Country diary: A place where the past is close to the surface | Susie White

Allen Banks, Northumberland: On an unseasonal day, I revisit a river and gorge whose landscape wouldn't be the same without one enterprising womanAfter the rains the river is vigorous, churning over rapids, frothing like a cappuccino against rocks, full of vim and energy. The Allen is broad here at Allen Banks, just a few miles downstream from where its east and west arms conjoin.This is a place I return to often, a place where layers of memory overlap. My children skimming stones at the gravelly bend; my grandchildren playing at the exact same spot. Slow summer walks with friends, brisk walks on cold days. Knowing where to find orchids and mountain pansies or the lone spindleberry. Winter's spectacular hair ice bursting from rotting wood. Continue reading...