Carrshield is a small hamlet in rural Northumberland very close to the borders of both Durham and Cumbria, in fact all three counties meet about 2 miles South of here. This is moorland sheep and game bird country and Carrshield lies in a pretty and secluded valley on the river West Allen, although the river is little more than a stream at this point.
Although farming is now the local industry, there is still much evidence of lead mining which was prevalent during the 1800s through until as late as the 1970s. The above photo shows Sunny Corner on a good day. Carrshield is a lovely place on a sunny day..... when it's not a howling gale, horizontal rain, plagued with midgies or under 3 feet of snow! The locals told us that if we survive the first Winter and Summer, then we may stick it out. Over 20 years now so we may stay the distance.
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We moved to Carrshield in 1998 from the nearby small town of Haydon Bridge. Our house, Sunny Corner, was originally two mining cottages with a blacksmiths and cobblers shop at the end. It has lots of character and plenty of space to store my toys—(motor bikes, diving gear, painting stuff etc.)
We share Sunny Corner with our crazy cat. We found him by the riverside almost dead from exposure a couple of years ago, hence his name, Moses. The photo below is taken from pretty much the same location as the photo on the left, but facing South instead of North.
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