Category: Thoughts

Langley Castle, a Pictorial Tour

Posted on by Pete Schloss

Written April 2, 2023, at Langley castle, England.

As I promised yesterday, here is a pictorial tour of Langley Castle. I have supplemented it with historical information from the Langley Castle website, and included a link to their own online “self guided virtual 3D tour“.

My own narrative will be presented mostly in the form of captions on my photographs.

We arrived at Langley Castle yesterday and reserved two nights in the Radcliffe Suite, departing Monday morning, April 3. I will continue walking east along Hadrian’s Wall and Christine will transport to our next accommodation, the George Hotel near the city of Hexham.

Here are pictures of our room:

The sign before the door of our suite.

(From the Langley Castle website) Built in 1350, during the reign of Edward III, the castle has retained its architectural integrity and is regarded as one of the few medieval fortified Castle Hotels in England. Over the past 600 years, the Castle has been owned, together with its estate, by Lords and Ladies whose names were frequently associated with the turbulent history of the Kingdom. During the 17th century the Langley estates became the property of the Earls of Derwentwater; Viscounts Langley. James , the third Earl and Charles his brother, took part in the Jacobite risings of 1715. They were subsequently executed at the Tower of London. A cross stands by the road from the Castle to Haydon Bridge commemorating their loyalty to the King of Scotland (their Lawful Sovereign), which reads: In memory of James and Charles Viscounts Langley Beheaded on Tower Hill 24th Feb 1716 and 8th Dec 1746 For Loyalty to their Lawful Sovereign

The property was confiscated by the Crown and its administration passed to the Royal Naval Hospital at Greenwich in London. Signs of the Admiralty’s influence can still be seen in the area. For example the anchor motif on the front of a house at Langley and the naming of a pub in Haydon Bridge as The Anchor.

In 1882 a local historian, Cadwallader Bates, purchased the property. The restoration of the Castle to its original 14th Century structure became a life’s work not only for Cadwallader, but also for his wife Josephine, who continued his work after Cadwalladers death in 1902. Josephine rebuilt the original chapel on the castle roof in memory of her husband and worked tirelessly until her own death in 1933. She is buried alongside her husband in the castle grounds.

There are nine feature rooms within the castle. Other rooms outside of the castle are deemed “Castle view rooms“.
Langley castle is a wedding venue with indoor and outdoor locations to host the ceremonies.

The restored castle has subsequently served as a private girls school. In 1986, it was purchased by Dr Stuart Madnick, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who converted it into a hotel. Langley Castle is set in a woodland estate of 10 acres (40,000 m2). One of the more remarkable features of the building is the south-west tower, which is occupied by no fewer than 12 garderobes (medieval toilets), four to each floor.

Before the castle was restored the floors were configured at different levels. These niches were the medieval toilets, four to each of 3 floors. They discharged outside to the grounds and running water below.
The tower staircase from ground floor to the battlements, five floors up.
Our “tour group“.
Our delightful and energetic tour guide, Chloe.
The chapel, also available for wedding ceremonies.
Event space within the castle.
Looking down the stairway tower.
The bar.
The hearth room.
An alternate view of the hearth room.
The main dining room.

Online 3D Virtual Tour: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=afeqqAzTkA7&back=1

Langley Castle Website: https://www.langleycastle.co.uk/en/

Peace Everyone. Pete

Hiking Along Hadrian’s Wall, Day Five.

Posted on by Pete Schloss

Written April 1, 2023, at Langley Castle, England.

Yesterday was yesterday, and today is today. Signs on the side of Twice Brewed brought a smile.

Christine captured a shot of me as I made my way back to the Wall, and for five minutes there was sunshine.

It’s a wonder what a good night’s rest, fresh legs, and an energized spirit can do. It doesn’t hurt that it’s my birthday.

There were many people on the trail today, but virtually all were taking a Saturday stroll. There may have been one or two that were through-hiking, but east to west. My track is west to east.

There were periods of rain but never of sufficient intensity to warrant putting on my rain trousers. However, mist on the camera lens may have impacted the quality of the photographs.

Once more the guidebook grossly underestimated the distance and provided less than accurate directions on two occasions. 8+ miles and 22,000 steps with more precipitous up and down terrain was again the order of the day.

Nevertheless, it was a much better day than yesterday.

This spot is known as “Sycamore Gap” and appeared in the Kevin Costner movie, “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves”.

I ended my day at a preplanned stopping point near Hadrian’s Wall. We arranged for a taxi to pick me up and transport me 7 miles off the route to Langley Castle where we will be lodged for the next two nights. On Monday morning a taxi will return me to that point so that I can continue the full route of Hadrian’s Wall.

Langley Castle is an honest to goodness 14th century fortress and we are booked into its premiere suite.

The small window in the center of the castle is our bedroom.
If you look closely at the large window above the entry you will see Christine in the hearth room.

Ours are royal chambers. The bathroom is larger than most hotel rooms and includes a huge tub (it fits two… to which we can attest), and a sauna/steam room.

