Hadrain’s Wall Illuminated

Saturday 13th March saw the spectacular illumination of Hadrian’s Wall, bringing to life Britain’s longest, and greatest, historic monument.

500 individual points of light, at roughly 250 metre intervals, marked the way along the route of the 84 mile Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail.

The volunteer Illuminators included hundreds of people from the communities around Hadrian’s Wall, as well as enthusiasts from across the country, including places like London, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester, and even a number of people from overseas.

Anniversary

Some of the Illuminators were marking key moments in their own lives such as birthdays and anniversaries.

Carol Bell, Head of Culture and Major Events for culture10 at Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, said:

“The development of this project has been an incredible journey that could not have been possible without the extraordinary commitment of so many partners. It is a fitting tribute to our unique landscape, and a celebration of its history.”

The Ignition event for Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall started at Segedunum Roman Fort at Wallsend in the North East of England at 5.15pm with a performance by Berlin based Theatre Anu.

Angels appeared around the ruins of the fort to tell the story of ‘The Winged Boy’ as the skies began to dim.  The first of the lights were illuminated half an hour later.

Procession

The line of light then began its journey westwards.

Along the way it passed through the vibrant cities of Newcastle and Carlisle, and some of England’s most beautiful countryside, from rolling fields to rugged moorland.

In Carlisle thousands of people took part in a torchlight procession, leaving the city centre at about 6pm to meet the line of light as it passed through Bitts Park.

The final gas beacon was lit at Bowness-on-Solway on the Cumbrian coast at about 6.50pm and the full line of light remained illuminated until about 7.15pm.

Tourism week

It’s the first time that the full length of Hadrian’s Wall from Wallsend in the North East to Bowness-on-Solway in the North West has been illuminated in more than 1,600 years.

Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall was an ambitious project led by Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd which forms part of the world-class programme of festivals and events developed by the culture10 team based at Newcastle Gateshead Initiative and the Lakes Alive programme in Carlisle presented by Kendal Arts International and Manchester International Arts.

Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall is also a flagship event of British Tourism Week 2010.

To get more information about the event visit www.illuminatinghadrianswall.com.

Carbon offset

Calor Gas provided official sponsorship by providing 550 gas cylinders and just under half of the 515 torches used to light the wall.

Drawing on its 75 year history of innovation, Calor and manufacturer Bullfinch worked together to create bespoke torches which could produce a safe, controllable and sizeable flame.

Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd will be calculating the carbon cost of the event and offsetting the carbon emissions through a programme of tree planting. However, a voluntary blackout will also make an additional contribution towards offsetting the carbon costs.

World Heritage Site

Hadrian’s Wall formed the Roman frontier across the north of England for almost 300 years.

It was built in AD122 by the Roman army on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian.

In 1987 it was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and in 2005 became part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site.

Today it attracts visitors from all over the world.

The Hadrian’s Wall National Path closely follows the original line of Hadrian’s Wall.

Potholes expose hidden past

Recent bad weather has left many of our roads dimpled with assorted sized potholes.

A report from the cyclist organisation CTC estimates that there is an average of one pothole for every 110m of road.

Many councils have embarked on the massive challenge of repairing the road surfaces in their areas. Since January 2010 Gloucestershire County Council alone have repaired over 15,000 potholes.

With the top layer of road surface broken away our road heritage is revealed below and often this takes the form of cobbles or sets.

Rather than rip up the millions of shaped stone blocks, road builders simply lay the asphalt over the existing road surface.

Cobblestones or sets

Applying cobblestones or sets to a road dates back many hundreds of years and was done to improve the durability of mud tracks in bad weather.

The stones allowed for carts to travel over a solid road surface rather than a mud or sandy surface where frequently the track would churn up in bad weather.

A road made of cobblestones has a very random surface, whilst one made of the regular shaped granite or sandstone block work has a uniform pattern.

“Cobblestone” is derived from the very old English word “cob”, a small rounded object.

Rectangular setts are often between 75mm and 100mm wide, with lengths between 150mm and 300mm.

The cube shaped setts are often made from granite 100mm cubed.

Each stone needed to be placed individually into a bed of sand with more sand or a grout placed around it to keep it in place.

Local stones are frequently used in place of granite to savework, time and costs.

Block paving is in some ways the modern equivalent of the granite setts and can now be seen on many driveways and in public spaces throughout the world.  However, the granite sett still has a use as it lasts a lot longer than the fired brick and is more resistant to modern date dirt such as chewing gum

Recycled

Many roads constructed with cobbles or setts have preservation orders placed upon them.  This ensures that if they are lifted to allow access to underground pipes or works that they are returned.

