I'm returning by a more southerly route. I first head south
west into Northumberland.
Etal Castle. Mid 14th C. Captured by James IV of
Scotland in 1513 before the Battle of Flodden.
At the village of Branxton I came across this memorial to
the Battle of Flodden. In 1513 King James IV led the Scots into England in
support of the French whom King Henry VIII was fighting at the time. This was
the biggest ever battle between the nations with about 60,000 men fighting of whom 14,000 died. The
Scots were heavily defeated with James being amongst the dead. He was the last
British monarch to die in combat.
The battlefield
Checking the map - I did this a lot on the ride.
near Kelso
Lotus Elan +2 - very cool.
Bridge over the River Teviot at Nisbet
Mercat Cross, Ancrum. A mecat (market) cross signifies a
town had permission to hold a regular market. This one has lost its cross but
it is over 400 years old.
AA box, Capercleuch. Once a common sight, this is one of
the few boxes remaining. AA (Automobile Association) members could call for
assistance from these boxes. Made obsolete by the mobile phone.
Talla Reservoir supplies water to Edinburgh.
Crook Inn, Tweedsmuir. One of the many claimants to the
"oldest inn in Scotland" though what you see is early 19th C with an
Art Deco addition in 1936. Currently closed but there are plans to refurbish.
Well what a great ride! About 8 hours in the saddle and I
did 275 miles. The little bike was fun to ride on the back roads and did the
trip on a single tank of fuel (just) Also I found some roads & places I'd never
been before which is unusual for me.
