The wind and rain were too much for Elaine and Dorothy this morning at 6:30 AM, so they cancelled their walk up to the castle and back. The rain stopped around 8:00 AM. Elaine went down to the harbor to collect some sea glass, and later on she walked up to the castle (without me or Dorothy) to chat with her National Trust volunteer friend who unlocks the gate each morning.
We actually had sunny breaks by late morning. Elaine cooked a nice ham and egg breakfast, so lunch will be just a snack somewhere. We headed off at 11:15 AM to return to Chillingham where we saw the Wild Cattle earlier this week. On the way we stopped off in pretty Beadnell to see Beadnell Bay, and we also visited the very picturesque St. Ebba’s Church (Anglican). A service (the minister and a congregation of two) was actually taking place, and we were asked if we wanted to join in. We did not, but we were invited to look around as the service continued. We also saw the Craster Arms Hotel which oddly is located in Beadnell, not in Craster.
Today’s target was Chillingham Castle, the ancestral home of the Grey and Bennet family. Earl Grey is most famously remembered by Earl Grey Tea.. This 12th century stronghold, just twenty minutes from the seaside, was ‘base-camp’ for the 1298 conquering attack on Scotsman William Wallace by the “Hammer of the Scots”, King Edward 1st. Wallace had raided the previous year, burning the women and children to death in the local abbey. The Castle was given permission to add battlements by King Edward III in 1344. The Elizabethans added ‘Long Galleries’ and Capability Brown designed the park in 1752. The glorious Italian garden was laid out in the 19th century by Sir Jeffrey Wyatville, fresh from his royal triumphs at Windsor Castle. The Grey family retained possession of the castle until 1982 when they sold it.
Today the castle is owned by Sir Humphry Wakefield whose wife is descended from the Grey family, so they Greys are still involved in the castle. Sir Humphry (he spells it without the e) took about a massive restoration and today markets Chillingham as the most haunted castle in Britain. The most famous ghost of the castle is the “blue boy”, who used to haunt the Pink Room in the castle. Guests supposedly reported seeing blue flashes and a blue “halo” of light above their beds after a loud wail. It is claimed that the hauntings ceased after renovation work revealed a man and a young boy inside a 10-foot-thick wall. The castle today houses Wakefield’s widely varying collection of antiques, all displayed with hand written notes by Wakefield who has a marvelous sense of humor.
Immediately on entering the castle we preceded to the tea room and were rewarded with a marvelous room with a roaring fire in the fireplace. Hot chocolate and scones with jam served as lunch as we enjoyed the ambiance of the room. The tea room itself is worth the price of admission. The rest of the castle is just as marvelous. He has a bathtub that was used by Marie Antoinette, acquired by Humphry Wakefield, sold to Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithful, and eventually given back to Sir Wakefield. I saw my second tiger rug of the trip. Items have been stolen from here and eventually returned voluntarily when the thieves encountered bad luck. The grounds are very nice as well. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit.
The weather was so beautiful that we decided at 3:00 PM to proceed to Howick Hall Gardens which is just a stone’s throw from Craster. We thought we’d have a look today even though it was tomorrow’s intended target. The weather for tomorrow looks horrible, so we opted to visit today. Howick House is located on the grounds but is closed to the public as it is still the residence of a descendant of the Earls Grey. Oddly enough, Chillingham and Howick Hall are both associated with the same line of the Grey family, a fact we didn’t know until we got here. So, it was a strange coincidence that our day was totally entwined with the Greys. The gardens cover many acres, and we toured a small portion including the Bog Garden and Lady Howick’s Private Garden which was fortunately open to the public today.
Cocktails as usual at 5:00 PM outside n the pleasant weather.. Dorothy stopped by on her way back from her afternoon walk to the Castle. And we chatted with our neighbors in the next house who we had met last year. They come to Craster every year at the same time to celebrate their anniversary. Dinner tonight was a return visit to the Jolly Fisherman. Elaine has been craving their mussels once again. I had more Lindisfarne oysters and repeated my grilled mackerel main course. We indulged in desserts as well – Sticky Toffee Pudding (a mainstay of British menus) for Elaine and a weird looking but delicious tart for me. All in all, it was a glorious day with lots of bright sunshine and good times.
A few scenes from the walk from the Jolly Fisherman back to Craster Rocks Cottage including the nest where sand martins live. The sand martins summer here and then migrate back to Africa. we had a nest last year too. Same family?
I like the elephant over the mantle, tell Elaine she must bring it home. 😝😝