A Gothic Surprise

First glimpse of the mysterious gibbet

One of the many things I love about Northumberland is its capacity to surprise and amaze. Just when you think you know everything possible about your locale, you can discover something totally unexpected- something that if it were "down South", would have featured in magazines, adverts and film locations by the score.  

Today's "double take" moment was finding a gibbet standing next to one of my favourite stands of beech trees. At this point there's probably a chorus of Northumbrians rolling their eyes and muttering "That's only Winter's Gibbet -it's been there forever, you idiot. How could you have missed it Mrs Claims to Look at the Landscape?!" 

But no, I'm definitely NOT talking about Elsdon's historic gibbet- this is a brand new one!! 

It stands in Gothic majesty up on the windswept moors, the black woodwork like a child's game of "Hangman", a crudely carved wooden skull, gently swaying in the breeze, its empty eye sockets blind to the golden autumnal landscape. A brilliantly thrilling discovery!!

Gibbets may be generally out of vogue, but carved skulls are the height of fashion- so I hesitate to reveal its exact whereabouts to the whole world for fear of someone stealing the fabulous skull. So if you want directions, you'll have to come into the gallery and ask!! 

Of course, it might just have vanished without trace by the next time I go for a walk there.... So I'm glad I've got some photos.

Pondering this new discovery

Skull - glowing in the sunshine

Suitably Gothic Arch formed by beech trees. 

If you want the rational explanation for this new gibbet, follow this link http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2665965