What is the Durham Cathedral sanctuary knocker all about?

The big knocker on the northern door of Durham Cathedral is known as the Sanctuary Knocker. It has long played a part in the history of Durham Cathedral. Anyone who had committed an offence such as murder in self-defence or breaking from prison, could knock the knocker, and would then be given 37 days of sanctuary within the cathedral. In this time they were expected to try reconciliation with their enemies or plan their route of escape.

The Durham Cathedral Sanctuary Knocker is mentioned as far back as 1593, in a book called The Rites of Durham.

Find out more detail on the Durham World Heritage Site website.

The beautiful Durham Dales are a vision in green!

At any time of the year the Durham Dales are spectacular and beautiful. Whether it is the snow of winter or the shades of brown in autumn, they are a beautiful sight. But my favourite time of the year in the Durham Dales is spring, with the green colours-

These photos were taken just outside the lovely village of Middleton-in-Teesdale which is a great place to visit and stop for a nice cup of tea. Check them out http://www.middletonplus.org.uk/

The Durham Dales are a must for any visitor to the North East of England so put it on your list.

High Force waterfall is a sight to behold

High Force waterfall is the heart of the Durham Dales and is a great place to visit for young and old. It is a leisurely walk from the car park and pub down to the waterfall through a wooded area.

The High Force waterfall itself is quite spectacular and , depending on the amount of rainfall in the previous few days, can be very powerful-

Gone are the days from my childhood where you could stand at the top of the waterfall and feel the force of the water pass you by as you stood there, but with safety in mind that is probably just as well.

Check out the visitor details at http://www.highforcewaterfall.com/

A great trip to Egglestone Abbey

Egglestone Abbey is the remnants of a 12th century monastery and it is a great place for the kids to run around while the grown-ups take a look at the Abbey and see what life was like in the past. It is free to enter Egglestone Abbey and free to park so it is a cheap trip to see something interesting.

There are cows in a field next to the car park-

Egglestone Abbey itself is the ruins of an old abbey-

And it is quite impressive to see.

Take a trip there. Egglestone Abbey is not far from Barnard Castle, past the Bowes Museum and is well worth a visit.

Check out all the details here-

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/egglestone-abbey/