Gilsland is a small village just a few miles east of the farm house we were renting near Brampton in Cumbria. Upon entering the village is a small free car park on the right-hand side for about a dozen cars, presumably for visitors to experience and walk a section of Hadrian’s Wall (fig #1) across the road. Tragically the Wall is truncated by a house and garden at his point. I can’t help wondering at what point did we, theRead more

The last stop on our tour of northern England was Hurstwood, which is a beautiful little hamlet on the outskirts of Burnley. The settlement consists of a handful stunning Elizabethan properties including the once-home of the poet Edmund Spencer, Hurstwood Hall, which I believe now provides B&B accommodation. We stayed in a charming little cottage, which may have been erected for the construction workers of the Hurstwood reservoir, which was built in 1925.  Typically, my Flanéur is inspired by casual observationsRead more