Roughly equidistant between the cities of Carlisle and Newcastle, and in the heart of Hadrian’s Wall country, sits the pretty little village of Bardon Mill. The nearest towns (in size descending order) are Hexham, Haltwhistle, and Corbridge. As you approach the village by the main road, you’ll see signs which say “smoke,” which could be a little bit concerning, but actually it’s just the working pottery and it depends which way the wind is blowing (and whether they’re firing that day) as to whether the smoke is coming across the road. The little village is often overlooked because it is just off the A69 thoroughfare between two major cities in the North, but it is well worth a stop over (maybe for lunch?) if your journey allows it.
The village boasts a popular local pub The Bowes Hotel (named after the Bowes-Lyon family that were resident in the area from the 18th-20th century), as well as a community store and tearoom just across the road from the pub, if your mood is more scone than Sunday lunch. The village also has a large working pottery (Errington Reay) that has been going since 1878, where today you can go and watch the potters at work, or take part in workshop to learn a little bit about the art yourself. This is the only commercial pottery in the UK that is currently licensed to produce salt glaze pottery, which produces a slightly “orange-peel” like texture to the pots, as a coating of sodium silicate is formed when the pots are fired in the kiln. It did fall out of fashion due to concerns about the air pollution produced during the process, which is why Errington Reay only fires on certain days, at specific times, and in small windows, to keep the smoke at a minimum.
The location of the village means that it is only two miles away from The Sill, the hub of Northumberland National Park; two miles from Allen Banks (which used to be the grounds of Ridley Hall, see below) and Staward Gorge; two miles from Vindolanda; and only three miles from the wall itself. No matter what you’re in the mood to do in this beautiful part of the world, then Bardon Mill is a great place to do it from. This village truly is in the heart of Hadrian’s Wall country, so is a great hub and base to plan a day’s activities – come for breakfast in the tearoom, and set out from there!
Other historical landmarks include the beautiful Georgian Ridley Hall, about a mile away, and was once the northern residence of the Bowes-Lyon family (i.e. the late Queen’s Mother). Now however, it is actually the boarding wing of a nearby prep school (fancy!), and is used for weddings and functions on the weekends and school holidays when the students are not in residence. Sadly it is not open to the public (although they do host an annual Burns Night community Ceilidh, which seems like an excellent opportunity to get inside!), but you can admire the hall itself from a distance from the numerous walking paths and the roads nearby.
The village is connected to both Carlisle and Newcastle, as well as the nearby towns and villages, by an active trainline and bus services, so it’s very easy to get to from either of those larger cities. Centred around its community and celebrating its stunning location, Bardon Mill remains connected and welcoming to visitors, year round.
If you’re one of the millions of people (40m+ at the time of writing) who has watched Bridgerton Season Four in the last few weeks, and fallen for deeply for the whole whimsy (and not altogether accurate) Regency vibe of the show, you might be looking for places to visit that match that vibe, and where you can imagine yourself as a star of the show. Here’s just a selection of places around the North that you can visit and pretend that you’re Violet about take tea (*wink*); that you’re Eloise with her nose in a book and scorning suitors; or that you’re one of the new season debutantes, looking to fall head-over-heels in love with an eligible suitor… just make sure you stay with your chaperone and don’t become the subject of this season’s scandal!
Castle Howard, Yorkshire
Castle Howard
Castle Howard doesn’t just match Bridgerton vibes, it is Bridgerton vibes, as the location was used in Season One as a stand in for “Clyveden House” – the country residence of the Duke and Duchess of Hastings, played by Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dyvenor. The temple of the four winds in the grounds was used for a notably spicy scene in the pouring rain, whilst the library, the archbishop’s bedroom (pictured below), Turquoise Room, and Long Gallery were used for other scenes as the Duke and Duchess settle into married life.
In one interview I’ve seen with Regé he makes a joke about how – when filming spicier scenes – there is what is known as a “closed set,” where those only essential for the scene to be filmed are allowed to be present. Essential cast and crew… and Fiona. Fiona being the luckless (or lucky?) house warden who had been assigned to make sure that the furniture was properly cared for, and things didn’t get out of hand. In the interview Regé laughs as he recalls how this poor embarrassed woman is stood there, looking out for this incredible eighteenth century bed, whilst he was romping about in his birthday suit! That would have been a rather strange day at the office!
The house itself is a Baroque architectural masterpiece that took nearly a hundred years to complete. One can immediately imagine themselves as a Duke or Duchess, sweeping through the magnificently conserved hallways and receiving rooms, whilst planning the next ball that is to take place; one that will also show off the best of the collection, and centre the most stunning pieces. The collection itself at Castle Howard is incredible, with artists such as Canaletto, Titian, Thomas Gainsborough, Pannini, and Reynolds represented (along with many others).
