Profilo di EvelynEvelyn Wallace -The Cast...FotoBlogElenchiAltro  |  Strumenti Guida |
|
30 aprile Love Is Not BlindLove is not blind. I see with single eye
Your ugliness and other women's grace.
I know the imperfection of your face,-
The eyes too wide apart, the brow too high
For beauty. Learned from earliest youth am I
In loveliness, and cannot so erase
Its letters from my mind, that I may trace
You faultless, I must love until I die.
More subtle is the sovereignty of love:
So am I caught that when I say, "Not fair,"
'Tis but as if I said, "Not here- not there-
Not risen- not writing letters." Well I know
What is this beauty men are babbling of;
I wonder only why they prize it so.
Edna St. Vincent Millay
 The Castle Lady, covering you with prize-winning kisses!Proverbe du jour:
Almost all our unhappiness is the result of comparing ourselves to others.
- Unknown author
Happy Birthday Kirsten !
 29 aprile Northumberland is Castle Nirvana ! Part Four Many castles in Northumberland fit the first definition of castle according to the experts from which it has been indicated that they must be medieval. I've covered quite a few of those this month although certainly not all of them. Castle purists won't agree with the inclusions of some of those I have written about in this account because, point by point, they don't fit their criteria of what a castle should be and I agree that medieval castles belong in their own class. However, I don't make it my business to tell someone whether they have a right to call the historical building in question a castle or not. I would also quite agree that the English have built truly marvelous edifices throughout the centuries- medieval, gothic, renaissance or other. Folks, I just report the facts ! I'll leave it to my readers to decide whether the building is a castle, manor house, palace, mansion, hall or mere rubble.
-The Castle Lady
 updated May 22, 2008 with Horton Castle info
The Northumberland castles I have covered in my three previous entries for this month are surrounded by varied and also truly beautiful architecture a few of which are in the northeast corner. All the border castles seem to cluster relatively close together in that corner which isn't far from Berwick. Meanwhile, the Cheviot Hills which form a natural border between English soil and Scotland is rather barren for moorland and castles. Walkers will love it though, especially since the Pennine Way (which begins in Derbyshire- you remember!) goes right through it and into Scotland at Kirk Yetholm. Apparently, the English are hardy walkers!
Closer to Wooler is the Kidland Forest and the Northumberland National Park covers a large area within the center of the county. Kielder Water, which is a man-made lake, lies within its range at Yarrow Moor along with Kielder Castle. This castle was the hunting lodge of the Duke of Northumberland at one time. It contains an exhibition, gift shop and café/tearoom. For more info e-mail kieldercastle@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
or T- +44 01434 250209
Back in the northeast corner Norham has a lot of company in no less than twelve castles! These are Wark, Twizel, Etal, Duddo, Ford, Coupland, Barmoor, Haggerston, Belford, Fenham Tower, Ancroft Vicar's Pele, and Ros Castle. Of those, the closest to the border which are Wark, Twizel, Duddo and Etal, not much is left of these once valiant edifices. These are all just within a few miles of each other.
Duddo has the distinction of occupying some 1600 acres once owned by the Stryveling family. It is situated, prominently on the south end of Duddo Village. Some of the remains consist of an ancient pele tower which was destroyed by the Scots in 1496. The 16th century tower house was a rebuild by the Clavering family and was occupied by their youngest counterparts until it was abandoned by them in the 17th century. In 1788 it was sold by a John Clavering who then owned Callaly Castle to Sir Francis Blake and then sold by the Blakes to Thomas Fryer in 1823 for L 45,000 ! I'm assuming that there must have been something substantial still standing to merit that kind of an exchange. When you look at the photo you may rethink actually making a visit unless you are a dyed-in-the-wool medieval castle enthusiast. Bring your imagination with you!
The same goes for Wark Castle although it looks curious enough that it might be of interest to anyone wanting to see what can eventually happen to such a structure despite several restorations. Unfortunately, there is no access to this 16th century monument so it can only be viewed from a distance. The photos in the album show what is referred to as The Ring, a part of an artillery platform. It was a motte and bailey begun by Walter Espec on Henry II's part in 1157 rebuilt in stone by 1161 and had an octagonal shell keep with an inner bailey. Most of stone left is buried and not visible.
33 second video clip of Wark: http://www.pastperfect.org.uk/sites/wark/images/decline.html
Etal and Twizel show a little more and have interesting features. The first was a three-storey tower house which was given grant to be fortified in 1341 by Robert Manners. He created a standard courtyard with curtain walls, a tower house and large gatehouse diametrically opposed to each other with two more towers at the opposite corners. The original tower house was given the additions of crenellations and an additional storey. By the 16th century the Manners left and gave the care of the castle to a constable. It was attacked by the Scots in 1513 by James IV's army and is near the Battle of Flodden, a short distance southwest where the Scots king was killed. It became a ward to the Crown by 1549 which did little to save it from deterioration. By 1603 it had no further military purpose. Etal is protected by English Heritage and they have an award-winning exhibition on the site. T- 01890 820332
Twizel's ruins are curiously not the original castle of which it is supposed was built further along the River Till closer to Twizel Bridge. It is also supposed that the first castle was destroyed during the Flodden skirmish of 1513. The structure that you will see in the photos are ruins of a later castle built some time during the 18th century. The cellar photos are amazing and almost appear like they belong to another building. A plaque which is displayed and looks quite modern proclaims the 1312 date but then mentions the nearby castle hotel Tillmouth Park which claims that stone from Twizel was used in its making ! (More on that in my Castle Hotel Nirvana entry coming up soon! )
Now Ford Castle was once an extensively fortified four-cornered castle built sometime in the 13th century by Odenel de Forde and crenellated in 1338. It was captured by James IV in 1549. Ongoing skirmishes resulted in the castle being dismantled by the Scots by 1385. What you will see presently was built in the early 16th century and added to until by the 17th century it was more of a crenellated mansion. Despite that, three of the original towers survive and the architecture is fantastic. Today it is owned by Lord Joicey and used as a county educational and cultural centre. On the castle grounds a 13th century church, St Michael's, received a 19th century restoration and is also worth a visit.