Many dealers specialise in supplying recycled setts which are used on driveways or for historical restoration. Prices are currently around £100 per ton.

Potholes

Many websites have sprung up in response to the increasing number of potholes, however not all are a rallying call to arms or a way of getting at the assorted road maintenance organisations.

Mypotholes.com has been set up by Montreal artists Claudia Ficca and Davide Luciano and  showcases rural craters in a comedic and creative fashion.

Further information

The Sett makers of Dartmoor – The very hard life of the rock shapers high on Dartmoor.

Fill that hole – Website from the CTC.

Potholes.co.uk – Warranty based website highlighting potholes.

Pothole gardens - An ongoing series of public installations highlighting the problem of surface imperfection.

Unknown history

Have you ever come across an object, article, building or thing that you are not sure what it is or what it was used for?

This has happened many times whilst we have been out and about and no doubt will happen in the future.

So rather than leave the pictures sitting on a hard drive, we will add things to the gallery below to see if you know what they are.

To make life easier we will number each item and make a form available at the bottom of the page for you to get in touch.

Item gallery

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All Saints Church, Cockermouth

All Saints Church has an elevated, commanding view over Cockermouth main street.  The original 14th century church was considered ‘the most ancient and beautiful specimen of Gothic architecture in the North of England’.  However, some suggest that a church has been on this site since the 11th Century, thought to have been erected by Waltheof of Allerdale.

This church was replaced in 1711 by what is described as a “plain building”. Following a fire which destroyed the church in 1850, and a third church was built in the Early English style in 1854.

All Saints spire can be seen from outlaying villages, reaching a height of 180 feet, with exceptional carving of the pillar capitals. The church tower, designed by Mr. Joseph Clarke, architect, of London, contains a peal of six bells, and a clock and chimes by J. Blacklock, of Carlisle.

A Bible and Prayer Book from the dedication ceremony in 1854 are preserved and on display within the church.  The skillfully worked pulpit and font are made of Caen stone.

Fine examples of Victorian stained glass
The east window was erected by subscription in 1853 by John Hardman as a memorial window to William Wordsworth who was baptised here, and whose father John is buried in the churchyard. It consists of five lights and a head, filled in with tracery. The window is extremely rich in Scriptural subjects and symbolism.

On the south side are four memorial windows dedicated to Eldred Green, the vicar from 1874 to 1881, erected by his family and public subscription.

Songs of Praise
On February 21st, BBC Songs of Praise will come from All Saints Church and Sally Magnusson visited Cumbria to talk to

those people whose lives were been turned upside down by the November floods and see the work to rebuild Cockermouth town centre and recover the roads and bridges of the town and outlaying villages.

All Saints Church renaissance appeal website
The aim is to transform the interior of this important Wordsworth Church into a major community facility as well as an inspiring spiritual centre.

The Saints Rooms have already redefined the standards for West Cumbrian social venues. Refurbishing Cockermouth’s ‘cathedral’ will create a vibrant cultural centre.

More information
About Cockermouth – Cumbria Travel Guide
19th Century history of Cockermouth All Saints Church - Images of Cumbria website
Cockermouth gravestone inscriptions recorded - Article on Gravestonepix.com

London Olympics 1908 – A 77 year legacy

Held in a purpose built stadium in the White City area of London was the 1908 Olympic Games.

Originally the Games were to be held in Rome however they were transferred to London with only 18 months notice.

The venue change came about because of financial pressures on the Italian Authorities following a recent eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906.

The new stadium

With a capacity of just under 70,ooo seated and 17,000 undercover the new stadium was an all in one venue. At the centre of the arena was a large water tank, 100m long, for the swimming events.

This was surrounded by a running track measured so that three laps were equal to one mile.

Beyond this track and before the spectators was a banked cycle track.

As happens in modern times, some of the events such as sailing and tennis were held away from the main stadium complex and one event, the 12m yacht class even took place on the Clyde in Scotland.

This was the first and only time an Olympic event has been held in Scotland.

An Olympic Games of firsts

The London 1908 Games saw a number of sporting firsts and putting in place of rules, some of which are still used today.

Motorboating was an event which took place at Southampton. A first for mechanisation.

London also saw the first opening ceremony where the flags of nations were paraded before the start of competition.

