Another quiet period for photographs under lockdown…
Classic view of Durham cathedral from Mountjoy hill (south east of cathedral) on New Year’s day. Mountjoy is said to originate in the joy of pilgrims on first sight of the cathedral. Laude Bank to the west of Durham is thought to have the same origin.
Pictures from a walk on a bright crisp day in early January to the village of Witton Gilbert. (L) Gorse bushes and (R) view from near the Findon Cottages trig point to the east of Witton Gilbert (the small hill itself isn’t clearly named).
Quarryheads roundabout on a snowy day in February.
Walks from the door in late February: (L) Flass Vale is a secluded valley just 5 minutes away. (R) Gatehouse of the former Kepier Hospital.
Weirs on the Wear viewed from Milburngate bridge towards the castle and Framwellgate bridge. Happily the weir is still in use, driving a hydroelectric generator.
Paths along former colliery railway routes heading towards Pittington (north east of Durham). Without the current restrictions on travel, we may never have explored these paths!
A walk in early March from Sunderland Bridge to Whitworth Hall Country Park. (Top left) Lunch spot on a bend in the Wear. (Top right) Tumbled trees in Spring Wood. The bank looks to have slipped. (Middle) Whitworth Church and (right) possibly an entrance to a crypt for the Shafto family. (Bottom) Heading back towards Spring Wood after looping around Whitworth Park.
(Top left) The unexpected and dramatic Silverlink bridge across Pelaw Wood beck was built in 1938 by the same company that built Sydney Harbour bridge, Cleveland Bridge of Darlington. (Top right) Away from the busy river banks in Durham, Pelaw Woods were an unexpected highlight of a walk in late March to the east of Durham. (R) The fascinating, and well-hidden gardens of Old Durham.
A typical “accommodation” railway bridge built to accommodate an existing right of way. The disused railway above is the Leamside line, closed in 1964.
