Скачать или смотреть A comfortable walk in Hexham and around Hexham Abbey

Good evening travelers, wanderers and pilgrims. Today was a very relaxing day. I was in no hurry to leave Bellingham this morning as I did not sleep well at all the night before and I was not going to walk through any bogs.

I had a nice breakfast at the Cheviot Hotel. Btw... if any of you ever make it to the Pennine Way and Bellingham, firstly, do it during the summer, and secondly stay at the Cheviot Hotel. It's old, somewhat rickety and very comfy. It's a family owned hotel and pub and you will likely mee the owner, his wife and their daughter as I did. Hospitality? 5 stars!!!

The bus ride to Hexham was quick at about 45 minutes. Hexham is not small but not large. It is located on the River Tyne and as you can imagine industry is a part of its economy. I didn't waste time finding my small inn (Station Inn) and getting my room as I wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the Hexham Abbey and its surrounding.

I did learn that Hexham is home to the oldest purpose-built prison in all of England - the Hexham Old Gaol. The Gaol was built in 1330-33 under Margot and William Melton the Archbishop of York.

Hexham is also the location of one of the earliest seats of Christianity in England. There has been a church on the site of the current abbey for over 1300 years. Etheldreda, Queen of Northumbria made a grant of lands to St Wilfrid, Bishop of York c.674. And yes this is the same St wilfrid whose way i have been following from Edinburgh. The abbey was originally built by St Wilfrid as a Benedictine abbey, and was constructed almost entirely of material salvaged from nearby Roman ruins.

The current church largely dates from c.1170–1250 and was reconstructed as a Augustinian Priory since the earlier church building had beed burned down or plundered by the vikings. After the church was rebuilt it was plundered and burned several times in Scottish raids by folks such as such William Wallace (think Braveheart).

My walk around Hexham gave me a real sense of what life was like. The Abbey was at the center of the city and surrounding it were establishments of commerce on a few narrow roads.

Overall it was a very relaxing and comfortable day. No rain. No wind. No snow. No rocky uneven trails. And lastly... no bogs!!!!