Friday 5 November 2010

Barnard Castle, County Durham


Barnard Castle is a market town on the River Tees that gets its name from its ruined Norman Castle. Apart from the local catchment area of shoppers and castle enthusiasts, the town attracts a mixture of visitors to the rather grand looking Bowes museum (paintings and a famous moving 18th century silver swan), Antique collectors and Caravan owners beside the river.

After my weekend away with friends we returned by a slightly different route through Barnard Castle and although we didn't stop here as it was late on Sunday afternoon, I was fortunate enough to take this picture through the window from the back seat of the car that we were travelling in. We were sitting at some traffic lights waiting to go over the River Tees by means of a single track stone bridge...... How lucky was I  !!!!

(After my best work from the last post, I return to something a bit more ordinary that I did not think good enough to post earlier. I feel that taking this hurried picture was very useful in explaining something that I need to say about the structure of this blog.
A reciprocal follower ...Adrian... has been to Barnard Castle a few times before and has taken some good pictures from various standpoints and wanted to see some of my images in return.
All of my blog posts are taken in chronological order from Easter 2010 and this is the first one that is not. This set should have been post number 5 but didn't happen as for two reasons ....I didn't think they were good enough to put on ... and.... I needed to put some Yorkshire Dales mountain pictures on to create my all round profile..... thanks to the patience of my one solitary follower at that time, my work colleague and blog mentor, Primrose Patch.
Blogging twice a week, the tour that I had to both the English Lake District and Scotland during July and August meant that I am now well behind real time ... the top picture is dated at 12th september ... so I apologise for the lack of Autumn colours at the moment in my posts... I've decided to leave this aspect out. As I have now broken the rules, when the weather deteriorates, I feel I have an excuse to possibly re-visit some of "my past !" in the south west of England during the second half of 2009)


 The market cross was built in 1747 as a gift to the town by Thomas Breaks and marks the point where the road leaves the market area, where the tollbooth once stood, to go down the hill to the River Tees. Unfortunately its previous use as a butter and dairy market, jail and county administrative record store has now been replaced as a busy roundabout !










 The purpose of this day was to take my Mother for a drive in the car for her Birthday. Barnard Castle is a difficult place to get to by bus with her friend so I was happy to oblige with this idea. Most of the shops are quite small and although only a few are quite interesting, it is the atmosphere of the place that I like. While my Mother was in a few of the "less interesting shops"!!!,  I had the opportunity to take two unusual photographs.......


 One of the most unusual and historical English petrol stations that you will ever see !!

Coming to the end of the day, it started to rain .....


...so it was time to move on to the Country teashop in the delightful small village of Staindrop. This establishment lives from passing trade where tourists can park right outside the front door.


It was time to have a slice of (lemon) Birthday cake !! Happy Birthday Mother ..... 5 months late !


16 comments:

  1. I studied the photos on blog.
    Magic places in very beautiful photos.

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  2. Nothing wrong with these. Thanks it's good to see another's interpretation of somewhere I know quite well. the reflection of the Methodist Chapel is great

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  3. Hello,
    ... better late than never, I liked this post, sincerely,
    and I also wish "happy birthay for your mother five months later..", I would liked to try a slice of this lemon cake.
    Felisa

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  4. Ah- a country teashop, now your talking and I'll have a piece of lemon cake too. Nice pics.

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  5. So man nice pictures here.
    Have a wonderful weekend, and regards to your mother too:))

    Berit.

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  6. I also visited Barnard Castle some years ago. Nice place! It seems that everybody wants a piece of cake and I'm not an exception :) A bunch of flowers to your mother!

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  7. I find ruins so very charming and the perspective of this wall is just fantastic!

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  8. I certainly don't care if your photos are in chronological order or not! I just like to see beautiful photos of England and learn about the places you've been - because I want to know what things are a 'must-see' when visiting England.

    We've never been to Barnard Castle, but maybe next time.

    That is a beautiful reflection shot!!!!!

    and true to my expectations of British culinary treats, the lemon cake looks substantial. I like a dense cake, and that looks like it would be delicious.

    Thank you for your nice comments on 'Zooming In' and 'Guy Fawkes Night.' We will not have fireworks, since we used them all up on July Fourth, but I do have a little Guy Fawkes who moonlights as a Pilgrim for Thanksgiving Day. I can't bear to burn him, though. :-)

    Happy Guy Fawkes! Keep the dogs indoors (if you have a dog)

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  9. The lemon cake looks really good and you know...better late than never. I really enjoy your photo trips.

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  10. so much to learn from you. i like the perspective pics of River Tees.

    Have a nice weekend.

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  11. very beautiful ! A place I'd like to know !
    I like the picture of the cake, very succesfull ! :))

    Bye**

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  12. I think that the photography are timeless in a way...
    They remain in computer with a certain date but in our mind - only colors, smell, sensations, light, joy or loneliness!
    Anyway, thank you for this trip and say Hello to your mother!
    I think she is right: "less interesting shops"!!! ha ha

    Regards!

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  13. Happy belated Birthday to your mom, I bet she loved the day out with you. Good photo out the car window to.
    See Yea George xxx

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  14. Enjoyed the visit to Barnard Cross -- ready for my lemon cake now...

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  15. you have a good number of old and interesting buildings. somehting i wish we had here in our country.

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  16. Pharaonx... Thanks for your comments, I pleased you like what you see, I look forward to following you blog as well.

    Adrian... Thanks for that, I was a bit unsure about the composition of a few of the earlier ones due to location circumstances. I tried all ways...getting wet for a while to get the church reflection better but it wasn't happening as the bus shelter was always in view, could have cropped it but seemed to harsh and less real.

    Felisa...Thanks, The Lemon Cake was good and was a nice treat.

    Trevor Woodford... Thanks, Lemon Cake is one of my things to look for in a country teashop.

    Berit... Thanks for your comments, It's nice to photograph something a bit different once in a while.

    Travelling Hawk... Hope you liked your trip to the town and this gave you some memories. The cake seems popular with the viewers.

    JM... Thanks for your comment and visit. I was extremely fortunate to get a photograph of the castle, I was just pleased to be sitting in the left hand side of the back seat of the car with no lamp post in the way !!

    Cranberry Morning... Thanks, The Staindrop tea shop usually makes good cake and is publicised in regional tea shop trail guides. I usually pass it in the car more times than I stop due to timing issues... shame. This was more of a relaxing day.

    Farmcchick... Thanks, I'm pleased you are enjoying the journeys. Everyone loves the cake, I can't split it 8 ways , so I'll have to order some more !

    Lily Riani... Thanks, my pleasure to share it with you. I know you travel a bit and it's not everyones opportunity to visit the UK. However places like this are further down the list to many people so treat yourself as a virtual tourist with this one. Enjoy.

    Mahon... Thanks, The town has some nice parts and the cake was good

    Wind... Thanks, some great thoughts that you give here. I "photoshopped" out the less interesting shops from the post !!

    George the Lad... Thanks, It was a nice day out, shame about the rain but hey, it was worth it for the extra photo and I was dead lucky with the car window shot.

    Vicki Lane... Thanks, I could do with another piece of cake now, it seems a wile ago.

    dong ho... Thanks, there is quite a few old and interesting buildings here, sometimes the average person here does not appreciate it. It is my privilege to share it with others like yourself who do.

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