Day 3 - Hadrian's Wall on Monday, May 6th, 2013

Today, we explored Hadrian's Wall. Visited the Roman Army Museum in Greenhead, stopped for lunch @ House of Meg Tea Rooms, visited a section of the wall and toured the Roman excavations at Vindolanda. Topped it off with supper at a head of Steam pub and immersion in a live folk music jam session at The Elm Tree pub in Durham.

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Our first stop along Hadrian's Wall is the Roman Army Museum in Greenhead, Northumberland County.  It was a nice museum.  Not too big.  Easy to see.

Roman Army Museum - Worth seeing.

On our way to Hadrian's Wall, we stopped for casual lunch at House of Meg Tea Rooms in Gilsland.

House of Meg Tea Rooms - Great lunch!

After lunch, it was on to Peel Crag where a portion of the wall is visible.  When we got out of the car there, I saw this picturesque farm.  Pretty cool.

Farm near Steel Rigg, Northumberland

Peel Crag is an volcanic rock outcropping consisting mostly of basalt.  Certainly it provides a great vantage point for the Romans and their wall.  You can see a portion of the wall in the lower right of the photo.

Hadrian's Wall & Peel Crag - Once Brewed

Close up of Hadrian's Wall @ Peel Crag

A remaining portion of Hadrian's Wall @ Steel Rigg

We then headed to Vindolanda, a Roman fort and village.  The first timber forts at the site were built in 85 AD.  Hadrian's Wall was built in 122 AD.  Vindolanda is best known for the Vindolanda Tablets found there in 1973.  The tablets date to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.  They record the military operations and personal affairs of the Romans at Vindolanda.

Vindolanda

A reconstructed Roman "turret" stands behind escavations of the village.

The Romans implemented running water and plumbing in many of their buildings.

Vindolanda escavations

Warm water was circulated under floors to heat a building.

Surveyors and Archaeologists at work

Archaeologist digging at Vindolanda

Students are invited to participate in the archaeological digs 

A statue a Vindolanda

I have no idea what this is!  But I thought it was cool anyway.

Reconstructed Temple

Flooring over the water troughs can be seen in this photo.

A well is in the center of this building.

One more shot of Vindolanda as we headed home to Durham.

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Day 3 - Morning Coffee in Durham on Monday, May 6th, 2013

To start off our third day in Durham, Chris joined us for coffee at Leonard's Coffee House in Fowlers Yard on Back Silver Street in Durham.  We enjoyed our coffees on the second floor.  Had the place to ourselves!  Relaxing way to start our day's adventures.  Chris decided to continue working while we toured Hadrian's Wall.  Leonard's offers a nice selection of coffee, tea and pastries.

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This photo is making me hungry!

Pam & Chris @ Leonard's Coffee House

As we were walking back to Framwellgate Bridge, I noticed the roof lines above us.  Pretty cool.

Fowlers Yard Roof Lines

Walked by this neat microbrewery on Silver Street.  Wish we had time for a brew!  But it was early in the morning...

Hill Island Microbrewery

Framwellgate Bridge is always a good place to stop and take a photo or two of the River Wear, Durham Castle & Durham Cathedral in a pretty setting that changes with the seasons.

Durham Cathedral on the River Wear from the south side of Framwellgate Bridge

Durham Cathedral from the south side of Framwellgate Bridge

Milburngate Bridge from the north side of Framwellgate Bridge

As we headed back to our B&B to leave for Hadrian's Wall, we walked past the Bridge Hotel where we enjoyed our first supper in Durham.  To the left of the hotel is the Durham Railway Viaduct.

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Day 2 - Newcastle Upon Tyne - Hen Party Encounter on Sunday, May 5th, 2013

In Newcastle we ran into our first "Hen Party" at noon outside the pub where we were eating a lunch of meat  pies.  Looking out the window, I saw this scene and just had to photograph it.  Call me Paparazzi Paul!  Note the cut out of a man's face on the doll.  I'm pretty sure it is of the bride's fiance.

