Now the chapel of St. John’s College, the church of St. Mary The Less was founded in the 12th century as a garrison chapel for soldiers stationed on the nearby city walls.
Its name is believed to have been chosen to distinguish it from Durham Cathedral, which is dedicated to Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and [...]
Archive for December, 2021
Filed under Faith Foundations, Heritage, Holidays, Newcastle & Durham 2021
The Church of St Mary the Less, Durham
14 Comments CherryPie on Dec 23rd 2021
Filed under Heritage, Holidays
Wigmore Castle
Wigmore was one of many castles built close to the England–Wales border after the Norman Conquest. Founded in 1067 by William Fitz Osbern, it was a major centre of power for over 500 years, and played host to several kings and queens. It was held by the Mortimer family from about 1075 to 1425, when [...]
6 Comments CherryPie on Dec 20th 2021
Filed under Harrogate 2021, Holidays
Hay-On-Wye
Hay-on-Wye is a little town whose northern and eastern boundaries border England. The spectacular countryside which surrounds Hay is just a few steps away from wherever you are in town. Stroll along the banks of the River Wye or in the foothills of the Black Mountains and unwind in the tranquil setting. Crossing the border, [...]
6 Comments CherryPie on Dec 18th 2021
Filed under Hay-on-Wye 2021, Heritage, Holidays
Tretower Court and Castle
So striking was the massive circular tower built by Roger Picard II that his castle became known as Tretower – or ‘the place of the tower’.
Over two centuries, from about 1100, the Picards transformed themselves from invading Norman adventurers to powerful Welsh lords.
So this monumental tower with four storeys and stone walls nine feet thick [...]
12 Comments CherryPie on Dec 16th 2021
Filed under Anecdotes, Out & About
I Have Walked 1000 Miles
With just half a mile to go I made sure I went for a quick walk before an emergency food shopping trip to pick up a missing ingredient for our evening meal with a friend. Before dining we enjoyed playing Wingspan, a board game that I purchased at the beginning of our first lockdown to [...]
10 Comments CherryPie on Dec 13th 2021
Filed under Harrogate 2021, Holidays
Cherie’s Place – Thought for the Week
The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are there.
Yasutani Roshi
6 Comments CherryPie on Dec 13th 2021
Filed under Anecdotes, Hay-on-Wye 2021, Holidays
Hay-on-Wye – Day Three
We packed and loaded the car before breakfast so that there was no need for us to go back to our room; we could just check out and set off to our chosen destination, Wigmore Castle. You may note the continuing War of the Roses theme.
We parked in Wigmore village and walked past the Parish [...]
6 Comments CherryPie on Dec 11th 2021
