| Northern Dreams |
| Sometimes, when I'm searching for photographs of a particular place, I get a little side-tracked by the websites I encounter along the way. Once in awhile, I get very side-tracked. That's exactly what Northumberland did to me this week. |
| The history of England's northernmost county is very absorbing. Some of that history remains, in the form of surviving structures: medieval castles (there are more castles in Northumberland than any other county), priories, bridges, Hadrian's wall and much more, remnants of thousands of years of human activity. |
| But the region isn't just known for its dramatic history, but, also, for its dramatic scenery. Northumberland's high moorland, with its sweeping vistas, attracts painters from all over the world and its Northern Sea coastline includes some of the most striking scenery in all of England. |
| I hope the pictures on this page capture a little of the history and beauty of Northumberland. -- Nancy |
| Entering Northumberland at the border between England and Scotland. |
| Above, the ruins of Lindisfarne Priory; top of the page, Lindisfarne Castle |
| Northumberland is often called England's "cradle of Christianity," because it was on the island of Lindistarne that Christianity flourished when the Irish monk, St. Aidan, was sent to convert the English in about 635 A.D. |
| The Vikings chased the monks away in the 800's, but the priory was re-established in about 1000 and continued until its suppression by Henry VIII in 1536. The monks are no longer in residence, but the ruins pictured above, a Norman-era church and an ancient graveyard remain. Below, the 16th century Lindisfarne Castle. |
| 11th century Bamburgh Castle, pictured above, is currently home to a family of mortals and one non-mortal ghost known as "the pink lady" - in legend, a Northumbrian princess who favors pink gowns and appears every seven years to mourn her long-ago lost love. |
| Above, a portion of Hadrian's Wall - Construction of the wall started in 122 A.D. by Roman emperor Hadrian. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site and a popular tourist attraction. |
| Above, Alnwick Castle, home to the Duke of Northumberland; it was used as Hogwarts for the Harry Potter movies. |
| Above, Warkworth Castle, reportedly haunted by "the grey lady," thought to be the wife of the first Earl of Northumberland. The wine cellars were once used as a prison - many human visitors have felt an uncanny presence there and canine visitors apparently more so, since dogs routinely demonstrate a reluctance to enter the area. |
| Please don't use the 'Send page' feature of your computer to send this entire page in an e-mail message, document or pdf format. If you'd like to share it, please just send the link. The link to this page is: http://www.thepastwhispers.com/North.html |