In the village, which is beautifully picturesque, you'll find structures like the village smithy's place, of which I've included a photo. The marchioness, Lady Louisa Waterford, is largely responsible for the way the village appears at present. You can see her beautiful artwork in the halls of what was a local school, commissioned in 1860, and is a thorough depiction of all the major Bible stories. T-01890 820524
Northeast of Duddo you'll find 13th century Ancroft Vicar's Pele tower and Haggerston Castle within a short distance of each other. Ancroft is a short five miles southwest and was once part of a Norman nave of the church of St. Anne, hence the name, and it literally blocked the doorway of the 12th century church. In those times it could only be accessed by a spiral stairway from the church and then only to the upper floors. It was definitely used as a defensive residence for the Parson. All of three storeys, it was restored well in the 19th century in the Romanesque style and visitors are often shown the tunnel vaulted ground floor. Because Ancroft was placed in the care of the Bishops of Durham this portion of Northumberland was once considered part of Durham.
Three miles southeast of there is Haggerston Castle which is now an L-plan tower situated in the middle of what the English call a holiday park. This tower that remains is not the original. It started as a 13th century fortified manor house built by John de Hagardestun. By 1345 license to crenellate and fortify was given to Robert de Hagerston and he built a stone castle by adding a strong square tower. In 1618 it was largely destroyed by a fire but the tower was incorporated in the rebuilding of it in the 18th century. After it was completely demolished in the 20th century the very tall narrow tower which remains today, which was built in the 19th century, is all that is left of what was once a very handsome stone mansion.
Belford Castle is eight miles southeast of Haggerston and is now a marvelous 19th century Gothic farmhouse which had its beginnings as a motte and bailey fortress. A stone tower was added by 1415 and the low oval motte now supports some earlier foundations. An old bailey to the south shows indications of a surrounding moat. It is located in the village center of Belford just off the B6349. It can be viewed from a public footpath which is situated west of the farm.
Coupland Castle is neighbor to nearby Wooler Castle and Akeld Bastle (both derelict ), about six miles northwest, and was built sometime after 1584 as an L-plan tower house originally and then added to over the years until it underwent a thorough restoration in the 19th century. It is an unusual structure with three storeys, an attic with a projecting tower on the south wall and a spiral staircase leading up to the upper floors. The entrance door, however, leads into a barrel-vaulted first floor room which is divided in two parts. Its appearance is very much in the Scots tradition.
From Millfield Village, if you head back northward just east of Ford Castle, you'll find Barmoor Castle. It was started as a tower by the Muschamp family as the Barons of Wooler. A town grew up around the original tower and they were visited by all the King Edwards and were given a license to crenellate ( and most likely fortify ) by Edward III on the 17th of May in 1341. The first border menace by the Scots was met by Henry V in 1417 with an army of 100,000 men at Barmoor and this routed the onslaught quickly when the Scots chose to retreat.
Barmoor did not escape attack entirely, however, it being so close to the border and to the Battle of Flodden. By 1541 it was among the fortresses considered to be destroyed by the Scottish raids. Defenses were not rebuilt and garrisons for it dwindled down to a mere seven men by 1548 ! By 1649 Lady Muschamp handed over the estate to Watts and Blackborrow (creditors) and was eventually conveyed to William Carr Esq. of Gray's Inn. It went through the hands of heirs for many decades until Francis Sitwell II gained possession in 1793. He set to transform it into a livable residence and hired the architect John Patterson of Edinburgh. The design he made, which is a mixture of Regency and Gothic revival (making it into an elegant renaissance castle), is magnificent.
I want to mention here that castles like Barmoor are the reason why I became so intensely interested in castle architecture. The black and white photo I will include in the photo album shows prodigious application of eclectic architectural styles. Viewing the façade alone is worth the visit, but the interior will amaze you. The grandmother of the present owner, Isabel Codrington (1873-1943), left behind a legacy of paintings which fills and completes this architectural marvel!
The former Ros Castle is now Ros hill and even though there is only motte remains of its former magnificence, the summit provides unbeatable views of Chillingham Castle and I have included some new photos taken of it from this view. One which was taken with a zoom lens looks dark but is still a great shot.
Horton Castle , also close at Chatton, was first mentioned in a list of castles which dated from 1415. By 1542 the description inferred that it was a great tower. It became the possession of Chillingham's Henry Grey when it was bequeathed to him after he won a battle in France by storming a Norman castle. By 1715 it was in ruins but went through some repairs from 1568-1674. By 1740 it came to be used as a residence continually until 1808. It was finally demolished in the early part of the 19th century and only a few fragments of "worked" stone can be seen today. The prospect of the castle I have included in the album was a drawing of the southeast view dating from 1728 made by Sam and Nath Buck and depicts high walls with several square turrets which enclosed a garden with a barmkin (same as a bailey, which is the yard surrounded by outer defensive walls).After 1808 it was demolished and the stone was used to build West Horton Farm which stands at the base of the motte which Horton Castle occupied.
