A beautiful sunny autumnal day calls for an adventure in the beautiful British countryside. I had heard rumors that the fields were covered in purple flowers, so I just had to see them for myself (and maybe eat some too). I am very lucky to be able to get to quintessentially English villages through a short (ish) drive. Rather than visiting the same place over and over again, this time I chose a different village.
Blanchland straddles the Northumberland and Durham border, in an area of outstanding beauty of the North Penines. Its a very old village, dating back to the 12th century. Hidden in the Derwent Valley, with a river flowing through the village and into the surrounding woodlands and moors. I have a soft spot for stone buildings and Blanchland is filled to the brim with old stone houses. I love how they still have signs from previous uses, I even managed to spot the police house.
I started my adventure with a walk along the fields heading out of the village. Off I went to find some bunny rabbits but they were all hiding in the bushes. I did meet some rather friendly sheep, who were sitting in the sunshine eating (a great day in my eyes).
I walked all the way through the fields to a very old bridge which straddles the border of Durham and Northumberland. It was very peaceful, I love sitting close to the water. Especially when I can throw the stones into the water (to soak my photographer).
I didn’t stay long because I didn’t want to give the fish a headache. Instead I decided to keep walking along the river towards the next village. Sadly, I didn’t make it very far because the path was overgrown with prickly bushes.
To get back to Blanchland I had to detour back through the trees, up a huge hill. I thought I might see some deer roaming in the wilderness. There were more sheep eating the long grass and lambs chasing each other playfully. I got slightly lost on the way back and ended up walking an extra mile.
Before leaving Blanchland I couldn’t go without a visit to the White Monk. A haunted cafe, that was once part of the church, which serves delicious cake. But my day wasn’t over yet, I decided to take a quick detour to Derwent Reservoir. Sitting at the waterside with the music from a local band playing in the background is one of the best things I have ever experienced. You’ll have to go to my instagram page to see it!
On my way home I spotted something beautiful. The wild Heather was covering the moors in beautiful purple flowers. The rumours were true!
How could I not stop for a photo! It was purple everywhere, I’ve never seen anything like it. Sometimes my adventures are well planned others are just down to pure luck. I can’t wait to see what adventure is in store for me next!
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