The modern distance for the marathon was set at 26 miles 384 yrds. This came about because of the distance between the start, inside the grounds of Windsor Castle to the finishing point in front of the Royal box within the stadium.

These Games were also the first to award bronze, silver and gold medal awards.

Sporting achievement

At the end of the games Great Britain came out on top of the medals table with 56 gold, 51 silver and 38 bronze medals.  This is the highest medals total, so far, for Team GB.

The stadium was taken over by the Greyhound Racing Association in 1927 after many years of disuse. It also became the home of British athletics between 1932 and  1971.

The last event held in the stadium was a greyhound race on 22 September 1984.

Legacy

Nothing now remains of the stadium that was finally demolished in 1985 to make way for the building of facilities currently occupied by the BBC.

On the side of one of the new buildings is a memorial to sporting achievement, unveiled by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge.

The finishing line of the old athletics track is marked just in front of the wall mounted medal table.

Further information

BBC History photo gallery of the 1908 Olympics in London

History of White City and the Franco-British exhibition

BBC News – Queen marks the 1908 Olympics

BBC Sport - London’s first Olympics

History and pictures of the White city area

Arthuret Church, Cumbria

Arthuret Parish Church also known as St Michael and All Angels, dominates the hillside in the village, about half a mile from Longtown. Said to be the resting place of the legendary King Arthur, the present gothic style church was erected in 1609, during the reign of King James I.

The site is known to have had a church since the 6th Century AD, often laid to ruins by the invading Scots Border Raiders.

This church was built as a result of a national fund raising to benefit the parishioners, who mainly rejecting Christ’s teachings and were considered to be “without faith”.  This, at this time, was the debatable lands of the Border Reiver.

During construction, the custodian of the collected funds absconded with a considerable sum. With resources weakened, the tower was left unfinished and was not completed until 1690 when Dr. Todd took over rectorship of the church.

The church tower stones are unusual in that many of them have masons marks which are clearly visible.

The main church building consists of nave, chancel, aisles, and tower. In 1750 it was re-roofed, slated, and flagged by the Hon. Mary Graham.

1868 saw a complete restoration costing about £1,000.  This was when the new east window was inserted in memory of the late Sir J.R.G. Graham, Bart. His monogram can be seen in the upper portion of the window.

In 1896 a new organ was installed and the chancel restored and fitted with oak stalls at a total cost of about £1,500, which was raised by subscripion.

The Graham Family
In the church are eleven monuments and tablets to members of the Graham family; Sir George Graham, Bart., who died in 1657 and the Rev. Robert Graham, D.D., who died in 1782. There is also a memorial plaque to the Right Hon. Sir J.R.G. Graham, Bart., M.P., who died at Netherby on 25th October, 1861.

In the churchyard is the tomb of Lieut. William Graham, who served the crown of England from the reigns of Elizabeth I to Charles II.

An ancient cross with pierced capital, in the form of a Maltese cross, is thought to have been erected by one of the Knights of Malta.

Nearby is said to be the unmarked grave of Archie Armstrong, court jester, to James I and Charles I, buried on All Fools’ Day (April 1st).

St. Michael’s Well
Steep steps at the west of the church, lead down to St. Michael’s Well.  A stone canopy is fronted by a moderately sized, rectangular pool, from which the water runs under another set of steps to seep into the land below.

The well was used for baptisms until the 1970s.

Famous Battlegrounds
A wood to the east of the church is said to be the site of the Dark Age battle of Arfderydd, fought by Urien of Rheged and the invading Saxons.

Nearby Solway Moss is the site of the Battle, fought between the English and the Scots on 24th November, 1542. The devastating “Battle of Solway Moss” resulted in English victory over the Scots.

Arthuret Parish
A description from T. Bulmer & Co’s History, Topography and Directory of East Cumberland, 1884 reads;

“Arthuret parish has a length of seven miles and a breadth of four. It lies between the rivers Esk, Lyne, and Liddel, and is bounded on the west, north and east sides by the parish of Kirkandrews.

Also on the east by Stapleton and on the south by Kirklinton. The parish is divided into the four townships of Brackenhill, Lynside, Longtown and Netherby and contains territory once known as the debatable lands.”

King Arthur
The area is steeped in Arthurian legend and a plaque explaining the history of Arthuret Church lays strong claim to this being the place of his burial.

Arthuret church was built under instruction of the monarch and the building is certainly not reflective of other village churches of the same age in the region.  It is indeed a statement and would have been and still is, an imposing landmark.

