A CAMPSITE WITH A DIFFERENCE: MALHAM COVE/HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

 In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when Harry and Hermione find somewhere to set up camp while fleeing Lord Voldemort following the departure of Ron Weasley, they choose a rather curious place for it. They set up their tent, not on a nice soft grassy meadow, but on a cracked limestone ‘pavement’ on top of a cliff.  This is Malham Cove, a unique geological feature in the Yorkshire Dales.  

Malham C0ve 2021 (slight fog). Photo by Addshore, via Wikimedia Commons.

Malham Cove is a curved limestone cliff face 70 metres high which is formed along the line of the Middle Craven Fault.  The unique shape of the cliff arises from the action of water and ice over millions of years.  It is possible to walk up to the limestone pavement, but be aware that the walk takes in some steep climbs and rugged terrain.  Once at the top, care must be taken when negotiating the pavement due to its uneven, cracked surface.  A short distance from the top is a body of water called Malham Tarn, and the famous Gordale Scar is also nearby.  Back in Malham village there are a number of refreshment options and places to stay.

Map of the area.

A NORTHERN RETREAT FOR A ROYAL: THE KINGMAKER'S DAUGHTER/MIDDLEHAM CASTLE

 The Kingmaker’s Daughter by Philippa Gregory is the story of Anne Neville, daughter of Richard Neville, otherwise known as the “Kingmaker”, and briefly the wife of King Richard III.  A repeated theme throughout the story is the threat posed by the Queen Consort Elizabeth Woodville, arch enemy of Richard Nevill, who is suspected of poisoning those close to Anne, To get away from this threat, Anne repeatedly decamps to her home in the north at Middleham Castle in Yorkshire.

MiddlehamCJW. Photo by CJW, via Wikimedia Commons.

Middleham Castle lies in the village of Middleham, a short distance south of Leyburn in Wensleydale.  Building of the castle started in 1190, and from 1270 it was taken over by the Neville family..  The “Kingmaker” and his family occupied the castle in the 15th century, and the future King Richard III went to live there for a time in his younger years, then when he married Anne Neville they made it their home.  The castle is now managed by English Heritage, and there is an entrance fee to visit.

Map of the area.

LITERARY PUBS: THE STUBBING WHARF, HEBDEN BRIDGE

 

The poet Ted Hughes was born in Mytholmroyd in Calderdale (last seen in my post about Happy Valley), and he married the American poet Sylvia Plath.  In Hughes’ collection ‘Birthday Letters’ he recalls the day he and Sylvia sat in the bar of The Stubbing Wharf by the Rochdale Canal on the outskirts of the nearby Hebden Bridge.  They were arguing about where they would live, and Hughes paints a gloomy picture of the pub, describing “the gummy dark bar”, and its rainsodden surrounding with “the fallen-in grave of its history”, “a gorge of ruined mills and abandanoned chapels” and “the fouled nest of the Industrial Revolution that had flown”.  They ended up living in London.

Stubbing Wharf (3617762016). Photo by Tim Green, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

The Stubbing Wharf, established as a pub in 1810, is still going strong today, offering real ales and good pub food in an appealing canaside environment, just a short walk along the canal towpath from Hebden Bridge.  A short distance from the pub towards Hebden Bridge there are boat trips available on traditional canal barges.

Map of the area.

STATELY STRIFE AND FAMILY LIFE: CASTLE HOWARD/BRIDESHEAD REVISITED

In September 2021 I blogged about Madresfield Court in Worcestershire, widely believed to be the inspiration for Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead of Brideshead Revisited, a tale about the ups and downs of the ongoing friendship between two young men who met at University, Sebastian Flyte and Charles Ryder, Sebastian being the son of Lord and Lady Marchmain of Brideshead.  I recently began viewing the TV series based on the book for the first time. Starring Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews as Charles and Sebastian respectively, the series was first shown in 1981.  Apart from the many human stars of the series, the locational star of the show is Castle Howard, a stately home in North Yorkshire, which serves as a suitably imposing setting for the Marchmain family home which forms the focal point of the series.

Castle Howard and garden. Photo by Pwojdacz, via Wikimedia Commons.

In fact, Castle Howard has been used twice as Brideshead, taking on the role again in 2008 for a film version of the story.  In the TV version the Long Gallery is used to depict the drawing room where Sebastian’s friend Charles is entertained by the Flyte family.  The Great Hall, Grand Staircase and other sumptuous interiors also make an appearance.  Sebastian and Charles are seen indulging in some wine tasting in the Temple of the Four Winds.  They are also seen keeping cool in the summer heat by the Atlas Fountain.

Castle Howard The Great Hall Entrance. Photo by Mdbeckwith, via Wikimedia Commons.

In 1940 Castle Howard suffered a fire which destroyed the Garden Hall and the High Saloon.  The Granada TV production company transformed the Garden Hall into the room where Charles painted his landscapes.  Meanwhile, the High Saloon was used as the dining room and also the bedroom where Lord Marchmain passed away.