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Howick Hall, Northumberland
Rear aspect of Howick Hall
I visited Howick Hall and Gardens last year, and it’s an absolutely delightful location to sink into the Bridgerton mindset; reading books in the garden by the pond, and drinking cups of Earl Grey tea (the house was the former residence of Lord John Grey, for whom the blend was made specifically). I think Eloise would be extremely happy at Howick, away from the pressures of the Ton, and where she might be able to focus on her writing, or plotting how to avoid the marriage mart for yet another season. On the other hand, Hyacinth would feel that this was too far from the action!
Whilst Howick is undoubtedly smaller than some of the more sprawling Baroque and Georgian palaces on this list, it is also very imaginably as one of the character’s country retreats; a place where they could find some peace and quiet after the madness of the social season. If not Eloise, I could imagine Sophie and Benedict finding much happiness at a place like Howick and, knowing Benedict, he would probably refer to it as “his cottage.”
Address: Howick Hall & Gardens, Northumberland, NE66 3LB Ticket Information
LEvens Hall, Cumbria
Whilst Levens Hall is actually late Elizabethan, and therefore far predates the time of Bridgerton, you could very easily imagine this Hall, and it’s magnificent topiary gardens, as a country house of a very old family of the ton, where they invite select friends and acquaintances to admire the beauty of the setting.
The topiary gardens would be the centrepiece of a ball, with lights illuminating the pathways, and music leading guests to different aspects and viewpoints within the gardens – whilst always being wary of a unchaperoned debutante accidentally finding herself alone with a gentleman – how scandalous that would be!
Photo Credit – Olivia Brabbs and the Harewood House Trust
Harewood House is one of the most gorgeous 18th Century houses in the country, and we’re lucky enough to have it here in the North. We can wander with wonder around the incredible halls, view the paintings by British and International masters, and imagine what it would be like to actually be in an episode of Bridgerton.
Photo Credit – Tom Archer and the Harewood House Trust
This is the gallery at Harewood House. Couldn’t you just imagine what it would be like to host a ball in this magnificent room? This room was one of the last to be finished in the 1790s (coincidentally closest to the Regency period of all the rooms at Harewood House). The room was furnished by Thomas Chippendale and Thomas Chippendale Junior, the much sought after furniture masters of eighteenth century England.
“The room’s magnificent ceiling is today considered one of Robert Adam’s masterpieces, and is decorated with 16 paintings by the Italian interior painter Biagio Rebecca. They depict a pantheon of Roman gods and the four seasons.” – Harewood House Trust
Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone @ Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
The most well known one of this list, and one on which Alnwick Castle has cemented itself firmly into global consciousness. The outside of Alnwick Castle Bailey and the lawns is the location for the famous “flying lesson” scene in the first Harry Potter movie when Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) discovers his talents on a broomstick, and the hapless Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) loses control of his broom and comes back to earth with a bump. The scene also included favourite characters such as Hermione (Emma Watson), Ron (Rupert Grint), Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), Professor McGonagall (the late, great, Maggie Smith) and Madam Hooch (Zoe Wannamaker).
If you want to experience some of the magic for yourself, you can take broomstick lessons at Alnwick Castle, where you’ll learn how to hold your broom, accelerate, brake, and turn around corners. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, the flying charm has been removed from visitor’s brooms.
This isn’t the only time that Alnwick Castle was used in the first two movies. The grounds around the Castle were used for exterior shots (notably when Harry and Ron crash into the Whomping Willow in the second film), and the Lion Gate was used an entrance/exit for Hogwarts Students on their way to and from the grounds and the path down to Hagrid’s Hut.
The Witcher @ Fountains Abbey, N. yorks
The Abbey was a major filming location for Season Two of the Netflix show, The Witcher. According to the abbey website, more than 250 crew members moved in for two months(!) in order to film the scenes for the high fantasy show. The nave was used for a dramatic night ritual scene, followed by a horseback rescue; a scene which involved a lot of fire. Many safety precautions and tricky filming tactics were needed, both to protect the cast and crew, but also to protect the UNESCO world heritage site. On a calmer side, the Georgian water gardens were used as palace grounds for members of the court to walk and scheme along the way.
Game of Thrones @ Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland
Game of Thrones didn’t just use Hadrian’s Wall as a filming location because it fit the books, the location was in fact the inspiration for what appeared in the books. George R. R. Martin writes about a land divided by a wall of ice, guarded by a hardy and dwindling band of sworn soldiers. “Civilisation” (or so they think) is found south of the wall, whilst North of the Wall is full of untold dangers and wild people beyond the law. Sound familiar?
Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
As such, it was a total no-brainer when it came to using Hadrian’s Wall as the location for The North in Game of Thrones, and the location where the viewer is first introduced to Eddard Stark (Sean Bean), Robb Stark (Richard Madden), and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) in Episode one of Season One.
