Mere in the south-west corner of Wiltshire nestles beneath the South West Wiltshire Downs large parts of which are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Ridgeway in use since prehistory, with several Iron Age hill forts providing a wealth of archaeological interest for visitors, is a real hidden gem. The name, Mere, is from […]
The Romans founded York by the River Ouse in AD71, and of the three Roman Legions in Britain one was in York. Stretching for three miles, the town walls are one of the country’s most complete ancient city defences. The four medieval gateways – known as Bars – also remain in tact, and two of […]
Malmesbury in Wiltshire…a town buzzing with vibrancy and charm, there is so much to discover! History of Malmesbury Malmesbury is full of history stretching back centuries. It’s a town with a story to tell. In 2012 a metal detectorist found The Malmesbury Coin Hoard in a field in Milbourne, Malmesbury. This is a rare collection […]
Wareham Town Hall dressed for Britain in Bloom © H Randall Until the C14th, Wareham was a major port but the increasing size of ships and the silting of the river changed its role. It is now a riverside town lying between the rivers Piddle and Frome surrounded by walls dating from the Saxon period. […]
Stratford in Warwickshire is a market town with more than 800 years of history. Many of the buildings we see today would have been familiar to Shakespeare, the world’s most loved bard. The town is also a thriving community offering a wide variety of leisure, places to stay and shopping. Visitors to Stratford can make […]
Keswick was a settlement in prehistoric times. In the C13th Edward I granted a licence for a Market here which continues today. In the Tudor era Keswick was a mining area, but since the C18th it has been a popular destination for visitors Buildings in Keswick The town has a Moot Hall (or court house) […]
Morpeth lies on the river Wansbeck. A market town, which has a rich history to explore, it is the historic county town of Northumberland. It is a good base from which to explore the county of Northumbria. Markets Morpeth’s Farmers’ Market takes place on the first Friday of every month 9 – 2pm in the […]
An interesting stop in Cumbria, perhaps for a pub lunch, is Caldbeck which means cold stream. Its best known inhabitant was John Peel (1776-1854) the hunter not the BBC’s much-loved DJ. The C18th Peel is the subject of the famous song, D’ye Ken John Peel, sung by every C20th school child. John Woodcock Graves, a […]
Kendal was already a settlement when the Romans arrived. The local people, the Brigantes, provided goods and services for the newcomers. The Romans built a fort at Watercrook which is just south of the present settlement in a bend of the River Kent. They remained for about 400 years. At the time of the Norman […]
Steam train arriving at Haworth © John Huxley With its cobbled Main Street, Haworth in West Yorkshire is famous the world over for the Bronte family who lived at the Parsonage. The Bronte sisters, Anne (1820 – 49), Charlotte (1816 -55) and Emily (1818 – 48), lived here, as the daughters of the curate. Their […]