More information
BBC – Arthurian Legend in Cumbria.
Parishes of the Esk
About the parish of Arthuret
English Heritage – Battle of Solway Moss
The battle of  Arfderydd
Lands beyond the Wall – The debatable lands

Industrial past in Carlisle

Opened in the Summer of 2001 the subway linking the grounds of Carlisle Castle with the Tullie House side of Castle Way in Carlisle is filled with items from an industrial past.

Attached to a 40 meter long and 3m  high steel wall running along one side of the underpass are steel and metal objects that relate to the industry and people of Carlisle and its surrounding areas .

The work, by Russell Coleman, was commissioned by Carlisle City Council in conjunction with the Millennium Commission.

Each of the items has a number nearby. Download a copy of a list of the items and see how many of them you identified.

The underpass also contains a clock and the Cursing Stone.

The Cursing Stone – Carlisle

Since the installation of the ‘Cursing Stone’ in Carlisle it has become the focus for many things going wrong or for events of biblical magnitude in the local area.

Installed as part of the Millennium Gallery underneath Castle Way, the granite art work has been blamed for the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease, the Carlisle floods and many other local tragedies.

The artwork  was made by Andy Altman and  designed by artist Gordon Young.

It sits at the end of an 80 metre path which bears the names of all the Reiver families.

Gordon was born in Carlisle and is from an ancient Reiver family.

It features just over 300 words from a 1,069 word curse which dates back to the 16th Century,  a curse made against robbers, blackmailers and highwaymen who blighted the area 500 years ago.

This text comes from what is said to be one of the worlds longest curses.

The curse was first invoked by the Archbishop of Glasgow, Gavin Dunbar, in 1525 against cross border families, known as the “reivers”, who lived by stealing cattle, rape and pillage.

It is known as the ‘Monition of Cursing’.

Priests in all of the parishes of the border lands were required to read out the curse.

During 2005 Carlisle City Council discussed the removal of the stone to outside the City boundary or even to destroy it.

It is not clear how much the stone weighs as reports vary from between 7-tons and 14-tonnes.

Further information

St. Michael’s Church, Shap

St Michael’s church in Shap, Cumbria, was built in 1140 AD, predating Shap Abbey and the site is known to have had a church since 750 AD.

Complete restoration of the church took place in 1898 and of the 12th Century building, only the interior Norman pillars and lower parts of the walls and windows on the north side remain.

The earlier chancel built in 1765 was replaced and a new tower was built in 1820.

At the same time the Vestry was rebuilt, an Organ Chamber added and the South Aisle extended westward to form the Chapel

The double Aisled church contains some fine late victorian glass and carving and a 13th Century font.

A monument commemorating the deaths of rail workers during the construction of the Shap section of the Lancaster and Carlisle Railways in the 1840’s, is to be found in the church yard to the North of the building near the main gate.

The latest addition of the Millenium window, the work of Huddersfield artist, Adam Goodyear, involved members of the community to produce a piece of artwork that reflects the heritage and local environment.

Dedication of the window took place on 29th September, 2000 by the Revd. Canon Gervase Markham M.B.E., M.A.

St. Michael’s, Shap, is one of a group of five churches on the High Westmorland Parishes Trail, stretching from Ravenstonedale in the upper Lune Valley to Bampton near the Haweswater dam. A distance of around 35 miles.

Ordnance Survey – NY 564154

Acorn Bank, National Trust, Temple Sowerby

Turning off the A66 Temple Sowerby bypass and following the brown tourist signs on to the quieter back roads you approach the National Trust property known as Acorn Bank.

Driving towards the main red sandstone building of Acorn Bank  you get the feeling that this property once held status in this area.

Car parking is available in a small car park at the rear of the main building.

A visit to Acorn Bank can possibly be broken down to five parts.

• Part 1 – The two orchards
• Part 2 – The nationally renowned herb garden
• Part 3 – The Woodland walk towards
• Part 4 – The Acorn Bank water mill
• Part 5 – Tea room for homemade cakes and local produce.

Sadly the main building in not open to the general public, however you can enjoy the gardens, woodlands, tea-room and watermill.

Acorn Bank is the former Manor House and dates from the late sixteenth Century. It is named after the thick oak woodlands that surrounded the main house.

The manor was sold by the Crown to the Dalston family in 1544.  Sir Christopher Dalston was knighted by King James in 1615. He married Anne, the daughter of Sir William Hutton of Penrith.

