Saturday, 28 January 2012

Hoarfrost Hike

Walking down our road in Longbyre
The Ditch to the right of Thirwall Castle is the Back Ditch of Hadrian's Wall and to the Right - is the outline of the Ditch known as the Vallum. The Wall itself would have been somewhere in between
Walking on Broken Ice
Thirlwall Castle
Scooting along

There was a deep hoarfrost this morning. The children cheered up after feeling a bit 'peaky' so we got them out on their scooters and got us and the dog walked at the same time. We are very lucky to live in a really beautiful area. We walked along Cycle Route 72 which is just over the railway and runs past the Reiver (Raider) Castle called Thirlwall Castle. The Castle is built with stones from Hadrian's Wall. Thirlwall means 'throw/hurl' down. Did later generations hurl down Hadrian's Wall or did it happen in Roman times?

I love this whole area. I'd love to examine it bit by bit.  There are so many lumps and bumps, marshy, boggy regions. I'd get out the Ordnance Survey Map and the bible to Hadrian's Wall 'the Collingwood Bruce' to piece the jigsaw together. Where does the back ditch go? Where does the Vallum go? Where did the Wall go? Where were the milecastles? Can I/we see anything else? Who else has left his/her mark? What happened with the railways? The mining? I want to know more and more and more.....

More photos to come. Tomorrow I hope.

P.S.: I'm going to be busier today than I thought. Teaching Minimus Latin tomorrow. Fingers crossed I can post some more photos on Tuesday. Many thanks for your comments so far... Many thanks. Hadriana xx



5 comments:

the fly in the web said...

Maps! Yes! They delight me with all their possibilities for exploration and explanation.
I'm going to get the CR equivalent of OS maps for this area....but it means a sopecial trip to their offices so I'll do it when i have a whole load of things to do in San Jose.

Maggie May said...

Lovely to see your local photos.

I think the frost is likely to spread our way tonight and we have been warned that there is going to be a run of it. Something we could do without!
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Lynne said...

It all looks beautiful. Looks like a walk to blow away the cobwebs.
I think I have some catching up to do here.

Nota Bene said...

It's a beautiful part of the world - and the frost only makes it look even better

Hadriana's Treasures said...

I agree with you, Fly. Maps are wonderous things! Good luck! Mucha suerte!

Thanks, Maggie, it's great (snow) and a pain at the same time!! ;-)

Many thanks, Lynne and NB. It looked particularly beautiful on Saturday. :-)