Henrikdoc

A beautiful start to the day after it poured at 7 am !

(apart from the 40 mph NW wind we battled against a lot of the day)

We were heading inland along country paths, woodlands, along a meandering river…. A bit like Hampshire really.

But even the most simple of walks can yield a surprising amount of things to wonder at….

Love this time of year for walking ✔️

A mandatory coffee stop, of course, even though today was only around 12 miles

There were also enough churches to peer inside

…and walk past

Had to cross that infamous A1…..AGAIN… but this time walking under it.

…and onward through the Northumberland countryside…

… the constant sound of river Cloquet in our ears…

A truly delightful walk in the countryside.

Which reminds me…what of St Oswald? …and the Raven?

It is said that when Oswald was killed in battle at Maserfield (somewhere near current Oswestry in Shropshire), his body was “hacked to pieces and the head and arms were fixed to stakes on the order of Penda” (the victor). They were then moved around a bit (who does that sort of thing?) with his head now in St Cuthbert’s tomb in Durham. His ‘relics’ and areas where his blood was spilled became associated with ‘miracle cures’ and stories developed that had a raven as his companion and messenger (ref official guidebook , St Oswald’s way 2024 ed Martin Paminter)

The Raven, however, has been a symbol with a range of meaning over many centuries and in many cultures.

Looking up ‘The Common Raven’ on Wikipedia gives a lot of fascinating information on types, breeding and behaviour, and cultural and mythological depictions – which you can look up yourself !

Never a dull moment .