Travel Britain; The North Country

Castles, coasts and history, and above all, a warm welcome

Written By: Kristine Hedlund

Follow your spirit of adventure from dramatic clifftop abbeys to glistening lakes, from picture-book villages to 2,000 years of adventures engraved upon roman remains, medieval cities, mills and museums. Experience the exhilaration of walking the famous Coast to Coast Walk, or follow the 62 miles of the St. Cuthbert’s footpath to Lindisfarne . England’s North Country is home to some of Britain’s most breathtaking sights and exquisite history. Through an invitation extended by England’s North Country and VisitBritain, I found myself aboard the red eye flight on British Airways on a vacation to which I will certainly return.

After arriving at the Manchester airport, and after a several hour drive, our first stop was the beautiful and quaint seaside hotel – The Pennington Hotel, located in Ravenglass, Cumbria, along the West Coast. The Pennington Hotel has been renovated and is now operated by Iona and Peter Frost-Pennington. We joined Iona, Peter, Phyllida and Patrick Gordon-Duff Pennington, current owners and residents of Muncaster Castle, for a wonderful dinner at the hotel. And we can’t forget the company of Gretchen; the once American, now Britain, close friend of the Pennington’s.

Muncaster Castle, has been home to the Pennington family for nearly 800 years. Three generations of the family live in the Castle today and can often be found guiding visitors around their house or working in the gardens. The Castle is open for a variety of activities. Enjoy lavish weddings in the Great Hall, the Library, or the Drawing Room; meet the birds in the Owl Centre; sleep (if you dare) in the ghostly Tapestry Room; or take an afternoon to stroll through the beautiful gardens and woodlands.

On Monday morning, we were introduced to our driver, educator and soon-to-be friend, Richard Hyde. Richard is a Blue Badge Tour Guide, which, we came to learn, gained you VIP status in the area of tourist activities. I highly recommend hiring a guide for this trip. Richard took us through some amazing scenery and was a wealth of knowledge on each site we were about to embark on. You can contact Richard at info@cumbriandiscoveries.co.uk.

Our travels took us to the Lake District, where we hopped on a journey with Peter Rabbit at the Beatrix Potter Attraction. We took a quick stroll through Dove Cottage, the inspirational home of William Wordsworth, before venturing onward to Langley Castle, where we dined and spent the night. Langley Castle is a 14th Century castle nestling in the Northumbrian Valley of the South Tyne. Built in 1350 during the reign of Edward III, the castle has retained its architectural integrity and is regarded as one of the few medieval fortified Castle Hotels in England.

On Tuesday morning, we packed up and ventured north-east to Alnwick (pronounced Anick) Castle, Alnwick Gardens, and visited one of the largest tree houses in the world. Alnwick Castle is well noted as one of the settings for the Harry Potter movies. The Alnwick Castle has been occupied by the Percy family, Dukes of Northumberland for over 700 years. My quest for this visit was to gain my Knighthood by participating in the Knight’s Quest. This is a program that is more suited for the visiting youngsters, but I was not going to pass up the opportunity to receive my title of Lady of Knight’s Quest.

Our lodging had been booked at Market Cross, a quaint little B&B owned and operated by Jill and John Hodge. I am personally awarding the “Outstanding Breakfast” award to Jill, and the rooms offered every comfort of home, which was a treat after our long days of travel and sightseeing. (Make certain you discuss Minnesota Twins baseball with John.)

On Wednesday morning, we drove a short distance to Lindisfarne . Lindisfarne , known as Holy Island, is the cradle of Christianity. When you cross the dramatic causeway to Holy Island, you journey into spiritual heritage. The corpse of St.Cuthbert was found undecayed in 698AD, and this became one of the most sacred shrines in Christendom. For 1300 years, it has been a place of pilgrimage and still is today. We learned about the monastery's fantastic wealth and walked on the grounds where brutal Viking raiders plundered the priory, forcing monks into refuge on the mainland.

