Summer Walk, Low Chibburn Preceptory - Wednesday 17th July 2024.

   

On Wednesday 17th July 2024, thirteen members met on the Druridge Bay links for walk number two on the
Morpeth Camera Clubs Summer Programme. The aim of the evening was to complete a circular walk around
the low-lying pasture land to the east of Widdrington Village and visit the ruins of Low Chibburn Preceptory &
Dower House. This scheduled ancient monument was built 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 on route
to and from Lindisfarne.

   

Walking west away from the links we made our way along the road to High Chibburn Farm where we joined
the farm track and continued north in the warm evening sunshine. On reaching the permitted path we made
a slight detour to avoid a large number of cattle and calves and crossed an adjacent field to the monument.
The ruins currently comprise of two main buildings - the chapel and the house, which formed two sides of a
small courtyard. The other sides of the courtyard still exist as foundations and collapsed walls of what was
once a gatehouse and storage rooms to the north and offices on the eastern side. In the 16th century, it
served as a hospital, and later as a dowager house, before it was destroyed by French invaders in 1691.

   

Inside the ruins, there are many different styles of architecture and you can clearly see that over hundreds
of years, it has been destroyed, rebuilt and altered. Huge wooden beams, large stone fireplaces, small 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 settlement, we returned to the farm track and crossing a style, continued east to Druridge Pools
Nature Reserve. These flat fields and pools result from opencast mining and the Northumberland Wildlife Trust
now manages the area. Stopping at the two bird hides overlooking the lakes and wetland, Duck, Grey Heron,
Geese, A Great White Egret and a Barn Owl were seen and photographed. Leaving the reserve we followed the
path out onto the links road behind Druridge Bay, to complete our circular wander. Thank you to everyone who
attended and made it an enjoyable evening.

   

Davy. 📷