Obviously the bride with her beer at noon.  We noted she was working hard to walk.

I'll let you figure out what is on this lady's head!

Another Hen Party!  This one catching a train home from Central Station.

Day 2 - A Walk Through Newcastle on Sunday, May 5th, 2013

Day 2 started in Durham with breakfast at the Victorian Town House B&B with a full English breakfast.  We then met Chris at 9:30 for some great coffee outdoors on a cool (60F/16C) but sunny morning at Esquires Coffee House located at the south end of Framwellgate Bridge.  

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Pam & Chris enjoying morning great coffee @ Esquire's Cofee House

We decided that the three of us would take the train from Durham to Newcastle to see the city.  Once we arrived, Chris would take us down to the River Tyne along the Quayside area to the Baltic Contemporary Art Museum.  After lunch, he would duck into a cafe to work via his netbook while Pam and I explored Newcastle's well known Grey and Grainger streets.  We would then rendezvous at Newcastle Central Station for the ride home.

So off we walked back across the Framwellgate Bridge on North Road, then up a hill to the Durham Railway Station where we met our 15 to 20 minute train ride to Newcastle.   

CrossCountry Railway's Class 220 Voyager diesel-electric arriving at the Durham Railway Station

We arrived on time (No surprise in England!) at Newcastle Central Station.  The train was comfortable and the ride rather quick at 15 minutes.  An easy rail commute from Durham north east to Newcastle.  The route by car is 19 miles and about 26 minutes.

Newcastle Central Station

We then walked downhill from the railway station toward the River Tyne.  Along the way we noticed this statue of George Stephenson by the sculptor John Graham Lough.  Stephenson is credited with designing one of two early miner's safety lamps.  Stephenson's lamp was so popular in North East England,  that the miners there called it "Geordie's Lamp."  "Geordie" is slag for George.  Starting about that time continuing to this day, people who live in North East England are called "Geordies."    

Stephenson Memorial

Newcastle upon Tyne is the formal name for Newcastle which is derived from an earlier name "New Castle."  The Romans established a settlement there called "Pons Aelius."  A motte-and-bailey castle was built there in 1080 by Robert II, the Duke of Normandy.  Two prominent portions of that castle remain today: the "Castle Keep" and the "Black Gate."  Both are located in the middle of the city, an easy walk from Central Station.  

The Black Gate

Castle Keep

Just a shot walk down the hill from the Castle Keep is the River Tyne.  Like Richmond, Virginia, Newcastle lies on a river with several bridges.  Unlike Richmond, Newcastle's bridges are beautifully designed, each with a distinctive architecture.  In the shot below, can you see FIVE bridges?  They are the Tyne Bridge, Swing Bridge, High Level Bridge, Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and the King Edward VII Bridge.

Continuing with our walk, the first bridge we came to was the Tyne Bridge, completed in 1928 and opened by King George V.  Love this classic, twin tower design!

Tyne Bridge

Right behind and under the Tyne Bridge above was the next site that greeted us: the Sage Gateshead, a music, education, performance and conference center.   It is located on the south side of the river in Gateshead.  The venue, opened in 2004, features a 1,700 seat theater, a 450 seat theater and a rehearsal & performance hall.  I loved the reflective glass design and the site overlooking the river with a view of Newcastle.

Sage Gateshead

Without a doubt, Newcastle is a vibrant river city.  Besides the development on both the northern Newcastle and southern Gateshead sides of the river, there is quite a bit of river traffic.  One of the many boats that passed us was the Irene Patricia, a Salmon "coble" - traditional fishing boat of the area.

The "Irene Patricia" 617 salmon "coble" boat

The next, and most eastern bridge is the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.  This pedestrian/cyclist bridge was completed in 2001 to link Quayside development on both sides of the River Tyne.  It is a tilt bridge which means that the arch drops down, lifting up the pedestrian walkway, allowing boat and ship traffic to pass underneath both portions of the bridge.  After the river traffic passes, the arch rises and the pedestrian side drops allowing pedestrian and cycle traffic between the Quays.

