It’s hot and sunny and, apart from some residual washing, we have done all our chores. We head down to the South Tynedale narrow gauge railway to see the trains and have a coffee, and also to check out tomorrow’s route, as it seems to go along the railway track.
The railway begins where the river Nent meets the South Tyne and, on investigation, the path runs alongside the railway track as the South Tynedale Way, so all is well. We buy some last minute items then walk to the Cumberland Hotel to book a table for dinner - we don’t want to be caught out again.
We next visit the church of St Augustine of Canterbury (!) as an art exhibition there is advertised in the market place. The origins of this dedication to a ‘foreign’ saint are unclear, but were likely to have been political. The art exhibition is mostly laminated prints, but inside the church is refreshingly cool and there are other interesting things to discover. The collection box has been provided by the model house builder from Nenthead, and we discover that his name is Lowson Robinson. A bit more research, knowing his name, reveals that he is 76. He certainly looks good on it!
This is the third iteration of Alston church. The first one from the twelfth century ultimately collapsed. The second one was designed by John Smeaton, the ‘father of civil engineering’ who famously built the current Eddystone Lighthouse. He is also deemed to be the first ever expert witness, giving evidence in court about the construction of a harbour in Norfolk’s Wells-next-the-Sea.
Smeaton’s church only stood for a hundred years before it was deemed ‘destitute of architectural ornament’ by the Victorians, so they demolished it and replaced it with a grander edifice. The Methodists had recently commissioned an imposing chapel, also their third, so this may have influenced the decision.
Then there is the Derwentwater mechanical clock dating from the 1600s. This originally belonged to the Radcliffes of Dilston Hall in Hexham, but the estate was reputedly confiscated when James Radcliffe, the third earl of Derwentwater, was executed for treason following his leading role in the Jacobite Rising . The estate was ultimately granted to Greenwich Hospital, who support serving and retired naval and marine personnel to this day. They also still own the residue of the Derwentwater estate and its farms. The clock was returned to Alston around the time when Smeaton’s church was being built. This may well be linked to the fact that Smeaton was joint Receiver for Greenwich Hospital for the north of England. These fascinating stories are not documented in the church, leading to the conclusion that the good folk of the parish may still be embarrassed by the past.
We head off for lunch and find only the Saddlers bakery is open. Covid and Brexit seem to have really affected business’ ability to hire staff, unsurprisingly in this relatively remote community. The lunch is lovely, however, and afterwards we head off back to Lowbyer Manor to rendezvous with Yvonne. We spent a pleasant afternoon poring over maps and routes before Yvonne departs and we go for our dinner. It’s back on the road again tomorrow and it is hot.
PS Sorry for the late posting the last few days - technical difficulties.
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