All pics here.
Back.
Front.
Inside.
View from the wall.
Cellars.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Carsluith Castle
Right before my destination for the night (Creetown), I happened upon an unmanned, yet blissfully open Historic Scotland property: Carsluith Castle. Not a very exciting building, but at least I got in a few good pics.
All pics here.
Back.
Front.
Inside.
View from the wall.
Cellars.
All pics here.
Back.
Front.
Inside.
View from the wall.
Cellars.
More failure
Today I've been to not one, nor two, but THREE fuckin' properties that were closed on account of it being October. Two castles and one cairn. So is this it, Scotland? You gonna lock up and hide the key till spring now? Eh? Eh? Eh? Hrmph!
The first place that was closed was MacLellann's castle, in the little town of Kirkcudbright. It was basically built to show off the good taste of the local Laird, and served no military purpose whatsoever. Still, it would be nice to be allowed in to fuckin' SEE the thing.
All pics here.
Front view.
Side view.
War memorial. You may think there's some symbolism in the stop sign to the right, but I can assure you there's not.
The first place that was closed was MacLellann's castle, in the little town of Kirkcudbright. It was basically built to show off the good taste of the local Laird, and served no military purpose whatsoever. Still, it would be nice to be allowed in to fuckin' SEE the thing.
All pics here.
Front view.
Side view.
War memorial. You may think there's some symbolism in the stop sign to the right, but I can assure you there's not.
Caerlaverock Castle
I crossed into Scotland today, and I gotta say it's good to be back. First thing this morning, I visited Caerlaverock Castle, not far inside the border and I could have hugged the guy behind the counter when he greeted me with a thick, Scottish accent.
The castle itself is a magnificent building, one might say it's castlerer than most castles. It has a moat, a drawbridge, towers and turrets and windows and slits where one would have fired crossbows and ruins of fireplaces and ovens and and and just wheeeeee. This, in short, is a proper castle.
It was built towards the end of the 1200s, after an unsuccessful predecessor built close by had been abandoned. In 1300, it was subjected to a short and brutal siege by king Edward I of England, aka Longshanks, aka "cunt" (his Scottish name). Teddy boy hammered the Scots and they duly surrendered, and the skirmish has no military value at all, except that it is very well documented. Apparently we even know the color and drawings of the shields each of the 87 English knights used. I use the term "we" liberally here, since I would commit murder rather than sit through a reading of this information.
Still, this castle is so very much worth a trip. It's a handsome building even today, and you can go up into most of the remaining structures and gawp at the remains of fireplaces or where they would keep silverware or where the floors/ceilings would be. And if it starts to rain, like it did with me this morning, just remember that if you don't like the weather in Scotland - just wait five minutes.
All pics here.
The Castle. Good, eh?
Looks like somebody knocked down the wall to get a view.
View of the buildings from the courtyard.
View of the courtyard from the Lord's personal hall. Ish good to be the king.
View from the remains of the staircase.
The castle had its own bakery.
Huge flock of birds photographed from the castle walls.
The bumps in the ground are remains of various outer fortifications. Makes the area almost look like Hobbiton.
These trebuchets (catapults) and other assorted war machinery stand outside the castle. At first glance they looked like a kindergarten playground.
In the little museum by the visitor center, you can dress up. Well, iffin yer small. I didn't even dare try. Sniffles.
The castle itself is a magnificent building, one might say it's castlerer than most castles. It has a moat, a drawbridge, towers and turrets and windows and slits where one would have fired crossbows and ruins of fireplaces and ovens and and and just wheeeeee. This, in short, is a proper castle.
It was built towards the end of the 1200s, after an unsuccessful predecessor built close by had been abandoned. In 1300, it was subjected to a short and brutal siege by king Edward I of England, aka Longshanks, aka "cunt" (his Scottish name). Teddy boy hammered the Scots and they duly surrendered, and the skirmish has no military value at all, except that it is very well documented. Apparently we even know the color and drawings of the shields each of the 87 English knights used. I use the term "we" liberally here, since I would commit murder rather than sit through a reading of this information.
