Northumberland - February 25th to March 1st, 2019
Monday February 25th
A long 300 mile drive to Lucker in Northumberland for another stay in one of the Holiday Property Bond homes. After a short stop for petrol and at a picnic area in Lincolnshire for a cup of coffee from the prepared flask and a comfort break, we drove on towards the A1 and the north on that road before leaving for a short stop in Borough Bridge.
The weather was very pleasant but in Borough Bridge the temperature seemed to be lower (about 9 degrees compared with 12 earlier).
We set off from home at 9.23 am and rolled up at Lucker Hall around 3.35 pm. An attractive development of holiday homes in a small village about two miles off the A1 (forgot that at this part of the country the A1 is actually a single carriageway road).
We arrived literally five minutes after Gill and Richard Whall who had set off from Hethersett an hour before us but who obviously had a much longer stop.
We have a four-bedroomed house for the stay and our bedroom is a large one on the third floor with an en-suite and plenty of room to swing a cat (if we had one). After a cup of tea set off for a walk round the village (photographs below). There isn't a lot to it - an interesting church, a pub and a pizza restaurant (the latter only open at weekends in the winter - thus cutting down our choices of places to eat.
Returned to the house for a lasagne tea (prepared by Gill). Details of our travel were:
Start 9.23 am Stop 11.09 am at picnic site. Distance 78.8 miles in 106 minutes (also included petrol stop)
Start 11.20 am Stop 1.10 pm at Borough Bridge. Distance 104.6 miles in 110 minutes
Start 1.34 pm Stop 3.45 pm at Lucker, Northumberland. Distance 117.1 miles in 131 minutes
Total Miles 300.4 Total Time 6 hr 12 min. Driving time (approx) 5 hr 47 min
A long 300 mile drive to Lucker in Northumberland for another stay in one of the Holiday Property Bond homes. After a short stop for petrol and at a picnic area in Lincolnshire for a cup of coffee from the prepared flask and a comfort break, we drove on towards the A1 and the north on that road before leaving for a short stop in Borough Bridge.
The weather was very pleasant but in Borough Bridge the temperature seemed to be lower (about 9 degrees compared with 12 earlier).
We set off from home at 9.23 am and rolled up at Lucker Hall around 3.35 pm. An attractive development of holiday homes in a small village about two miles off the A1 (forgot that at this part of the country the A1 is actually a single carriageway road).
We arrived literally five minutes after Gill and Richard Whall who had set off from Hethersett an hour before us but who obviously had a much longer stop.
We have a four-bedroomed house for the stay and our bedroom is a large one on the third floor with an en-suite and plenty of room to swing a cat (if we had one). After a cup of tea set off for a walk round the village (photographs below). There isn't a lot to it - an interesting church, a pub and a pizza restaurant (the latter only open at weekends in the winter - thus cutting down our choices of places to eat.
Returned to the house for a lasagne tea (prepared by Gill). Details of our travel were:
Start 9.23 am Stop 11.09 am at picnic site. Distance 78.8 miles in 106 minutes (also included petrol stop)
Start 11.20 am Stop 1.10 pm at Borough Bridge. Distance 104.6 miles in 110 minutes
Start 1.34 pm Stop 3.45 pm at Lucker, Northumberland. Distance 117.1 miles in 131 minutes
Total Miles 300.4 Total Time 6 hr 12 min. Driving time (approx) 5 hr 47 min
Tuesday February 26th
Temperatures today were around 16 or 17 degrees which made for a very pleasant trip to Alnwick. This is about 20 degrees higher than last year when we were enjoying/suffering the Beast From The East.
We parked at Barter Books (pictured opposite) and had morning coffee and a good look round the hundreds of thousands of books shelved there. Mind you the prices were at times ridiculous - better to stick with charity shops although Barter would be useful if you are seeking out a specific book and not worried about how much you pay.
The place scored highly on the oddity scale - being housed in the former Alnwick Railway Station. So there was a definite quaintness about it all.