The door on the right is our private sauna/steam room.

The walls are solid stone, 7 feet thick, and there is a sitting nook with leaded stained glass that looks out upon the courtyard.

Evening drinks at a fire in the hearth room followed by a suitably elegant dinner capped off the day.

We will tour the castle tomorrow and I will take my camera along. I hope to give you a virtual tour.

Peace Everyone. 71 year old Pete

P.S. As I have walked along these remnants of the once mighty Roman Empire it occurred to me that there have been many great empires; Egyptian, Persian, Greek, Mayan, just to name a few. ALL great empires and civilizations have two things in common: Their leaders and citizens believed the reign would be endless… and it wasn’t.

Hiking Along Hadrian’s Wall, Day Four

Posted on by Pete Schloss

Written March 31, 2023, at the Twice Brewed Inn, England.

Today was not challenging, it was not difficult,… It was HARD. This was one of the hardest hikes (relative to my age) I have undertaken in my 71 years. But more of that in a bit.

We continued to be enthralled with the owners and accommodations at Dacre House. Breakfast was lovely, made all the more pleasant in conversation with Tadeusz and Malgorzata, a delightful couple from Poland who are also sampling the wonders of Hadrian’s Wall.

We met them at dinner last night. Among the topics we discussed was the war in Ukraine. They explained that at the outbreak of the hostilities over 2 million refugees crossed into Poland and were given shelter and more. There was no government edict, no international organization, just 2 million people at the border and hundreds of thousands of Polish families lined up to voluntarily take them in. When international news crews arrived to obtain video footage and interviews of the “refugee camps“ they were amazed and disappointed to find there were none. Just families helping families.

At 9:30 AM I bid farewell to Clare and Stephan.

Christine remained with them till 11am when her text arrived for the next transport.

Initially the weather looked promising and I was able to immediately resume my trek along the wall.

Conditions quickly deteriorated. Temperatures fell, rain began, wind stiffened to over 30mph, and was interspersed with moments of driving sleet. It was a cold and miserable combination.

My rainproof windbreaker and rain pants were up to the task, even if I was less so. Thankfully, I had included gloves in my pack. Unfortunately, the pea soup mist meant that photo opportunities became nonexistent. My camera was relegated to the safety of its case for the last half of the day.

I was on the trail for nearly 6 hours. The guidebook reported a distance of slightly more than 8 miles but that must’ve been “as the crow flies“. My iPhone and steps counter each indicated it was over 10 miles, and 27,500 steps. Even those numbers do not tell the whole story. The topography was a constant up and down on rain slippery rocks and grass. The huge ascents challenged the lungs and the steep descents challenged the knees. There was no respite.

The trail climbed along the edge of cliffs that were hundreds of feet high.

Today I reached the halfway point which was also the highest point on Hadrian’s Wall. This picture is courtesy of Joe.

It is a wonder how the Romans constructed the miles of ditches, berms, and of course the wall with implements amounting to nothing much more than picks, shovels, and human sweat.

Tonight we are lodged at the Twice Brewed Inn.

It is a small working brewery with an excellent pub, dining room, and rooms.

We shared dinner, and gratitude for safely making it through the day’s hike with our Oregon friends, Joe and Julie, who also “weathered the storm”.

Tomorrow is my 71st birthday. I hope that nature will gift me clear skies and pleasant temperatures for my 5th day on the trail.

Peace Everyone. Pete

Walking Along Hadrian’s Wall, Day Three

Posted on by Pete Schloss

Written March 30, 2023, at Gilsland England.

Once again the day opened with rain but by the time I was mere steps down the road it had stopped.

The skies were mostly overcast throughout this 10 mile, 27,500 step day. The rain held off until shortly after I arrived at our destination, Dacre House in Gilsland. I don’t know how long this good fortune can last.

Today I no longer had to use my imagination to visualize “the wall“. It was everywhere!

But first I detoured to see the ruins at the Lanercost Priory. Founded in the 12th century it flourished until King Henry VIII closed all of the Catholic churches and abbeys throughout England. Most of Lanercost then fell to ruins, however the roof was restored on the main church and it remains in use today as an Anglican parish church.

The path that I walked today followed closely along Hadrian’s Wall. This was aside roads, through fields, and once again I flirted with livestock who flirted back.

These sheep followed hot on my heels across an entire meadow.

The wall was constructed with large fortresses every Roman mile (approximately 1.48 km), with two smaller fortifications located in between each of the larger ones.

At Birdoswald a major garrison was established, one of 16 near identical garrisons located along the length of the wall. This site, covering approximately 5 acres, housed 1000 soldiers, granary and weapons storage, and training facilities. Birdoswald has been partially excavated by archeologists.

This was a challenging day with significant climbs and descents. Tomorrow promises to be even more difficult. Our destination of The Twice Brewed Inn, located in the town of Once Brewed, is at the highest elevation along Hadrian’s Wall.

