Скачать или смотреть 9. Casual castle hopping near the Scottish border

European Studies
Friday, August 15, 2014: Day 9
Edlingham Church and Castle and Alnwick Castle today.
I rather like today's video. I'm getting the hang of this hybrid mode just a bit more.
Last day of field trips in Durham. Twas really good. No rain. and no rain is good.
Morning stop on the way to the bus to see Watergate (the arghway and walls), one of the entrances through the wall that once surrounded Durham when it was composed primarily of the Castle and Cathedral. The walls are super tall, hence it made for good defense and protection along with its location on a rocky promontory and river peninsula.
Then off to Edlingham, the settlement of the people/followers of Edwulf. Just 15 miles from the border between England and Scotland, the church was fortified with the tower in order to serve as a place of protection for the nearby inhabitants during Scottish raids that began in 1296, when war broke out between the two.
The Castle is in ruins. Once owned by the de Felton family and served as another place of protection for the local people. It has a Solar Tower (the tall part) that has three levels and the Hall House (adjacent but only knee height) was the primary housse before adding everything else for protection. There was a cobbled courtyard and gate and a barbican and wall all around it too.
Lunch was a tuna sandwich (perhaps the most controversial yet, certainly the smelliest, but I liked i lots, seeing as I almost finished it before I remember to take a picture of it).
Then to Alnwick Castle. It is a private residence but the family only lives here from October to March every year when it turns really private and stations guards and such, but for the rest of the year, it's open to visitors and tours. In the summer, they live in their manor in Scotland and have two places also in London.
Photos are not allowed insice the castle but OPULENCE, HOLY MOLY. Beautiful coffered ceilings with gold gilding, Renaissance paintings galore (acquired through an artistic coup), intricate carving every.where., amazing cabinets, silk walls, portraits of everyone in the family, modern photos of the duchess's wedding in June of 2013, a library of 14,500 books, sculptures made to fit a painting which was painted to fit the room which was decorated around said objects, a priceless porcelain collection that stretched across more walling than my house has.
The inner nad outber bailey were gorgeous too. Kids were constantly rolling down the motte. One mom who had a phone call to make said to her three kids "you can roll all you want" and the kids screamed in happiness. Cute.
Harry Potter things: the first flying lesson was shot here and the lion on the side of the building is where Neville flew by. (video reference:    • Harry Potter's First Flying Lesson  )

Shot on a Canon PowerShot 330HS using auto-hybrid mode via Video Digest.