A westward road trip through a historic landscape, ending up in England’s Lake District National Park and an early home of rock climbing — AFTER Helmsley, I drove westward through Yorkshire and across the Yorkshire Dales National Park to the town of Kendal, the gateway to the Lake District National Park, which is in a western region named Cumbria. …

Once holy, and the home of Grace Darling, now a famous nature sanctuary — AFTER Alnwick, I headed north along the A1 and turned off to Bamburgh, to catch a boat to the offshore Farne Islands and finally see some puffins! The Farne Islands are a notable bird sanctuary these days, operated by England’s National Trust. In earlier times, they were also a refuge…

In which I am introduced to ruined abbeys, old bridges, wild forests and the Hole of Horcum, a scenic railway, and the National Centre for Birds of Prey — ON the way to Scarborough, I drove through the lovely countryside of the Howardian Hills, the North York Moors National Park and the Vale of Pickering that lies between: a broad flat plain marked out by the towns of Helmsley, Pickering and Malton.

A small but pretty and historic town in Northumberland, where I stayed while exploring the nearby coast’s outstanding beauty — AFTER HADRIAN’S WALL and the Sill, I headed north up the east coast of Northumberland to Alnwick, a small but, once again, really historic market town. Alnwick is about 50 km (30 miles) north of Newcastle by road and has a population of just over eight thousand. …

A trip to the seaside turns up unexpected connections with geology, Captain Cook, Dracula, and the Brontës — First published 3 June 2022, on my website a-maverick.com AFTER YORK, I drove to the resort town of Scarborough, which seemed like a miniature Blackpool but less touristy. I didn’t take main roads all the way, but detoured a bit to take in the scenery, both on the way there…

More of the incredible, sometimes gruesome, history of England’s northern cultural capital — First published 1 June 2022, on a-maverick.com. This post continues my earlier post, Walking the Walls of York. AFTER Exhibition Square, where the statue of William Etty stands, we went on to King’s Square, where people play music. Even though it is called a square, King’s Square is actually triangular…

The ancient cultural capital of the north of England, with nearly two miles (3.4 km) of city walls still standing — First published 27 May 2022, on a-maverick.com. AFTER Tadcaster, I arrived in the ancient walled city of York, historically the second most important city in England after London, though it is much smaller than London now.

After the Peak District, I arrive in Sheffield, a city once famous for steel-making and cutlery. The same day, I see barbel fish spawn in Tadcaster. — COMING off the Peak District, I rolled on down to Sheffield. Here are a couple more photos of the bleak Peak District terrain on the way. I’m still amazed how there can be such wild country just a few kilometres from the city.

A visit to Rome’s northernmost frontier — AFTER CARLISLE, the next logical stop on my tour was an area halfway from Carlisle to Newcastle called the Great Whin Sill, or Sill for short. At the Sill, a section of the famous Roman fortification called Hadrian’s Wall runs along a cliff amid the landscape that faces north. It’s…