MONDAY 14 JANUARY 2008

NORMAN CORNISH
An exhibition of the work of this wonderful painter - who worked as a Durham miner for most of his life - has just opened at the University Gallery of Northumbria in Newcastle. Go and see it.

MY LISTED BUILDINGS
My visit to St Nicholas’ Cathedral last week had an even more thought-provoking effect than shown by my last posting on Friday. The shamefully unsung glory of the lantern tower made me think of the many other architectural treasures that nestle in the heart of the North Country, uncelebrated and even neglected. These, then, are just three of my ‘listed buildings’ - special structures that could do with a little TLC as well as, perhaps, a little more publicity. I’m sure you can think of buildings and other structures that you would add to it.....

Escomb Church sits rather forlornly in an untidy and very badly rebuilt pit village by the Wear about 4 miles west of Bishop Auckland in County Durham. At first sight, it looks like a fly-blown, coal-blackened barn awaiting demolition. It is, in fact, one of the two or three oldest complete buildings above ground in the whole of England. Its precise construction date is not known - that’s how old it is - although, from its definite Anglo-Saxon style, it must date back to the mid-7th century. Bede may well still have been alive when Escomb Church was built. And it’s still there - all of a piece! Just looking at it - especially in its drab surroundings - is an extraordinarily melancholy experience.

St Mary’s Church, Old Seaham - again, in County Durham - has a similar story to tell. For 14 centuries the centre of a thriving agricultural and fishing village, the church (again, Anglo-Saxon) now looks out to sea from its lonely clifftop site as the last representative of an ancient settlement. The village was swept away by the builders of nearby Seaham Hall, famous once as the marriage site of Lord Byron and now as a ‘spa hotel’ of international standing. Until fairly recently, Vane Tempest Colliery spoiled the view of the church from the north. The same view is now ruined even more effectively by a ‘posh’ housing estate - probably called something like ‘Willow Glebe’.

Finally, I would nominate another church, this time nestled in a fold of the hills beyond Alnwick in Northumberland. The Almighty Himself could not have chosen a more fitting site for such a charming old building as the church at Old Bewick. Indeed, He must have chosen the site; it is otherwise something of a puzzle as to why it is where it is. Unlike at Old Seaham, there was never a village in the immediate vicinity. A wander round the tiny interior is rewarding, too; a small country church blessed with two noble chancel arches is a very great rarity indeed.




TONY
The picture above was sent to me by Tony from Fenham and I’m happy to post it on the blog. In fact, I hope it inspires you to send me a picture if you can. Remember, it must be digital (of course), a lot smaller than 1Mb and you should send it to my BBC email address. I will be able to ‘manipulate’ it on my Mac here at home. So....Kev, Anne, Sid, Bob, Gilly, Chris and Jojo - everybody - get those pictures to me. After all, I don’t know what you look like. And neither do you. (If you see what I mean.)

CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or contact me in any one (or more) of these ways....
ian.robinson@bbc.co.uk
text 07786 200954 (while the programme is on-air)
call (between about 0545 and 0630 Monday to Friday) 0191 232 6565
Ian Robinson, The Nightshift, BBC Radio Newcastle, Spital Tongues, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE99 1RN

NOTE
Please bear in mind that the views expressed in this blog are my own and NOT the views of the BBC.