Jo’s Monday walk : Whitburn through the Looking Glass

Are you wondering at my title this week?  The village of Whitburn in north east England has a Lewis Carroll connection.  It’s generally accepted that he wrote “The Walrus and the Carpenter” while staying at his cousin’s home in Whitburn.

Charles Dodgson, whose pen name was Carroll, of “Alice in Wonderland” fame, regularly visited his cousin Margaret Wilcox, the wife of a Customs officer in Sunderland.  For entertainment on an evening they would make up verses.  ‘Twas brillig and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe’ started life here, and was published as ‘Jabberwocky’ in 1872.   I had no such rhymes in my head on the seafront at Seaburn.  The sun was shining warmly and I planned to head up the coast.

Looking good, don’t you think, and I’m not surprised that Carroll enjoyed strolling on this stretch of cliff top that leads north to Souter Lighthouse. I’m easily distracted sometimes and a wooden sculpture by the edge of the road beckoned me to take a closer look.

Welcome to Whitburn, the sign said.  Well, why not?  A path led invitingly past a swathe of vibrant wildflowers and I found myself in Cornthwaite Park.  There I found the legend writ large, ‘Whitburn through the Looking Glass’.

I love the reputation of this peaceful, rural location as a haven for shipwreckers. Following the attack of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the defeated Spanish fleet fled up the north east coast of England.  Two galleons ran aground in rough seas on Whitburn Rocks and the locals were not slow to utilise wreckage.  Two oak beams in the village smithy were said to have come from the wreck, and a bell used to call the Spanish crews to prayer was mounted in the parish church.

Leaving the park, imposing gates and a double letter box drew my eye to the most stylish and sumptuous of buildings.

Whitburn Hall originally belonged to the Carr family, but was bought in 1719 by the Williamsons, who remained in residence for 200 years.  During that time, Sir Hedworth Williamson trained racehorses on Whitburn Sands, producing a couple of famous Derby winners.  Horses are still a common sight, exercising on the beach.

Lewis Carroll would have been a regular visitor to the Hall.  Lady Hedworth Williamson was second cousin to Alice Liddell, to whom the ‘Alice’ books are dedicated.  Remember my Llandudno post?

Church Lane leads to Whitburn Church, and beyond that an expansive village green.  Set back from the road, a row of cottages with an idyllic location.  An elderly gentleman passed the time of day and acknowledged his good fortune at living there.

The cottages look up to strikingly decorative Whitburn House.  Thomas Barnes, the owner of a brickworks, tried to fence off the common ground in front of it, but in 1873 the courts decided that ‘the Bank’ and the village green should remain free for the use of all villagers.

Did you notice the Tradesman’s entrance?  ‘Know your place!’, as it was in those days.  A window cleaner was tackling the vast frontage and I didn’t envy him.  From Whitburn House I turned right off Front Street into Sandy Chare.  I vaguely remembered a village pond from a previous visit.

Serene as it looks, it has a bit of a tumultuous history.  Formerly known as the Horse Pool, the pond was used to wash coaches and the white building behind once housed stables.  In 1824 the first village school was built, beside the pond.  When a larger school was built in Sandy Chare, in 1852, the building became the Infant School.  In seriously wet weather the pool was prone to overflowing, and one villager recalls having to sit on his desk amidst rising water.  The headmaster gives a graphic account of the situation after the great storm of 1900. (you can read it if you magnify the panel above)

The sea was calling me back, and a return to the rough headland of the Bents.  My husband had food in mind, though we paused to admire the antics of a family of cormorants out on the rocks. ‘Latimers’ of Whitburn does a mean plate of food, with a sea view to boot.

On Front St. I had noticed a sign for Bede’s Heritage Trail and, looking it up when I got home, discovered that Whitburn is part of a 12 mile walk dedicated to the saint.  On June 29th each year there is an annual pilgrimage.  More food for thought, and certainly an outing for another day.  Here is the map.  I had unwittingly completed parts of section 4 and 5.  I hope you enjoyed it.

Many thanks to all of you for wandering with me, and for this wonderful selection of walks.  I hope you’ll find time to put the kettle on and sit back for a good read.  Join me if you can.  The details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page.

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Not quite a Beatles classic, Drake gives us Scandinavia with a smile this week :

Southern Norwegian mood

While Debbie does an easy snippet of the Fife Coastal path :

Inverkeithing to North Queensferry

And Lady Lee, a fierce-looking castle in Malta :

Traces of the Past- Citadel/Cittadella

Jackie is on hand with coffee and cake :

Smell the coffee

Which Tish could do with, after a hard day’s gardening.  A privilege for me to have her here :

Butterflies in the Buddleia, Bees in the Teasels and all’s well at the allotment

Join Vanessa and family in a gentle introduction to walking in Japan.  If you have the stamina you can climb Mount Fuji too :

Fujiyoshida/ Hiking the Tokai Nature Trail through rural Japan

Meantime, Meg goes bouldering, with due care and diligence :

Granite country

Got your parasols ready for twirling?  Rosemay has a lovely summery walk for us :

Promenade by the lake

And by contrast, Lynn flirts with an avalanche.  I kid you not!

A little snow on the mountain

Woolly explores the sad loss of Newfoundlanders on the Western Front :

Jo’s-Monday-Walk-Wk29_Beaumont-Hamel-Pt-1

Last September it was surely warmer and sunnier than now.  Or was it just having Jude’s lovely company?

Garden Portrait : Edinburgh Botanic Garden

Meanwhile Denzil’s pulled out all the stops to impress with his canal boats :

GR121 Stage 3 : Nivelles to Braines-le-Comte

Something for everybody, I’m sure you’ll agree.  It’s a miserable wet Monday here in the north east.  Maybe I’ll stop at home and do a little research. Have a great week everybody!