Castle Howard lies a short distance to the west of Malton, a market town to the north-east of York, and just to the west of the Howardian Hills.  The house opens daily until early November, and the gardens are open daily with the exception of Christmas Day.  Guided tours are available on selected dates between March and October.  There are a number of refreshments and shopping outlets within the estate.  The extensive grounds include lakes, follies, woodlands, statues and temples.  Boat trips are available around the North Lake. Twice a week during July and August there is a coach service from the centre of York; ticket prices include admission to the house and gardens.

Map of the area.

MINCING WORDS: THE KING'S SPEECH

The King’s Speech is an unusual film about a late member of the Royal Family, in that it focuses on one particular aspect of the monarch’s persona.  King George VI, aka Bertie, (played by Colin Firth, who won the Oscar for Best Actor), father of the late Queen Elizabeth II, suffered from a stammer, which being the King was a problem with all the speeches he was expected to make.  An Australian speech therapist called Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) was engaged to help the King overcome this affliction, and this is the central theme of the film. Here are some of the locations used in three key scenes of the film.

The opening scene depicts the occasion of the closing ceremony of the Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium, which took place in 1925.  Bertie, still a Duke at this point, gives a speech which proves excruciating as he stammers his way through it, with his wife Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (aka The Queen Mother, played by Helena Bonham Carter) looking on in distress for her husband.  I came across a lost recording of the actual 1925 speech, which, though not great, did not sound nearly as bad as Colin Firth’s version.  Anyhow, as to the location of the scene, it was filmed at Elland Road Stadium in Leeds, home of Leeds United football team, with some shots filmed at the Odsal Stadium, home of the Bradford Bulls rugby team.  The people of Leeds got an early look at the film when it featured in the 2010 Leeds International Film Festival.

Elland Road 2023 cropped. Photo by Arne Müseler, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Following the death of his father, Bertie has to endure the occasion of his Coronation, which in real life took place in Westminster Abbey, but for the purposes of the film the Coronation scenes and the scenes of the preparation for the occasion were shot at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire.  The cathedral has been used in a number of top films, including Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Other Boleyn Girl and Macbeth, as well as the Netflix series The Crown.    

Ely Cathedral

 

With Bertie installed as King, war breaks out against Germany, and Bertie is faced with having to make a broadcast to the nation, and Lionel Logue is summoned to Buckingham Palace to prepare him for the broadcast.  The interior of Buckingham Palace was filmed at Lancaster House, a government-owned building in London, which was rented at a cost of £20,000 a day for the filming.

Lancaster House from St James's Park London. Photo by Ricardalovesmonuments, via Wikimedia Commons.

Elland Road Stadium lies to the south-west of Leeds, near the M621.  The venue offers behind-the-scenes tours and the opportunity to purchase club merchandise.  Odsal Stadium is to the south of Bradford, near the A6036.  As well as rugby matches, the stadium hosts live music events.  Ely is one of the country’s smallest cathedral cities, located in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire, with a picturesque riverside on the banks of the River Great Ouse.  The cathedral dates back to the 11^th century.  Lancaster House is run by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.  It was formerly known as York House, having been commissioned by the Duke of York in 1825.  Its sumptuous interior includes a Long Gallery, State Drawing Room and the Green Room.

 

 

LOCATIONS FIT FOR A QUEEN-TO-BE: THE CROWN/SOMERLEY HOUSE, HAMPSHIRE AND YORK MINSTER

 

The long-awaited resumption of The Crown on Netflix is upon us, and the reaction to the latest instalments has been fairly negative for various reasons.  However, I am still enjoying it for the standard of the production, not least some of the sumptuous locations featured in the series.  Camilla is starting to come to the fore now, and there are two key events with her at centre stage: the 50^th birthday party at Highgrove and the wedding of Charles and Camilla, which in real life took place in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

For the birthday party scenes, Somerley House in Hampshire stands in for Highgrove, continuing on from earlier appearances in the series.  The festivities themselves take place in a large outdoor marquee, but there are lovely views of the exterior of the property.  Later in the series, when Charles and Camilla finally tie the knot, York Minster is used for the wedding scenes at St George’s Chapel, which could not be used for the filming.  The Minster was closed for five days in April this year, and crowds gathered outside hoping to spot some of the stars, although nobody knew at the time what event was being filmed.

Somerley-House. Photo by Somerley Ent., via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Somerley House is a short distance to the northwest of Ringwood on the western edge of the New Forest National Park.  The house, located in an elevated position with lovely views of the surrounding parkland, is a Grade II listed Georgian building, though the original property, home to the Okden family, dated from 1653.  The house was destroyed by fire and a new one was built in its place.  The house and estate are not open to the public but hosts weddings, corporate events and festivals.

York Minster - geograph.org.uk - 2407484. Photo by Michael Fox, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

York Minster was founded in 627 and today operates as an Anglican cathedral.  Like Somerley, it fell victim to a fire, much more recently in 1984, with the South Transept suffering the bulk of the damage.  However, the damaged was repaired and restoration work carried out at a cost of £2.25 million.  The cathedral is open to visitors at a charge of £16.00 for adults, but is well worth the money.  It is one of numerous attractions in the city of York, along with the Jorvik Viking Centre, York Castle Museum and many other points of interest.  Aside from these, there are boat trips along the River Ouse and York is famous for its evening ghost tours.

