Andrew's Travels

Andrew's Travels

traveled in 66 countries Read more🌍Cambridge

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Somerset Traveler
Mendip Hills; East Harptree and area
June 26, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
We're staying in an Air BnB accommodation in East Harptree, a small village in Somerset, for a few days. This post summarises some local walks we did in the area.

From the church we walk along the bottom section of Harptree Combe, seeing the very scanty remains of Richmont Castle and an old Victorian Aquaduct, on our way to the larger village of West Harptree. We take the paths to Chew Valley Lake and cross this via Herriotts Bridge, where there are good views of the Lake and of Herriotts Mill Pool, a local nature reserve.; the Chew Valley Lake was created as a water supply resevoir for Bristol in the 1950s. From here it is down to Widcombe Common and then along the small River Chew to Tudor Farm across to Townsent and back to East Harptree; we pass the clock tower built in 1897 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. We leave the village sgain and the double back along the top section of Harptree Combe.

Later on, it is a short drive to East Harptree Woods to see the Smitham Lead Mine Chimney; this was built in 1867 as part of an unsuccessful lead mining venture.

Next day, We do a walk near of Ebbor Woods and then head to Ebbor Gorge for a circular walk around this; not surprisingly, it is very steep in places, but there is a good view of the Somerset Levels from one point at the top.Read more
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Somerset Traveler
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Glastonbury
June 25, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Glastonbury is a quirky town and steeped in history and myth concerning Joseph of Arithamea, the Holy Grail and King Arthur. Most people, however, associate it with the music festival which, by coincidence, was meant to be this weekend; there are still many "new-age" types and hippies here though...

We walk via the back route to access the nearby tor (hill) from behind; the conical hill is topped by the roofless St Michael's Tower, built in the 14th century to replace the original wooden church, before returning to town down the front of the hill. We pass a 14th century tithe barn, now the Somerset Rural Life Museum, on our way to the Town Centre.

Glastonbury is a market town and extremely attractive, with many old buildings - not least the Abbey and the two churches of St John the Baptist and St Benedict. We wander around enjoying the ambience.

It has surpassed expectations.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi Cool 😊
6/27/21Reply
Wolfgang und Heidi You are a gost, right?
6/27/21Reply
TravelerI've been called worse!
6/27/21Reply
Wolfgang und HeidiDon‘t take it personal. Habe a pint on me ...
6/27/21Reply
TravelerOf course not! Cheers!
6/27/21Reply
TravelerMaybe Andrew had a hair-raising experience at Glastonbury!!? 🤣
6/28/21Reply
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The Jurassic Coast Traveler
11. Lyme Regis
June 24, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Lyme Regis - "the pearl of Dorset" - lies on Lyme Bay and is close to the border between Dorset and Devon; it is part of the Jurassic Coast and its beaches and Blue Lias cliffs are noted for fossils.

We park at Woodmead Halls and a short stroll along the River Lym brings us to the Town Mill: this is a 1340 watermill and still works, thanks to being rescued by volunteers in the 1990s. We walk along the Marine Parade to Monmouth Beach and the East Cliff Beach for a cursory look for fossils. Next is The Cobb; this harbour wall dates originally from 1328 and is very famous due to John Fowles' "The French Lieutenant's Woman" - super views. We walk back along the parade to the "cultural quarter" comprising the Museum, Guildhall and Gun Cliff (home to the town's battery of defensive cannons from Elizabethan times).

We pass St Michael's Church on our way to Broad Street, the heart of Lyme Regis with its many independent shops. We walk around the Langmoor and Lister Gardens; these are high up and there are great views of the Cobb from here. Then it is back via Sherborne Lane to the car park.Read more
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The Jurassic Coast Traveler
10. Charmouth
June 24, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
It is a short drive to the town of Charmouth and we visit the Heritage Coast Centre with its wonderful display of fossils found on the beach - including the Ichthyosaur which starred in the TV documentary "Attenborough and the Sea Dragon". Typical fossils found here are small, bullet shaped belemnites and small, spiral shaped ammonites; we explore the beach at low tide and search for them - with a little success....

