Author: Stella May

Signpost between Milford and Lymington © New Forest Destination Partnership.jpg
Signpost between Milford and Lymington © New Forest Destination Partnership.jpg

The village of Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire has the air of being pleasantly caught in a time warp.

Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire sits on the New Forest Coast and offers something for all ages whatever the weather. It’s one of the few remaining coastal villages in Hampshire, and being on top of the cliff offers wonderful views. Download a map of the village here. All Saints Church Milford-on-Sea All Saints is an C11th church; […]

Copford Church fresco © visitessex.com
Fresco at Copford Church in Essex © visitessex.com

The county of Essex has some historic churches which are well worth a visit

Thaxted church, described as the cathedral of Essex, is very grand. It is a ‘cathedral style’ church with a narrow crossing between the nave and the chancel. The medieval stone spire, unique and tallest in the county, is now 181 feet high, and so dominates the countryside. For more information visit The church has 3 […]

Scarborough Spa © Welcome to Yorkshire
Scarborough Spa © Welcome to Yorkshire

Scarborough in Yorkshire, was once a town of sailors and fishermen, then a fashionable spa town, and recently a popular, genteel seaside resort.

The history of Scarborough in Yorkshire goes back at least as far as the iron age, with the remains of a hill fort to show it. In Roman times the vantage point up on the cliffs was a signal post. A tower in a courtyard, it was the look-out post against raiding Angles, Saxons and […]

Harlech Castle taken from a Drone © Gwynedd Council
Harlech Castle taken from a Drone © Gwynedd Council

Castle Harlech, in Gwynedd, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a magnificent, cliff-top stronghold.

Edward I built Harlech Castle over 6 years from 1282 to 1289; like a giant clenched fist it symbolised power and domination. It was a response to an uprising led by Llewellyn in 1282 in which the English had big losses. But Edward I drove Llewellyn back to Snowdon and he died in a skirmish. […]

Seafront © Seaford Town Council
Seafront © Seaford Town Counci

Visit Seaford in East Sussex and enjoy the stunning, world-famous view of the Seven Sisters and the Coastguard Cottages

Just three of the reasons that this East Sussex coastal town is unique and attractive to visitors are: The world-famous view of the Seven Sisters and the Coastguard Cottages can only be seen from Seaford Head Nature Reserve. The seafront is unspoilt with free parking. A wide promenade runs the length of the sweeping bay […]

Hailsham Street Market © Hailsham Town Council
© Hailsham Town Council

Hailsham, in the Wealden District of East Sussex, at the gateway to the South Downs National Park.

Hailsham is a small town in the Wealden District of East Sussex, at the gateway to the South Downs National Park. It is convenient for travel having easy access to the coast and coastal towns, airports, and London. The town has a mix of old and new and there are interesting medieval buildings. It was […]

Castleford Museum © Wakefield Council
Castleford Museum © Wakefield Council

Castleford in West Yorkshire a market town rich in history and archeology

Castleford in West Yorkshire, a C20th coal-mining town, rests above earlier settlements on land which is rich with archaeology. Late C20th building work in the town centre opened the way for digs which reveal the details of earlier times. Today, Wakefield Council has an interesting guide to the archaelogy and some finds are on display […]

De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill © Alan Stanton
De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill © Alan Stanton

Bexhill in Sussex, home of the iconic De La Warr Pavilion

Bexhill-on-Sea grew up around the railway, which first came to the area in 1846. In medieval times Bexhill was a manor owned by the church. After the reformation, Elizabeth I owned it and granted it to Thomas Sackville, Earl of Dorset in the C17th. Bexhill in Napoleonic times During the Napoleonic Wars, Martello towers were […]

Pontefract Liquorice Festival © Wakefield Council
The Pontefract liquorice festival © Wakefield Council

Re-discover liquorice in the bustling market town of Pontefract in West Yorkshire

Pontefract in West Yorkshire is an ancient settlement, but little is known of the area before the Norman occupation. Known as Kirby in Saxon times, the town eventually became Pontefract, the home of liquorice. The origin of the name is a mystery as there appears not to have ever been a bridge, let alone a […]

Zefferellis cinema Ambleside High Street © Dave Willis and www.golakes.co.uk.
Zefferellis cinema Ambleside High Street © Dave Willis and www.golakes.co.uk.

Visit Bridge House at Stock Beck in Ambleside; a most curious relic

Ambleside has rich history and heritage. Every year, visitors flood into Ambleside to photograph, paint, sketch and just to enjoy seeing Bridge House for themselves. A C17thbuilding, the house has had many uses over its long lifetime and is one of the smallest in Britain. The house was built by the Braithwaite family who needed […]