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In the beautiful countryside beyond Durham City a mysterious secret garden is hidden.*****
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Although overgrown, the flower borders still curve enticingly beyond the weathered stone steps. *****
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Golden sunlight illuminates the mossy paths, beckoning us to explore beyond rounded bushes and tall trees.
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Framed by foliage, old buildings form an imposing backdrop.*****
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Incongruous against the seemingly deserted old buildings, a bright blue bus waits ... but no passengers appear. *****
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Founded in 1808 as a seminary for training Catholic priests until it closed in 2011, Ushaw College is now used by the University of Durham.
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The stone structures in the image below were for a unique sport named 'Cat', played by the priests at Ushaw College.*****
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Now all is still, with the silence broken only by cawing of rooks overhead and the rustling of leaves as you step carefully through these mysterious and beautiful gardens.
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North East artist Ingrid Sylvestre County Durham Newcastle upon Tyne Sunderland Middlesbrough Teesside Northumberland North Yorkshire Artists English Romantic Landscape Paintings English Painters Illustrations UK Illustrators Commissioned Paintings and Artwork Ingrid Sylvestre North East Entertainment UK Ingrid Sylvestre North East UK Artist.
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To read news updates on Ingrid Sylvestre's Arts & Entertainment activities, please click here to visit Ingrid Sylvestre News & Events
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6 comments:
Looks so mysterious, even haunting!
Yes, Mark and Gaz - it would make a great setting for a story book!
Thank you for a quiet stroll in a place I would otherwise never have come. The atmosphere seems very poetic - quiet but sad.
RuneE 'Poetic', yes, that is a really good description of the place! It does feel a little sad, but will hopefully be restored soon and have a happier atmosphere then too.
Now that does like a most secret garden Ingrid. It seems to have a rather forbidding atmosphere but that could be all those dark clouds. Would love to know more about the workings of the game of 'Cat'. A hiding game perhaps?
It does have a rather forbidding atmosphere - I think it may be the tall buildings which are clustered very close together - a bit kind of looming. I don't know much about the game, but it seems to have been a little like squash where the ball is bounced against a wall. (Sport is not my forte!!) Lots of people say it looks a bit like quidditch out of Harry Potter!
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