We enjoy good views from the beach of Golden Cap to the East and Lyme Regis to the West.Read more
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The Jurassic Coast Traveler
9. West Bay to Golden Cap
June 23, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
We leave West Bay via West Cliff, above the Esplanade; whereas the East Cliff is composed mainly of Bridport Sand, the West Cliff is composed mainly of the younger Frome Clay and has a much different look. We walk down to Eype Mouth and cross this to walk along the cliff face of Monarchs Way to Thorncombe Beacon. The path then goes along Doghouse Hill and descends down Ridge Cliff to Seatown.

Seatown is a coastal hamlet just south of Chideock and Golden Cap - at 191m, the highest cliff on the south coast of England - is only one mile west. We walk up the steep slope to the the top of Golden Cap; it is named from the distinctive outcrop of golden greensand rock at the top of the cliff. There are great views at the top in both directions.

We descend to St Gabriel's mouth and then double over the small river via the remnants of St Gabriel's Chapel; the old village of Stanton St Gabriel was situated here, but abandoned two centuries ago. We pass Langdon Wood on our way back to Seatown.Read more
Wolfgang und HeidiIs it part of the famous coastal hike?
6/24/21Reply
TravelerYes, the South West Coast Path - the Jurassic Coast is a small section of this. We're enjoying seeing and walking parts of it in small sections.
6/24/21Reply
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The Jurassic Coast Traveler
8. West Bay
June 23, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
West Bay, also known as Bridport Harbour, is situated 1.5 miles south of Bridport at the mouth of the River Brit. It is a small town that developed as a result of rope and net trade from Bridport, but this declined and it then developed as a resort due to the (now disused) railway station there. It forms the western end of Chesil Beach which extends from Portland Bill 18 miles to the east and is famed for its towering, crumbling, golden cliffs - it was been used as the location for the TV series "Broadchuch" (which is excellent).

We are staying in an apartment here and, after exploring the attractive town (harbour and harbour walls, church etc) set off on a circular walk to nearby Burton Bradstock. We skirt the Bridport and West Dorset Golf Couse and a static caravan / camping site (there are several of these in the area) to reach Burton, before heading down to Hive Beach for lunch. We walk back along the top of Burton Cliffs, then via Burton Freshwater (where the small River Bride meets the sea) and finally along the top of East Cliff back to West Bay to enjoy some local beer (Palmers, which is brewed in Bridport).Read more
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The Jurassic Coast Traveler
7. Chesil Beach
June 22, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Chesil Beach, aka Chesil Bank, has its name derived from the Old English word for gravel or shingle; it is a "barrier beach" and one of only 3 shingle beach structures in the UK. It is 18 miles long and runs from the Isle of Portland to West Bay. Behind it is a shallow, tidal lagoon formed from ice-age meltwater known as The Fleet which is home to many wading birds.

We reach via the coastal road along the Ridgeway and enjoy good views. We walk for a while on the shingle beach and can see St Catherine's Chapel, originally part of the monastery in Abbotsbury, from here. Later on we enjoyed views of Chesil Beach, and some of the old coastal defenses, from a viewpoint at the Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens (see next post).Read more
TravelerAmazing beach! Hope it warms up, you both look cold!
6/23/21Reply
TravelerI can confirm it was cold, damp and windy on Chesil Beach! Great to be there though.
6/23/21Reply
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The Jurassic Coast Traveler
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6. The Isle of Portland
June 21, 2021 in England ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
The Isle of Portland is a tied island linked to the mainland by a barrier beach (Chesil Beach); traffic moves between the two via a bridge over the Fleet Lagoon. Portland is split into two geological areas; Underhill, a steep escarpment of Portland Sand in the north, and Tophill, a shallow angle decline of Portland Stone to sea level at Portland Bill.

We stop off at the Tout Quarry Nature Reserve and Quarry Park. It is an abandoned 40 acre stone quarry park with stunning views of Chesil Beach and Portland Harbour and also many sculptures made on the Portland stone blocks (including Anthony Gormley's "Still Falling)); Portland stone has been used for the construction of many famous buildings, including St Paul's Cathedral.