Map of Somerley Estate and surrounding area.

Map of York.

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES

 A story about a curse on a family involving a giant man-killing hound seems a perfect subject for a Halloween special.  The story is by Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes.  The family in question are the Baskervilles, and the curse dates from the days of the English Civil War, when Sir Hugo Baskerville kidnapped a farmer’s daughter.  Sir Hugo is killed by a spectral hound, a fate which befalls a number of subsequent Baskervilles. 

The story has been turned into film a number of times over the years, firstly in 1939, which was mostly studio-based, then in 1959, in a film starring horror stalwarts Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, with filming taking place in Surrey, at Frensham Ponds and Chobham Common.  More recently, a TV movie in 1988 starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes, was filmed in a number of locations in the Midlands and North (although the original story was based in Dartmoor).

In the 1988 film, The Heath House in Tean, Staffordshire doubled as Baskerville Hall, while Mobberley Old Hall near Knutsford, Cheshire, provided some of the interior shots.  Croxteth Hall on Merseyside leant one of its rooms to be used as a hotel room.  The hotel in the film was called The Northumberland Hotel.  The railway scenes were filmed at Pickering railway station, one of the terminii of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.  Just outside Harrogate lie Brimham Rocks.  This is the area used as the moors around Baskerville Hall, where Watson shoots the hound. 

The Heath House-geograph-4049368. Photo by Dennis Thorley, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

The Heath House is a Gothic Revival building, which in 2021 was featured in Country Life magazine, being up for sale for 6 and a quarter million pounds.  The estate was described as a ‘farm’, but the magazine commented that it was more Downton Abbey than dirty wellies.  Tean lies just off the A50, to the south-east of Cheadle.  Mobberley Old Hall dates from the 17^th century, and lies in the village of Mobberley in Cheshire, a short distance from Knutsford.  Croxteth Hall is just outside Liverpool and offers a function room and parkland open to visitors.  It was formerly the ancestral home of the Molyneux family, the Earls of Sefton.  Pickering railway station is the terminus of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, a magnificent line which wends its way down to the coast at Whitby.  Brimham Rocks, run by the National Trust, is a beauty spot to the north-west of Harrogate and south-west of Ripon featuring dramatic rock formations.

Brimham Rocks turtle and eagle. Photo by Geertivp, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is currently available to view on ITVX.

COPPERS OF CALDERDALE: HAPPY VALLEY

 

I was late to the party on this one.  Everyone seemed to be talking about Happy Valley, and I normally have a reaction against what I consider to be overhyped TV series or films.  However, I finally relented and watched the first episode to see what I had been missing, and it turned out to be rather good, so I am ploughing my way through the series via BBC iplayer.  The filming of the series mostly took place around Calderdale, West Yorkshire, most notably Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge and surrounding areas. 

The world of the main character, Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) revolves around her place of work and her home.  The exterior of the police station where she is stationed was filmed at the now closed Halifax Swimming Pool, while the interior shots were filmed at Dean Clough, a mill complex in Halifax.  Meanwhile, Catherine’s home was filmed in Hangingroyd Lane in the riverside and canalside town of Hebden Bridge.  Towards the end of series one Catherine reluctantly agrees to a birthday party.  The party scenes were filmed at Organic House, Market Street in Hebden Bridge.

Hebden Bridge (8714312985). Photo by Tim Green, via Wikimedia Commons.

One of the most notable features of Calderdale is its waterways, chiefly the River Calder and the Rochdale Canal.  The Canal, part of the Calder and Hebble Navigation, was the scene of the explosive ending to series 1 of Happy Valley, in which Catherine's nemesis Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) holes up in a canal boat and tries to kill himself and take his son Ryan, Catherine’s grandson, with him.  The scene was filmed in the section between Sowerby Bridge and Luddenden Foot.  On higher ground, meanwhile, it’s all about the windswept moors, which also put in a regular appearance.  In the last episode of the series, Tommy makes an escape on a cycle, and is seen cycling over Ovenden Moor to Warley Moor Reservoir in Halifax.

Barge on the Rochdale Canal, Sowerby Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 1169800.  Photo by Humphrey Bolton, via Wikimedia Commons.

A number of businesses in the area played roles in the filming.  When Catherine first spots Tommy in series 1, he is peering through the window of a takeaway – this is the Happy Eating Chinese Takeaway in Tuel Lane, Sowerby Bridge, in real life (called the Curry House in the series).  The Nisa Local store in Crown Street, Hebden Bridge is where Neil Ackroyd from series 2 and 3 works.  In series 3, Catherine and her sister are seen in heated conversation in the Amico Cafe in Bolton, which lies a bit further to the south-west in Greater Manchester.  The local press has reported Happy Valley fans queuing round the block to visit the cafe after its appearance in the series. The intriguingly named Will o’Nats pub near Blackmoorfoot Reservoir near Meltham, to the south-west of Huddersfield, featured in series 2.

