One of the most significant Roman ruins in England and one of the most visited tourist sites in northern England, Hadrian’s Wall bisects the country from the North Sea in the east to the Irish Sea in the west. It was constructed in AD 122 when the Roman Emperor Hadrian took over the empire and was keen to protect Roman Britain from the barbarians in the north. Many people wrongly believe that the wall marks the border between England and Scotland but it doesn’t – that lies a mile north of the western end of the wall and over one hundred miles north of the eastern end of the wall.
April 20, 2012
Stonehenge and Salisbury
Just over two hours from London by train, Salisbury has two claims for our attention: its cathedral and Stonehenge. The area is said to sit over important energy lines in the earth and whether you subscribe to this thinking or not, it has clearly always been an important magnet for spiritual pilgrimage.
April 6, 2012
Southampton – Sailing port of Titanic
Although the Titanic’s home port was Liverpool she never actually visited that city. Built in Belfast, she sailed from Southampton on her maiden voyage to New York, but five days out of port she hit an iceberg and sank. A tragic history was made and never forgotten. 4 of every 5 crew on the ship were from Southampton so it’s unsurprising that the streets, churches and families of the city are still strongly connected to that great maritime disaster which happened 100 years ago, on April 15, 1912.
March 26, 2012
Best of The Cotswolds
If you want to see the England of picture books and chocolate boxes, head to The Cotswolds. Its green and rolling hills really are the perfect image of dreamy England and the villages are just so English. Lots of thatched roofs on honeycomb colored stone cottages, pubs and little shops in narrow winding lanes. And churches. Market places. Tea shops.
And the names! Stow-on-the-Wold, the Slaughters, Moreton-in-Marsh. I promise I am not making them up. To really explore The Cotswolds you’ll need a car, bicycle or sturdy legs because bus services within the area are limited and trains go only to the northern and southern edges, from London Paddington to towns such as Cheltenham Kingham, Chippenham and Gloucester. Otherwise, there are regular bus services from London, Oxford and Bath. If you can, plan to stay the night in order to enjoy the quiet village atmosphere when all the other visitors have gone home. Some of the villages get very crowded with cars and sightseers during the day: it’s all too pretty for its own good!
March 9, 2012
Southend-on-sea
England might not be the first place you think of going for a day out at the seaside – especially not with the current bracing midwinter chill weather of sleet or snow. But for those few months of the year when it’s sunny, and in fact for all those other months of the year when it’s cool but not actually freezing, a bit of sea air in the lungs is just what you need, especially if you’ve been in the black grit of London.
February 24, 2012
Blackpool Tower
Blackpool is one of England’s most famous seaside towns. Or should that be infamous? Nearly everyone English has a story about Blackpool and it’s seaside theme park attractions.
This famous town is located in The North of England, on the Irish Sea coast, north of Liverpool and Manchester. Blackpool has gone from being farmland of peat lands which gave the river and sea a black color, to being a fashionable seabathing resort in the mid 18th century and a booming resort with the coming of the railway and building of the pleasure piers in the 19th century. By 1920 Blackpool was hosting around eight million holiday-makers a year.
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May 4, 2012
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