Portland Bill is a narrow promontory where there have been many shipwrecks over the centuries; it is an important way point for coastal traffic and there have been lighthouses here since 1716 - the current lighthouse dates from 1906. Portland Bill is a popular tourist destination.

We visit Portland Castle next; grandly named, it is a fan shaped artillery fort built by Henry VIII as part of his defence programme against France and the Holy Roman Empire.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi 👍
6/25/21Reply
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Dorset Traveler
Abbotsbury - Swannery and Gardens
June 21, 2021 in England ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
Abbotsbury Swannery has the only managed colony of Mute Swans in the world and is situated on a 2 acre site on the western end of The Fleet. There are two nice walks and we see lots of swans, a decoyman's house and a decoy (used for catching duck and swan which were tempted to enter and then forced down, often with the aid of a dog). The Swannery was originally established in the 11th century be Benedictine Monks who used the swans for lavish feasts; since the dissolution, however, it has been under the stewardship of the Ilchester Estates.

The Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens are situated nearby on a 20 acre site in a wooded and sheltered valley; the microclimate is good for many exotic plants. We see these as we walk through the walled garden, jungle glade, southern hemisphere garden etc and following the Woodland Sculpture Trail; this celebrates characters from classic literature. An excellent visit!Read more
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Dorset Traveler
Abbotsbury - Village
June 21, 2021 in England ⋅ 🌧 12 °C
Abbotsbury is very pretty with many old, stone houses and a number of notable buildings. We stop off on our way to the Swannery.

What became Abbotsbury Abbey was originally established in the 11th century as the Benedictine St Peter's Monastery. It was large and self-sufficient with all its needs met by its market garden produce and swans from its nearby Swannery. As it grew, the Abbotsbury Abbey Tithe Barn was built around 1400 to store its supplies (it is the world's largest tithe barn), as were St Catherine's Chapel, used by the monks for private prayer, and the Parish Church of St Nicholas. The Abbey was destroyed by King Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536 ; only one small section of the wall plus an entrance gate, both close to the Church, remain.Read more
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The Jurassic Coast Traveler
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5. Weymouth
June 21, 2021 in England ⋅ 🌧 12 °C
Weymouth is a seaside town situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wet halfway along the Jurassic Coast; built on weak rock, it has been protected by a barrier beach (Chesil Beach) and the limestone of the nearby Isle of Portland.

Weymouth Beach faces Weymourh Bay and has a small fun fair on it; the Esplanade is full of Geogian Architecture and features the Queen Victoria Jubilee Clock. We walk through the town centre via the pedestran only St Mary's Street and cross the Tower Bridge to the southern part of town; this bridge can be raised to link the outer and inner harbours. The harbour was once used for cross channel ferries, but is now used for commercial fishing and private boats. We walk through Brewer's Quay, named for a converted Victorian brewery, to Nothe Fort; this is a historic sea fort built to protect the harbour, but is now a coastal museum.

Our first visit to Weymouth and it has not disappointed.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi Wounderful
6/25/21Reply
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Dorset Traveler
Bridport
June 20, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Bridport is a small, but very attractive market town. We cross the River Brit, on our way back from a walk to Lower Eype, to reach St Mary's Parish Church and then walk up South Street to get to the Town Hall (both Grade 1 listed buildings) - the town hall is situated on the curiously named Buckydoo Square.

We walk up East Street and cross the River Asker, a tributary of the Brit, and walk down though Asker's Meadow crossing back over the river close to its confluence with the Brit, to walk back up to the church.

We head south alongside the River Brit and see Palmer"s Brewery - which was established in 1794 and is one of Britain's oldest and prettiest brewery sites - before following the Hardy Way back down to the coast and West Bay.Read more
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Essex Traveler
The Chesterfords
June 12, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Great Chesterford is an ancient village with many listed buildings and is situated on the banks of the River Cam just over the Cambridgeshire border in the Uttlesford district of Essex. The All Saints Church dates from the 13th century and the primary school there was licensed in 1514.