Will o'Nats, Meltham - geograph.org.uk - 493996. Photo by Humphrey Bolton, via Wikimedia Commons.

These are just some of the locations featured in the series.  For more information on the area and the series locations, see the Visit Calderdale website, which also lists the many other productions filmed in the area.  

Map of the area.

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL THEN AND NOW: ASKRIGG AND GRASSINGTON, YORKSHIRE DALES

 All Creatures Great and Small, an everyday tale of veterinary doings and country folk in the Yorkshire Dales based on a series of books by James Herriot, first hit our screens in 1978 and was enough of a hit for the series to last until 1990.  Last year, a remake of the series began screening, with a whole new cast and a new set of locations, still in the Yorkshire Dales.  Both series centre around the fictional village of Darrowby, but the real-life locations are different for each.

The Darrowby of the original series was mostly represented by Askrigg in Wensleydale.  The frontage of the vets surgery seen in the series is in real life that of Skeldale House, which now offers self-catering apartments for anyone wanting to immerse themselves in the Darrowby experience.  The vets often spent their leisure time supping in the local pub The Drover’s Arms.  The real life hostelry used in the series is The King’s Arms, which still bears reminders of the filming with photos adorning the walls.

The King's Arms, Askrigg

The latest series switches the action to Grassington in Upper Wharfedale as the setting for Darrowby.  The Drover’s Arms is still the watering hole of choice for the vets, but in this series two different pubs are used: the Green Dragon at Hardraw, a mile or so north of Hawes, famous for the Hardraw Force waterfall, is used for the interior shots, and the Devonshire in Grassington for the exterior shots.  The delightfully eccentric Mrs Pumphrey, one of the vets’ clients, features heavily in the new version – she was originally played by the late Diana Rigg, but following her sad death has been replaced by Patricia Hodge.  The location used for Mrs Pumphrey’s house is Broughton Hall near Skipton.

Main Street - geograph.org.uk - 2376729. Photo by Keith Evans, via Wikimedia Commons.

 Askrigg is in Wensleydale, a few miles to the west of the dale’s main town, Leyburn.  In addition to the locations used in the series, there is the beautiful St Oswald’s Church, which dates largely from the 15^th century.  The market town of Grassington is in Wharfedale, a few miles north of the A59, with the lovely River Wharfe at the western edge of the town.  Bigger and busier than Askrigg, there are a range of hotels, pubs, cafes and shops, as well as the Grassington Folk Museum and the National Park Centre.

Map of Askrigg.

Map of Grassington.

THE REAL BRIDESHEAD: MADRESFIELD COURT, WORCESTERSHIRE

I am currently reading Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited for the first time, and inevitably I found myself wondering whether there is a real-life property which served as the inspiration for the stately home occupied by the family of Sebastian Flyte, the close friend of the protagonist Charles Ryder.  My mind instantly drifts to Yorkshire and Castle Howard, which was famously used for the filming of a TV serialisation of the novel in 1981, and again in 2008 for a feature film.  However, on further digging I discover that the property which at least partly served as the inspiration for Brideshead was Madresfield Court near Malvern in Worcestershire, home of the Lygon family for nearly 900 years.  One of the family’s sons, Hugh Lygon, was a friend of Waugh, and it was he who was partly the inspiration for Sebastian.

Madresfield also played a role in two other works by Waugh.  The author wrote most of Black Mischief while at the property in 1932.  Then, in 1934, in A Handful of Dust, Madresfield was turned into Hetton Abbey.

Madresfield Court - geograph.org.uk - 816042. Photo by Angus McCulloch, via Wikimedia Commons.

The history of Madresfield Court dates back to the 12^th century, when the original house was built.  However, the current house is Victorian, with 160 rooms, and surrounded by a moat.  The gardens and house are open to visitors on pre-booked guided tours only (running from April until June in 2023).  The interior of the house is notable for its many works from the Arts and Crafts movement.  The gardens cover an area of 69 acres, having been enlarged in 1865.  The grounds include a pet cemetery where the animals who have lived at the house over the years are buried.  The gardens are enhanced by the sight of the nearby Malvern Hills, which form a dramatic backdrop.

Map of Madresfield Court and surrounding area.

Map of Castle Howard and surrounding area.

A POOR MAN'S JANE AUSTEN RICH IN LOCATIONS: BRIDGERTON

 

When fans of the Regency period in general, and Jane Austen in particular, got wind of the imminent arrival of the Netflix series Bridgerton they were no doubt salivating at the anticipation of the prospect of flirtations between cleavage-bursting young women and dashing young men sporting sideburns and knee-high boots.  However, as the series got underway opinions were deeply divided between those who found the series embarrassingly lightweight (with plenty of dark mutterings about ‘wokeness’) and those who thought it was a wonderfully entertaining tonic for these dark covid times.  One thing that cannot be denied, though, is the splendour of the locations used in the series.

