a section of the Anglo-Saxon cross shaft, showing what is reputed to be the earliest carved representation in Great Britain of the Ascension of Christ.

Sharps Folly

As you walk south out of Rothbury, you are heading to the small hamlet of Whitton. This path passes through the hamlet and heads towards the looming hills of Simonside.  However you soon come across Sharps Folly.  A folly is a decorative piece of architecture with no discernible use.  This folly was erected by the Reverend Dr Thomas Sharp, Rector of Rothbury 1720 – 1758.  It was built for the relief of unemployment amongst local stonemasons and used as an observatory.  It is the oldest folly in the county and a listed building.

Lordenshaw - cup and ring stones

The path starts to rise and the ground becomes rougher as you wander past groups of bemused looking sheep.  Depending upon the time of year, the weather can be very changeable from dark and broody to snowy and cold.  However, irrespective of the weather conditions, to me, the Northumberland countryside must still rank as one of the most beautiful in the world.  The path eventually takes you to Lordenshaw.  The fort at Lordenshaw is one of the most important archaeological sites containing prehistoric ‘cup and ring’ stones.  These carvings in stone consist of an inner cup surrounded by rings. These were originally carved on sandstone during the Neolithic period and were later incorporated into burial cairns and stone circles.  The meaning of the marking is stillnot known but may be based on tribal boundaries, spiritual beliefs or border markers.

Dove Crag and Simonside

At this point the path starts to turn into a climb, but is still extremely well marked out, as you venture into the Simonside hills.  In a document dated to 1279 Simonside was called Simundessete. By 1580 the name had become Simontside. The name may be a corruption of Sigemund's seat or Sigemund's settlement. This is the name of an old Germanic hero from the Volsunga Saga.  This points to the possibility that the Simon of Simonside Hill is the Sigemund mentioned in Beowulf and subsequently Norse and Teutonic myths.

Dove Crag (395m) is the first peak you have to struggle towards.  I have always found this peak to have a roof of dark rain filled clouds for 9 months of the year overlapping with 12 months of wind.  At the top of this location there is a nice sturdy pile of stones providing shelter for many a hardy hiker and ‘Duergar’.  Legend has  it that Duergars are mischievous elves or dwarfes who take great delight in frightening travelers at night or trying to lure them over the high cliff tops to their death.  Simonside (429m) is the highest peak complete with monolithic stone structures, caves and holes.  The cliff sides are frequented by climbers and wild shaggy Tups (rams).  I remember the first time I came across a wild Tup, it looked like a cross between an abominable snowman and a pit pony, and when it emerged out of the mists on the cragside looking wild and sporting very large horns – the only decision you had to make was how fast you wanted to move in the opposite direction.

A snowy pit stop

A Winters view

At this point the climb down becomes steep and a bit of a scramble over rocks and scree.  However this also becomes the starting point for many other walks that take you to Great Tosson, Harwood forest or St Oswalds Way (following in the footsteps of the great Northumbrian King, 604 – 642 AD)

A Simonside view

A HAPPY HIKER

Morpeth to Bothal

The trail from Morpeth to Bothal follows the river Wansbeck which is home to several species of birds including Mute Swans, Mallards, Goosander and Curlew.  Otters are also very common.