Today I walked 5 ½ miles for my Race the Distance challenge in support of Ukraine. I will be making a donation to support the emergency support charities and when my medal arrives I will dedicate another walk in support of Ukraine.
My walk took me to Woodhenge, Leegomery Pools, The Silkin Way, Apley Woods, Dothill Nature Reserve and the paths that linked them all together. The sunshine and the antics of the birds on Tee Lake uplifted my spirit 
2 Comments CherryPie on Mar 14th 2022
For me there is only the travelling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length – and there I travel looking, looking breathlessly.
Carlos Castaneda
11 Comments CherryPie on Mar 14th 2022
Barnard Castle in Teesdale is a historic market town which takes its name from the castle around which it grew. The castle, an English Heritage property, was named after its 12th Century founder, Bernard de Balliol, and was later developed by Richard III whose boar emblem is carved above a window in the inner ward. The church of St Mary’s benefited from the patronage of the king with much work carried out including the founding of a chantry. The chancel arch bears corbels with the portraits of Richard and Edward IV and there is a carved boar beside the east window of the south transept.
The castle looks down to the tumultuous River Tees below, popular with canoeists, anglers and for riverside walks along the Teesdale Way, Deepdale and Flatts Wood.
7 Comments CherryPie on Mar 10th 2022
Binchester (Vinovia) was founded around 80 AD and for a time one of the largest Roman military installations in the whole of Northern Britain. About 7 hectares in size it was large enough to have accommodated a battle-group formed of several cohorts of legionary infantry and one or more units of auxiliary cavalry. Even when it was reduced to 4 hectares around 160 AD it was still the largest fort in County Durham.
We know from inscriptions that the garrison of this later fort was a cavalry unit originally recruited in central Spain accompanied at some point by a unit of cavalry originating from the area we now know as Holland. The fort, which continued to be occupied down to the end of the Roman period, was accompanied by a large civil settlement around it. People continued to live in the fort for several centuries after Britain ceased to be part of the Roman Empire.
7 Comments CherryPie on Mar 9th 2022
8 Comments CherryPie on Mar 7th 2022
The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.
Alan Watts
6 Comments CherryPie on Mar 6th 2022
