Bewcastle in Cumbria consists of a few farms and a church. In the churchyard is what I came to see. The Bewcastle Cross dates from the 7th century. The head is missing but the carving on the shaft is surprisingly detailed and clear. It's hard to imagine that this cross is still in its original location after 1,300 years.
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| Old graveyard = spooky gravestones! |
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| A direction sign to Rome? We are near to Hadrain's wall and there was a Roman fort here (called Fanum Cocidi) |
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| In the 12th century the stone from the roman fort was used to build this castle. |
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| I was thinking about exploring the castle but….. |
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| ….this little fellow took a great interest in me and so I thought I'd just view it from a distance. He seemed to be getting bottle fed and he thought I was the farmer with fresh supplies. I don't know much about sheep (except how to make a lamb curry) but this guy looks big enough to eat grass. |
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| My kind of road. The journey there gave me an opportunity to explore the back roads. |
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| I've complained about this before but….no direction signs? - we don't all have sat nav. |
Wow, that is probably the oldest cross/grave marker I've ever seen. So very cool. To think someone went through that much effort that long ago boggles the mind. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWith no direction signs you have to rely on plain old sense of direction. Just point the bike west or whichever the direction you are generally headed and hope for the best. At least that is what I do.
Before a run I study the map and usually find places of interest to visit. It was pretty amazing that something so ancient is just there out in the open and not in a museum.
DeleteNice pictures, I pass by Bewcastle most days, I think the top of the Cross is in Tullie House Museum in Carlisle. Reiver raiding may start again, nipping down to England to get cheaper Alcohol and back before they notice...Did you notice the pot holes on the B6318 still no repaired since your last jaunt down this way?
ReplyDeleteYes, some of the minor roads involved a "slalom" to avoid the potholes. To be fair it looked like some re-surfacing was taking place.
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