The Scallop is a 13 foot (4 metre) high sculpture by Suffolk artist Maggi Hambling,
situated on the beach just to the north of Aldeburgh. Made of 10mm thick stainless steel and designed to withstand 100mph winds, the installation is a monument to past Aldeburgh resident Benjamin Britten. Cut into the rim of the scallop are the words “I hear those voices that will not be drowned” from Britten’s opera Peter Grimes.
The parish church of St Aidan’s, Bamburgh, was founded by the saint in the 7th century. The current building dates from the 12th century. and to visit is to walk in history.
St Aidan’s, Bamburgh Read More »
The Grace Darling Museum, dedicated to the local young heroine who helped rescue survivors from a shipwreck on a stormy night, is a small, but fascinating museum packed with interesting information and artefacts.
Grace Darling Museum Read More »
The ruins of the Brocolitia Mithraeum, a 3rd-century temple dedicated to Mithras, are close to the site of the Roman fort of Brocolitia on Hadrian’s Wall. The fort was once home to a garrison of 500 soldiers, but all that can be seen now are grassy mounds.
Temple of Mithras, Brocolitia Read More »
The Battle of Heavenfield, fought between Christian Northumbrians led by King Oswald and pagan Britons under Cadwallon took place in about 634AD. Oswald’s victory resulted in the unification of Northumbria. The site includes a small chapel dedicated to St Oswald.
Alnmouth is a charming coastal resort at the River Aln’s mouth, featuring sandy beaches, an ancient golf course, and a small museum. Once a busy port for grain and timber, its fortunes declined after a storm in 1806 altered the river’s course. Today, it is a popular place to visit.
Egglestone Abbey, founded in the late 12th century, is a ruined Premonstratensian monastery overlooking the River Tees. It was a poor house and had to survive damage by both Scots and English. It was dissolved in 1540 and yet its remains evoke a serene, historic atmosphere.
Roman Dere Street crossed the River Tees at Piercebridge where remnants of an ancient bridge are visible. Nearby, a Roman fort once guarded the crossing, and a civilian settlement developed in the 2nd century. Portions of the fort’s foundations can still be seen.
Piercebridge Roman remains Read More »
Eleven O One is a 9-foot high weathered steel statue in Seaham, a former mining town. Created by Ray Lonsdale in 1914, it evocatively depicts a British soldier after hearing news of the Armistice news at 11 o’clock on November 11, 1918.