Gateshead Millennium Bridge

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art occupies the former Baltic Flour Mill building on the south side of the river in Gateshead.  It is well worth seeing.  It contains several floors of galleries of contemporary art.  Besides art galleries, the museum offers two restaurants and a gift shop.

Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

Viewing An Exhibit in the Baltic

View of the Newcastle side of the river from the roof of the Baltic

The Author's Baltic Selfy

Right in front of the Baltic lies the Sage Gateshead venue.  In the loading dock area, I found this band of pipers practicing for their performance.

Pipers Practicing @ the Sage Gateshead venue

We crossed the River Tyne over the Gateshead Millennium Bridge to the Newcastle.  As we were walking back toward the city center, I found this really cool building.  Wouldn't you love to have an apartment here?  I would!  On the first floor is the Great Coffee house.  On the remaining floors are law offices for the nearby court buildings. I really think tho they would make great apartments!

Great Coffee

While we were enjoying some fabulous meat pies and real ale at the Red House, we noticed some commotion outside the pub.  Refugees from one of many "hen parties" were boarding a bus adjacent to the pub.  A lovely scene 8^)

Newcastle Hen Party

After a great laugh and an enjoyable lunch, we headed back up the hill along Gray Street in an area of Newcastle called "Grainger Town."  We found many great examples of Georgian Architecture including the Theatre Royal.  The theatre was opened in 1837.  The theatre hosts a variety of shows, including ballet, contemporary dance, drama, musicals and opera.

Theatre Royal

Up Gray Street from the Theatre Royal is "Grey's Monument."  It was built to honor Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey.  He is known as a strong proponent of the Reform Act of 1832.  As Prime Minister of Great Britain and Ireland from 1830-1834, he abolished slavery in the British Empire.  He is also associated with the popular Earl Grey tea.

Grey's Monument

Really enjoyed a visit to the Laing Art Gallery on New Bridge St.  Two blocks from Grey Street.    The museum was opened in 1904.  It's relatively small size makes for a quick visit. 

Laing Art Gallery

On our way back to Grey Street, we saw the Northern Goldsmiths building.  The golden clock was added in 1932 and is finished in 24ct gold leaf.  It has been a popular rendezvous place since WWII when servicemen met with their sweethearts there.

Northern Goldsmiths

On Grainger Street, we walked by the Wengers building, once the home of a popular department store by the same name founded in the 1960's.  The store, founded by Sam Wenger and his daughter Hilda Marcus, closed in 1986.  Originally, the building was the home of Newcastle and Gateshead Gas Company.  It was built between 1886 and 1888.  The architect was John Johnstone.  The building was turned into a Yates Pub in 1999. 

Wengers Building

At Westgate and Fenkle, the Cross House stands.  It was designed by Cackett and Burns Dick and built in 1911.  A tragic fire on December 23rd, 1919 resulted in the deaths of 11 people. 

Cross House

Near the Cross House is the Assembly Rooms building was designed by William Newton.  Construction started in 1774 and completed in 1776.  The six large rooms can handle up to 950 people for various events such as weddings, balls, dances and conferences.

Assembly Rooms

We found St. John the Baptist Church on the corner of Grainger Street and Westgate Road.  The first church at this location was built around 1130.  After several additions and upgrades, the church in its current form was completed about 1450.  The design is classical Norman architecture.

St. John the Baptist Church

Further down Grainger Street as we neared the railroad station, I noticed the sculpture of a man floating horizontally.  When I got home, I discovered that it is one of three views of the same man.  The three sculptures were created by Sean Henry in 2003.

Man with Potential Selves

My last photo is of St Nicholas's Cathedral on St. Nicholas Street.  There has been a church at this location since 1091 when the parish church was built there.  This Church of England church was designated a cathedral in 1882 when the Diocese of Newcastle was created from the Diocese of Durham.

St Nicholas's Cathedral 

You can view the entire set in high resolution by clicking here!