Sophie has been home from Spain for a couple of weeks and we’ve been out and about with our cameras. We spent a Sunday up in Edlingham and Craster ~ the Edlingham shots are mostly with the FujiXT2 so will be appearing on Sundays over on the Universe blog, but we also went over to Craster and had a windy walk up the coast to Dunstanburgh Castle, and I employed the Contax Aria for the visit, loaded with Kodak Gold 200 film.
Craster is a small fishing village on the Northumberland coast. It has a small harbour and a grassy path leading up to the castle which is the only way to get to it. For many years, the village has had a herring-curing business: Craster kippers are well known around the world.
Dunstanburgh Castle was built on an epic scale atop a remote headland along the coast. It was built at a time when relations between King Edward II and his most powerful baron, Earl Thomas of Lancaster, had become openly hostile. Lancaster began the fortress in 1313, and the latest archaeological research indicates that he built it on a far grander scale than was originally recognised, perhaps more as a symbol of his opposition to the king than as a military stronghold.
Unfortunately the earl failed to reach Dunstanburgh when his rebellion was defeated, and he was taken and executed in 1322. Thereafter the castle passed eventually to John of Gaunt, who strengthened it against the Pesky Scots by converting the great twin towered gatehouse into a keep.
The focus of fierce fighting during the Wars of the Roses, it was twice besieged and captured by Yorkist forces, but subsequently fell into decay.
Before we arrived at Craster we had lunch at our favourite café in Rock, which readers of the Universe blog will have heard me bang on about.
It was a really blowy~blustery day so walking up the coast was a bit like being beaten up, we didn’t get right up to the castle before we’d had enough and turned round, wimps that we are, but far enough for a long shot of it.
There are quite a few holiday cottages to rent, or maybe they are second homes for posh people, along the sea front, and the have their own little gardens to sit in with views of the harbour, castle, and sea.
fragglefilm 
Craster seems a lovely city, perfect to find a cozy place, sit down and read a book. I just thought that I need a map when reading your posts. I’d be great to locate these cities and Castles in a map. I’m reading a book where the setting is in Leamington, I think a small city close to London, with gorgeous houses and gardens.
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That made me smile, Craster is not by any stretch a city,not even a town, just a small pretty fishing village. Leamington (officially Royal Leamington Spa) is 130km north of London in Warwickshire, but it does have beautiful architecture of the Regency era. Google maps is useful 🙂
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flowery things = red valerian. i’ve noticed it becoming more and more widespread in these here parts over the past few years…
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Thanks Graham, yes they’re all over the shop here too!
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I have been there, but it was in the early 1970s. Thanks for some lovely photos, but the grey and black background and text is a real struggle for my failing eyes. 😦
Best wishes, Pete.
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I’ll see what I can do when I get on the Big Mac.
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See if that’s better for you now Pete.
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Much better! Thanks for helping these old eyes. 🙂
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😘
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That castle looks so desolate and eerie (I bet it’s particularly atmospheric at night). How I would love to explore ruins such as those!
It does indeed look like a blustery day based on the bundled up shot. Love all the flowery things and the mermaid!
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Cheers Mae 😘
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I forgot it was film, not that the photographs look digital, but the richness of colors is very nice. I found myself thinking you had loved if the sky had been more stormy. Poor earl of Lancaster, ambition is bad for the health of the head.
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Indeed! Thanks Francis, Kodak Gold is a nice film.
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The castle does look quite a size. Thomas wasn’t the only one who didn’t get on with Edward II, but he was one of those responsible for the murder of the king’s favourite, so it was never going to end well for him.
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Thanks April, yes, poor Piers!
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Looks like a lovely spot to visit…the castle must have looked very grand before it started falling down!
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Thanks Steve, I think it was!
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Another fabulous post! I love those harbour photos the best, though the castle is impressive! 😊
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Cheers Connie 😘
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Beautiful work
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Thanks Mary.
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Do mermaids nomally have aquatic teddies?
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Of course they do.
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