I have previously blogged about Bath and its Jane Austen connections, and this handsome, honey-coloured city in the west of England plays a large part in Bridgerton.  The Royal Crescent puts in an appearance with number 1 serving as the Baron Featherington household, with digital enhancements on the facade.  Filming also took place at the Assembly Rooms and Trim Street is where we see the exterior of Gunter’s Tea Shop.

Royal Crescent, Bath. Photo by MontanNito, via Wikimedia Commons.

The stately piles occupied by the various families involved in the story are played by photogenic properties scattered around the country.  An art museum in Greenwich called Ranger’s House was used for the Bridgerton family home, with the addition of wisteria and ivy to the facade to make it look more homely.  The property belonging to the dashing Duke of Hastings was represented by three different properties: Wilton House near Salisbury for interior and exterior shots, with further interior work done at Syon House in Middlesex and Badminton House, Gloucestershire, which we last encountered as Darlington Hall in The Remains Of The Day.  Badminton House and Wilton House were also used for some of the interior scenes depicting the home of Lady Danbury, who acts as a kind of mother figure to the Duke.  The exterior of Lady Danbury’s house, meanwhile, was shot at the Holburne Museum of Art, taking us back to Bath.

Wilton-House-02-2004-gje. Photo by Gerd Eichmann, via Wikimedia  Commons.

Soaring up to the heights of Regency society, we encounter Queen Charlotte, whose residence in the series is an actual palace in real life, namely Hampton Court Palace.  Wilton House pops up again here, with some of its interiors used in the filming, along with those of Lancaster House in London. 

For the marital home of a certain pair of newly-weds we are whisked to the north of England, to Castle Howard, 15 miles north of York, where the exterior scenes were filmed, while Wilton House and Badminton House are once again used for interiors, along with North Mymms Park, a wedding venue south of Hatfield, Hertfordshire.  Staying in Hatfield, Hatfield House, a property which has been used in numerous previous productions, provided some of the interior shots of the Featherington residence.

Castle Howard and garden. Photo by Pwojdacz (talk), via Wikimedia Commons.

The city of Bath nestles in a dip in the Somerset countryside with the River Avon running through it.  Jane Austen once lived there, and as a reminder of this time there is an annual Jane Austen Festival.  Visitors who are feeling a bit flush and who want to immerse themselves in the Bridgerton experience can stay at the Royal Crescent Hotel, the city’s finest, although the less moneyed can make do with a visit to No. 1, which is a heritage museum.  The Holburne Museum of Art is next to Sydney Gardens on the east side of the city.  The Assembly Rooms are run by the National Trust and are a short distance to the east of the Royal Crescent.  For visitors coming from outside the UK the nearest international airport is Bristol Airport. 

For Bridgerton fans visiting the London area, Ranger’s House, which lies on the boundary between Greenwich Park and Blackheath, is run by English Heritage and is home to the Wernher Collection.   Syon House to the west of London is across the Thames from Kew Gardens and is the London home of the Duke of Northumberland.  The house forms part of the wider Syon Park, which is open to visitors.  Hampton Court Palace is further upstream and is famous for having been the seat of Henry VIII.  Lancaster House is near St James’s Palace and is managed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 

Further afield, North Mymms Park is just off the A1 (M) south of Hatfield and offers wedding and events services, while Hatfield House forms part of Hatfield Park, both of which are open to visitors, and is a short distance to the east of Hatfield.  Heading further west, Wilton House, just outside Salisbury, is home to the Earl and Countess of Pembroke, but is open to visitors.  Badminton House is part of Badminton Estate and has been the main seat of the Dukes of Beaufort since the 17^th century.  The Estate is open to visitors for house tours and garden visits.  Finally, to Yorkshire and Castle Howard, 15 miles north-east of York just off the A64 Scarborough road, which belongs to the Howard family, going back several generations.  The house and gardens are open to visitors. 

A DAWDLE THROUGH THE DALES: WAINWRIGHT'S PENNINE JOURNEY

 

The late Alfred Wainwright is best known for his walks in the Lake District, and the wonderful series of guides that he wrote, complete with hand-drawn maps.  However, in 1938 he escaped the rising tensions in the country brought on by the threat of impending war by taking a holiday from work to go walking in the dales of Yorkshire, heading through into Teesdale and Weardale, reaching the climax of his walk on his arrival at Hadrian’s Wall before heading back down south, all on foot.  This was well before the days of the Internet and accommodation booking websites, so when he turned up at his chosen overnight destination, unless he was lucky enough to find a room at the inn, he would knock on a random door to enquire about rooms in the private homes of the area – unthinkable nowadays.  Wainwright documented his holiday in his book A Pennine Journey.

