The story of Rievaulx from 1132 onwards is reflected in the various architectural styles of its honey coloured stonework. After the Suppression the lands were sold to the 1st Earl of Rutland who proceeded to destroy and loot many of the buildings. However, it's still magnificent.

Two young roe deer in low early morning sunlight bring a smile to my face. With that perfectly coloured coat they are difficult to pick out when static, even in the open. #Northumberland

One easy location to identify and one not so easy. Both on the celestial #Northumberland coast 😃

Who doesn't love a map. One of the best early examples is by Christopher Saxton (c.1577). There are no roads shown but the river navigation routes are obvious. In North #Northumberland it's interesting to see how many places of importance in 1577 have virtually disappeared.

Hammond House is a c.1890 doll's house with 39 fully furnished rooms on three floors and it's currently located in Wallington. Can't imagine any child would be allowed to play with this! My photo shows the 'downstairs' rooms with the full range of servants. #Northumberland

St Wilfred's is a tiny 14th C church tucked away in Kirkharle but it contains enough intriguing features to fill a new Dan Brown novel (the code is inside the yellow circles 🥸🔎) #Northumberland

St Ninian is a bit of a mystery. Scotland's first saint (397AD) is linked with Whithorn (a royal burgh in the historic county of Wigtownshire), which came under the Northumbrian church in the 7th C. These photos in and around his cave show the bleak beauty of his existence.

It's St John Lee: St John of Beverley church in #Northumberland by John Dobson. It could almost be any forgotten parish church with a story in every corner. The social and cultural history is literally embedded in its fabric and should be protected for the generations to come.

This beautiful fractured chunk of rock, surrounded by a turquoise sea, is part of the Farne Islands Sill. Another part of it forms a sturdy base for a better known feature. Numbers on the beach are diminishing as our visitors depart, hopefully with great memories. #Northumberland

I've seen these images in so many forms but it was a real treat to view the William Bell Scott originals in the central hall of Wallington. Scott's brief was to "illuminate the history and worthies of Northumbria" - many contain the faces of friends and Trevelyans #Northumberland

Pareidolia: The tendency to see meaningful patterns and faces in clouds. Can you see it? 🥸 #Northumberland

When you drive to Holy Island this is how you cross. There is something magical about this tenuous strip of tarmac as it joins two worlds. #Northumberland

Two different sunset views of Bamburgh Castle in #Northumberland. The big difference between the 1940s and today? No cars and no carparks!

The Scottish government has approved what could be the world's largest offshore wind farm about 25 miles off Dunbar in the North Sea. It will come ashore near Dunbar and also into a huge 188 hectare site around Cambois/Blyth in #Northumberland

Two ways to create a space for silence and solitude. One in the Anglican tradition and the other in the Eastern Orthodox tradition - both found at Holy Trinity Church, Old Bewick #Northumberland

A strong wind was chasing after a falling tide on the #Northumberland coast. That combination produced a stunning number of white horses swirling and skipping across a deep turquoise sea. #StormFloris

The 12th C is alive and kicking in St Anne's church, Ancroft. The west end of the 12th C nave is still complete and its gable forms most of the west wall of the slightly surreal tower. There is also the original 12th C door - how magnificent is that stonework? #Northumberland

A pub quiz question? On this day in 1439 Henry VI banned something for the good of public health. What was it? A couple of clues below 😘

The most modest of churches, like Linton Kirk in Roxburghshire, can contain intriguing snippets of history: a famous medieval tympanum over the entrance, a Norman font, some medieval stained glass (upper parts) and a very impressive list of ministers all the way back to 1127!

If you feel bold enough to drive 8 miles west over the #Northumberland/#Cumbrian border you'll be treated to Lanercost Priory. This beautiful ruin, dating from the 12th C, has a dramatic triple tier of arches soaring to the original height of the east end - spirituality in stone.