Ride 2015 Video

A short video of our Northumberland ride (size/resolution reduced to enable upload to blog, so will not look good if expanded to full screen).

A Few Early Thoughts-Northumberland 2015

I have been back 48 hours now, a little tired but satisfied on the completion of another successful Dragon Ride, 450 km over 6 days. The Northumberland Triangle (NCN 72/68/01). The weather was kind, the hills generally gentle (Kielder was challenging though) and the scenery as usual simply stunning.

Congratulations and thanks to all. Clyde, Peter, Maldwyn, Martin & our new and most welcome addition Jim.

Well done us!

Kielder Water (Nippy!)

Seahouses( Warmer)

Craster (Balmy!)

                                       
                                                                 Warkworth (Quaint)

Are These The Bellingham Bell Shaped Hills?

On R68 climbing east out of Bellingham. The British Geological Survey map shows them as an outcrop of sandstone, presumably more weather resistant than the surrounding 300 m year old sandstone bedrock. The BGS soil map gives a shallow soil depth, compared to the deep surrounding glacial till. I would imagine early settlers found it an ideal homstead, a good lookout, easily protected, and close to fertile farmable land; when the river valley was probably still covered in deep forest.
A genealogy website says a prominent family bearing the Bellingham name was descended from  invading Viking foresters ("Give me your trees or we will burn down your houses"). Although use of the Anglo-Saxon name suggests they became integrated into the local community.