When we think of The Dales, it is the Yorkshire Dales which immediately spring to mind.  However, a bit further north is Teesdale in County Durham, which I visited for the first time a few years ago, and found quite charming.  Wainwright’s introduction to Teesdale is a descent “from heather to pastureland, and”...”further downhill amongst meadows and woodlands”.  He comes to Cotherstone with its village green and prosperous air, too posh to offer accommodation to the passing walker.  He therefore ends up spending the night in Romaldkirk, with two inns: the upmarket Rose and Crown and the much more modest and neglected Kirk Inn.  Wainwright opts for the latter, which he likens to a shy woman looking over her shoulder at a prospective lover (the Rose and Crown).  Wainwright is less taken with the larger Middleton with its “homes built in long, ugly rows”.  For present-day visitors, the Rose and Crown is still operating as a hotel and the Kirk Inn as a pub but with no accommodation. 

 

       Romaldkirk. - geograph.org.uk - 132432. Photo by Colin Smith, via Wikimedia Commons.

The highlight of Wainwright’s walk is Hadrian’s Wall, and he makes no bones about his excitement on approaching this great feature of the landscape of Northern England.  The first hint that he is approaching his much anticipated goal is when he comes to a village called Wall, around 5 miles north of Hexham.  His eagerness to reach the Wall is such that he breaks into a run on approaching it. 

When he joins the Wall he can’t see it as it is buried under tarmac at this point, but he presses on to Cilurnum – now known as Chesters Roman Fort and Museum, run by English Heritage.  In Wainwright’s day you just knocked up the caretaker and paid a fee. Now there is a proper visitor entrance, a shop, cafe and toilets.  He then heads west to Borcovicium, better known as Housesteads, where he encounters a single solitary car in the car park – a bit different to when we visited a few years ago.  Like Chesters Roman Fort, Housesteads has a cafe, shop and toilets for modern day visitors, and is also run by English Heritage.

 

               Chesters Roman fort gate. Photo by Steven Fruitsmaak, via Wikimedia Commons.

After exploring the Wall, Wainwright heads south again via Appleby-in-Westmorland, with the village of Dent in Dentdale as his last overnight stop.  He gives a vivid description of Dent, which is across the border in Cumbria, as being “like a fairy tale”, with narrow twisting streets paved with cobbles, “one block of jumbled masonry”.  Then homeward via Ingleton (famous for its waterfalls and dominated by the peak of Ingleborough) to Settle.  He arrives back home relieved that there is not going to be a war (for now – little does he know what is coming).  Anyone wanting to retrace this part of his journey but reluctant to do it on foot can take the Settle to Carlisle Railway, which has stops at Dent and Appleby. 

                          Main Street, Dent. Photo by Parrot of Doom, via Wikimedia Commons.

For A Pennine Journey Route Summary, follow this link.

A TOUR OF ENGLAND'S FINEST CATHEDRALS: ELIZABETH AND ELIZABETH:THE GOLDEN AGE

Any film about events in English history will inevitably be chock-full of some of the finest examples of English heritage.  In the films Elizabeth (1998) and its sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), both starring Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I, it is some of the country’s finest cathedrals that come to the fore among the locations used.

In Elizabeth, the coronation scene was filmed at York Minster, which proved a splendid substitute for Westminster Abbey, where the actual coronation took place on 15 January 1559.  The Minster lies in the centre of this historic city, and due to the flat terrain in the area surrounding it can be seen from miles around.  There has been a place of worship at this spot since the 7^th century, but it was not until 732 that the first Archbishop of York was recognised by the Pope.  The present building took a massive 250 years to complete, starting in 1220 and ending in 1472.  The Minster brought shocking images to our TV screens in 1984 when a fire which started in the south transept raged out of control, and firefighters were forced to deliberately collapse the roof to save the rest of the building.

York Minster from M&S. Photo by Matze Trier, via Wikimedia Commons.

The other cathedral which  makes an appearance in Elizabeth is Durham Cathedral.  The cathedral plays the part of the royal palace, and its distinctive pillars are seen in the scene where Elizabeth searches for Lord Robert after receiving a message.  Like York Minster, Durham Cathedral was preceded by a humbler place of worship known as the Saxon ‘White Church’.  The present-day building, which makes for a picturesque sight overlooking the River Wear, was built between 1093 and 1133, with further additions thereafter.

Durham Cathedral Nave. Photo by Michael D Beckwith, via Wikimedia  Commons.

In Elizabeth: The Golden Age we are taken further south, with Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire playing an important role as the Palace of Whitehall, which in those days was the main residence of the monarchs of the day.  It is seen in a number of scenes, such as the one where Elizabeth confronts the Spanish Ambassador, and when Sir Walter Raleigh arrives bearing gifts from the New World.  Ely Cathedral is unusual in that, unlike most cathedral cities, Ely is the size of a small town.  In fact, the cathedral came before the town, which grew up around it.  There is a slate in the cathedral marking the location of a former shrine to Ethelreda, daughter of the King of East Anglia, who founded an abbey at the location of what is now the cathedral.  The building dates from 1083, and was granted cathedral status in 1109.

Ely Cathedral Choir East View. Photo by Michael D Beckwith, via Wikimedia Commons.