A license to crenellate Chillingham in 1344, which was drawn up by William Wakefield, Edward III's secretary, is still on display at the castle for visitors to ogle. What isn't well known about Chillingham is that it started as a single tower built only a hundred years before the document was drawn up. Restoration of Chillingham has been constant over the centuries and it shows. Something I didn't mention back in my March 16th 2006 entry is the museum it houses which is a collection of artifacts from all over the world. It is also reputed to be the most haunted castle in England but you know how I feel about all that. The same family has owned this house for 800 years. It's beginning to get a little crowded I would think!
Qui t'aime' pour toujours? Le Chateau Demoiselle, bien sur!
Because of the large volume of castles of Northumberland there are still several entries coming in the month of May. You have many more to read about yet and I wouldn't dare not cover most of them! Therefore, I have Parts Five, Six and Seven coming soon then we'll head south. Promise!
Signing off with a hug and kiss! The Castle Lady
Proverbe du Jour:
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an
understanding of ourselves.
- Carl Jung
28 aprile A Poem Written by Queen Elizabeth I ! ! !Of many was I sought, their mistress for to be:
But I did scorn them all, and answered them therefore,
"Go, go, go seek some other where.
Importune me no more."
How many weeping eyes I made to pine with woe,
How many sighing hearts, I have no skill to show:
Yet I the prouder grew, and answered them therefore,
"Go, go, go, seek some other where
Importune me no more."
Then spake fair Venus' son, that proud victorious boy,
And said, "Fine Dame, since that you be so coy,
I will so pluck your plumes that you shall say no more,
'Go, go, go, seek some other where:
Importune me no more.'"
When he had spake these words, such change grew in my breast
That neither night nor day, since that, I could take my rest:
Then lo, I did repent that I had said before,
"Go, go, go, seek some other where:
Importune me no more."
~ Some action on the auction! ~ What? No bids ? What's this world coming to....
It wouldn't be so bad if there were some small bids.
Most items start with a dollar and you can make bids in the photo comments,
e-mail me the bid @ evewall@msn.com or send a message through messenger!
I'll even extend the auction to the end of May if I start receiving bids in a few days!
Don't wait! Do it now!
Je t'embrasse, kisses for you..The Castle Lady
26 aprile Let Them Eat Castle Cake ! !Okay. Just in case you think I've gone over the edge with these castles I'm going to show you just how fun they can be! Today I'm going to show you how to make your very own renaissance castle cake and the next birthday, anniversary or other party or fest you host will have an added dimension of innovation and a unique flair all its own.
Need a more rugged-looking fortification, like for a boy?
I'm selling a castle cake pan for a fraction of the original cost and it's
easier than pie to use ! Leave a comment below with some contact info
and I'll get in touch with you about obtaining it!
Read on and take notes. All necessary ingredients are in red. - The Castle Lady
Evelyn's Enchanted Castle Cake
1. Cover a large flat tray or piece of cardboard with aluminum foil for serving tray. If you would like it to appear that your castle has a moat you can use blue foil or wrapping paper as a cover, then leave a border of this foil showing around the castle and glue the edges with green-tinted "easter basket" grass. (See my pic above!)
2. Use one package of yellow cake mix or make yellow cake batter from scratch with the following ingredients:
2/3 cup soft shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs (1/2 to 2/3 cup)
2 1/2 cups sifted flour (2 1/4 cups Gold Medal Flour TM .)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
( you can also use a pound cake recipe which is less likely to fall apart during cutting but it is also more difficult to cut ! )
Bake cake in oblong pan about 13 x 9 1/2 x 2 inches. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Make sure it is thoroughly cooled.
3. Cut cake in following manner ( see diagram 1 ) :
a. First cut cake in half, crosswise, into rectangles, 8 x 6 inches.
b. Cut one half into 3 equal pieces, each about 6 x 2 1/2 inches.
c. Cut the center piece in half to make 2 small squares ( D in diagram 1 ). With a sharp knife trim these squares to make the cut edges rounded. These pieces are for the towers.
( For additional height to the cake you would bake two cakes and when cutting the pieces cut two A pieces ( 8 x 6" ) and two @ of B, C and D. Then when placing them together use a thin layer of frosting as glue on the respective corresponding pieces. You can use the pieces cut away from the D pieces to make buttresses like the ones on the keep at Conisbrough but it's pretty tricky to get them to work with their small size. You can try this after you've made this cake a few times to get a feel for it ! )
4. Prepare ten cups of white frosting. If you desire the castle to be another color add food dye for the desired color.
5. Place large cake rectangle ( A in diagram 1) on the covered tray with longer side to the front. Frost top. Place pieces B and C on top as shown in diagram 2. Spread a thin coating of frosting on all cut sides. Frost cake completely, making edges as square as possible.
6. Place D pieces at the front corners of the cake so that they extend the front edge (see diagram 2 ). Frost.
7. Take 2 pointed ice cream cones and dip each in frosting then sprinkle them with colored decorator's sugar. Place the cones on top of D pieces (towers).
