Etal

I've previously described the beautiful but rather sober village of Ford, and today we're going to talk about the nearby village of Etal. Full of traditional white cottages and a crowded pub, this is a charming village that shares its name with a nearby castle and played an important role in the 1513 Battle of Flodden. The people here are friendly and warm, and the post office does everything: it's a shop, cafe and meeting room, all in the shadow of the ruined castle. Strangely, the parish church is found on the other side; that is to say, the town lies between the church and the castle. Historically, this shared a parish with Ford.