The Castle Keep Newcastle

Decided to have a ride to Newcastle so it was a case of up over what we call the "farmers field" trail. this brings you out at "No Place" yes that really is the name of the village, down to Beamish and get onto the C2C. I then followed this down to Birtley and got off the C2C and made my way up Birtley High Street, heading for Lamsley and onto the Team Valley. It was then a case of reconnecting onto the C2C and eventually coming out to ride along the River Tyne. I then crossed over the Swing Bridge and made my way up towards the Castle Keep. A few quick photo's and then a leisurely ride back home, roughly a 27 mile loop.

The Castle Keep of Newcastle upon Tyne was built by Henry II between 1168-1178, it is one of the finest surviving examples of a Norman Keep in the country.
It stands within a site that also contains: an early motte and bailey castle built by Robert Curthose, the son of William the Conqueror: an Anglo-Saxon cemetery and a Roman Fort (Pons Aelius).
The Castle Keep is a Grade 1 listed building, a Scheduled Ancient monument, and is open to the public 361 days of the year as a heritage visitor attraction. Owned by Newcastle City Council it is leased to and managed by the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, the second oldest antiquarian society in the world.

It's nice to see bikes are available for hire so visitors can checkout the area.

Sandman at the Entrance to the Keep

BTK Features

The Bartlett Tendon Universal Knee System, for more info checkout

www.leftsideinc.com

 

A Ride Out to Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral

Looking at Durham Cathedral through my Sandman's Front Wheel

 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham (usually known as Durham Cathedral) is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093. The cathedral is regarded as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with nearby Durham Castle, which faces it across Palace Green.

The present cathedral replaced the 10th century "White Church", built as part of a monastic foundation to house the shrine of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. The treasures of Durham Cathedral include relics of St Cuthbert, the head of St Oswald of Northumbria and the remains of the Venerable Bede. In addition, its Durham Dean and Chapter Library contains one of the most complete sets of early printed books in England, the pre-Dissolution monastic accounts, and three copies of the Magna Carta.
Durham Cathedral occupies a strategic position on a promontory high above the River Wear. From 1080 until the 19th century the bishopric enjoyed the powers of a Bishop Palatine, having military as well as religious leadership and power. Durham Castle was built as the residence for the Bishop of Durham. The seat of the Bishop of Durham is the fourth most significant in the Church of England hierarchy, and he stands at the right hand of the monarch at coronations. Signposts for the modern day County Durham are subtitled "Land of the Prince Bishops."
There are daily Church of England services at the Cathedral, with the Durham Cathedral Choir singing daily except Mondays and when the choir is on holiday. The cathedral is a major tourist attraction within the region, the central tower of 217 feet (66 m) giving views of Durham and the surrounding area.

Playing on my Sandman Hoggar, using my Bartlett Tendon

A Day out Playing @ Ajax Woods

 I decided to get to grips with my GoPro,after having one or two problems, notably when I got my camera the spare battery being buggered and running out after 10 secs or so!!!
 I thought today might be a nice day to experiment. I had been out for a ride last week on the Derwent Walk and got my eye on a nice place just to practice with my camera.  Here's some various shots of the day.

Tanfield Railway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  

The Tanfield Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway in Gateshead and County Durham, England. Running on part of a former colliery wooden wagonway, later a steam railway, it operates preserved steam and diesel industrial tank locomotives. The railway operates a passenger service on Sundays all year round, as well as demonstration freight trains. The line runs 3 miles (4.8 km) between a southern terminus at East Tanfield, Durham, to a northern terminus at Sunniside, Gateshead, with the main station, Andrews House situated near to the Marley Hill engine shed. A halt also serves the historic site of the Causey Arch. The railway claims to be the oldest working railway in the world.

 

Causey Arch, the World's Oldest Surviving Single-Arch Railway Bridge in the World

Causey Arch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Causey Arch is a bridge near Stanley in County Durham, northern England. It is the oldest surviving single-arch railway bridge in the world.
It was built in 1725-26 by stonemason Ralph Wood, funded by a conglomeration of coal-owners known as the "'Grand Allies'" (founded by Colonel Liddell and the Hon. Charles Montague) at a cost of £12,000. Two tracks crossed the Arch: one (the main way) to take coal to the River Tyne, and the other (the bye way) for the returning the empty wagons. Over nine hundred horse-drawn wagons crossed the arch each day using the Tanfield Railway.
At the time the bridge was completed in 1726, it was the longest single span bridge in the country with an arch span of 31 m, a record it held for thirty years until 1756 when a bridge was built in Pontypridd, Wales.
An inscription on a sundial at the site reads "Ra. Wood, mason, 1727". Use of the Arch declined when Tanfield Colliery was destroyed by fire in 1739.
The Arch was restored and reinforced in the 1980s. There are a series of scenic public paths around the area and the Causey Burn which runs underneath it. The quarry near the bridge is a popular spot for local rock climbers.
Causey Burn itself flows into Beamish Burn which then flows into the River Team eventually
 discharging into the River Tyne.