8. For the crenellations arrange colored pillow mints or jumbo size marshmallows along the top edges of castle and towers. For the front, drawbridge and "windows" use Hershey bars. Break the sections of the bar apart and use a cookie cutter for rounded windows. For the drawbridge I used toothpicks dipped in dye but you can also use colored yarn. If you can't find or don't have the flags you can make them with construction paper and toothpicks using frosting as a glue to fasten them.
The Castle Lady with sweet, gooey kisses for all ! ! Now check out my Auction photos and make a bid before it's too late!
 If you want to add a castle topper to a regular cake:
24 aprile The Twenty-Ninth Bather with a bow to Walt Whitmanand spluttered did she in ecstasy
that lovely water which had brought her loves so near
small shivers coursed up and down their
bodies which they laughed away
not knowing that unseen hand passed over
almost touching but not quite
gently caressing them with wind,
with rivulets of dreams
ribbons of seaweed which did not seem to be..
but seeing no response she sighs
strokes backwards
and views the lovely forms
with adoration
sighs with longing
and flows on into evening shadows to dream alone.
by Evelyn M. Wallace
All Rights Reserved
March 28, 2008
I wrote this poem in response to Walt Whitman's poem Twenty-eight Young Men. It seemed to me to be unfinished and I wanted to see some closure for the young woman whose longing seemed unfulfilled. Today she has made progress.
Fait des beau reves tout mes amis ! The Castle Lady
OverjoyedOver time, I've been building my castle of love
Just for two, though you never knew you were my reason
I've gone much too far, for you now to say
That I've got to throw my castle away *
Over dreams, I have picked out a perfect "come true"
Though you never knew it was of you I've been dreaming
The sandman has come from too far away
For you to say come back some other day *
*refrain: And though you don't believe that they do
They do come true
For did my dreams
Come true when I looked at you
And maybe too, if you would believe
You too might be
Overjoyed, over love, over me.
Over hearts, I have painfully turned every stone
Just to find, I had found what I've searched to discover
I've come much too far, for me now to find
The love that I've sought can never be mine.*
And though the odds say improbable
What do they know?
For in romance all true love needs is a chance
And maybe with a chance you will find
You, too, like I, will be
Overjoyed, over love, over yoooou.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXDJ1hY-94g the link's right now!
 Stevie Wonder
The Castle Lady will never be over you!
Be glad and rejoice with all the heart.
Zephaniah 3:14
22 aprile Wihakakta Cepapi Wi It's been awhile since I've written anything on the Plains Indians of North America. I started writing about them from the inception of this Live Space because I felt it would be a fun and informative diversion from the heavy information I write on the castles. Today I'm doing one in honor of Earth Day because I feel this is a people who truly have celebrated the bounty of the earth even in some of their own misguided ways. We have all contributed to the death of this planet one way or another but we can all also contribute to the saving of it. Believe it, live it and you can achieve it!
 This month was very pivotal for the Sioux nation in particular. The Great Plains stretch from the eastern Missouri River to the southern banks of the North Platte River to the western side of the Big Horn Mountains and upward to Canada in what is referred to by the natives as Grandmother Ground and is home to seven culturally and linguistically related bands of the Lakota people among many other tribes. ( Assiniboin is one I wrote about before.) The name Lakota means "allies" the name they use when referring to each other. The name "Sioux" came from the French fur traders who traveled throughout what is now the United States and means "enemy" which was a misnomer perpetuated by them to fend off their attacks. The truth was that both the Lakota and the fur traders cut into each other's livelihood so they were, in fact, natural enemies. The most famous Sioux Indian was, of course, Sitting Bull who was the leader of the Hunkpapa Sioux.
The title of this entry Wihakakta Cepapi Wi is the Lakota name for the month of April and means "Moon of Greening Grass" or "Red Grass Appearing." (That would depend on the exact location, of course. ) In this month on the 11th in 1968 an American Indian Civil Rights act was passed and gave the native Americans, in general, a chance for a better life than had been originally promised them when they were homesteaded on reservations. For the Sioux nation this meant that they could return to following their customs and religious practices which had been forbidden by the Secretary of Interior exactly 85 years before, to the very day.
The Castle Lady sends sweet kisses flying your way !
- Emily Dickinson
20 aprile What is true love?
I found an entry on another MSN Live Space with picture text boxes with romantic sayings and quotes in French. Wouldn't you know it ? The original expired leaving the original frames blank but here's the English translation for them. Maybe I'll find the images again. They really added to this whole entry. Here remain the original French and my translations: - The Castle Lady
17 aprile When You Are OldWhen you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book.
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.
W.B. Yeats
Soft looks, warm caresses and butterfly kisses from,
The Castle Lady !
14 aprile Northumberland is Castle Nirvana ! Part Three
Alnwick Castle sits only four miles off the north coast situated half-way between Berwick and Newcastle on seven acres by the Aln River. It is one of the best known castles in England besides Windsor with its most recent claim being that of the castle location which Harry Potter films were shot. After nearly 700 years of occupation and ownership of the Dukes of Northumberland it is a veritable "family day out treasure". Because it is the second largest inhabited castle in the country, it was once called the "Windsor of the North".
The castle's earliest portions were built by an English baron by the name of Yves de Vescy in 1096. It was added to over the next hundred years until the current structure of the buildings was in place by the mid-12th century. It is one of the few early Norman fortresses to be built with a keep that is not square. Much of the original masonry from that period still exists within the curtain walls. (These are the comparatively low walls which surround the estate.) I have added a photo of the massive barbican which guards the front entrance of Alnwick in the Northumbria photo album. No single photo can do justice in showing off its magnificence- however there is one such photo of it in Plantagenet Somerset Fry's definitive Castles book on pages 96 and 97.
