The world according to Sarah

[Dawn Kellie]

Thank you.
I'll have to come up with some strictly American terms so you can call on the translator 😂

[Stottie Girl]

Sarah's World Tour of Northumberland - Part 3

Today I spent time at a local bird reserve with my camera but while there I managed to get out to Low Chibburn Preceptory at Druridge Bay. I have never been here before but I have been able to see it from a distance. It is just sat in the middle of a farmers field. It doesn't look like much compared to the big sites but this was a Preceptory built by the Knights Hospitallers the rivals of the Knights Templar. It was used as a monastery and military HQ/training centre for Crusader Knights getting ready for the next crusade.

Obviously a ruin now, there is no good path to it although there is a right of way across the fields. No signs to it, a piece of forgotten history just lying there un-noticed in the middle of farmland. I love that. I was the only one there today. I'm very surprised to find oak timbers still inside.

It may not be a pretty ruin and it may look underwhelming but the history attached to it is facinating.

[Dawn Kellie]

Looks fascinating. I bet the story is great

[Lori Dee ✅]

I love the forgotten history and the pics. Thanks for sharing!

[Dances With Trees]

Wow, Sarah!

I could hear the echo of clanking armor from somewhere inside the ruin. You are a sorceress with a camera!

[Stottie Girl]

Thank you ladies. I particularly liked the arabesque windows in the 2nd pic. I've not seen that feature on any local medievil structures before I don't think. It is definitely a nod to the crusades in the holy land. The people who built this must have had first hand knowledge of middle eastern architecture.

[PhilippaRees]

I've not been about much recently so I'm just catching up and I don't know why but I love your new profile picture.

[Stottie Girl]

I've not been about much recently so I'm just catching up and I don't know why but I love your new profile picture.

Thanks Philipa! I got bored with the same old smiley pictures so started pulling silly faces for some reason! Not sure why either but I liked that one!

[Emma1017]

Sarah, I love the photos. You can feel the history in each one and what a great day to be out and about!

Love the avatar photo as well.

By the way, does this look familiar?

🔗 [Link: imgbb.com]

[Stottie Girl]

Sarah, I love the photos. You can feel the history in each one and what a great day to be out and about!

Love the avatar photo as well.

By the way, does this look familiar?

🔗 [Link: imgbb.com]

Hey! Haltwhistle market square and my old office! We were on the second floor at the back! The estate agency was on the ground floor. By, that takes me back a bit! I was still in my 20's working there! Thanks for sharing that Emma, I half expected to be in it!!

I'm going to have a tootle over to Featherstone castle for one of my days out, not sure if you would remember that one but it's not far from Halty just off the A69.

[Emma1017]

Sarah, I'm glad I finally found out what that office was. The view is from the flat I rented over the years when I was excavating at Vindolanda.  I still have my pint glass from the Black Bull.

I'm sorry that I never got to Featherstone Castle.  Spent too much time excavating the local Roman ruins and drinking beer in the pubs like Twice Brewed.  Great memories.

Have a great trip to the castle!

[Dawn Kellie]

Beautiful picture. 

[Stottie Girl]

Another lovely sunny day today. Shame there is a chilly wind coming in off the North Sea though. Nipped out to my local local nature reserve this afternoon with my mum. Was a nice 3 mile walk in the woods. Didn't see much, a couple of squirrels, a parakeet, a tree creaper, lots of little brown jobs and the rear end of a deer as it bolted into the undergrowth!

It's just nice sitting in the hides looking out over the lake and listening to the birdsong and the quiet. Back to work tomorrow sadly.

[Stottie Girl]

Sarah, I'm glad I finally found out what that office was. The view is from the flat I rented over the years when I was excavating at Vindolanda.  I still have my pint glass from the Black Bull.

I'm sorry that I never got to Featherstone Castle.  Spent too much time excavating the local Roman ruins and drinking beer in the pubs like Twice Brewed.  Great memories.

Have a great trip to the castle!

The castle isn't open to the public but it was owned by the office director from that very office! We used to have an annual cricket tournament and afternoon tea at the castle in the summer each year. I think he will be long gone now sadly as he was in his mid seventies back then. Nice fellow. There is a path you can walk that goes past the castle though so I can still grab some pics.

To my shame I have never been to Vindolanda!

[Dawn Kellie]

I've got work today and tomorrow.  Then off for 3 days.
I get ti see deer fairy regularly. I almost took out 4 last week. They ran across the road on my way to work.

Glad you got out with your mum. My parents are across the country from me. Get to see them every 3 or 4 years.

[Stottie Girl]

I've got work today and tomorrow.  Then off for 3 days.
I get ti see deer fairy regularly. I almost took out 4 last week. They ran across the road on my way to work.

Glad you got out with your mum. My parents are across the country from me. Get to see them every 3 or 4 years.

My mum and dad live just over a mile away! I can't get away with anything!

[Dawn Kellie]

This i from our house when we lived in California they were 50 feet from our front door

[Dawn Kellie]

This i from our house when we lived in California they were 50 feet from our front door

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[Dawn Kellie]

Well poop it didn't work. Sorry I'll try again later

[Stottie Girl]

Well poop it didn't work. Sorry I'll try again later

You need to use a bbcode link from a hosting site. I use a free account on imgbb. You just copy and paste the link directly into the text. The insert an image button doesn't work. My mum often sees them from her kitchen window in the mornings.