The sequel covers the period leading up to, and including the country’s spat with Spain, and Westminster Cathedral transports us over the water to the court of King Philip II, as it was where the scenes were filmed featuring the ranting king, plotting his invasion of England following the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.  As a Roman Catholic cathedral, Westminster Cathedral was a good choice.  The cathedral is much younger than the others used in the two films, with construction completed in 1903.  Its main distinguishing feature is the striped appearance of its exterior, fashioned from layers of brick and stone.

Westminster.cathedral.frontview.london.arp. Photo by Arpingstone, via Wikimedia Commons.

One of the most dramatic scenes in the sequel is the attempt on Queen Elizabeth’s life by Thomas Babington (Eddie Redmayne), an event which is pure fiction, since in reality this particular individual did not get anywhere near the Queen, although it is true that there was a plot to assassinate her.  The scene in question was filmed in Winchester Cathedral.  Originally founded in 642 and known as Old Minster, the present-day cathedral was started in 1079 at a site nearby, and the Old Minster was demolished in 1093.  The cathedral has the distinction of being one of the largest in Europe, and includes many notable features, such as the 17^th century choir screen designed by Inigo Jones.

Winchester Cathedral Nave 1, Hampshire, UK - Diliff. Photo by DAVID ILIFF, via  Wikimedia Commons.

Finally, for the main entrance to Whitehall Palace as seen in the sequel, the producers made use of Wells Cathedral, specifically the staircase linking the North Transept to Chapter House.  Like Ely, Wells is another unusually small cathedral city, nestling among the green fields of the Somerset countryside.  The cathedral was built to replace an earlier church which had occupied the site since 705, and construction spanned the period from 1176 to 1450.  One of the cathedral’s best known features is its astronomical clock dating from around 1325.

Wells cathedral chapter house brighter. Photo by Lamiai, via Wikimedia Commons.

LOVE LETTERS TO YORKSHIRE: ALAN BENNETT/UNTOLD STORIES

Casting around for something substantial to read to help me through the coronavirus lockdown, I reached for a hefty tome bought some time ago in a charity shop.  Untold Stories, a collection of writings and diary entries by Alan Bennett, has served me well during this difficult time.  As well as being a trip down memory lane, the collection includes some wonderful descriptions of some of the country’s loveliest parts, with Yorkshire looming large as one would expect, with Bennett hailing from that part of the country.



The diaries part of Untold Stories include descriptions of lovely days out in Yorkshire and other places.  The entry for 15^th March 1998 describes a drive along a minor road from Hawes to Yockenthwaite to look at a Bronze Age stone circle, with snow drifts still present on the high ground.  The road follows the infant River Wharfe, prompting Bennett to complain about how busy the Wharfe Valley always is.  Then to the village of Hubberholme, where the church (St Michael and All Angels) has some interesting features, including a rood loft and woodwork by Robert ‘Mousey’ Thompson, so called because he used to include a carving of a mouse in many of his woodworkings, including in this case the church pews.  The church is also where J. B. Priestley’s ashes are buried in the church yard, and there is a memorial plaque inside the church.

All Angels Church Hubberholme - geograph.org.uk - 1365997. Photo by SMJ, via Wikimedia Commons.

During the October Half Term week in 2002 Bennett paid a visit to Fountains Abbey on a stormy day.  He describes the tower, marvelling at its height, and his delight at discovering the original greyish white paint overlaid with black lines.  Then he turns his attention to a hill south of the main buildings called How Hill where in the 12^th century monks from St Mary’s, York, camped out before founding the abbey.  Bennett is impressed by the fact that the two surviving yew trees here have survived the building of Fountains and its dissolution.  What Bennett does not mention is that there is a tower on the hill and that recent archaeology has unearthed what is believed to be a medieval chapel built by the monks and dedicated to St Michael the Archangel.  Also the fact that there are views from the top of the hill stretching over fifty miles.  This plus other information about the site is available on the website of the National Trust, which runs the property.

Fountains Abbey view 02 2005-08-27. Photo by Klaus with K, via Wikimedia Commons.

One of the latter chapters of Untold Stories turns its attention to Leeds.  Like Bennett, I am often dismayed by the sixties architecture blighting the towns and cities of this country.  However, in some of the larger cities one charming feature resisting the onslaught is the ‘arcade’.  Cardiff, for instance, has some nice examples, while the most famous one is probably the Burlington Arcade in London.  Bennett recalls how on his early trips to Italy he detected something familiar about the architecture, and the reason for this was the elaborate arcades he used to frequent as a child in Leeds city centre.  He singles out the Thorntons Arcade and the County Arcade for particular praise.  The County  Arcade was designed by Frank Matcham, best known for his elaborate theatre designs.

County Arcade, Leeds (14th November 2018). Photo by Mtaylor848, via Wikimedia Commons.

These are just some of the delights of Yorkshire described in Untold Stories.  It is a big read to get through, but for anyone planning to visit the region I can recommend it as a precursor to the experience.