The de Vescys garrisoned Alnwick through several sieges and periods of border turbulence. Alnwick resisted several attacks by William the Lion, the Scottish King, the first occurring in 1172 and when he tried again in 1174 he was captured there by English knights in a dense fog. Eustace de Vescy led the Barons' Revolt in 1212, at which point the castle was ordered to be destroyed but somehow it was spared.
By the earliest part of the 14th century Alnwick was given into the charge of Anthony Bek who was the Bishop of Durham. The direct male line of the de Vescys was lost in the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn. The Percy family took possession of it in 1309 and thereafter carried out a reconstruction which contributed to its palatial appearance, inside and out. The first Lord Percy was responsible for rebuilding the keep and reconstructing the towers along the curtain walls. Henry's son, the second Lord Percy, is responsible for the octagonal towers on either side of the keep's entrance which date from 1350. The castle was Gothicized by Robert Adam (in the 1760s, as I previously mentioned two years ago) very much in the manner of Strawberry Hill (at Twickenham just outside of London) but most of his work has been removed. Around 1850 the 4th Duke of Northumberland spent 250,000 pounds for Salvin to do his prodigious work on the entrance-way and inner court, in addition to the inside work.
This castle houses three nationally important museums. The Regimental Museum of the Northumberland Fusiliers is in the Abbot's Tower. In the Postern Tower, a permanent archaeological exhibition is said to be the finest collection in private quarters. The Percy Tenantry Volunteers also have an exhibition in the Constable's Tower. They were formed during the Napoleonic threat in 1798 and were retired from duty by 1814. Some other attractions for castle visitors are the Percy State Coach, the dungeon and gun terrace.
The castle grounds were, of course, landscaped by Capability Brown in 1765. His work can still be seen in the magnificent walks surrounding and inside near the keep. It was allowed to degrade at some point but was replanted with major works being restored such as the Grand Cascade by the current Duchess. By 2002 the gardens and the surrounding forty acres of parkland were completely revived and the landscaping alone now receives half a million visitors per year!
01665 510777 www.alnwickcastle.com
The site of Bamburgh Castle, 20 miles south of Berwick, has been a stronghold and royal fortress and occupied as such before recorded history in Britain. It is supposed that originally it was kept by a British tribe. In 547 A.D. it was recognized as the seat of the Anglo-Saxon King, Ida the Flamethrower. Vikings raided the northeast coast for hundreds of years and Bamburgh's location was an obvious placement along with the other "giants" I've mentioned ( Dunstanburgh, Lindisfarne). The Saxons were the enemies of King Arthur who fought to maintain British rule throughout the realm.
It has seen its fair share of history because it was occupied by the Normans by the 11th century and the Romans established a citadel there throughout their occupation and when they left there is evidence that shows it was used as a stronghold by a local chieftain. In the 7th century it came into the hands of Edwin of Northumbria, a Christian who brought Paul to the area to evangelize. When Edwin died, Oswald, the son of Ethelfrith (who was Edwin's adversary) took possession of Bamburgh and made it possible for St Aiden to come to the area to establish a monastery (in 635) on the Holy Island, which is where Lindisfarne Castle and Lindisfarne Priory were built. (More about Lindisfarne later! )
This red sandstone castle which has been placed in a class with Richmond, Newcastle and Dover was thriving between 1095 and 1464 and was used as a coronation site by the Northumbrian kings. It was first attacked at the end of the 11th century by William II who used a siege-castle they called Malvoisin (the French word for Evil Neighbor ). William de Mowbray held the castle at the time of this siege and he was imprisoned after the taking of the castle for conspiring against the King. During the Wars of the Roses, this was the first English castle to be attacked as a Lancastrian stronghold by Edward IV. In 1464 the Earl of Warwick, acting on behalf of King Edward, declared to Sir Ralph Grey " We will besiege this castle seven years if necessary. For every gunshot which hurts a wall of the royal stronghold, a Lancastrian head will fall". Upon Ralph Grey's refusal he sent the cannon which was made of brass, Dijon, flying right through Sir Grey's own chamber, knocking him unconscious. The garrison immediately capitulated and when they revived Sir Ralph, he was taken to Doncaster in Yorkshire to be tried and hanged.
By the end of the middle Ages it fell into ruin and obscurity with only the keep remaining until the 1750s when Lord Crewe did his restorations of the original remains. Later, Lord Armstrong (whom I mentioned previously in 2006) took it over in 1894 and renovated it extensively turning it into a castle of "baronial" style. It is occupied by the Armstrong family to this day.
In addition to the castle itself, it houses several museums. Works of art are exhibited in the Great Hall along with suits of armor, medieval artifacts in the lower portions of the castle along with the Grace Darling Museum.
01669 620314
On a beautiful natural basalt promontory, further south and 8 miles northeast of Alnwick, Dunstanburgh Castle by comparison is in veritable ruins and has not been occupied for hundreds of years but there is still much to see. Dunstanburgh has been compared to Tantallon which is located in East Lothian in Scotland. It dominates over eleven acres and the large gatehouse remains were built in the 14th century. Because of its position on this peninsula, walls were not necessary on much of the perimeter it sits on. It cannot be approached closely by car so a good mile and a half walk over lush moorland must be navigated in order to access it. This view is one of Turner's most famous paintings!