Still, this castle is so very much worth a trip. It's a handsome building even today, and you can go up into most of the remaining structures and gawp at the remains of fireplaces or where they would keep silverware or where the floors/ceilings would be. And if it starts to rain, like it did with me this morning, just remember that if you don't like the weather in Scotland - just wait five minutes.
All pics here.
The Castle. Good, eh?
Looks like somebody knocked down the wall to get a view.
View of the buildings from the courtyard.
View of the courtyard from the Lord's personal hall. Ish good to be the king.
View from the remains of the staircase.
The castle had its own bakery.
Huge flock of birds photographed from the castle walls.
The bumps in the ground are remains of various outer fortifications. Makes the area almost look like Hobbiton.
These trebuchets (catapults) and other assorted war machinery stand outside the castle. At first glance they looked like a kindergarten playground.
In the little museum by the visitor center, you can dress up. Well, iffin yer small. I didn't even dare try. Sniffles.
Some random, immature fun
Just had to share these two. How funny it is, rests entirely upon your own deviant imagination. Personally I laugheded.
Wetwang. *snortgiggle*
Vibrators. *snortgiggle*
Wetwang. *snortgiggle*
Vibrators. *snortgiggle*
Vindolanda
Vindolanda is a place I visited with my old enemy friend Heidi in 2008. It is the site of a huuuuge Roman fortress, with an accompanying village - well, not one but at least NINE of 'em. The earliest ones were built in wood, but the last few in stone. They had slightly different layouts and some of the earliest incarnations covered three times as much as the latest ones.
Since my last visit, they had received several million pounds in funds from the British lottery and the guy who sold me tickets almost wet himself with excitement when he talked about all the new gadgets and stuff they had nowadays down at the museum. He was also going on about some tablets. I just smiled and nodded as if I had any idea what he was talking about.
The grounds were much as I remember them, with lots of foundations and an experimental section where they've rebuilt a small part of the wall. Farther down, they had sculptures and stuff and yes, a hugely rebuilt and expanded museum. I gotta hand it to them, they've made good use of the lottery money. Sadly, you'll have to take my word for it, as they have a no photo policy in the museum.
As for the tablets, they're apparently some of the most historically important things ever found in Britain from Roman times. They number in the hundreds and range from tiny fragments to bigger slabs of writing, covering a wide range of subjects. They keep discovering more all the time. The soil at Vindolanda is perfect for finding this stuff, because the wet, marshy lands uhm... I think... the mud and... they're buried deep and and and. Uhm. Sumfin' about no oxygen, THAT I'm positive on. Yeah. You can tell I'm not a scientist.
Anyways, the old stuff is in pretty good condition when it's dug up and they take it to preservation immediately. What this entails I have no inkling of; it could be anything from putting them in fluids or dry-freezing 'em to dancing around nekkid and sacrificing chickens by the full moon. Come to think of it, maybe a no photo policy isn't so bad after all.
All pics here.
What they're digging up already is a quite large area. According to the narrator of a movie they show, they think there's enough stuff in the grounds to keep digging for another 200 years.
Replica of a stone fort.
Replica of a wooden fort.
The baths.
Down by the museum, shop & cafe building.
It is SO idyllic down here, where they've built some replicas of statues and a whole little temple. Awwww.
The wonderful Northumbria landscape.
I know the old Celts worshipped trees. Might as well, when they're as good looking as these.
This is one of the most iconic images in all of Britain. Variously known as Sycamore Gap or "The Robin Hood Tree" it was featured in "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves". Yes, the one with Kevin Costner.
Since my last visit, they had received several million pounds in funds from the British lottery and the guy who sold me tickets almost wet himself with excitement when he talked about all the new gadgets and stuff they had nowadays down at the museum. He was also going on about some tablets. I just smiled and nodded as if I had any idea what he was talking about.
The grounds were much as I remember them, with lots of foundations and an experimental section where they've rebuilt a small part of the wall. Farther down, they had sculptures and stuff and yes, a hugely rebuilt and expanded museum. I gotta hand it to them, they've made good use of the lottery money. Sadly, you'll have to take my word for it, as they have a no photo policy in the museum.
