March 2026

Cold, overcast and windy today. It’s a 30-minute walk as the crow flies from Shincliffe, where we’re staying, to Durham Cathedral and an hour and… Read More »Hogwarts

Heading South from Haltwhistle we cross the highway and immediately climb – up into the Pennines. In moments, it’s as if a brown knitted patchwork… Read More »That’s grouse

William George Armstrong, one of the owners and inhabitants of Bamburgh Castle, which we visited a few days ago, and 1st Baron of Cragside, is… Read More »Nothing like it

We seem to have settled into a travel routine that’s not too rushed and not too settled. A week in a town and we move… Read More »Out and about

As far as plans go, it was a good one. Drive 15 minutes to Lakeside on Windermere, catch the boat to Bowness-on-Windermere and walk to… Read More »Lakeside

Lao Tzu’s words , ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’, seem particularly apt for mountains. Standing at the foot of… Read More »Thigh burner

We headed across to Lancaster today (Wednesday), around Morecombe Bay. Shorter, and more adventurous, if we’d taken the direct route across the sands like Robert… Read More »Hangings will continue until morale improves

This place, the lakes, has captured my soul. It’s wet, to be sure, but there’s poetry on the peaks and fells, in the mists and… Read More »Coniston

Woollen clothing is renowned for its antibacterial properties, a favourite for travellers with reduced wardrobes and limited laundry facilities. I’ve been putting its reknown to… Read More »Mountains to the Sea

A thunderous roar shatters our pleasant gravel-paved walk alongside Rydal Waters toward Grasmere and Wordsworth’s final resting place (also the home of Grasmere Gingerbread!) as… Read More »Wainwright