Thomas, Earl of Lancaster built this fortress after the English defeat at Bannockburn. Its position would have been formidable for a raiding Scots army if not impossible. Master Elias, who had worked under the tutelage of James of St. George, was the architect and mason so the main defenses were placed in the huge three-storey gatehouse on the southern side, which also contained the great hall on the second floor and other state apartments. It was modernized from 1380-1384 when the new head of the House of Lancaster- John of Gaunt- became lieutenant of the Scots Marches. It remained one of their principle fortresses in the north east until the Tudors came into power.
John's work on Dunstanburgh consisted of closing up the entrance to the gatehouse with a stone wall with a forebuilding (which is now gone.) This building made it a residential keep for himself. You'll see most of this work damaged because it was besieged during the Wars of the Roses- handiwork of the Yorkists. This English Heritage site is open year round with shorter hours between October and March
01665 576231
Lindisfarne Castle and Priory had their beginnings in the 16th century on Beblowe Crag which is on Holy Island a promontory situated off the northeast coast at Fenwick and Beal. The Irish monk St Aidan arrived at the location in 635 from the western Scotland island of Iona with the purpose of evangelizing England He founded a monastery originally on the island of Lindisfarne and it was the most important center for Christianity in England for quite some time. It's placement couldn't have been worse because they were defenseless against the 9th century Viking raids which one can imagine were especially cruel to the simple scholarly folks.
Later the Lindisfarne Priory was built by Benedictines in the 11th century on the site of St. Aidan's former monastery. The ruins of the priory are intact enough to fascinate even the most hardened of tourists and make for a great day out for the family. There are many relics to see including the Lindisfarne Gospels which are richly illustrated portrayals of the Gospel stories. They are veritable masterpieces of the "Northumbrian Renaissance" which has left a permanent mark on Christian art and history writing. These were carried out under the direction and tutelage of Bishop Eadfrith around the year 700. Many other treasures which could have been saved were taken and plundered by the Vikings.
This island had never been fortified prior to the building of Lindisfarne Castle which Henry VIII was responsible for building starting in 1542 and was complete by 1550. Stone from the priory were used to build this basic fort and the church was used as its storehouse. This castle followed the examples which had been built similarly around Hull ( also ordered by Henry VIII) in that they were new kinds of bastions with curtain projections no longer making use of circular or curved towers, but solid angular structures revetted with earth and battered walls of stone, brick or even timber. These were considered the first modern forts in England. A similar but circular fort exists in Essex which is Harwich Redoubt Fort with the guns remaining.
Interestingly, it was never besieged but was briefly occupied by the Jacobins for only one night and it was kept in a state of readiness of defense until after the Napoleonic Wars after which the guns were removed. Because it was converted to a private residence in the 20th century there is much to see if you tour the castle now owned by the National Trust.
01289 389244 Priory 01289200
Both are part and parcel of the Farne Islands of which there are between 15 to 28 separate landmasses many of which are covered by the sea except during low tide. The highest is 100 ft above sea level. Several of the islands are wildlife sanctuaries attracting seals, puffins and many seabirds. For the adventurous, boat tours depart from Seahouses harbor and can only land on Staple and Inner Farne, the latter of which is the site of St. Cuthbert's 14th century chapel.
Serious love from The Castle Lady ! Proverbe du Jour:
The person who pursues revenge should dig two graves.
 - Unknown
 10 aprile ARE YOU READY TO ROCK ? ? ?I ' ll have me overhead lifters and four barrel quads, oh, yeah !
Ah, fuel injection cut off and chrome-plated rods, oh, yeah,-
With a four-speed on the floor they'll be waitin' at the door,
Ya know without a doubt I'll be really makin' out in
Greased lightnin'
chorus: go greased lightnin' you're burnin' up the
quarter mile
(Greased lightnin' ...go Greased lightnin' )
Yeah, greased lightnin' , you're coastin'
through the heat lap trial
(Greased lightnin' ....go Greased lightnin' )
You are supreme
the chicks'll scream for
greased lightnin'
I'll have me purple French taillights and thirty inch fins, oh yeah !
Ah Palomino dashboard and dual muffler twins, oh yeah !
With new pistons, plugs and shocks,
she could beat the super stocks,
Ya know that I ain't braggin'
she's a real dragon wagon,
My greased lightnin !
Lyric and Music by Warren Casey and Jim Jacobs
Lightning fast kisses from
The Castle Lady ! !
Congrats to the Nuggets for making it to the Playoffs ! Go ! Go ! Go !
 06 aprile It's a Beauteous Evening, Calm and FreeIt's a beauteous evening, calm and free,
The holy time is quiet as a Nun
Breathless with adoration, the broad sun
Is sinking down in its tranquility,
The gentleman of heaven broods o'er the Sea;
Listen! the mighty Being is awake,
And doth with his eternal motion make
A sound like thunder- everlastingly.
Dear Child! dear Girl! that walkest with me here,
If thou appear untouched by solemn thought,
Thy nature is not therefore less divine:
Thou liest in Abraham's bosom all the year;
And worshipp'st at the Temple's inner shrine,
God being with thee when we know it not.
William Wordsworth
The Castle Lady encircling you with a divine embrace !