Game of Thrones was one of those TV Shows that made me wonder how one gets into location scouting for a production company or film shoot. Seems like a wonderful job to me…
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Peaky Blinders @ Ashton Memorial, Lancashire
My home town was all abuzz when we learned that Peaky Blinders, the TV show sensation predominately filmed at the Black Country Museum, was coming to film in one of the most famous buildings in Lancaster.
The production moved in for a week or so, and used the iconic Ashton Memorial as the location for an evening soiree that quickly descends into chaos due to the presence of Oswald Mosley’s fascist Black Shirts.
The exteriors of both Carlisle Castle and Bamburgh Castle were used as locations for the notorious Wentworth Prison in Season One of the historical fantasy Outlander. Both of these castles provided the backdrop for Black Jack Randall’s lair in the Scottish Highlands, from which he terrorises the surrounding area and nurses his obsession of Jamie Fraser.
Regardless of the fact that neither of these castles ever had major prisons in them (outside of the dank dungeons favoured by medieval lords who liked shoving hapless people in them from time to time), they both certainly provide a foreboding and intimidating backdrop for the show.
It’s spooky season! So, without further ado, I thought I’d do a round up of four haunted places that you can visit and experience the paranormal this Halloween!
Muncaster Castle, Cumbria
Do you want to spend a night in a haunted castle? At Muncaster they offer overnight ghost sits, where a small group can spend the night in the Tapestry Room, listening for the sounds of ghosts. The Tapestry Room is where visitors report disturbed nights, hearing footsteps in the corridor outside, and hearing a child crying from an adjoining room before being comforted by a lady singing. The story linked to this is that of Margaret Pennington, who died in the castle during her childhood from a bout of illness.
Golden Fleece Pub, York
The Golden Fleece Pub stands just over the road from York’s most iconic and historic street – The Shambles. Built before 1503 (this is when it first appears in the city records), and initially owned by the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, functioning as a coaching house. From 1656 it began operating as an inn, but it was not officially licenses until 1668.
The beer garden is named after the most famous ghost of the Fleece; the Lady Alice Peckett, wife of the Lord Mayor of York at the beginning of the eighteenth century; she has been seen walking the hallways and stairways of the pub at night by many guests. Another ghost is reportedly that of a North American airman from World War II, who was staying at the Inn whilst on leave. He leaned out of one of the top floor windows and fell to his death, and there have since been sightings of a ghost wearing Canadian 1940s uniform.
Many of the ghost tours of York feature the Fleece.
Chillingham Castle, Northumberland
The aptly named Chillingham Castle occupied a very strategic position during the bloody border wars between England and Scotland throughout the High and Late Middle Ages, meaning the castle often came under attack, or was raided by invading forces. During his campaign agains the Scots, Edward I stayed at Chillingham in 1298 before continuing on to the battle of Falkirk where the Scottish Leader William Wallace was captured.
Other royals, namely Charles I and Edward VIII, have also stayed at Chillingham.
‘All houses in which men have lived and died are haunted houses. Through the open doors the harmless phantoms on their errands glide, with feet that make no sounds upon the floors.’ – Longfellow, poet, describing Chillingham Castle.
Chillingham offers an array of Ghost Tours and Ghosts Hunts around the castle in the evenings and even overnight. You can see the offers here (although many are already sold out for 2025 – at least you’ll know where to look for next Halloween if it’s your thing!). Will you be (un)fortunate enough to see the pantry ghosts, or hear the spooky voices in the chapel?
The spookiest/grimmest part of Chillingham has got to be the Torture Chamber. A display of medieval implements of punishment and persuasion are on display here, providing brave visitors with information about their grisly purpose and opportunity to thank their lucky stars that such practices are not in use today!
Samlesbury Hall, Lancashire
Samlesbury Hall, located just outside of Blackburn, was built in 1325 by Gilbert de Southworth, and was the primary residence of the Southworth family until the early 17th century. Due to it’s seven hundred year history it’s had plenty of time to collect a few ghosts and spooky stories along the way!
Samlesbury claims that they have thirteen unique ghosts haunting the hall and the grounds. There have been hundreds of spooky reportings from guests, former residents, and staff, across the centuries. The first published account of ghosts at Samlesbury Hall was a book published in 1873, giving the site a long legacy of the paranormal and reporting on it.
The Ghost Room at Samlesbury Hall is located in the attic of the house and was opened in Autumn 2023. This was the first time the room has been open to the public and in use in nearly seven hundred years. Here you can read testimonies, audio stories, and visual media relating to the ghosts that haunt the Hall.
The most famous ghost to haunt the Hall is Lady Dorothea Southworth, often referred to as the ‘Lady In White.’ She has been seen/reported numerous times since Elizabethan times.
Have you ever experienced spooky happenings? Where was it? What was it like? Let me know in the comments below!
Northumberland has some of the best stargazing locations and events in the UK. As an internationally designated Dark Sky Park since 2013 with “pristine skies”, Northumberland National Park and Kielder Water & Observatory are perfect for stargazers, both enthusiasts and beginners. The Dark Sky Park stretches over five-hundred square miles, making it the largest protected dark sky area in Europe. There has been some incredible photos of the night skies, including the stunning aurora borealis (Northern Lights) taken in Northumberland, and whilst I haven’t been lucky enough to see the Northern Lights myself yet, just looking at the photos is awe inspiring.
There are many options for how to experience Northumberland’s Dark Skies, with lots of venues offering dark skies experiences or stargazing events. One of these is the Twice Brewed pub, just up the road from the Hideaway Huts, that now has it’s own observatory (with large aperture telescopes), planetarium, and regularly hosts astronomy evenings with experts. The Planetarium hosts shows regularly throughout the Autumn and Winter, with various shows scheduled specifically for children, with extra around school holidays. You can find out more about the Planetarium and the astronomy events here.
The Twice Brewed Inn is in partnership with Kielder Observatory; located on the edge of the Kielder Water and Forest.
‘Say goodbye to summer constellations and hello to winter favourites like the Pleiades, Taurus, and Orion, which brings the spectacular Orionid meteor shower later in the month. For telescope users, the Ghost Nebula and the Swimming Alligator Cluster are October highlights. Plus, catch Saturn and Jupiter rising as the nights grow longer.’ – Kielder Observatory Website
Image from Kielder Observatory about which constellations are visible in winter.
Staying at the Hideaway Huts is the only time in the UK I’ve been able to see the colours of the Milky Way when lying out in the middle of the night, looking up at the sky. The only other place I’ve ever been able to do that is in rural Australia! Whilst this does say something about the amount of light pollution we have around us at all times, it is nice to know that there are still places in the UK where you can get away from the incessant light that ruins the night sky, and find places that are truly dark. I said in a previous article that it is wonderful to stop and look at the stars, and it’s amazing that there are now more formal events to explore the solar system and beyond, for people of all levels of interest and knowledge in astronomy.
I’ll be doing another article later in the year (hopefully) after a night skies experience. Of course, this will be dependent on the weather (can’t do much if it’s cloudy!), but fingers crossed that the event will be able to go ahead.
Start off the morning by having breakfast in one of our many independent cafes, which you can read more about in my ‘Cafe Culture in Lancaster‘ series.
Follow up the lovely breakfast by going for a tour of Lancaster Castle. This will need to be prebooked as the tour is guided, in small groups, by a knowledgeable tour guide. The castle has a history dating from the high medieval period right through to the present day (it ceased to be a HM Prison in 2011). Following that you can have a look around the Priory that is adjacent to the castle or have a wander down the hill towards the river to look at the ruins of the Roman Baths. There’s not a huge amount left of the ancient monument there, but it’s interesting to see evidence of just how long humans have been settled and building on the banks of the River Lune.
Front Gate of Lancaster Castle
If you need (or want) lunch after all of that, there are many pubs and eateries to choose from in Lancaster. I will be doing an article in the coming weeks about some of the pubs that can be found in the city, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Off the top of my head, I would suggest The Sun, the Three Mariners, Merchants 1666, or the Water Witch, which all do excellent pub food.
Afternoon in Lancaster
In the afternoon, depending on where your interests lie there are several different options. If you want to continue in the history theme of things, I suggest having a wander around Lancaster Museum, found in the middle of the market square. This fascinating museum takes you through the history of the region and the city from the earliest human occupation to the present day, including the links to the Wars of the Roses, the Witch Trials (the first convictions for witchcraft in the seventeenth century occurred in Lancaster), and the oft-glossed over involvement of the city in the English Slave Trade. For more information on the latter, a visit to the Lancaster Maritime Museum is also on the cards.
Ashton Memorial
If, however, you’ve been historied out by the visit to the castle in the morning, I suggest a visit to Williamson Park, the lovely open space to be found at the top of the city, with the in-situ Ashton Memorial looking out over the city and surrounding countryside in all direction. In the park you can also find a wildlife park and butterfly house, with lots of interesting critters and creatures to take a look at. If fauna isn’t necessarily your thing, then a wander around the park and surrounding woodland is a relaxing way to pass the time on a nice day, although it is worth being aware that the park and surrounding area is fairly hilly, and whilst it is accessible to wheelchairs and motorised scooters, those with ambulatory difficulties without aid might struggle a little, depending on conditions. If you’re up at the park as the sun begins to go down, you’re in for a treat, watching the sunset over Morecambe Bay with the Lake District Hills in the distance, a beautiful location to the end the day.
Lancaster itself sits on the main West Coast trainline, so as your day comes to an end there are plenty of trains to take you either North or South, depending on where you want to go next. The city is also adjacent to junction 34 of the M6 motorway, so is easily accessible by car.
So my birthday has come and gone, and I am now 32, heading off into another year-long journey around the sun. I decided to celebrate that I’d do a list of thirty-two places I’d like to visit in the North, or things that I would like to experience or do. This is not a list of things I’m going to do in the next year, as a sort of checklist, some of these are pie-in-the-sky dream places I want to go, whilst others are more attainable and I have concrete ideas and plans to actually do. So, that being said here’s my list of things I’d like to do in the North, just to illustrate how many things there are to do, and how amazing this region is!
Go to a Dark Skies event in Northumberland
Parts of Northumberland are an International Dark Sky Park, and it is one of the best places in the UK to see all that the night sky have to offer. I’ll be doing a longer article in October about the Dark Skies experience in November, and how the Hideaway Huts could be the perfect bolthole to have a Dark Skies experience, so stay tuned for that!
Do a Ghost Tour in York
I did a ghost tour in York many many years ago, probably when I was about nine, and I remember it scaring the beejeezus out of me then… I suspect it might be a little less terrifying these days, but the stories and historical insights that come with a ghost tour are still fascinating. As York is a city steeped in history, from Pre-Roman, Roman, Viking, Medieval, Georgian, and into the 20th century, there are plenty of ghouls and ghosties hiding around the corners to be learned about. Perfect for spooky season!
Make sure you go with a reputable company in order to get the best value for money. I would recommend the Original Ghost Tour who have been doing tours through the streets of York for over fifty years!
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See Red Squirrels in Northumberland or Cumbria
I’ve spoken about this a few times, but seeing red squirrels in the wild is one of the top things I really want to do. I’ve seen red squirrels abroad, and I’ve seen them in protected wildlife sanctuaries, but never seen them in the small enclaves in the north where they are bouncing back. Can’t wait until the moment I first see one in the wild, it’ll be magical!
Stay at Rothay Manor, Ambleside
I have to admit, I have a bit of a vested/personal interest in this one. Both my nana and my mum worked at Rothay Manor, many moons ago, in the 1980s. I remember going to Rothay for my nana’s 70th birthday lunch and it being very lovely, but I was a bit young to really take it all in. My nana has since passed away, so I would love to take a trip down memory lane and go back to the hotel where both she and my mum worked.
Go and see the Lancaster Footlights Pantomime!
It’s coming towards that time of year again, when Christmas Pantomimes are putting on their spectacular shows! I was lucky enough to be cast in the Lancaster Footlights Panto last year, but sadly missed out this year. Nevertheless, I will be enthusiastically cheering them on from the side-lines (or the wings!) because it is a fantastic show and I know it’s going to be blummin’ amazing. This year Footlights Presents Snow White, doing an array of shows across late November and throughout December. A good friend of mine, Annie Hughes, is taking on the title role, and with a voice like an angel I know she’ll smash it. Tickets will sell out, so if you want to go and see this great production, I strongly suggest you get in early!
Ride the Railway from Lancaster to Carlisle via Millom
The quickest way (when it’s working properly) to go from Lancaster to Carlisle is straight up the West Coast Main Line, but if you’ve got a little bit more time, the ride around the coast via Arnside and Millom is a beautifully scenic ride. I mean, the ride up the main line is quite pretty as well, but riding along the coast and up past the Solway Firth is seriously beautiful, but it’s definitely not the quickest way to get from A to B – definitely one for the day you’ve got more time to ride.
Try Archery at Muncaster Castle Weapons Hall
Do you have what it takes to be a Medieval Knight? With a regular ticket to Muncaster you can go along to the Weapons Hall and “have a go” with a limited number of arrows/axes, but if you’d like to give it more of an in-depth go, you can upgrade to an unlimited ticket so you can get more tries. I’m pretty sure that I’d be terrible at this, but I think it’d be a lot of fun to have a go!
Go to the top of Blackpool Tower
On a nice day, the view from the top of Blackpool Tower stretches for miles and miles, as far as the Borders one way, and the Welsh Mountains in the other direction. I went up to the top of the tower once at night, so you could see all the illuminations stretching away down the front, but it would be nice to go up on a clear day and see how far the horizon stretches.
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So there you have it – seven out of thirty two of things I’d like to do – we’re up to nineteen out of the thirty two – stay tuned for the final thirteen! This is going to be a bit of a long series I guess, but there are just so many things to do around the North and if I did them all in one go (or even in three articles) it would end up being so long you’d never reach the end! If you had to pick three places to go in the North, where would it be? What should be on my list? I guarantee there will be places you love that I won’t even know about, so drop me a comment below or an email at bryony@thenorthishlass.co.uk and let me know what I should feature!
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It’s my birthday coming up, and this year I’m turning 32, so I decided to do a list of thirty-two places I’d like to visit in the North. This is not a list of things I’m going to do in the next year, as a sort of checklist, some of these are pie-in-the-sky dream places I want to go, whilst others are more attainable and I have concrete ideas and plans to actually do. So, that being said here’s my list of things I’d like to do in the North, just to illustrate how many things there are to do, and how amazing this region is!
Go to Whitby Goth Weekend
The next Whitby Goth Weekend is from 30th October – 2nd November 2025.
“Join us as we journey through the ever shifting tides of unconventional culture, and immerse yourself in our delightfully dark domain, for here, the pulse of Alternative and Bohemian lifestyle thrives, waiting to captivate your soul. Unveil a tantalizing tapestry woven together with threads of Music, Literature, Fashion, Artists, Events, and the pursuits of Friendship and Freedom. Our solemn quest is to exalt the realm of Goth & Alternative Subcultures, and to weave a unifying cloak that envelopes the reverent hearts of Alternative and Bohemian Communities across the globe.”
If you’ve ever been to Whitby during the Goth Weekend when you’re not a Goth, it’s like being in another world. In case you didn’t know, there’s so many different types of Goth – not just the stereotypical image of head-to-toe black like a Victorian mourner. Yes, that is definitely as type of Goth look, but there is also steampunk, romantic goth, cyber goth, emo, pastel goth, gothabilly, bohemian goth… to be honest, the list could go on! So, when you go to Whitby, and see all of the amazing clothing and aesthetics that people wear is stunning. I specifically don’t call the “costumes,” because yes whilst some goths do don specific costumes when they attend events like this that might reflect a certain character, for most this is their day-to-day clothing. It’s not a costume, it’s their clothes. And they look incredible. The time and effort that goes into some of these pieces and these looks is mind-blowing.
Of course there’s plenty of Gothy things to do in Whitby as well, with the prime one being to walk up the 200 steps to Whitby Abbey, to learn about the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula. There are old pubs to have a drink in, cobbled streets to wander down, and curio shops to browse. I can’t wait to go back.
Go to Blackpool Pleasure Beach
I went to Blackpool Pleasure Beach when I was kid, but I don’t really remember it, other than the fact that it was raining! I used to really enjoy rollercoasters when I was a teenager, (even the ones that turn you upside down), but I’m not sure I could do that anymore. I say this because when I went to RockPrest in June, I went on one of the fairground rides that swings you up high and then comes down on an arm (I have no idea what these rides are called), and as I sat there I was like “uh-oh this was a mistake,” but I managed to get that feeling under control, but it is a totally alien sensation that sends your adrenaline skyrocketing. I think it was because I hadn’t done in so long, so my body wasn’t used to it. I’d love to try it again on a rollercoaster! Also, I’ve never been on the world famous Pepsi Max (The Big One), and I feel like I should definitely give it a try!
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Ride the Settle to Carlisle Railway
This one is fairly self-explanatory, but I’d love to ride this railway through some of the most beautiful countryside in the North (and that is a steep competition). There are heritage steam trains that run on this line, and I think it would be really cool to ride through beautiful countryside on a steam train. I’d feel like I was in a Romance novel!
Each Lunch at Rogan & Co in Cartmel
Rogan & Co is a Michelin starred restaurant owned by Simon Rogan, who also owns L’Enclume in Carmel, along with other restaurants elsewhere. They pride themselves on having their own farm only a mile away from the village where they grow/raise as much of their ingredients as is possible, so they control the quality and provenance of all their ingredients. Obviously I’m a big fan of this because it significantly reduces the food miles and the environmental cost for supplying the restaurants.
This is one of those slightly pie-in-the-sky options because this is definitely on the pricey side. It’s not as pricey as eating at L’Enclume just around the corner where the lunch menu is £125pp, and the tasting menu is £200+pp. Lunch at Rogan & Co is £49 for three courses (available Wed-Sat), or £95pp for a six course tasting menu. And it looks delicious, with flavours I wouldn’t normally try and intensities I wouldn’t cook myself. Definitely something I would love to do one day, but I’m going to have to save my pennies!
Complete Parkrun at Williamson Park, Lancaster
Okay, so this is a personal goal of mine and I would not suggest to anybody who shudders at the thought of running that this is something that they should add to their lists. I used to run 2-3 times a week, but then I started a somewhat physical job, so that kind of fell off the radar. But this is still something I’d like to do, just to say that I’ve done it. I’ve got friends who do this every week, or are approaching their 150th run, which is very impressive! Aside from being something to work towards, Williamson Park is also a really pretty place to explore and be in, so it’ll be nice to do, even if I don’t do especially well with my time!