As for the tablets, they're apparently some of the most historically important things ever found in Britain from Roman times. They number in the hundreds and range from tiny fragments to bigger slabs of writing, covering a wide range of subjects. They keep discovering more all the time. The soil at Vindolanda is perfect for finding this stuff, because the wet, marshy lands uhm... I think... the mud and... they're buried deep and and and. Uhm. Sumfin' about no oxygen, THAT I'm positive on. Yeah. You can tell I'm not a scientist.
Anyways, the old stuff is in pretty good condition when it's dug up and they take it to preservation immediately. What this entails I have no inkling of; it could be anything from putting them in fluids or dry-freezing 'em to dancing around nekkid and sacrificing chickens by the full moon. Come to think of it, maybe a no photo policy isn't so bad after all.
All pics here.
What they're digging up already is a quite large area. According to the narrator of a movie they show, they think there's enough stuff in the grounds to keep digging for another 200 years.
Replica of a stone fort.
Replica of a wooden fort.
The baths.
Down by the museum, shop & cafe building.
It is SO idyllic down here, where they've built some replicas of statues and a whole little temple. Awwww.
The wonderful Northumbria landscape.
I know the old Celts worshipped trees. Might as well, when they're as good looking as these.
This is one of the most iconic images in all of Britain. Variously known as Sycamore Gap or "The Robin Hood Tree" it was featured in "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves". Yes, the one with Kevin Costner.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Cilurnum
Cilurnum is the best preserved cavalry fort along Hadrian's Wall and possibly in all of Britain. Today all is in ruins, but they've dug up some of the foundations of the many buildings at the fort, which was built to guard a bridge over the river North Tyne.
An English landowner, demonstrating the utter knobheadedness that only certain members of the upper classes possess, decided to grab what he could of the visible Roman artifacts and then covered the whole site with hundreds of tons of soil - to get a perfect LAWN. Fortunately, his son dug it all back up again and established a museum on the site, which you can still access. These days it's owned by English Heritage, meaning I get in for freeee.
All pics here.
The barracks.
The camp HQ.
The Commander's house.
The bathhouse. Roman soldiers as a rule had a bath every day. I find it amazing and a little terrifying that the Romans had standards of cleanliness that were unsurpassed by the commoners, even in our part of the world until well into the 20th century.
The area down by the river was so peaceful and purdy and and and... sigh. I wonder if the people stationed here found it pretty or if they longed for their southern homes? How many stayed when their service was done? How many passed their genes on to live in these parts more than 1,600 years after their Empire had retreated?
This guy belonged to a couple of elderly Scottish walkers I met. He was frolicking around in the wet grass and the mud, rolling around with joy as only a very dirty dog can.
This little lady was six months old and was put through the ignominy of being toweled down and her paws cleansed with wet wipes. She went bananas with joy when I talked to her, and positively exploded with love and affection when I petted her. Some things are just too cute for words.
From the museum.
You can find anything in the remains of the Romans; from the mightiest of emperors to the saddest of private tragedies.
For most of the distance it runs, this is all you can see of the wall - slightly hightened foundations. In some places, not even as much as this remains.
An English landowner, demonstrating the utter knobheadedness that only certain members of the upper classes possess, decided to grab what he could of the visible Roman artifacts and then covered the whole site with hundreds of tons of soil - to get a perfect LAWN. Fortunately, his son dug it all back up again and established a museum on the site, which you can still access. These days it's owned by English Heritage, meaning I get in for freeee.
All pics here.
The barracks.
The camp HQ.
The Commander's house.
The bathhouse. Roman soldiers as a rule had a bath every day. I find it amazing and a little terrifying that the Romans had standards of cleanliness that were unsurpassed by the commoners, even in our part of the world until well into the 20th century.
The area down by the river was so peaceful and purdy and and and... sigh. I wonder if the people stationed here found it pretty or if they longed for their southern homes? How many stayed when their service was done? How many passed their genes on to live in these parts more than 1,600 years after their Empire had retreated?
This guy belonged to a couple of elderly Scottish walkers I met. He was frolicking around in the wet grass and the mud, rolling around with joy as only a very dirty dog can.
This little lady was six months old and was put through the ignominy of being toweled down and her paws cleansed with wet wipes. She went bananas with joy when I talked to her, and positively exploded with love and affection when I petted her. Some things are just too cute for words.
From the museum.
