We were all packed up and ready to go before we went down for breakfast so all we needed to do after breakfast was settle the bill for the few extras we had added to our room.

On the way home we stopped off at Hexham to see the Abbey as recommended by JD. Hexham Abbey was very interesting and we timed it just right be able to go down the stairs into the ancient crypt. We would have liked a bit more time in the Abbey and in Hexham so we will need to go back to explore more.

It was a bit early for lunch so we continued on our journey, stopping at Tebay Services where I treated myself to of one of my childhood favourites; coconut, cherry and chocolate cake. After lunch we briefly called in on my Aunt, who lives in Manchester, so that Mr C could check that her new porch had been completed to satisfaction. She had been experiencing problems with the company doing the work. I felt a little guilty that the stay was so brief but it wasn’t possibly to stay any longer. With the detour we had spent seven hours in the car leaving us rather tired when we got home for a well earned rest.

In the 19th century, cannon were mounted on the rooftop and fired on ceremonial occasions.

One was used regularly as the ‘noon gun’, firing at the midday in response to a telegraph signal from Greenwich Observatory in London.  After a number of accident – in one of which a gunner was killed – the practice of firing the cannon was eventually discontinued in the 1850s and the guns were later removed.*

*Information from Newcastle Castle guidebook (Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne).