The North(ish) Lass

Explore the North.

Tag: english heritage

  • New Year, New Hobbies?

    New Year, New Hobbies?

    Whisper it quietly, but it’s nearly 2026. I know! Where did 2025 go to?! How does it feel like it’s gone so quickly? Anyway, with the new year nearly upon us, it’s often a time when people are thinking about new and exciting things they might like to do. Well… allow me to suggest a few hobbies or volunteering options you might like to take a look at as 2026 rolls in.

    Volunteer for the National Trust or English Heritage

    Two of our largest UK charitable institutions rely extensively on the help of their volunteers in order to keep their historic houses, beautiful gardens, and expansive wild spaces across the North open to the public. If you’re able to, volunteering for one of these institutions can be incredibly rewarding – my dad used to volunteer as a warden at UNESCO World Heritage Site Fountains Abbey (jointly run/owned by the National Trust and English Heritage), and spent hours up there, walking around (with our Labrador!) and helping guests. If looking after heritage (and potentially spending more time outside, if that’s a resolution you’re thinking about!) and being a part of telling the story of a place and its people, is something you’d be interested in, there are hundreds of properties and locations across the North at which to potentially volunteer. Check out the National Trust or English Heritage volunteering websites for more information.

    There’s also many many many other amazingly charitable institutions that would love your help, if giving up a few hours of your time is something you think you might be able to achieve in the New Year. From the RSPB to the RNLI, these charities rely on their incredible volunteers to keep them going – so check out whichever cause you’re passionate about, and get involved!

    Get involved with a local theatre company

    Ever dreamed about treading the boards? Well, maybe 2026 is there year to try it! There are theatre companies in many towns and villages, and they’re always looking for new people to help stage shows – either to be in them, or to make them happen backstage. Just in my local area and the immediate vicinity there’s Lancaster Footlights (based at The Grand), MAODS (Morecambe Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society), LADOS (Lancaster Amateur Dramatic & Operatic Society), Morecambe Warblers… the list goes on! If you’re interested in theatre, singing, dance, or getting involved backstage, then I guarantee there will be a company, charity, or organisation near you that will welcome you to their throng. And remember, if actually being on stage isn’t your thing, there are so many roles available backstage – from costume, to props, to chaperoning, to producing, to set building and painting – your skills are needed and very welcomed!

    Get fitter with Parkrun or a community running/walking group

    If it’s your resolution to try and do a bit more exercise in the new year, why not have a go at joining something like Parkrun (found in nearly every town and city across the UK these days, with 1381 locations!) where you can be part of a community to help support those goals? Even if you go along by yourself, you can feel as if there’s plenty of other people there with the same goal as you – to get outside and to do a bit of exercise. If Parkrun doesn’t sound like your thing, then how about looking for a community walking or hiking club? With a little bit of digging around Facebook, or dodging adverts on Google, you could find a group of likeminded people who will help you get out and about in your local area and further afield, making your goals more interesting, and more attainable in 2026.

    Explore The North!

    How about making your New Year’s Resolution this year all about exploring your local area, and finding the hidden gems, amazing places, and great local businesses that can be found there? I know that this is definitely going to be mine in 2026 – I want to find even more places across this beautiful area of the country and shout about it. We’ve got so much on our doorstep, whether you live in Morecambe or Malton, Ambleside or Alnwick, so go and explore what your local area has to offer. Perhaps make it a challenge? Try and find fifty places within fifty miles that you can visit, either by yourself or with family and friends, to really discover how beautiful and varied your local area can be!

    Coming Soon: ‘Winter Foodie Feasts to keep your January delicious’ and ‘Best Northern bakeries I’ve visited (so far!).’ Sign up below to not miss out on these articles and more!

    Until next time,
    The Northish Lass

  • Lancaster Grand Theatre: A Brief History

    Lancaster Grand Theatre: A Brief History

    As Christmas comes ever close and the Theatre becomes a hive of activity once again with not one, not two, but THREE pantomimes (Footlights, Schools’, and Adult), I thought I’d take a look at the historic venue that they will be taking place in. Having “trod the boards” in this historic theatre, I can say that it is a wonderful place to perform, and I can’t wait to get the chance to do so again.

    Lancaster Grand Theatre is a Grade II listed building built in 1782, and has been a mainstay of Lancaster’s cultural scene since then. Originally just called “The Theatre” and part of the Northern Circuit of theatres, where touring groups and players would make the rounds with their shows. The Grand is now the only surviving venue in it’s original state. The Grand Theatre is the third oldest working theatre in Britain, and it has been in near continuous use since it was built, apart from the odd year here and there when it has been dark. Pretty good going for a theatre approaching it’s venerable 250th birthday!

    In the first summer it opened, the theatre put on Hamlet, with Lady Macbeth being played by Sarah Siddons, a relation of one of the men who opened the theatre. Other performers included Ira Aldridge, who was the first Black British actor to appear on a UK stage.

    There is a pervasive theatre myth that the ghost of Sarah Siddons haunts the venue. I mean, what would a theatre be without a good ghost story and a residential spirit? As someone who has spent quite a bit of time there, I have yet to meet her, although if I do, I do hope she’s friendly. After all, this was a place she loved to be! Hopefully she would appreciate everything the volunteers and players do to keep The Grand going and vibrant.

    Ira Aldridge (1807?-1867) in the character of Othello

    Theatre performances at the theatre declined through the 1830s and 1840s, but it was reopened in 1849 as a music hall with a focus on classical music, as well as having a space for a museum for the Natural History Society, and was increasingly used for lectures. Charles Dickens appeared twice in 1860s, reading from A Christmas Carol and The Pickwick Papers.

    In 1897 the theatre was modified, including a new stage, by architect Frank Matcham, but the work of this architect was lost in 1908 when the building was badly damaged by fire. It reopened the same year, after significant restoration, as The Grand Theatre. In it’s currently form it seats 457 over two levels and is owned by Lancaster Footlights, an amateur dramatic group, who have been performing since the 1920s, but bought the theatre in 1951 for £7,000 to save it from demolition in the remodelling of the Canal Quarter in the city. This “remodelling” involved mass demolition of streets of old housing, in order to rebuild for “healthier,” more spaced out, housing.

    Tours of the theatre that explore it’s history, both older and more recent, are available throughout the year, hosted by extremely knowledgeable volunteer tour guides. Check out Lancaster Grand’s website for more information of when you can visit and take a tour.

    There is also very exciting things planned for the theatre’s future, and a major fundraising operation is ongoing to raise money for an extension to make a new foyer, and to make the building more accessible for all.

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  • A Day Out In Corbridge (Part Two)

    A Day Out In Corbridge (Part Two)

    After a morning in Corbridge, enjoying Grant’s Bakery & Patisserie, Vintage by the Tower, and Forum Books (read Part One for all of the information), in the afternoon it’s time to explore the amazing history the town has to offer.

    First things first: the Romans. The Romans left a huge footprint throughout this part of world, and Corbridge offers just one of the beautiful historic sites available to visit. You can walk from the centre of town down to the Roman ruins which can be found at the edge of Corbridge, it’s a distance of about a mile. Alternatively there is also a car park at the site, and I believe the local bus also runs past the entrance at various times.

    During the Roman occupation of Britain, Corbridge was possibly known as Coria, although there is plenty of debate as to what the place-name actually was with Corstopitum and Corie Lopocarium also suggested by contemporary records (I’m going to stick with Coria). Coria was the most northerly settlement in the Roman Empire, established in the late 1st Century AD, probably in the decade after the beginning of construction on Hadrian’s Wall, beginning as a fort to house soldiers marching on the crossroad between the Stanegate Road (East-West) and the Dere Street (North-South). It was only after the Roman’s permanently fell back to Hadrian’s Wall in 163 AD that the fort was abandoned by the army (in favour of the larger Vindolanda), and Coria became a predominately civilian settlement, thought to be part of the supply network for Emperor Septimius Severus’ northern campaigns.

    By Birley, Eric, 1906-1995 – https://archive.org/details/corbridge-roman-station-official-guidebook/page/n30, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=102255098

    Today, the Roman fort and town has been partially excavated, about 25% is exposed – the rest is buried under the present town and therefore inaccessible. There is evidence of large granaries, an elaborate house for an official, and buildings that were probably temples. The ruins are in the care of English Heritage and can be visited year round. The attached museum contains some of the most important Roman collections in Britain including the “Corbridge Lion” which is thought to be the work of a master sculptor due to the intricate detail in the sculpture.

    Following the Romans leaving Britain in the 5th Century AD, other notable historic buildings in Corbridge are the parish church of Saint Andrew, thought to be have been consecrated in 676 AD, possibly by Saint Wilfred.

    There is also a fortified vicarage, one of only three in the country. The Vicar’s Pele (pronounced peel) is in the SE corner of the churchyard and has walls that are 4ft thick. The Pele Tower is a Grade 1 Listed building with National Monument Status, but is now a unique microbar selling quality craft ales and other drinks.

    Interior of the micropub in the Pele Tower

    For a small town, there is a lot for a history buff to take in and see. Of course, just walking around provides plenty to see – buildings throughout the town date from the late Tudor period to the Edwardian period, and as such the varied architecture has lots of visual interest, and elements to admire.

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  • Lancaster Grand Theatre: A Brief History

    Lancaster Grand Theatre: A Brief History

    Lancaster Grand Theatre is a Grade II listed building built in 1782, and has been a mainstay of Lancaster’s cultural scene since then. Originally just called “The Theatre” and part of the Northern Circuit of theatres, where touring groups and players would make the rounds with their shows. The Grand is now the only surviving venue in it’s original state. The Grand Theatre is the third oldest working theatre in Britain, and it has been in near continuous use since it was built, apart from the odd year here and there when it has been dark. Pretty good going for a theatre approaching it’s venerable 250th birthday!

    In the first summer it opened, the theatre put on Hamlet, with Lady Macbeth being played by Sarah Siddons, a relation of one of the men who opened the theatre. Other performers included Ira Aldridge, who was the first Black British actor to appear on a UK stage.

    There is a pervasive theatre myth that the ghost of Sarah Siddons haunts the venue. I mean, what would a theatre be without a good ghost story and a residential spirit? As someone who has spent quite a bit of time there, I have yet to meet her, although if I do, I do hope she’s friendly. After all, this was a place she loved to be! Hopefully she would appreciate everything the volunteers and players do to keep The Grand going and vibrant.

    Ira Aldridge (1807?-1867) in the character of Othello

    Theatre performances at the theatre declined through the 1830s and 1840s, but it was reopened in 1849 as a music hall with a focus on classical music, as well as having a space for a museum for the Natural History Society, and was increasingly used for lectures. Charles Dickens appeared twice in 1860s, reading from A Christmas Carol and The Pickwick Papers.

    In 1897 the theatre was modified, including a new stage, by architect Frank Matcham, but the work of this architect was lost in 1908 when the building was badly damaged by fire. It reopened the same year, after significant restoration, as The Grand Theatre. In it’s currently form it seats 457 over two levels and is owned by Lancaster Footlights, an amateur dramatic group, who have been performing since the 1920s, but bought the theatre in 1951 for £7,000 to save it from demolition in the remodelling of the Canal Quarter in the city. This “remodelling” involved mass demolition of streets of old housing, in order to rebuild for “healthier,” more spaced out, housing.

    Tours of the theatre that explore it’s history, both older and more recent, are available throughout the year, hosted by extremely knowledgeable volunteer tour guides. Check out Lancaster Grand’s website for more information of when you can visit and take a tour.

    There is also very exciting things planned for the theatre’s future, and a major fundraising operation is ongoing to raise money for an extension to make a new foyer, and to make the building more accessible for all.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive more updates, please subscribe for free below to get weekly updates on fabulous things to do around the North!

  • A Week In Northumberland (Part Three)

    A Week In Northumberland (Part Three)

    Last one I promise! You can read Part One, Two, and the extra bit about the trip to the Farne Islands, respectively…

    On the day before heading back to Lancashire, dad and I decided to visit Lindisfarne, perhaps better known as Holy Island, a tidal island just off the cost of Northumberland. The island is managed and maintained by the National Trust. I’d always been a bit nervy about visiting Holy Island before because of the high tide cutting the island off twice a day; I’ve always had a fear of being trapped anywhere, and I don’t know, I guess I just imagined being stuck on the causeway as the tide rushed in. I also (for some bananas reason) imagined that the causeway over to the island was literally driving on the sand, and there was the potential to get stuck in it – my brain hadn’t computed it was actually a tarmac road. I guess, living near Morecambe Bay, I’d imagined something more bonkers like trying to 4×4 it from Arnside to Grange-Over-Sands, dodging quicksand as you went.

    Causeway from Holy Island to the mainland

    Anyway, we checked the tide times, something you must do if you plan to visit Holy Island, and noted that the safe crossing time was between 9am – 3.30pm. Perfect. We drove up the A1 to the turn-off (it’s only about a 30 minute drive from Seahouses), and headed out over the causeway. There’s also a walking route for those who wish to walk over to the island (it’s a pilgrimage route for those who are interested in that sort of thing), although I imagine the safe crossing times are probably a shorter window for walkers, as it would take you a bit longer to get out of the way of the oncoming tide. Despite all the warnings about the crossing, about one vehicle a month gets stuck on the causeway, meaning a rescue has to be launched by the RNLI/HM Coastguard, which reportedly costs about £3,500 per rescue.

    Once reaching the main island, because my parents are blue badge holders, we were able to drive up into the small village in order to park. Other cars have to park a little way outside of the settlement in order to protect it from the problems associated with lots of vehicles/pollution, and walk into the village. One thing I did find surprising about Lindisfarne was that it was bigger than I expected. I had imagined the ruins of the priory, a museum, and maybe a collection of houses with a café. In fact there was quite a thriving community – there’s a sixteenth century castle out on the peninsula (quite a walk), the priory ruins with museum, along with another museum about the history of the island, several cafes, a few pubs, shops, a hotel, a gelato seller, and lots of houses – some of which have permanent residents, others of which are holiday lets.

    The island was very busy, given that it was crossing time, but I could imagine during the off times twice a day, and at night, it would be extremely peaceful out there. The only downside out there, other than a tiny one, is that there’s no food shop, as such, so you better get your food before you cross otherwise you’re a bit stuck (for half a day). In the few hours we were there, we wandered around the quaint little streets, stopped off in a nice cafe which had some extremely friendly birdlife (at one point it felt like I was having to fight the sparrows for the rights to my sausage roll), and had a look in the museum before looking in the priory, which is looked after by English Heritage.

    A friendly sparrow after the remnants of my sausage roll

    I was a little bit disappointed with the priory information, I was hoping for more detail about the Viking raids of the 8th & 9th century, particularly the first one; what happened, how it unfolded, the reasons behind it etc. etc., instead the information was more focused on monastic life, and the lives of St Cuthbert and St Aiden (the reason why the island is called Holy Island btw). Which, cool, I guess, but I’ve never really been a huge nerd for monastic history. It has its moments, I suppose.

    What Lindisfarne is most famous for, is the Lindisfarne Gospels, which these days can be found in the British Library. They do occasionally make the trip back to Lindisfarne to be displayed in the museum there, but rarely, so if it’s those you want to see – the British Library is a much safer bet. The gospels themselves are absolutely stunning – pictured below is the front page of the Gospel according to Luke. There were produced in the early 8th century, a presumed to be the work of a monk named Eadfrith, who became bishop of Lindisfarne. It is postulated that the gospels were created in honour of St Cuthbert, and they are considered to be one of the greatest surviving examples of Hiberno-Saxon work.

    The Viking raid on the island in 793 is often considered the “beginning” of the Viking Age, and shockwaves rippled through the Christian West following the attack. There had been other raids before, but this one was more shocking as it hit at the “cradle of Christianity” in the Kingdom of Northumbria, where many saints relics were held. It was widely believed that God had sent the Vikings as punishment for perceived sins of Christians.

    “Never before has such terror appeared in Britain as we have now suffered from a pagan race … The heathens poured out the blood of saints around the altar, and trampled on the bodies of saints in the temple of God…” – Alcuin, Chronicler.

    There were several more attacks into the mid 9th century, causing the priory to be abandoned. The surviving monks took the relics of St Cuthbert and St Aidan to Durham Cathedral. Following the Norman Invasion of Britain in 1066 and the cessation of Viking Raids, monks returned to the island, rebuilding and reinstating the relics. The priory operated until the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII in 1536, when it was permanently closed and stripped of it’s assets, many of which were sold.

    The ruins of Lindisfarne Priory

    I have to admit, Anglo-Saxon history is a period of history I don’t know a huge amount about. I studied monastic history and the hagiography of saints, as one of my modules for a term when I was at university, but that was about it. I always keen to learn more, so whilst I was in the English Heritage shop, I bought a book ‘Anglo Saxons’ by Marc Morris, and look forward to reading it to learn more about this interesting and unstable period in British History.

    Anyway, back to the present day, and after nearly getting blown away on the beach, dad and I headed back across the causeway and for Seahouses.

    We headed home the next day, after a wonderful week away. I really love that coastline – it’s rugged, beautiful, the beaches are clean with soft sand, there’s lots of wildlife, and plenty to do when the weather is fine like we had it. We’ve been up there several times, and positive we’ll head back again in the future. We have to, I’ve yet to see Dolphins in the North Sea and that’s one of my bucket list things to do!