You can find anything in the remains of the Romans; from the mightiest of emperors to the saddest of private tragedies.
For most of the distance it runs, this is all you can see of the wall - slightly hightened foundations. In some places, not even as much as this remains.
Prudhoe Castle
After the Angel, I went up north to see Hadrian's Wall. I'd seen a castle on my road map that was very close to the Wall, so I thought I'd get in a good hour of ruin spotting first. Prudhoe Castle however turned out to be one of one my biggest FAILS as a tourist. First, I spent way too much time randomly searching the tiny hamlets for a sign of a fuckin' castle. Second, the road to and fro was terrifying in its narrowness. Third, the effing place was CLOSED. Wanna know when they closed? TODAY, October 1st. Le sigh.
Still, I got in a few pics of the castle and the surrounding area. Also, a pathetic story of how the Scots tried to lay siege to the castle in the late 1100s. Upon finding the place utterly impenetrable, they vandalized... wait for it... the orchard! They even stripped the bark off the trees, THAT'S how angry they were. Yeah, that'll teach 'em.
All pics here.
The path up through the Barbican.
The courtyard with the ruins of the original Great Hall.
The Georgian manor built in the early 1800s.
The absofuckinlutely terryfingly narrow bridge I had to drive across. Twice.
Still, I got in a few pics of the castle and the surrounding area. Also, a pathetic story of how the Scots tried to lay siege to the castle in the late 1100s. Upon finding the place utterly impenetrable, they vandalized... wait for it... the orchard! They even stripped the bark off the trees, THAT'S how angry they were. Yeah, that'll teach 'em.
All pics here.
The path up through the Barbican.
The courtyard with the ruins of the original Great Hall.
The Georgian manor built in the early 1800s.
The absofuckinlutely terryfingly narrow bridge I had to drive across. Twice.
Angel of the North
I know I've stopped and gawped at, and possibly even taken pics of, The Angel of the North before, but I can't for the life of me find any entries on this blog. Anyway, the Angel in question is a huuuuge sculpture on the A1 motorway south of Newcastle; it is 20 meters (66ft) tall and has a 54 meter (177ft) wingspan, which curves slightly to give the impression of an embrace. Of course, considering that the angel faces southward, that's the direction it's embracing, but let's not get mean here.
It was raised in the municipality of Gateshead in 1998, against much local protest, which has since been quieted on account of the protesters being shown to be eejits. It is seen by hundreds of thousands every day, as it's right by one of the country's most busy roads and is considered one of the most iconic sights in Great Britain.
Now, I am no great fan of art in general and sculptures tend to bore me to tears (unless they're historical) but there is just something about this giant heap o' iron that touches the shriveled, little lump of coal I have where my heart should be. And speaking of coal, I seem to remember it being built on top of or very near a coal mine but my memory is a bit vague on this (it is, after all, almost nine hours since I was there).
All pics here.
Full frontal nudity. Locally, it's known as "The Gateshead Flasher". Have I mentioned how much I love the British?
Chemtrails! Oh noes!
Some crrrrrazy angles.
Silhouetted against the sun.
It was raised in the municipality of Gateshead in 1998, against much local protest, which has since been quieted on account of the protesters being shown to be eejits. It is seen by hundreds of thousands every day, as it's right by one of the country's most busy roads and is considered one of the most iconic sights in Great Britain.
Now, I am no great fan of art in general and sculptures tend to bore me to tears (unless they're historical) but there is just something about this giant heap o' iron that touches the shriveled, little lump of coal I have where my heart should be. And speaking of coal, I seem to remember it being built on top of or very near a coal mine but my memory is a bit vague on this (it is, after all, almost nine hours since I was there).
All pics here.
Full frontal nudity. Locally, it's known as "The Gateshead Flasher". Have I mentioned how much I love the British?
Chemtrails! Oh noes!
Some crrrrrazy angles.
Silhouetted against the sun.
Quote of the Day
A whole week of Oscar Wilde, wheeee!
Never speak disrespectful of society. Only people who can't get into it do that.
- Oscar Wilde
Never speak disrespectful of society. Only people who can't get into it do that.
- Oscar Wilde
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Quote of the Day
Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.
- George Bernhard Shaw
- George Bernhard Shaw
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