Summer Walk, Whalton Village & Church - Tuesday 23rd July 2024.
After eighteen years of compiling the annual programme of Morpeth Camera Club Summer Walks, the quest to find
different places of interest continues and on Tuesday 23rd July 2024, members made the short journey to Whalton,
six miles west of Morpeth. Not previously visited on a club walk, this quiet and unspoilt village has many outstanding
architectural features including the Church of St Mary Magdalene.
Our walk started at the south end of the village, where we parked outside the charming school built in 1831. With
twenty of us in the group, I suggested that half of us visit the church while the rest strolled around the town. After
a short climb, we reached the main street and then headed east past the old rectory to a lovely spot in a north-facing
stone wall that houses the village well and a memorial to Lieutenant Ralph Eustace Smith. Moving on to the east end
of the street, we crossed to view the Whalton Forge, an early 19th-century blacksmith's shop. Heading west, we then
photographed Whalton Manor, created out of four old stone houses by the famous architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, with
gardens designed by the horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll.
Continuing west along the main road, we passed a terrace of stone cottages with colourful gardens, the Beresford
Arms Pub that was originally a thatched house in the early 1900s, and down to Whalton House, another 18th century,
listed building. Retracing our steps, we passed the village hall and the new rectory on the south side of the street, en
route back to visit the church.
The original aim of the evening was for club members to photograph the interior and exterior of this Grade One listed,
13th Century Place of Worship. The church's structure has changed many times over the centuries with additions and
alterations. It contains memorials to the Ogle family, an octagonal font from the 1400s, an oak chancel screen and
choir furnishings and a detailed reredos behind the altar, carved by Hicks and Charlewood.
The Whalton Christ, a recent addition to the church interior, is an impressive montage of 2850 images taken by the
villagers to celebrate the new millennium in 2000. Each resident contributed by taking twelve pictures on disposable
cameras. Local graphic artist Ian Johnson then skillfully created a breathtaking 5ft x 4ft image of Christ using these
images.
Moving outside, the churchyard has many interesting headstones dating back hundreds of years and from this area,
you can view the church tower with its unique 18th-century single-handed clock face on the east side. As the light
faded, the group returned to our start point and ended a successful evening with refreshments outside the village
pub. Big Thank you to everyone who continues supporting the summer walks programme and we look forward to
seeing members' images from the visit.
Davy. 📷
different places of interest continues and on Tuesday 23rd July 2024, members made the short journey to Whalton,
six miles west of Morpeth. Not previously visited on a club walk, this quiet and unspoilt village has many outstanding
architectural features including the Church of St Mary Magdalene.
Our walk started at the south end of the village, where we parked outside the charming school built in 1831. With
twenty of us in the group, I suggested that half of us visit the church while the rest strolled around the town. After
a short climb, we reached the main street and then headed east past the old rectory to a lovely spot in a north-facing
stone wall that houses the village well and a memorial to Lieutenant Ralph Eustace Smith. Moving on to the east end
of the street, we crossed to view the Whalton Forge, an early 19th-century blacksmith's shop. Heading west, we then
photographed Whalton Manor, created out of four old stone houses by the famous architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, with
gardens designed by the horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll.
Continuing west along the main road, we passed a terrace of stone cottages with colourful gardens, the Beresford
Arms Pub that was originally a thatched house in the early 1900s, and down to Whalton House, another 18th century,
listed building. Retracing our steps, we passed the village hall and the new rectory on the south side of the street, en
route back to visit the church.
The original aim of the evening was for club members to photograph the interior and exterior of this Grade One listed,
13th Century Place of Worship. The church's structure has changed many times over the centuries with additions and
alterations. It contains memorials to the Ogle family, an octagonal font from the 1400s, an oak chancel screen and
choir furnishings and a detailed reredos behind the altar, carved by Hicks and Charlewood.
The Whalton Christ, a recent addition to the church interior, is an impressive montage of 2850 images taken by the
villagers to celebrate the new millennium in 2000. Each resident contributed by taking twelve pictures on disposable
cameras. Local graphic artist Ian Johnson then skillfully created a breathtaking 5ft x 4ft image of Christ using these
images.
Moving outside, the churchyard has many interesting headstones dating back hundreds of years and from this area,
you can view the church tower with its unique 18th-century single-handed clock face on the east side. As the light
faded, the group returned to our start point and ended a successful evening with refreshments outside the village
pub. Big Thank you to everyone who continues supporting the summer walks programme and we look forward to
seeing members' images from the visit.
Davy. 📷