Tynemouth Morning - Bamburgh Castle

There was good news and bad news this morning. I set my alarm for 6.15am so that I could watch the footy. The bad news was the internet was horrible and I couldn't watch it! The good news was... it was just as well as my poor Hawkies got thumped!

But the day was beautiful outside. Here's the view out my window this morning

Looking out my window at Tynemouth

 After brekky I went for a walk along the promenade and saw a castle up on the promontory. A lady happened along just as I was noticing this so I asked her about it, and she knew stuff! It's amazing how many people I've just run into along the journey, and as soon as you say Australian, you get... "Oh I've been to Perth" or "my son lives in Queensland" etc.... Anyway we ended up having quite a chat and she told me about the Castle and the Priory ruins... wish I could make recordings of what people tell me because I  forget!

Tynemouth Castle and Priory Ruins

This is not the official map of the day but you'll notice there are places called North Shields and South Shields in Tynemouth and she said that is because the monks used to earn their keep by fishing and the huts they lived in were called Shields..... she was full of interesting stuff! She'd been to Perth and especially loved Fremantle... and had recently been to Esperance and loved that too!!!

Tynemouth map

 You may have noticed that it was bright and sunny in those pics, but  by  the time I left Tynemouth it was certainly clouded over and was beginning to rain. It had to happen!!!

My new found friend recommended I drive up to Lindisfarne via the coast road, but little GMaps wasn't having a bar of it. On my phone GMaps, she wouldn't let me alter the route.... so I had a good look at where I was going, and just decided to ignore her insistent demands and go the way I wanted. And basically it turned out ok.

Today's journey

Even now it won't let me go anyway other than up the A1. The grey route is the train line, but it's approximately where I went today.

It was not a long journey and I made one stop on the way for the compulsory coffee and loo break.

And then I headed for Bamburgh Castle which is across the water from Lindisfarne. (In fact my B&B tonight on Lindisfarne is called Bamburgh View)

Me up the top of the castle.

It was really interesting and once again I had the option of an audio guide, which I love because you can move at your own pace through the exhibits.
The castles origins were first recorded in 547AD and later incorporated King Oswald in 642AD who brought the monk Aidan to Lindisfarne. The Vikings were involved in its history, but the thing I found interesting was that in 1464  it was involved in the War of the Roses and was the first castle to fall to canon fire. It goes through a long and varied history, but eventually is bought by Lord Armstrong in 1894 with an intention of " creating a convalescent home for well-educated people who had fallen on hard times"!

Here's a few pics of it...

Bamburgh Castle

see above description

Here's some of the inside...

Kings Hall - see above

Anyway, I really enjoyed my visit there. The weather has turned quite cold again now, but the rain started to ease off while I was inside. But the wind was blowing a gale because it was up quite high...

The next part of my journey was the Holy Isle of Lindisfarne, but I might start a new post for that!