The Estate changed it’s name in the early 1930’s and became Temple Sowerby Manor when it was occupied by poet and writer Dorothy Clough and her second husband Capt. Noel McGrigor Phillips.

Dorothy wrote and was more widely known under the name Dorothy Una Ratcliffe,  also know to her friends as DUR.  She was the niece in Law of Lord Brotherton and inherited part of his Estate upon his death.

Restoration of both the house and gardens was to become a key part of life for the couple.

Some of the internal woodwork repairs and commissions were undertaken by ‘The Mouseman of Kilburn,’ Robert Thompson.

Following the sudden death of Capt. Phillips, Dorothy handed the property to the National Trust in around 1950. It then reverted back to it’s original title of Acorn Bank

DUR spent many hours in the gardens and planted many shrubs, trees, bulbs and re-arranging the planting in general to create a changing garden throughout the seasons.

In early spring the woodlands and main drive come alive with bright yellow daffodils some of which are now classed as heritage varieties.

Apple blossom and riots of colour transform the Estate during the summer sunshine which gives way to a rich bounty of fruit at the start of winter.

Dorothy died in Scotland 20 November 1967.  She is buried nearby in Temple Sowerby Church.

Heritage

After purchasing your entrance tickets you emerge into one of the two apple orchards.

Acorn Bank features around 20 varieties of apple including many heritage varieties.

During October apples are the centre of attraction when Acorn Bank hosts an Apple Day.

Trees are distributed in the main walled garden and in a more open area beyond.

Mistletoe can be seen growing on some of the apple trees.

Apple trees are complemented by a magnificent Blakeney Red Perry Pear and Medlars in the main walled garden.

This variety of pear originates from the 17th Century and is still a popular pear for Perry making, a form of cider made from pears,  the skins were used after stewing to dye soldiers’ khaki uniforms.

Medicinal

Acorn Bank has become noted for the herb and medicinal plant garden which you can find to your right as you enter the gardens from the ticket office.

Reportedly holding the largest collection of medicinal and culinary in England, over 250 plant types, it also features a few Damson trees and a fine Portuguese quince.

Herbs have also been named after Acorn Bank.  These possibly include the Acorn Bank Oregano / Marjoram

The herb garden was replanted in 2002 – 3

Water Mill

A circular woodland walk runs along Crowdundle Beck to the partially restored Acorn Bank watermill, which is open to visitors.

Three 12ft waterwheels ensured that as much energy as possible could be harnesses from the beck that runs alongside the 19th Century Mill.

The top and middle wheels drove the corn milling equipment whilst the bottom one drove a saw bench.

At some point the middle wheel was adapted to provide power to a nearby gypsum mine.

Wooden cogs transferred the vertical rotation of the waterwheels outside to the horizontal rotation of up to four pairs of millstones inside the mill.

Only one wooden waterwheel has been restored and is used to power some demonstration milling equipment.

The middle part of the building, currently in need of renovation, was once a kiln.  Here oats were dried on a floor above a diffused fire pit before being milled.

Once the watermill has been visited a walk following the mill race is well worth the trouble.

Caution should be noted, that in the wet this path may be slippy.  It also has a steep zig zag path at the end so will not be suitable for wheelchairs. Child buggies should be ok.

Looking into the almost swamp like ponds in this part of the garden, made interesting by the fallen trees slowly decaying in the water, you can see many kinds of wildlife.

A number of bridges span parts of ‘the swamp’ and offer an ideal chance for children, under supervision, to go bug hunting or just to stand still and see what they can hear or see.  If you are lucky you may see a red squirrel or even a newt or two.  The ponds are home  to all three species of British newt.

Newts are also to be found in the sunken garden pond to the rear of the main buildings.

Dogs are allowed in this area but must be kept on a lead.  They are not permitted in the more formal garden areas.

The path returns you to the top orchard area where it is a simple walk, downhill to the main courtyard where you purchased your tickets.  It is also here that you will find the toilets and the tearoom.

Seating is available inside,  however on a sunny day tables and chairs are provided in the sheltered courtyard.

Contact details

Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill
Temple Sowerby, nr Penrith,
Cumbria CA10 1SP

Telephone: 017683 61893

Accommodation is available at Acorn Bank

Additional information

Notes on the Docker Family Of Westmorland

http://www.northofthesands.org.uk/westmoreland/pdf/dockernotes.pdf

Eden District Council appraisal of the area

All about the history of the area

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