At home in NZ we saw earlier in 2024, a series of programmes about “Weekends Away” in the North East of England, fronted by the local actor, Robson Green. One episode saw him in the Weardale Valley, where the River Wear runs down from the Pennine hills, via the City of Durham and out to the North Sea at Sunderland. This episode also saw him attend a performance of Kynren – “an epic tale of England”!! So we decided we had to go.
Kynren – the event is well signposted on all the access roads around it, and the web site gives good advice about the “getting there options”, and what to expect when you do arrive. No food or drink allowed in, but plentiful options, reasonably priced and with great organisation, quickly delivered. In fact the excellent way the food was delivered and presented, was echoed in every aspect of the show. The toilets were clean and plentiful – many more ladies than gents – pronounced excellent by my companions.
Along with 8000 others in the audience, the scene that greeted us from our seats in the open stand, was the view in the picture above. Just outside Bishop Auckland in the county of Durham in an open and seemingly innocuous area of valley is where Kynren is performed . So in front of us – we see just a straight piece of track in front of the stand maybe 300 metres in length, an area of grass and a lake!! No hint of what was about to unfold as the evening darkened!
The word Kynren comes from the Anglo- Saxon word – Cynren – that means generation, kin or family. What we now see is a”pageant” as a young actor , ‘young Arthur” sets out to discover his roots, his Kynren.
The pageant started at 20.30pm, the evening was overcast and fortunately the forecast was for no rain!! Correct, a perfect evening which started with a Gateway rising mysteriously from the Lake, accompanied by an introduction from Kevin Whateley – he of “Auf” Wiedersein Pet”, Inspector Morse, Lewis and much more- who is “Old Arthur”. He instructs, “Young Arthur” to travel through time and seek out his origins.
What then follows is a magnificent tour through English History from the arrival of the Romans, Boudicca and on through to the rising up from the lake, of a “Viking Longship” breathing fire!! Seamlessly and without a break, the pageant continues, Stephensons Rocket makes a great entrance “stage right” and through the centuries, countless costume changes, the show does not miss a beat.
It’s impossible in a simple blog like this to give full recognition to the event & especially to the team at ‘11 Arches’ who put on this Kynren Pageant, on its own theirs is an interesting story. The logistics involved, the technical expertise, the pyrotechnics and so much more just blows ones mind. We are told that about 1000 people, all volunteers are involved in presenting this pageant plus various animals – geese, sheep & horses performing on 8 Saturdays – mid July to early September.
it would be remiss not to mention the “Vikings Village”, that attendees were encouraged to visit before the Kynren performance started. We had to queue to walk through and see the “re-enacted village”, but en route there were a long series of excellent storyboards on English History, and the evening ahead!! It was definitely a family event, children perhaps 8 upwards , but there is so much brilliant action that takes place from all sides – jousting knights tilting at targets riding full pelt along the roadway in front of the audience – geese & sheep being driven across the “stage”, plus all that was performed on the lake and behind it – and the fireworks!! Absolutely an entertaining show for all family generations.
if you have a chance to visit the Bishop Auckland / Durham area and it coincides with a performance of Kynren – do go, you will not be disappointed.
Travels with My Wife 
So interesting. And of course Durham is the family seat of John Lambton of Lambton Quay, Ambassador to Russia, Governor of British North America and Chairman/ Governor of the New Zealand Company.
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