Penkridge in Staffordshire is an old market town which had a collegiate church. The Domesday Book 1086 notes the town’s economy as agricultural and it had a watermill. The town has a wealth of Listed buildings and several timber-framed buildings. Parish Church Penkridge There has been a church on the site of St Michael and […]
The town’s name reflects two features of the town: the River Stour, and the Minster. The town, which dates from before the Domesday Book, grew as a market for local agricultural products, especially dairy products. Henry III granted the town a charter for a market in 1219. The market, which closed in 1998 was once […]
St Albans has fascinating history from the Iron Age onward. In Roman times, the town was one of the largest towns in Roman Britain until Budicca destroyed it. Notable former residents of the town include Samuel Ryder (1858-1936). They named the Ryder Cup after him. He ran his gardening business from St Albans, selling his […]
Banbury is a historic market town in the north of Oxfordshire. It sits on the edge of the Cotswolds, Britain’s second largest protected landscape.
Nantwich is a lively medieval market town on the banks of the River Weaver in Cheshire. The town is famous for its medieval timbered buildings. It is also proud of its markets, its International Cheese Show and Food Festival, and its Civil War history. Music festivals, such as the Blues and Jazz Festival and Acoustics […]
Ely in Cambridgeshire, takes its name from its history of trading in eels. Set in marshes, the Fens, eels were for many years the mainstay of the local economy. If you are interested in the life cycle of the eel then follow the Eel Trail. This self-guided circular tour connects 5 pieces of art which […]
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 […]
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 […]
An ancient market town, Oswestry stands by an Iron Age Hill Fort named Caer Ogyrfan. According to legend, this was the name of King Arthur’s father in law. Gwinevere may have been born here. Of the 25 hill forts on the Welsh borders, this is the largest and is very impressive. The fort shows that […]
The early town grew around the Royal Palace which Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and brother of Henry V, built in 1427. A grand palace, it had battlements and a moat, and became a favourite of the Tudors. Greenwich Park was the ‘garden’ of the Royal Palace. It was the playground and hunting ground for the […]