 

 

134 comments

    1. Oh, well that makes me feel much better, Debs! 🙂 🙂 We do have a sunshine forecast for later but I’m not holding my breath. Yippee, I’m off to the barrage!

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  4. It looks like you’re having some fabulous weather there now, Jo. That beach scene with the red flowers is so inviting! Whitburn Hall is definitely stylish and sumptuous with all that architectural detail. Can you imagine a time when you would make up verses for entertainment? Oh, the bygone days! I would appreciate that mean plate of food and the sea view at Latimer’s. I bet you did too! 🙂

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    1. I have to admit, Cathy, I would feel silly wandering along that beach reciting Jabberwocky. 🙂 🙂 It was a glorious day, as you say, but it’s been all downhill since then. Loads of rain, and quite cool. I’ll have to pretend. 🙂

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      1. I agree, Jo, it would be rather silly to walk along the beach reciting Jabberwocky, that is unless you had a group of friends to do it with, and lots of wine to accompany! 🙂 As for rain, I had my share while here, but this past weekend, I went north to Nikko and it poured the whole time. 😦 I hope the weather has cleared up for you. xxx

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  6. Wonderful monday walk, so interesting and so beautiful. All excellent captured. 🙂
    Been told that Whitburn means white barn in old english and that Whitburn is known back to the 1100s but the first road to the village was made in the late 1800s. In the meantime it must have been “mountain bike area”. 😀

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  7. So lovely and dreamy to hear that Whitburn has a connection to Lewis Carol and Alice in Wonderland. Picturesque architecture and horses along the beach too. That place today all sounds like a great dream in reality. That window cleaner really must be lucky as you alluded to – what a view to come to work 🙂 That looks like a wonderful plate of fish and chips, and the fish really does look like a real fish 🙂

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    1. I had a chuckle to myself, Mabel, because it is actually a smoked haddock and leek pastie sitting on those chips. 🙂 🙂 It fooled Andrew too, and I must admit if l didn’t know otherwise…. I had a crab sandwich, which is less easy to mistake but not so photogenic. 🙂

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      1. Oh my. A smoked haddock and leek pastie 😦 So far from battered fish 🙂 Crab sandwich sounds so delicious. I could eat some right now at midnight. But it’s better for me to got to bed. Hope the week’s off to flyer for you ❤

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  8. Pingback: A quick walk around the bay – Travel with Intent
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  11. You have captured the spirit of the place perfectly Jo. Food looks good but I hate it when they put the fish on top of the chips – makes it hard to get salt and vinegar properly proportioned!

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  15. So much fascination in this small place, Jo. And I can just see the Walrus and the Carpenter blubbing into handkerchiefs with a trail of oyster shells along that beach. It’s perfect. So another splendid walk and some good grub to finish. And many thanks for the link too. I need the coffee right now. Got up this a.m. to find the makeshift roof had blown off THE SHED into nextdoors. He who builds had to shed his nightie double quick to rescue the parts. All too exciting first thing. Have a lovely day.

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    1. It’s blowing a hooligan here too Tish. Going to be a home day I think. Our homestead could do with a little tlc now that we’ve established the son in his palace. The overspill from his has taken over at ours. Poor Graham! X

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      1. G. is rallying, but thanks for commiseration. I know that overspill feeling. Also the need for some domestic tlc, which I am currently ignoring – quite steadfastly in fact. Dust? It will be there tomorrow…and tomorrow…

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  16. Lovely read over morning coffee from down here in Jo’berg.
    So much of ”Mud Island” – as blog pal Footsy refers to the old country – I know practically zilch about, and have never visited either.
    Always nice to take a vicarious wander.

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    1. It’s always surprising what you can find when you go looking, Ark. I always seem to do it backwards and find things like the Heritage Trail after I’ve blundered about. 🙂 🙂 Lovely to have your company. I’m just having a lunchtime cuppa. Too wet to walk today.

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      1. We are currently bathed in glorious afternoon sunshine here in Jo’burg.
        It’s quiet and peaceful at our spot today.
        I will likely allow the dogs to take me for a drag around the suburb a bit later.
        Enjoy your ‘cuppa’

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  17. A lovely walk Jo with so much local history as well as the gorgeous photos! I had no idea about the Lewis Carroll connection with Whitburn – fascinating! This is a part of the world that, despite growing up in Yorkshire, I have hardly visited so one day I must remedy that. The sea looks lovely on such a beautiful day but I can well imagine the winter storms! Thanks for including my little promenade in your walks this week. A lovely way to start the week – hope you have a good one! 🙂

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    1. Thanks a lot, Rosemay. 🙂 🙂 There are certainly plenty of good stories in the area, and the scenery is gorgeous if you can get a nice day. (this was last Monday and it was! Long since gone 😦 ). Trying to sort my home out because we seem to have accumulated loads of James’ unwanteds in the process of the move. Charity shop here we come. 🙂

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  18. Whitburn looks a lovely place, and enjoyed my virtual wander with you! Great views out to sea, interesting architecture and a load of history – what more to want?

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  20. Just catching up with you again after being away camping on Anglesey. Great photos as usual Jo, Whitburn looks like a lovely place. I love the dolphin sculpture, and the view over the bay is gorgeous 🙂

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      1. I had a lovely time thanks Jo, although it wasn’t without its initial problems. There’s a brief account and a few pics here – https://mousehouselife.wordpress.com/2017/07/19/back-from-anglesey-and-i-definitely-need-a-new-tent/ and the full holiday with lots of pics can be found starting here – http://tigermousetales.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/monday-july-10th-2017-anglesey-and-tent.html although it’s taking me a while to write it all up.

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