Go back to NOLA in York
I went to NOLA for my 30th birthday dinner and it was amazing. It’s a New Orleans style restaurant with a jazzy/speakeasy vibe in the heart of York, that do smaller plates so you can try lots of different things. They recommend that each person has two of the “main” plates and one side. Although if you have a slightly smaller appetite, I think that between two people you could have three “mains” and one or two sides, and still have plenty of food. If you’re hungry though, absolutely go for the two or three main plates each, because they’re delicious.
When I last went there I tried Jambalaya for the first time, as well as breaded goats cheese, whilst the friends I was with had a vast array of different dishes including Gumbo, Oysters, Mac & Cheese etc. etc. and I got to try bites from lots of them. One of the main reasons I picked it is that I had two friends joining the party who have Vegan diets and, unlike a lot of restaurants where they only have one or two V/VE options, NOLA has a whole menu page of eight different dishes for veggies and vegans, giving plenty of choice. Would wholeheartedly recommend!
So there you have it – another six out of thirty two of things I’d like to do. This is going to be a bit of a long series I guess, but there are just so many things to do around the North and if I did them all in one go (or even in three articles) it would end up being so long you’d never reach the end! If you had to pick three places to go in the North, where would it be? What should be on my list? I guarantee there will be places you love that I won’t even know about, so drop me a comment below or an email at bryony@thenorthishlass.co.uk and let me know what I should feature!
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It’s my birthday coming up, and this year I’m turning 32, so I decided to do a list of thirty-two places I’d like to visit in the North. This is not a list of things I’m going to do in the next year, as a sort of checklist, some of these are pie-in-the-sky dream places I want to go, whilst others are more attainable and I have concrete ideas and plans to actually do. So, that being said here’s my list of things I’d like to do in the North, just to illustrate how many things there are to do, and how amazing this region is!
Go to Walney Island
Walney Island is a wildlife haven that you get to from Barrow-In-Furness. Whilst some Neolithic remains have been found at Walney Island which in itself is interesting to me, I’d be going specifically for the nature reserves that are found on the Northern and Southern tips of the island; species to be seen include plovers, oystercatchers, otters, natterjack toads, grey seals and unique flora. Definitely a place to take a (well fitting) hat though, as it’s been named the windiest place in North-West Britain!
Courtesy of the Wildlife Trust
Stay at the Quiet Site
The Quiet Site at Ullswater has been on my list for ages. Named AA Campsite of the Year in 2024, it is a place that does what it says on the tin… it’s a place in that’s peaceful, to get away from the rush of it all. It’s also a great place to see red squirrels in the UK, and I can’t imagine anything more wonderful that waking up in my glamping pod, getting a cup of tea, and watching red squirrels as the early morning sun came up over the dewy grass. Perfect.
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Go to Hexham Book Festival
Every spring Hexham hosts a book festival with local, national, and international authors speaking, and I’ve been wanting to go for a while. I’m what you would call a book dragon, as opposed to a book worm. I hoard books… I don’t necessarily read them all (not the point I know!), but yeah I have hundreds of books. I just recently moved house, and not kidding, there must have been twenty+ boxes of books out of a relatively small flat. Although, to be honest, I see books kind of like wine, or good food, you’re not sure what you’re going to be in the mood for, so you might as well have a lot to choose from!
Anyway, this year they had authors and speakers such as L. J. Ross (crime writer), Jonathan Coe (author), Pam Ayers (poet), Mike Berners-Lee (author and climate activist), Wayne Sleep (author and ballet dancer), and Julie Beckett (writer for the Archers), so there was plenty to choose from. Can’t wait to see who they come up with next year!
See Dolphins off the Northumberland Coast
As any readers of mine from May know, I went on a trip to the Farne Islands that month, but I wasn’t lucky enough to see any dolphins or orcas that have been seen around that coastline. I am determined that I am going to see some, so I guess I’ll just have to go back.
I have been lucky enough to see dolphins a couple of times in my life – once or twice off the coast of Scotland in the Moray Firth, and another time when I was on a boat in Spain. Just because I’ve seen them before doesn’t mean I don’t want to do it again… you can never seen dolphins too many times, right?
Visit Beatrix Potter’s House
Courtesy of the National Trust
Growing up I loved Beatrix Potter. Loved. To the extent that one of my first sentences (apparently) was the slightly nonsensical “Pit Pat Paddle Pat… Pit Pat Paddle Pat,” which is what Jemima Puddleduck says as she walks along in the TV show. I also watched the VHS (showing my age now!) of the ballet by the Royal Ballet Company until it wore out. And, to this day, I have a whole bag full of Beatrix Potter plush toys with the tags still on. Sadly they sit in that bag in the under roof storage as I’ve got nowhere to store them out. I’d be very willing for a child who loves Beatrix Potter as much as I did to have them, because I’d rather that than them be hidden away forever. Anyway, that’s off the point a bit, I’d love to visit Hill Top farmhouse again, and wander through the gardens and buildings that so inspired her and her wonderful characters.