After our brief tour of Lindisfarne , we ventured over to nearby Bamburgh Castle. Bamburgh Castle is perched on a basalt outcrop on the very edge of the North Sea at Bamburgh, Northumberland. The castle has been extensively restored, first by Lord Crewe in the 1750s, and more recently by the first Lord Armstrong at the end of the 19th Century. The castle continues to be the home of the Armstrong family. Claire Thorburn, a member of the Armstrong family, joined us for our tour and lunch. As Claire was sharing some of the Haunted Castle stories with me, a light above us went out. Coincidence? Maybe. When you stop by Bamburgh Castle, make certain you let Claire know that we encouraged you to look her up. She is an excellent tourist guide and her humor and animation will have you talking about Bamburgh long after you leave.

Our next stop was Harrogate, a pleasant spa town to the south-east of the Yorkshire Dales and famous for its tea shops, flower shows, turkish baths, antique shops, and the Harrogate International Conference Centre. The town is also famous for its associations with the great English crime novelist Agatha Christie, who "disappeared" there for a few days in the 1930s. We stayed at the Hotel Du Vin, a hotel of contemporary décor nestled amongst Georgian-style houses. For dinner that evening, Richard took us down the street to a little pub with genuine gas lamps for the local staple of fish and chips and, not to forget, mushy peas.

As we arose the next morning, we realized our trip would soon be coming to an end. Our tour for the day would take us to Castle Howard. One of the premier stately homes of England, Castle Howard is a elaborate masterpiece that is more palace than house. Castle Howard is now occupied by the Honorable Simon Howard and his family. It recently celebrated its 300th anniversary after surviving a series of historical set-backs, financial restraints and family misfortunes. On November 9, 1940, the southeast Wing of Castle Howard caught fire. The blaze spread into the Great Hall, and many rooms were destroyed. If it hadn't been for the determination of George Howard, who inherited the house following the deaths of his two brothers in WWII, it is unlikely there would be much left for the visitor to see today. However, under George Howard's guiding hand, the dome was rebuilt in 1962. As time and money allowed, he continued to repair and restore the grounds, and in 1981, the Garden Hall was also rebuilt. The gardens are stunning, the fountains are true works of art, and if in season, do not leave Castle Howard without trying the “summer pudding” at the Courtyard Café.

The Lake District will enchant you, luring you to explore the countryside, mountains and lakes of Northern England. You will want to explore Hadrian's Wall, a Roman frontier built in the years AD 122-30 by order of the Emperor Hadrian. It was a stone wall that spanned 73 miles and ran from Wallsend-on-Tyne in the east to Bowness on the Solway Firth in the west. In its day, Hadrian's Wall was protected by thousands of troops, who watched over the northern horizon from turrets and milecastles. Several of these forts are open for you to visit today. Medieval castles and grand historic houses tell the region's vivid history. Many of them have been lived in by the same families for hundreds of years, filled not only with family memorabilia, but also great works of art, period furniture, priceless antiques and other treasures accumulated over the centuries and passed on by each generation.

The history spans over hundreds of years and the landscape of England’s North Country is breathtaking, but what I enjoyed most of all, was the hospitality. We traveled over 1000 miles, and every stop and every nights stay brought new friends.

Travel Log

The Pennington Hotel
Ravenglass, Cumbria
CA18 1SD
01229-717-222
www.thepennington.co.uk

Muncaster Castle
Ravenglass, Cumbria
CA18 1RQ
01229-717-614
www.muncaster.co.uk

Lake District
Kendal, Cumbria
LA9 7RL
01539-724-555
www.lake-district.gov.uk

Beatrix Potter Attraction
Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria
The Lake District, LA23 3BX
01539-488-444
www.hop-skip-jump.com

Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum
Grasmere
LA22 9SH
01539-435-544
www.wordsworth.org.uk

Langley Castle
Haydon Bridge, Northumberland
NE47 5LU
01434-688-888
www.langleycastle.com

Alnwick Castle
Alnwick, Northumberland
NE66 1NQ
01665-510-777
www.alnwickcastle.com

Market Cross
1 Church Street
Belford, Northumberland
NE70 7LS
01668-213-013
www.marketcross.net

Lindisfarne
www.lindisfarne.org.uk

Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh, Northumberland
NE69 7DF
01668-214-515
www.bamburghcastle.com

Harrogate Borough Council
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
HG1 2SG
01423-500-600
www.harrogate.gov.uk

Castle Howard
York, North Yorkshire
YO60 7DA
01653-648-444
www.castlehoward.co.uk

Hadrian's Wall Country
01434-322-002
www.hadrians-wall.org