Spennymoor is a town in County Durham. We usually bypassed it on travelling to and from Barnard Castle but last December we decided to have a look at it on our way back from visiting Bowes Museum. Unfortunately the light was fading a bit by the time we did.

Spennymoor’s War Memorial stands at a road junction:-

Closer view:-

Dedication; above cross “Pro Dieu et Pro Patria.” Below cross, “To these men of Spennymoor district who fell defending our liberty let their names be cherished with gratitude and pride and the remembrance of their steadfast endurance and gallant sacrifice be enshrined in t e haerts of our people for ever
and let this land whose hearts they saved from shame for many and many an age proclaim eternal honour to their name.”

“The Glorious Dead” of the Great War. I Abley – J H Evans:-

Below these are the names for World War 2:-

Great War Names K Farthing – F Perry above and a 2011 Afghanistan name below:-

Great War Names, J Perry – W Young:-

Great War 100th Anniversary bench, litter bin and effigy of soldier:-

Former Town Hall. It still holds Town Council meetings but now houses an Art Gallery and various other outlets:-

The main attraction at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle is a silver swan automaton. The model in itself is a beautiful object:-

Replacement parts:-

Unfortunately when we were there the swan wasn’t in operation. I think it needed maintenance work.

Hoewvere there was an explanatory video of its operation and movement. (The video is also available on YouTube. See below.) The articulation is amazing, the glass rods representinng water in motion are particularly effective. The swan “catches” and “eats” a fish at about 4.50 in the video. Real swans are of course vegetarian:-

I liked this piece of stained glass too:-

Bowes Museum is housed in an imposing building in Barnard Castle, County Durham:-

Bowes Museum and formal garden. Barnard Castle’s War Memorial is in the distance to the right here:-

Model of Bowes Museum inside museum:-

Topiary in formal garden. Barnard Castle War Memorial in background:-

Topiary from museum’s upper floor. Barnard Castle War Memorial to back left:-

This is an obelisk on a square based stepped plinth and lies in the grounds of the Bowes Museum.

There is a wood carving/sculpture to its left in this view:-

Facing view:-

Great War Dedication, “Pro Patria 1914 – 1919. In grateful remembrance of the men of Barnard Castle of all ranks who fell in the Great War. For God and King and Right they gave their all,” and names F Allison – P Finn:-

Second World War Dedication, “In memory of those who fell in the Second World War 1939- 1945,” names for World War 2, and, “They died that we might live.”

Great War names, W Fleet – T B Kipling:-

Great War names E Lee – C H Smith:-

Great War names, J T Smith – R E Young. Bowes Museum in background:-

Three photographs of the memorial to the men of the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) which lies in the grounds of Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle.

Dedication: “To all ranks of the old Barnard Castle Militia, Durham LI, who died for their country Aug 1914 – Nov 1918.”

The reverse carries the symbol of the DLI:-

Between the Town Ward and Inner Ward of Barnard Castle there is a strange thing to find inside a castle’s perimeter: a valley, seen below with the modern wooden bridge across it.

This ruin is to the left as you look in the above photo:-

Interior valley seen from the bridge:-

Valley from above:-

North west corner building (circular tower to right):-

From top of circular tower:-

Weir and bridge over River Tees from the castle:-

This lies alongside the A 67 through the town a bit closer to the centre than the Boer War Memorial:-

Gate to garden:-

Stone in memory of the crew of Blackburn Botha L6416, “lost in these hills 22/8/1941.”:-

Stone in memory of the crew of Meteor NF11 WD 778 of RAF Leeming. “Lost in these hills 24/3/1954.”:-

Stone dedicated to the aircrews of all nations who lost their lives while serving with the RAF and Air Transport Auxiliary:-

“To remember all those of the Merchant Navy who died in war and peace.”:-

Since 1916, 47 RFC or RAF aircraft have been lost in flying accidents in Teesdale and the Western Pennines. Plaques in remebrance of Bill and Lella Eden founder members of the memorial garden and another to Squadron Leader Roger M Matthews, RAF, killed in a flying accident nearby on 6/8/1981.

This stands by the main A 67 through the town.

Dedicated “Pro Patria” in memory of the 3rd militia battalion of the Durham Light Infantry, the Imperial Yeomanry and local volunteers who died in South Africa.
The lower plaque describes the surrrounding area as a memorial garden to the men of Barnard Castle who lost their lives in the Second World War.

A further plaque facing the road commemorates all those from Barnard Castle who have died in conflicts or peacekeeping missions since World War 2.

Prior to September last year we hadn’t actually managed to get inside the castle after which the town of Barnard Castle is named. But then we finally maaged.

Entrance from inside:-

The castle as it was:-

The Castle was divided into two main Wards, the Town Ward and the Outer Ward, with a smaller Inner Ward and Mid Ward towards the west.

Building on eastern perimeter, part of TownWard:-

Inner Ward from internal pathway:-

Part of Outer Ward:-

The B 6278 road between Stanhope and Barnard Castle (see previous posts on those settlements) has a seriously sharp turn and then very steep climb just after Stanhope. Before long you are in middle of nowhere territory. Nothing but the road and moorland hills.

And then you come across the sheep. (Well we did.)

I eventually stopped for this photo to be taken. Earlier on there had been several sheep on the road but I managed to navigate past them going slowly before I thought there was a photo opportunity. (I noted the snow poles by the roadside while I was driving. You could almost be in Scotland):-

At least these two weren’t a hazard to drivers:-

Driving in upland Britain. Always an adventure.

Mind you I’ve come across sheep blocking the road before. Once on a trip up East Lomond (aka Falkland Hill) from Leslie to the pass at the top over to Falklkand. A whole flock was being moved from one field to another. They covered the road and there was no option but to stop. They were jumping and climbing all over each other but they must have had an excellent sense of space because they all passed the car without any of them touching it.

Once, on Wemyshall Road by Hill of Tarvit Mansion, there was a single sheep on the road which obviously thought the grass there would be sweeter than in the field.

And then there was Duirinish.