What was your favourite Beatrix Potter story?
Spend a weekend in Durham
I have never been to Durham. I know, shocking right? I have been all over the North, but for some reason or another, I have never made it to Durham, and I really want to go. As a complete history nerd, the city is fascinating to me, and aside from that it looks exceedingly pretty, with independent shops and eateries to explore. This one is pretty self-explanatory to be honest, it looks like a wonderful little city, and I’d love to go.
Image by K. Mitch Hodge
So there you have it – six out of thirty two of things I’d like to do. This is going to be a bit of a long series I guess, but there are just so many things to do around the North and if I did them all in one go (or even in three articles) it would end up being so long you’d never reach the end! If you had to pick three places to go in the North, where would it be? What should be on my list? I guarantee there will be places you love that I won’t even know about, so drop me a comment below or an email at bryony@thenorthishlass.co.uk and let me know what I should feature!
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Sometimes going off the beaten track is the best thing to do. To get “lost” with purpose can be great fun (of course, these days, it’s difficult to get well and truly lost, what with near blanket GPS coverage in the UK). What you can do, at least, is try and veer away from the familiar, to take the road less travelled, so to speak. Sometimes you do this on purpose, more often than not, it’s by accident, and you end up asking yourself (or the other person in the car); “where the heck are we going?!” Well, as long as you have enough petrol, and don’t have an emergency/appointment to attend to, then just go with it.
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I headed up to Northumberland with my mum and driving up the oh-so-pretty M6 (not), we noticed there was a ridiculous amount of traffic on the other side heading south, where people seemed to be sitting for a while. Mum’s immediate reaction was “I’m not sitting in that on the way back,” so we needed to find an alternative way. The problem is that between where we were and home… the Pennines are in the way, so it would involve going over them. We’d never done that before so it would be a little bit of an adventure, even just a small one.
Image by David Head
On a little bit of a side note – one of the things I like doing, and I find brings me a lot of joy, is pretending that I’m going on an adventure, even when I’m doing something really mundane. Maybe it’s because I loved fantasy or adventure books as a kid. I think it’s also that we have a tendency to focus so much on the destination, or are too busy looking at our phones/gadgets etc. that we forget to actually really look at the world around us. I know this is heading off into the mindfulness realm rather than about the North, but I find that it really works for me, and also helps me pay attention to my surroundings. I started trying to do this when I was going on walks, even setting myself the challenge of spotting things that began with ‘A’, ‘B’, etc. etc. so that I was really looking around me, and taking in what was there.
So, anyway, back to the journey. We turned off into the countryside just after Haltwhistle (happily also avoiding long traffic lights at Brampton). It was foggy the morning we did this, and I was a bit worried we’d be driving through country roads in pea soup, but it actually burnt out within a couple of miles, to reveal beautiful countryside. That I’d never seen before. Because we’d always taken the “quickest” route from A to B, we’d missed out on this gorgeous winding road through the South Tyne Valley. It was wild enough with craggy hills, forests, and the river running through the valley. With the sun shining over the tops of the hills, and with the purple heather on the ground (mid August – early September for the best heather), it was a really beautiful ride.
We stopped off in the village of Alston, which was a really pretty village, but like so many other places has clearly suffered in the downturn of economics/covid etc. There was evidence with independent shops that the community was trying to pick itself up, make the village vibrant and centred around the community, but it was still very quiet. It was such a shame because, as I said, the village architecture and surroundings were so pretty, and I felt like at one point it would have been a thriving town. Maybe, I was just there on the wrong day.
Alston Village Centre
Anyway, after that we headed towards Penrith, climbing up to the top of Hartside Summit (Altitude of 1903 ft). We pulled over into the car park at the top to take in the view. It was a little bit hazy over the Eden Valley, but still a far-reaching view. I imagine on a clear day you’d be able to see the coast and the Lake District Mountains, and potentially even further afield (I’ve heard some people say they can see the Welsh Mountains from high points in the NW (don’t know if you’d be able to see that far from Hartside; there might be some things in the way!). The drive down should be taken with care as there is plenty of hairpin bends (I would not want to be doing that in the middle of winter!).
The rest of the journey was a pleasant amble through the countryside towards Penrith and then further down. Yes, it took us a bit longer than it would have if we’d have gone down the motorway, but the ride was much more pleasant and it was a really nice to get away from the traffic and into the countryside. I would definitely recommend it from time to time, just turn off the main road… sure keep an eye on the GPS… but then see where the country road takes you!
