Sewingshields Crag ...

Walking along Sewingshields Crags, we saw three kestrels, beautiful terrifying shapes in the air - a chill wind blew from the north - wild thyme scented the lower courses of the Wall - 

The Wall snaked from crag to crag, rising and falling, just as it had done in my dreams - 

Warriors had carried their banners here, peered out northwards over the debatable lands - 

Later, other battles had been fought - the deeds of saintly kings were remembered in ecclesiastical histories -  

I recalled their names, and those of their kingdoms, Bernicia, Deira, Northumbria, Dalriada, Mercia - 

History, I thought, was very close here, welling up like peaty water from a hidden spring - 

July 9 2014

Sewingshields Crags