Walked into town and it was much as we remembered it from previous visits (at least two). Then spent a very pleasant couple of hours in Alnwick Gardens with its fountains and manicured lawns and tea room for a scone and coffee. There we were joined by Barbara and Roger Sandall who had travelled up from Norfolk to spend a few days with us. Roger was a police chief superintendent when I worked for Norfolk Costabulary and a few years ago I established through research that he is also my third cousin.
There's a very unusual tree house close to the gardens which I believe was featured in a couple of the Harry Potter films. It houses a restaurant but it was fully booked - so perhaps another time.
We then travelled onto the coast for a quick stop at Craster to buy some kippers and then Seahouses for a fish and chip supper before driving past Bamburgh Castle as the sun went down and back to Lucker.
Temperatures today were around 16 or 17 degrees which made for a very pleasant trip to Alnwick. This is about 20 degrees higher than last year when we were enjoying/suffering the Beast From The East.
We parked at Barter Books (pictured opposite) and had morning coffee and a good look round the hundreds of thousands of books shelved there. Mind you the prices were at times ridiculous - better to stick with charity shops although Barter would be useful if you are seeking out a specific book and not worried about how much you pay.
The place scored highly on the oddity scale - being housed in the former Alnwick Railway Station. So there was a definite quaintness about it all.
Walked into town and it was much as we remembered it from previous visits (at least two). Then spent a very pleasant couple of hours in Alnwick Gardens with its fountains and manicured lawns and tea room for a scone and coffee. There we were joined by Barbara and Roger Sandall who had travelled up from Norfolk to spend a few days with us. Roger was a police chief superintendent when I worked for Norfolk Costabulary and a few years ago I established through research that he is also my third cousin.
There's a very unusual tree house close to the gardens which I believe was featured in a couple of the Harry Potter films. It houses a restaurant but it was fully booked - so perhaps another time.
We then travelled onto the coast for a quick stop at Craster to buy some kippers and then Seahouses for a fish and chip supper before driving past Bamburgh Castle as the sun went down and back to Lucker.
Wednesday February 27th
So warm today that we were able to walk around Lindisfarne (Holy Island) in a T-short. Lindisfarne is about half an hour's journey along the A1 across a causeway. You have to time things right to get across and back without getting wet.
Parked in the main car park and then did a three mile circular tour which included the cliff tops, the castle, the priory and then back to the car. The tour started, as so many do, at a coffee shop.
Lindisfarne is a place of great peace and tranquility. There are plenty of visitors but it is always possible to get away on your own. A delightful place full of history.
We drove back to the A1 and then deviated into Bamburgh to reminisce about our holiday with our sons when they were teenagers some 20 years ago. The castle is still there of course, but so are the Copper Kettle tea rooms and the tennis court overlooking the castle where I remember pulling both ham strings in one go going for a drop shot. I vowed then that I would have to stop playing tennis - but I'm still playing two decades later. Enjoyed a late lunch at the Copper Kettle.
Then it was back to Lucker and a game of crazy golf before walking to the pub (The Apple Tree) for an evening meal (£25 per couple with a bottle of wine).
So warm today that we were able to walk around Lindisfarne (Holy Island) in a T-short. Lindisfarne is about half an hour's journey along the A1 across a causeway. You have to time things right to get across and back without getting wet.
Parked in the main car park and then did a three mile circular tour which included the cliff tops, the castle, the priory and then back to the car. The tour started, as so many do, at a coffee shop.
Lindisfarne is a place of great peace and tranquility. There are plenty of visitors but it is always possible to get away on your own. A delightful place full of history.
We drove back to the A1 and then deviated into Bamburgh to reminisce about our holiday with our sons when they were teenagers some 20 years ago. The castle is still there of course, but so are the Copper Kettle tea rooms and the tennis court overlooking the castle where I remember pulling both ham strings in one go going for a drop shot. I vowed then that I would have to stop playing tennis - but I'm still playing two decades later. Enjoyed a late lunch at the Copper Kettle.
Then it was back to Lucker and a game of crazy golf before walking to the pub (The Apple Tree) for an evening meal (£25 per couple with a bottle of wine).