I find that walking in solitude brings me into conversation with my thoughts. The overwhelming beauty and historical significance of this land leaves me both humble and grateful.

Peace Everyone. Pete

P.S. Our good fortune is not just limited to the weather. We have again found ourselves hosted by wonderful people in an exceptional facility.

Dacre House B&B’s proprietors, Clare and Stephen, have created a charming lodge that borders on elegant.

Their skills also extend into the kitchen.

We enjoyed excellent dinners, mine a lamb stew, and Christine‘s a vegetable tagine.

Sleep will come easily tonight, breakfast will be welcome in the morning, and then I will be back on the trail. In 48 hours I will celebrate my 71st birthday. Another reason to be grateful.

In the meantime, here are some of the sign boards from today for those who are curious.

Hiking Along Hadrian’s Wall, Day Two

Posted on by Pete Schloss

Written March 29, 2023, at Walton, England.

Before I begin, I hope you will honor the memory of two dear friends who each drew life’s last breath yesterday. They are mentioned in my postscript.

Today began (literally) as a walk in the park. By day’s end I had counted nearly 12 miles and 32,000 steps.

Last night’s weather report predicted a 90% chance of showers throughout the day. At breakfast there was a steady drizzle but by the time that I set foot on the path the rain had stopped. It did not resume until I had reached my destination.

Not more than minutes from the start a gentleman strode to my side and began providing me with information on the history of the surrounding area. Stephen is a retiree who walks a lengthy circle route three days a week. He enjoys company and sharing pride in his city. He encouraged me to join him on a brief detour where we approached the bank of the river Eden and a Stonehenge-like structure.

Each of these monoliths is of a different stone found in the area. Each displays a carved explanation of their respective origins. Stephen bemoaned that the display is not better known or appreciated. I certainly appreciated Stephen.

The recent rains and the overcast skies brought the green of the fields into eye popping vibrance.

These saplings will one day be an impenetrable hedge dividing the fields.

The paths, roads, and fields better favored walking than on my first walking day, but there were exceptions.

Today I encountered four other people walking “the wall”.

Joe and Julie are a couple from Bend Oregon. We spent a mile visiting and soon learned that we shared the same end-of-day destination, the Old Vicarage Brewery bed and breakfast. More on that in a bit.

The other two were young men who were laden like pack mules as they struggled up the path.

There were the occasional encounters with dog walkers. This hound pranced and danced circles around me dearly yearning for me to find a ball for him to chase.

Other livestock and wildlife included sheep, goats, swans, and horses.

As I stopped to snap the picture of these horses in a field one turned head-on to me and began a slow approach. I stood stock still, my anxiety rising. Was he “friend or foe”? He continued toward me until softly giving me a head butt, soliciting pats and scratches on his forehead and behind his ears. Priceless.

The vistas and views included everything from grand estates to “glamping pods”.

There were churches, and of course I stopped.

Christine had transported to our final destination, the Old Vicarage Brewery, by taxi. She was able to track me through our iPhone “find me“ applications. Just as I turned the lane for the final 100 feet she was standing there before me, arms open wide.

The brewery is a bed-and-breakfast with two amazing suites in the old caretakers cottage.

Christine looking out the window of our suite

Owners, Graham and Charlotte renovated the buildings in 2018. Graham is an accomplished brewer, to which I can now personally attest.

Shortly after I arrived, Joe and Julie joined us for drinks and later for dinner, courtesy of the Brewery.

The Old Vicarage Brewery’s two rooms are booked solid throughout the hiking season. We are incredibly fortunate to have successfully made this reservation.

Today included the first visible evidence of Hadrian’s Wall and the related defensive fortifications. Here the central flat area is what would have been the base of the wall. To the left is the Vallum (ditch) situated on the north side of the wall. The depression on the right further enhanced the apparent height of the wall. The grassy area on the right was an where the Romans quarried stone for the wall’s construction.

Tomorrow I press on 8 miles to Gilsland. It is probable that there will be a detour that will add a mile or two to that distance.

Peace Everyone. Pete

P.S. yesterday I lost two dear friends. Jason Christensen and I met in 2010. We were among 12 bicyclists who rode 5100 miles across the United States as part of an initiative on behalf of Catholic Charities to draw attention to the crisis of poverty in the United States.

We were accompanied by four support drivers, Christine among them. Jason was a deeply spiritual man, a powerful bicyclist, and a devoted father. He and I enjoyed friendly competition throughout the ride and an enduring friendship for the rest of his life. Pancreatic cancer ended his life at 53.

My dear cousin, Samuel “Nelson“ Elliott, passed suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 67. He was a pillar in his West Virginia community, a revered high school teacher and coach. His passion was such that he chose to forego retirement and continued in his profession, literally to the day that he died.

Nelson was prominent in his church community, freely giving of his time to those in need. He was a model husband and father. I can not imagine the depth of pain that his family, siblings, and 95 year old mother are now experiencing.

I hope that both of these very good men have found eternal peace and look down with love upon us.