MADNESS AT THE MANOR: JANE EYRE/NORTON CONYERS, NORTH YORKSHIRE

There are certain novels which captured my imagination as a child, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte was one of them.  I remember being horrified at the idea of a madwoman holed up in an attic, in this case Mrs Rochester, first wife of Edward Rochester, the male romantic lead of the story who enters into a liaison with the governess he has hired, the Jane Eyre of the title.  Rochester is the master of Thornfield Hall, where he has shoved his unfortunate wife out of sight on the third floor.

So where did Charlotte get the idea for this grim tale?  Well, in 1839 she paid a visit to a medieval manor house called Norton Conyers near the village of Wath near Ripon North Yorkshire, and while she was there she learned of a mad woman who had allegedly been locked up in the attics the century before Charlotte’s visit.  That the property was the inspiration for Thornfield Hall is borne out by the fact that a blocked staircase connecting the first floor to the attics was discovered in 2004.  Such a staircase was mentioned in Jane Eyre, which seems pretty conclusive proof that Norton Conyers is the real-life Thornfield.

Norton Conyers - geograph.org.uk - 881476. Photo by David Rogers, via Wikimedia Commons

The house and gardens at Norton Conyers are open to visitors, but only on certain days of the year due to ongoing renovation work on the house – the dates can be found on the website.  There is a charge for the house but the gardens are free to visit.  The gardens were laid out in the 18^th century and their features include an orangery, herbaceous borders and an ornamental pond. 

For more information on the Bronte family, follow this link.

Map of the area.

STEELY STRIPPERS: THE FULL MONTY/SHEFFIELD

The 1997 British comedy film The Full Monty is a product of two vastly different phenomena that arose during the latter part of the 20^th century.  The first was the decline of the steel industry, which hit the Yorkshire city of Sheffield particularly hard.  Many blame Margaret Thatcher for this, but there were multiple factors, including competition from other countries and low productivity.  Increased automation was another development, all of which put a lot of steel workers out of a job. 



The other phenomenon that appeared during this time was that of groups of male strippers, the most famous of which are The Chippendales, still going strong today.  Their performances gave hordes of leering women the chance to get their own backs for the objectification of the female body, flocking to large venues to whoop and cheer at the sight of muscly oiled male bodies, no doubt helped along by large quantities of alcohol.


The Full Monty manages to unite these two themes, telling the tale of a group of unemployed steel workers who decide to turn their fortunes around by forming a male stripper group.  Almost all of the filming took place in and around Sheffield, using glamorous locations such as an Asda supermarket, factories and a working men’s club, as well as many of the city’s streets.

View over the city from Bingham Park - geograph.org.uk - 16529. Sheffield, where most of the scenes were filmed. Photo by Paul Store, via Wikimedia Commons.

The steelworks which put the men out on the streets in the film are represented by the building formerly occupied by Sanderson Special Steels in Newhall Road, Attercliffe.  The Shirebrook Colliery in the film was filmed at a Rolling Mill in the city.  The factory where Gaz’s ex-wife Mandy works is actually the now closed Eversure Textiles, which used to have premises at the Northpoint Industrial Estate.


Various locations around the city were used for scenes involving the characters’ homes: Gerald’s house in Whirlow Park Road; Gaz’s house in Oxford Street; Dave’s house in Meadowbank Road.  Manor Oaks Road is seen in the keep fit sequence, while the most poignant scene in the film, featuring Lomper’s suicide attempt, was filmed in Pickering Road.  Orgreave Way is where the ASDA supermarket was filmed, and the burger bar scene was filmed in Cambridge Street at Pepes, which is now at a different address.



The Job Centre where the lads are seen signing on was filmed at an actual Job Centre, or rather Job Centre Plus at the corner of Bailey Lane and West Street.  The school building in the scene where Gaz drops off his son is actually the Sheffield Boxing Centre in Burton Street.  The Millthorpe Working Men’s Club in the film, where the group finally get to strut their stuff, is represented by the Shiregreen Working Men’s Club at 136 Shiregreen Lane.



Out and about in the fresh air, the park where Gerald spends his days on a park bench, having kept quiet to his wife about his unemployed status, and where the lads invite Gerald to be their choreographer, is Ruskin Park in Walkley.  The park was created relatively recently on the site of a number of streets which were cleared in the early 1980s.  The city’s Crookes Cemetery is where Lomper’s mother is laid to rest.  The cemetery includes 70 graves of service personnel who served in the First and Second World Wars.  Finally, the scene in which Gaz and Dave are stranded on a sinking car was filmed by Bacon Lane Bridge in Attercliffe, on the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, which forms the upper four miles of the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation.  The canal was opened in 1819 to serve as a link between the River Don and a basin in the centre of the city.

Bacon Lane Bridge. Photo by Warofdreams, via Wikimedia Commons.

Visitors to Sheffield who want to find out more about the city’s industrial heritage will find what they are looking for at the Kelham Island Museum.  Metal features heavily in the works on display at the Millennium Gallery, which also contains the Ruskin Collection of works of art.  The art critic John Ruskin put the collection together with the help of his Guild for the benefit of the city’s metalworkers.

Kelham Island Museum, Steel Ladle. Photo by Mick Knapton, via Wikimedia Commons.

Map of the area.