This space has received 12,000 hits as of yesterday ( April 9th) @ 10:30 p.m.
Thanks to everyone who comes to visit.
Please leave comments and/or questions if you wish.
I'll try to help if I can.
04 aprile Who are you, little i ?who are you, little i
( five or six years old)
peering from some high
window; at the gold
of november sunset
(and feeling that if day
has to become night
this is a beautiful way)
e.e. cummings
The Castle Lady, with lots of love for all!
(Dedicated to newborn little Eva, my friend Oli's new baby girl ! )
My April auction photos are all the way down! Almost there keep scrolling!
02 aprile Ah! Spring is here and it's poetry month...It's poetry month ! Did I hear a hip-hip-hooray?
So you can expect plenty of poetry and song entries on this blog
along with the rest of the Northumberland castle entries for April
 It's going to get busy, busy, busy ! ! !
Don't forget about my Auction this month because I'll be adding items throughout the month
until the deadline for bids which is May 14th! By the way, when I think a large enough bid
has been made, I sell. I'm a softie when it comes to business.
I like to have FUN with these forays into the unknown !
To get started:
or check out the Auction photos down below
and put bids in the comments ! Here's one print up for bid! :
and send you flowers of love!
01 aprile Northumberland is Castle Nirvana!! Part Two Haughton Castle's remains are quite impressive and is in fact a 13th century hall-house which was later made into a castle ( circa 1373.) The original tower was heightened and turrets along with parapets were added by Gerald Widdrington, however the Swinburns were the occupants by this time. It is seated nearby to Corbridge at Humshaugh and as you will see in the newly expanded photo album for Northumberland, it was built oblong with five towers, four of which were angles and the fifth much taller situated at the middle of the south front.
It was attacked by Border reivers in 1541 but this was more of a robbery than vandalism. It went into ruination by natural means, simple decay. The Towers were added as part of the 19th century fortification, but the original house remained the core and it was turned into a fashionable country house with landscaped parkland. Part of the outer walls which were built along with the fortification remain. If you see similarities between it and Featherstone Castle you're not too far off in your assumption. Much the same was done there and there are several others like them in Northumberland which I will mention later.
(story about Archie Armstrong, a border reiver Haughton Castle prisoner horror story ! )
Aydon Castle is similar in that it started as a fortified manor house built by a wealthy Suffolk merchant, Robert de Reymes, in the 13th century. A close neighbor to Hadrian's Wall, it nevertheless has no origins as a Roman edifice. Medieval records state that a timber hall existed at the same time that the late 13th century hall did and was adjacent to it. The Reymes home was not built with towers and only angular outer walls appear as defensive The steep valley of the Cor Burn served as a natural defense. In addition, it was not fortified or crenellated until April 5, 1305 when he obtained a license to do so. It was not for the purpose of a show of wealth. The border threat became real about the time that these dwellings were beginning to be attacked by the Scots invaders. Aydon was attacked in 1315 and again in 1346.
The earliest stone works are the hall, chamber block and the garderobe built sometime between 1280 and 1300. The battlemented walls were built to the north enclosing the building within an inner courtyard then by 1305 parapets were added plus the inner courtyard wall. The outer courtyard was completed by 1315. The D-shaped tower most likely was erected in the middle of the 14th century along with a plain arched gateway and a flanking tower. Curtain walls were erected along with the earliest stonework but was not made sufficiently strong to withstand serious attacks.
During the 17th century farmhouses were built inside the walls by the Canaby and Collinson families and these buildings still remain. It was restored during the 1960s to its original design. Just like Haughton, the outer walls remain in a semi-ruined condition in this case. Most of the house can be viewed by visitors. It has lovely features such as three elegant fireplaces.
Located just northwest of the village, six miles northeast of Hexham, and close to Corbridge Aydon Castle is open daily from April to September.
In the case of Belsay Castle and Belsay Hall there is a lot of history, building and many years of occupation ( 600 to be exact) by the same family. In addition, the 19th century gardens are unrivalled in England. Seven miles northwest of Ponteland, the Belsay estate is thirty acres of the most magnificent parkland for visitors in the border county.
The castle dates from the 12th century as a stone tower house which was built onto mid-14th century and in the 15th century. In the early part of the 17th century a Jacobean manor was added which gives much of it a very preserved look over-all. The most photographed part of the castle is a three-storey tower which features a tunnel-vaulted ground floor. It is an oblong with two wings in an L-shape with bartizans on the top. One has to wonder if they were added to confuse invaders because the stylizing of the top of the turrets is more popular in Scotland than England. The great hall shows traces of 15th century painted wall plaster which is an indication that restoration was continual.
Belsay Hall is a separate entity in Greek Revival style which was built between 1810 and 1817 by the owner Sir Charles Monck who was a talented classicist draughtsman. His inspiration came from a two year sojourn in Greece. He built Belsay Hall with the Themple of Theseus in mind and the interior shows much detail in neo-classical style. The colonnaded east front of the hall is quite magnificent and the stone was quarried from the very grounds of the estate. Because of the deep ravine left after building it, Sir Charles transformed it into a unique landscape garden in picturesque styling that will take your breath away. It is a profusion of mixed and rustic landscaping- formal and informal along with terraced gardens, a rhododendron garden, magnolia garden, mature woodlands and includes winter gardens. Sir Charles son further enhanced the gardens but it has not been significantly altered in two hundred years. Sir Charles also rebuilt the village of Belsay and many of the sandstone buildings around the arcade were a recreation by himself and John Dobson about the same time he was restoring the castle and building his Greek Revival marvel.
