Whitaker Farm, 1885 Discover Ashgill Force, 1885 Discover Hexham, 1885 Discover the Schoolhouse, 1885 Discover the Chapel, 1885 Meet Archibald, 1885 Meet Catapracht, 1885 Meet Griff, 1885 Found on the River, 1885 Remember, Remember

Discover the Schoolhouse, 1885

Imagine only going to school twice a month. The Whitaker kids did exactly that in 1885, traveling miles through the wild to grab their secret lessons. Come along to see more of their mysterious bi-weekly journey!

Meet Catapracht, 1885

Meet Catapracht

“I am not wild. I am not worldly-wise. I am simply Catapracht.”

A Drake from the Beginning, when Purelings walked beside humans as companions. Then humanity left the Sanctuary—and everything changed.

👕 Bring the Shire to Your Shirt — Free Transfer Image.

Visit Catapracht's page to download your free print.

Meet Catapracht and discover what happened. →

Abundant Waterfalls and Streams

The hills and valleys around Hexham were filled with streams, burns, cascades, and waterfalls, especially after heavy rain. Water rushed through rocky channels and wooded valleys, creating countless little falls and pools. Some were well known, while others were simply part of the countryside that local people knew from experience.

For the Whitakers, these waterways were part of the landscape they traveled through every day—a place to pause, explore, and perhaps discover something hidden among the rocks and trees.

Way to go — You've found Molly's Hagstone. Download the 3D Maker File Here.

Hexham Tanneries, 1885

The tanneries brought another kind of work to Hexham. Their chimneys could belch thick, dark clouds of smoke, but they also offered work to people leaving failed farms and struggling mines. For families trying to survive, the tanneries provided another way to earn a living, buy food, and build a new life in the town.

Great Stone Bridge, 1885

Completed in 1793, Hexham's great stone bridge carried people, horses, carts, and travelers across the River Tyne. By 1885, its nine stone arches had already carried generations of people into and out of town.

The Whitakers did not cross this bridge on their trips to and from home. Their home lay on the other side of Hexham, so their journey took them through the town without needing to cross the Tyne.

For other travelers, however, the bridge was an important gateway into Hexham—and a reminder that the river shaped how people traveled through the countryside, in 1885.

Remember, Remember

To an American, Guy Fawkes Day—also called Bonfire Night—might sound a little like the Fourth of July mixed with Halloween. Every November 5, people across Britain have gathered around bonfires and fireworks to remember an event that happened more than 280 years before the Whitaker children were born.

But it began with a plot that could have changed British history.  Visit the celebration