Bamburgh and Berwick

Next day we visited Bamburgh Castle.  I was very keen to see it as I had been reading about its history during the Siege of Durham in 1006.  Unfortunately, what I saw contained no visible remnant of that era, and nothing that proclaimed its antiquity.  William Armstrong, who had built Cragside (see earlier blog post) had "restored" it and turned it into a Victorian pastiche.  I was very disappointed, though the Northumbrian coast was spectacular.  We also happened to be there while a bunch of madmen were visiting.  They were taking part in a rally from Edinburgh to Rome, which they had to do in a car they had bought for £500 or less. They were all dressed up - there was spiderman, some cowboys, a man carrying a large stuffed sheep and other superheroes.  I don't remember if there was a Dick Darstardly and Muttley, but there should have been!

A brooding sky and Bamburgh dominating the horizon

It was freezing cold that day

Entrance to the Castle

Spiderman and sheepman

Fortifications pointing out to sea

Castle courtyard

Fireplace

Great Hall

At end of Great Hall

The sun had come out by the time we were ready to leave

After that the next stop was Berwick-upon-Tweed, located at the mouth of the Tweed River. We walked all the way around the town walls/ramparts.

Houses on the town walls

Bridge over the River Tweed

Berwick from the Ramparts

Andy on the Rampart walk

Fortifications beside the ramparts

The mouth of the River Tweed

We found a wonderful place to stay that night, Marshall Mount, located only a mile or so from the Scottish border.