…in which we are joined by archaeologist Steve Dickinson in Gosforth to seek out the lost Norse kingdom of ‘Laithlinn’. Embarking from the infamous Viking Cross – where Steve guides us through a series of remarkable carvings – we set out on an autumnal wander over the meadows to Irton, and a second iconic cross. As we walk – down quiet byways, and over the Irt and Bleng in spate – we consider signs in the landscape; in names, in landforms, beneath our feet; that paint a dazzling picture of 1,000 years ago, and a thriving, if violent, kingdom based around a people who arrived from across the Irish sea, beached their boats and then settled their Herdwicks and slaves around a huge longhall overlooked by their fading Gods on Scafell and Great Gable.
Wholly Christian C10th Viking cross at St Paul’s, Irton.
Mark Richards: Outdoor Writer 