The path from the ridge bends downward, and the children begin to see the chapel ahead. Soon they reach the old churchyard gate. The stones beneath their feet are worn smooth from years of footsteps. Beyond the gate, weathered gravestones stand among the grass, belonging to people who lived and worked in these hills long before the Whitaker children were born.
The children know many of the names. They have heard them at home. They have seen the same names on the stones, in family stories, and in the memories of their neighbors.
For the Whitakers, the churchyard is not a strange place. It is part of the community they call home.
They pass through the gate and follow the path toward the chapel.
Behind them are all the places they have crossed this morning—the neighbor’s boundary, the stile, the Mill Burn, Old Drover’s Lane, the coppice, and the high ridge where the whole Shire seemed to open before them.
Ahead is where they have been walking all along. The chapel. The children have come here many Sundays before, but every journey has its own feeling. Today, they pause for a moment before going inside.
Then the gate swings shut behind them. The walk to chapel is finished.
But Sunday is not.
After worship, there will be the walk home. And when they reach Whitaker Farm, the first thing they will need is a drink from the well. Then there will be chores waiting. For the Whitaker children, this is simply how Sunday goes.
You have arrived.
Now look around. What can you find?
Welcome to Peckles-Wood Shire
Continue the adventure with the Broken Sanctuary novel, the first journey into the world of Peckles-Wood Shire. Then discover collectibles and keepsakes inspired by the Whitaker family’s adventure.
Own a Piece of 1885 → | Peckles-Wood Shire Map →
The Illustrator’s Vision—The maps and illustrations of Peckles-Wood Shire are inspired by the real landscapes, places, and traditions of Victorian Northumberland. Created for The Chronicles of Peckles-Wood Shire, they blend historical research with imagination to bring the world of Broken Sanctuary to life and invite young explorers to step into the Whitaker family’s adventure of 1885.
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