2012 Tours
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Medieval Northumberland
Led by Dr. Pamela Marshall25th - 29th May 2012
The Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, cradle of English Christianity and home of the Lindisfarne Gospels, nurtured great churchmen, scholars, kings and gifted craftsmen. In 1095, the county of Northumberland was created by William Rufus, Norman king of a still new dynasty, who subjected the land between the Tyne and Tweed rivers to direct English rule, a claim not readily accepted by the Scots. This most beautiful border county saw generations of conflict, from Viking raids, through the Anglo-Scottish wars, and developed a way of economic life predicated on cross-border cattle rustling that persisted into the seventeenth century. One result of this troubled history is a superb legacy of fortified architecture, from defensive bastle houses to magnificent castles. Set amongst breathtaking landscape, the county has a rich variety of historic sites that illustrate and bring to life its colourful past.
A full itinerary of daily visits will include:
Day 1 Friday: Participants will be met at Newcastle Central Station at 13.30 for an afternoon visit to Aydon Castle. This perfect gem of a late 13thC manor house, set on the edge of an attractive dene, is extremely well preserved; its history reflects the story of the Anglo-Scottish wars and their social and economic effect on the region. It was in use as a farmhouse until the 1960s, when it came into the hands of English Heritage Those travelling by car are advised to meet the group there (directions will be given; parking available). Check in at Warkworth House Hotel.
Day 2 Saturday: Lindisfarne (Holy Island), the cradle of Northumbrian Christianity in the early medieval period and the place where the famous Lindisfarne Gospels were produced. Visits to the Priory, originally founded by St. Aidan in AD635; parish church of St. Mary; Lindisfarne Castle, in truth a Tudor coastal fort, which was reworked as a small country house by the architect Lutyens during the opening years of the 20thC for the editor of Country Life. There will be some free time for visiting its walled garden, designed by Gertrude Jekyll, to take lunch and to explore the village. 14.45 Depart for the mainland and a visit to the medieval market town of Alnwick: picturesque view of Alnwick Castle; exploration of the medieval town plan. Visit to Edlingham Castle & fortified church.
Day 3 Sunday: Warkworth: Exploration on foot of the Norman town plan, its development and retraction during the Middle Ages and its 14thC bridge, fortified against Scottish raiders. Visit to Warkworth Castle, seat of the Earls, later Dukes, of Northumberland. Afternoon visits to the Medieval Hermitage: sponsored by the Percy Earls and cut into the living rock, this is a very unusual and attractive medieval site on the banks of the River Coquet; parish church of St. Lawrence, a Saxon foundation rebuilt in the 12thC under the patronage of the Norman lords of Warkworth.
Day 4 Monday: Departure by coach for a walk along the coastal path to Dunstanburgh Castle, built by Thomas, Earl of Lancaster in the early 14thC. Apart from the impressive ruins in a stunning location, landscape research has thrown much light on the surroundings of the castle in the Middle Ages. Walk back into the fishing village of Craster, famous for its kipper-smoking houses and some free time for lunch; afternoon visit to Preston Pele Tower, a very impressive late 14thC example of the type of fortified house that resulted from the Anglo-Scottish wars.
Day 5 Tuesday: Drive south to Belsay. This extensive site has a magnificently well-appointed and well preserved tower house of the 14thC, conjuring up the way of life of the minor aristocracy during the time of the Anglo-Scottish wars. This was first extended in the early 17thC (ruins remain), then supplanted in the late 18thC by the fine Belsay Hall, designed by its owner in the Classical style, and inspired by the classical buildings he saw on his honeymoon. The entire site is linked by magnificent gardens of differing characters, heavily influenced by the Romantic Movement, one with its own microclimate,
derived from its location in the quarry used to extract stone for the Hall.
Drop off at Newcastle Central Station at 15.30. Drivers are advised
to take their cars to Belsay (ample parking) and leave from there.
The tour will be based in the attractive village of Warkworth, which sits in a loop of the River Coquet, a picturesque position whose natural defensibility accounts for its settlement at least since the Anglo-Saxon period, possibly to the Iron Age. The street plan was re-worked after the Norman occupation, when the motte and bailey castle was raised, and has not changed since. Warkworth House Hotel is a fine Georgian building.
Cost:
Cost: £710 (No single supplement)
The price includes:
- Transport during the tour;
- 4 nights in en-suite rooms;
- all breakfasts and dinners;
- expert guiding;
- entrances;
- gratuities
Reductions: £10pp for each booking received by Jan 31st 2012
£15pp for membership of English Heritage
£5pp for membership of National Trust