Pond Wood

A hembra and a cria (Mum and baby alpaca)

In a paddock near Sharperton on the River Coquet.

Road sign casualty of Storm Arwen

But the post looks pretty rusty too! Alpacas over the fence.

Hope the picnic tables are alright

The car park and picnic area at the entrance to Holystone Woods forest trails are unrecognisable. This area contained some massive pines. Storm Arwen flattened it despite its location down in the valley.

Storm Arwen near Holystone

Everywhere one goes in mid and north Northumberland one sees the consequences of Storm Arwen's ferocity in swathes of fallen trees. On November 26th 2021 the storm is estimated to have damaged 16 million trees: the Great Storm of 1987 destroyed 15 million trees.

Storm Arwen damage at the Lady's Well

Fortunately this huge tree fell out of the enclosure rather than into it.

Storm Arwen damage at the Lady's Well

Fortunately this huge tree fell out of the enclosure rather than into it.

Storm Arwen damage near the Lady's Well

Storm Arwen brought down many trees

Some of the trees are being 'recycled' as firewood!

Salmon House once The Salmon Inn

Sadly like many country pubs and the disease is spreading urban areas with so many watering holes closing.

Ford through Unnamed Burn

I think this might be a drainage ditch rather than a burn.

Lady's Well, Holystone

Lady's Well is a stone water tank of possible Roman date, fed by a natural spring. The well is alongside the Roman road between High Rochester and the River Aln. The stone tank has been completely rebuilt at least once since the Roman period. The well has been a Christian holy site since the medieval period, and may have been the site of early Christian rituals. An alternative name for the well is 'Ninian's Well'. Ninian was the Bishop of Whithorn, in south-west Scotland, from AD500-550. It is possible that Ninian visited Holystone, although we have no evidence for such a visit. There is a legend that Paulinus, an early Christian missionary from Italy, converted 3000 people at the well during Easter AD627. In the medieval period, there was an Augustinian convent at Holystone, which may be where the name 'Lady's Well' comes from. In addition to the tank, a 15th century statue, said to be of Paulinus, was brought to the site from Alnwick in 1780. The statue was moved from the centre of the tank in the 19th century and replaced with a wheel cross. Local tradition says an altar-shaped stone near the well is the 'holy' stone, which gives the local village its name. The Lady's Well is a Scheduled Monument and Grade I Listed Building protected by law. Link

Lady's Well, Holystone

Lady's Well, Holystone --- CLOSED

Due to Storm Arwen damage.

The Church of St Mary The Virgin, Holystone

Bill Henderson

Lady's Well, Holystone

Plinth of the cross in Lady's Well

There is a legend that Paulinus, an early Christian missionary from Italy, converted 3000 people at the well during Easter AD627. The inscription reads: + IN THIS PLACE PAULINUS THE BISHOP BAPTIZED THREE THOUSAND NORTHUMBRIANS EASTER DCXXVII +

Hydraulic Ram

This device was thumping away as we walked to Lady's Well. Pumping water up to a storage tank somewhere. The village is now supplied with mains water.