Established at least as long ago as the seventh century, and destroyed after the dissolution, what remains is anyway spectacular and well worth our trip to the coast this morning!
Some history details can be read here
Another fabulous weather day enjoying England, at Cragside today with our friends Sheila & Paul and their children. Cragside House itself is impressive, built in the mid 1800s by William Armstrong and sitting in vast spectacular grounds:
We first headed to the hilltop lakes, man-made also in the 1800s to create a head of water for Armstrong’s inventions such as a hydraulically powered lift in the house and, eventually, hydro-electric generation! But before all that, a picnic and walk around the lakes:
Later, we toured the house, set up still as it would have been back in the late 1800s:
We also found repeats of our trip a few times – this Olympic flower decoration for example:
Finally, we learned that it was Armstrong that supplied the equipment that operated Tower Bridge, that we visited a while ago:
Newcastle and Gateshead have both fabulously re-invented their Quaysides on the banks of the Tyne river, creating an attractive tourist destination which we enjoyed today:
The Baltic Flour Mill (art gallery with the “I” welcoming me?) and The Sage in Gateshead, Newcastle Quayside, and bridges including the Millenium, the Tyne, and more:
M&I / GBMINI 