Aberystwyth is unique because it retains its Welsh character, with half the population speaking Welsh, but is at the same time cosmopolitan. We have welcomed Syrian refugees here and they love it because of the warm welcome they have received. The mile and a half long promenade is the place to be at sunset and […]
The modern city of Hereford, on the boarder between England and Wales, is a treasure trove of historic buildings and artefacts. While the Old Market is an up-to-the-minute, and buzzing, shopping destination. Hereford Cathedral The see of Hereford dates from AD 676, and the present Cathedral from C11th-C12th. The columns and arches in the nave […]
Modern Woking has grown up close to the medieval village known today as Old Woking. Here Henry VIII had a Palace and its ruins are a Scheduled Ancient Monument. By the C17th the village was a prosperous market place and some buildings and street layout remain to this day. Buildings In Woking In the heart […]
In early September the doors will be open on hundreds of unusual and exceptional historic and iconic properties. We start you off with some ideas of where to visit around the country.
Roger Montgomery built Arundel Castle in the C11th, and it is now one of the oldest and most complete castles in England. It stands in superb grounds which look over the River Arun in West Sussex. And this year it celebrates the 950th anniversary, and today is the family home of the 18th Duke of […]
Grantham is a market town in Lincolnshire dating from Saxon times or earlier. In the heart of England, it was the birth place of our first female Prime Minister. History of Grantham The town has always been in the thick of things! The Royal Manor belonged at one time to Queen Edith, wife of Edward […]
Referred to as the Cornish Riviera, St Austell is an old market town not far from the beautiful South Cornish coast line. It is the largest town in Cornwall and overlooked by the white peaks of the China Clay industry. Holy Trinity (above) is an ancient Grade I Listed church and is unusual as parts date back to […]
Southwold near Aldeburgh in Suffolk has always had a strong connection with seafaring and shipbuilding. As long ago as 1512 the town sent six shipwrights to help build Henri Grace a Dieu for Henry VIII. The town saw action during the C17th Anglo Dutch wars. In the third Dutch War the town was the headquarters […]
Until the mid C19th Southwick was a farming and fishing village. There were a few cottages and a tithe barn on the west of The Green. A notable Roman Villa sat to the east of Southwick Street (a Scheduled Ancient Monument), and finds are on show in the Manor Cottage Heritage Centre. Manor Cottage dates […]
Brewing is an art in Burton-Upon-Trent which at one time produced one in four pints of beer sold in Britain. Now less so but still known as the capital of brewing today. Despite this Burton is home to the National Brewery Museum, which reopened in 2010. The town sits above the National Forest and on the River […]