T- 01661 881636 (owned by English Heritage)
An equal distance north and close neighbors are Harbottle and Callaly the former being a bonified ruined medieval castle and the latter is now a 17th century manor constructed around a 15th century pele tower. However, Callaly had its origins as a mid-12th century motte castle which has no remains. In addition, what you will see at Callaly was given a facelift in the 19th century.
Harbottle, ten miles west of Rothbury, was built circa 1157 as a motte with a large shell keep and two baileys but was rebuilt later in stone at the end of the 12th century after being captured. The remains are very close to the River Coquet and this site may have ancient Briton origins. Additionally there may have been a stronghold on the site kept by Mildred, son of Ackman (Saxons).
The ruins were originally the work of the Umfraville family and so was held privately at King Henry II's request. It was besieged by Robert de Ros in 1296 and 40,000 men but they were held back ! Then in 1310 Robert the Bruce captured the castle.
All during the 14th century it was restored and fell into ruin several times until it passed into the hands of the Tailleboys about 1436. Thereafter it became the residence of the Warden of the Middle Marches and was used as a prison. In 1515, Margaret Tudor, the widowed Queen of James IV of Scotland ( and sister of Henry VIII ) came to the castle with her second husband where she gave birth to Princess Margaret who became the mother of Lord Darnley.
Even though further building work took place between 1541 and 1551 and even later in 1563, by the end of the 16th century it was in a poor state after it was granted by James I to George Home, the Lord Treasurer of Scotland. By 1715 it was again reported to be in ruins and on the site now, only earthworks and some standing masonry is in evidence. The ruins are extensive and may disappoint some visitors. By 1865 the remaining stone was removed to build a manor house which is called Harbottle Castle. This mansion sits at the east end of Harbottle village and was designed by architect John Dobson for Fenwick Clennel.
This ruined site is run by Northumberland National Park and entrance to it is free. I have included a very touching picture of a carved stone monument on the site in my photo album which has a poem written by a child about the castle. Look for it!
If you now head back up to the northeast corner of Northumberland, Norham Castle sits on a promontory in a curve of the River Tweed six miles southwest of Berwick. It is right across the border between England and Scotland and was one of the strongest English border castles in Northumberland ( actually North Durham at the time ) at a crucial time in Scottish and English history. A deep ravine protected the east side and an artificial moat was made on the west and south sides. It had an inner and outer ward with a moat between the two with a drawbridge on the West Gate side. The south gate to the outer ward was known as the Sheep Gate. The ruins on the north side of the inner ward was once the bishop's hall. The remains consist of the two storeys of the keep (which is attributed to Bishop Puiset) remains of the gatehouses of the inner and outer wards and sections of the curtain walls.
Built in 1121 at this strategic crossing point the Scots captured it in 1136 but was quickly relinquished to the Bishop Ranulph Flambard who kept Norham as his administration center of the North country. It was besieged and almost totally destroyed only two years later by Scots invaders again.
Henry II carried out rebuilding in stone since the castle proved to be of great importance to security along the border because it played a key role in the defense of the east March against the Scots. The bishop, Hugh de Puiset with Richard of Wolviston built extensively between the years circa mid- to the end of the 12th century, which included the Great Tower which had two storeys and a basement. Hugh relinquished control of the castle to Henry II when it was proved that he supported William the Lion (Scottish King) Through the centuries the castle successfully withstood sieges in 1215 (by Alexander II ), 1318 ( by Robert the Bruce )and in 1319. These were unusually long sieges- as the siege in 1318 went on for nearly a year. Often it was lack of provisions which caused a castle to surrender even when they could hold out against the enemy militarily. Norham was captured in 1327 and then restored to the Bishops of Durham the following year.
During the 15th century rebuilding was done which included the addition of two more floors making the Great Tower ninety feet high! It was held by the Yorkists at this time on behalf of Edward IV, during the Wars of the Roses. A Lancastrian army besieged the castle for eighteen days but was taken over by Yorkist forces. Then in 1497 when the Scots led by James IV again besieged the castle they were unsuccessful in taking it but they did tremendous damage to it with the cannon known as Mons Meg. (It's in the photo album along with more information about it. ) Finally, in 1523 a Scottish siege with cannon caused the inhabitants of Norham Castle to relinquish control of the castle and then after the Battle of Flodden where James IV was slain, three week later, control of the castle was returned.
In the 16th century Norham was in such a poor state that it was not rebuilt as it had been before. The main reason being that James VI (Scottish King ) became James I of England and the castle was left to fall into deep decay since its importance had been completely lost. Much later Queen Elizabeth refused to pay anything for its restoration. Curiously enough a woodcut made in 1748 showed the castle as it had originally looked but was still dismantled brick by brick as a cheap source of stone for building homes in the village. This type of deterioration was halted when it was declared an ancient monument and money was put up by the government for its upkeep.
In the 19th century this castle captured the attention of an artist J.M.W. Turner and he first painted the castle in 1797 and returned to paint it many times. These works of art can be viewed at the Tate Gallery in London.
Beaucoup d'amour from The Castle Lady !
Check out my auction photo album and make a bid!
Proverbe du Jour: A man does not look behind a door unless he has stood there himself. - Henri DuBois
|
|
|
%3a+aprile+2008&referrer=){kind=small}
