Club Walk, Low Chibburn Preceptory - Tuesday 18th August 2020.

       

On Tuesday 18th August 2020, Morpeth Camera Club held its first socially distanced walk that enabled us to have safe
contact with other members and to do some photography. Meeting at Druridge Bay Links, the aim of the evening was
walk around the low lying pasture land to the west of Druridge Bay taking in the ruins of Low Chibburn Preceptory and
Dower House. This scheduled ancient monument was built in 1313 by the Knights Hospitallers or Order of St John of
Jerusalem, who had a duty to care for the sick and would take in pilgrims who would pass through the area on route
to and from Lindisfarne.

After a couple of heavy showers, we left the car park and walked west away from the links and made our way to High
Chibburn Farm. Now enjoying the warm sunshine, we left the road and followed the fingerpost to the mettled farm track.
Heading north we walked a short distance to a stile and crossed a field to the site. The ruins at Low Chibburn consist of
two main buildings, the house and the chapel that form two sides of the courtyard. The remaining two sides survive as
the foundations and tumbled walls. Used in the 16th century as a manor house it later became a " Dower House" which
was to accommodate the widows on their late husband's estates.

Standing in the ruins with the many different styles of architecture, it was clear to see that over seven hundred years the
buildings had been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Wooden beams, stone fireplaces, arched windows, shields carved
into the stone, huge lintels and the remains of a horizontal embrasure surviving from a World War II pillbox, all provided
features for us to photograph.

       

Leaving the buildings, the group of nine members then headed east crossing the farm track & a grass field before joining
the footpath leading to the Druridge Pools Nature Reserve. Stopping at the two hides overlooking the lake and wetlands,
members photographed birds, flowers and Exmoor ponies. Good cloud and sky shots were also obtained as the evening
light changed. Leaving the lake, the group continued down to the dunes and then headed south along the links road back
to our start point to complete our circular walk.

Despite the uncertain weather conditions we were rewarded for our efforts with no rain during the walk and a number
of good images were taken. Big thank you to those who attended and supported the evening.

Davy Bolam.