Good Friday today
It has been a perfect spring day here in County
Durham. A day for driving through
Weardale with its awe-inspiring scenery of hills and rivers; fields divided by
stone walls and sturdy cottages that have withstood the extremes of winter and
summer for generations. The trees are beginning to show their foliage in a variety of greens;
blackthorn bushes are a mass of white blossom; daffodils and celandines light up
the verges and even dandelions add to the show while new-born lambs frolick round their tired mothers.
When people talk of the north of England it is often
Yorkshire and Northumberland they’re thinking of, forgetting that Durham comes
between the two. If they do mention Durham it is
probably only the city they know with its cathedral high above the other buildings or
perhaps Auckland Castle, home to the Bishops of Durham in the small town of
Bishop Auckland.
However, venture beyond the towns and out on the country
roads and you will discover Teesdale and Weardale, each very beautiful, following the county’s main rivers.
Today we chose Weardale, through the village of Witton-le-Wear and on to
Wolsingham and Stanhope, the main “towns of the dale” then on again through the
villages of Eastgate and Westgate, popular for caravanners; Daddry Shield where
hills rise steeply from the road; and on to St. John’s Chapel to leave the car
and walk along a narrow path by the river then to stand on a wooden footbridge
and look down on the brown water spanned by substantial stepping stones and
a ford that cyclists and cars were splashing through.
As we retraced our steps we passed a very well-kept
primary school and more cottages until we reached the church and the centre of
the village. Opposite was a most welcome café – Chatterbox Café – run by a
friendly young couple and serving delicious scones with jam as well as mouth
watering meals. I can definitely
recommend the café and the whole trip.
The sun continued to shine as we drove
the 26 miles back home. Only one regret - I'd gone without my camera!