Little Chesterford is a short walk away along a footpath running parallel to the River Cam. Basically two rows of (nice) houses along the a road which bends up to the B184 (which links Sawston and Saffron Walden), the heart of the village is a grouping of the church of St Mary (early 13th century), the tiny village hall and a manor house.

The footpath that runs south from the church takes us along the Cam again before turning up to the B184 and the tiny hamlet of Springwell, literally a few houses and a large nursery now.Read more
Wolfgang und HeidiHi Andrew, your pictures from England are looking nice as well 👍 we are looking fortward to visiting England quite soon
6/12/21Reply
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Norfolk Coastal Path Traveler
Blakeney to Wells
May 19, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
We leave Blakeney with the Morston Salt Marshes on our right to reach Morston village - like Blakeney, this used to be a major port 400 years ago but is now used by a small number of fishing boats, leisure craft and seal watching trips to Blakeney Point. There are distant views of the Watch House (formerly used as a lookout for sailors in distress and for smugglers) and the blue Blakeney Point visitor centre (formerly a lifeboat station).

The coastal path now skirts the Stiffkey Saltmarshes, part of the National Trust, and then the Warham Saltmarshes; there are good views of the marshes themselves and the birdlife on them as we approach port the town of Wells-next-the-Sea. The distinctive landmark of the seafront is the granary with its overhanging gantry on the quay; this has now been converted into luxury flats (it ceased operating as a granary in 1990).Read more
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Norfolk Coastal Path Traveler
Weybourne to Blakeney
May 18, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
Weybourne Hope is a two-mile stretch of land between Weybourne and Cley and was regarded as particularly vulnerable to invasion from the sea due to the deep inshore water that would allow ships to unload troops and stores here in the event of an invasion; for this reason a military camp was established here. This is now the site of the privately owned Muckleborough Collection, a military museum and we see many pillboxes and some guns as we take the coastal path around the outside edge.

We walk along the edge of the Salthouse Marshes, a popular bird-watching site, and espy the Parish Church of St Nicholas in the village of Salthouse itself. The beach becomes more sandy as we approach the Cley Marshes Nature Reserve at Cley Eye, and then turn south to Cley next the Sea; there are great views of the iconic Cley Windmill, a five storey tower mill that has now been converted to a guesthouse and licensed wedding ceremony venue. We cross the River Craven and head north on this side back up the coastline to skirt round the edges of Blakeney Eye and down to the coastal village of Blakeney and its welcoming Quay area.Read more
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Norfolk Coastal Path Traveler
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Sheringham to Weybourne
May 17, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
Sheringham is another seaside resort and we enjoy our walk along the promenade; we see more beach huts, as well as fishing boats and lots of groynes along the beach front (physical barriers to limit the tidal movement of sand and sediment moving along the shore).

We climb up to The Leas Garden and Shelter and then rejoin the clifftop path along the top of Weybourne Cliffs; Sheringham Golf Club is on our left and it is a long course! Further on we see Weybourne Windmill and then reach Weybourne Hope, heading up to the village here to visit Weybourne Priory - the standing remains are Grade II listed and attached to Weybourne All Saints Church.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi Wow that´s beautiful 😊
5/20/21Reply
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Norfolk Coastal Path Traveler
Cromer to Sheringham
May 17, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
We're stopping in Cromer for a couple of nights with a view to do some walking along the Norfolk Coastal Path. The route from Cromer to Weybourne is part of the Sea Palling to Weybourne section of the England Coast Path, which is opening in sections around the UK.

Starting at Cromer lighthouse - now automated, so the lighthouse keeper's cottage alongside the tower is now let out as holiday apartments - we descend down the East Cliff to the town of Cromer, enjoying wonderful views of the pier and church tower. It is a lovely town, although very much a tourist resort now, and we see the church and explore some of the streets.

We walk along the shingle beach as far as East Runton Gap and divert along the A149 for a few minutes before cutting down to the West Runton Cliffs and walking along these; the fossil remains of the "West Runton Elephant" were discovered here in 1990 - it was the skeleton of the best preserved specimen of a 4m tall steppe mammoth ever found and put the town on the map.

We continue along the cliff walk past Beeston Regis and reach the "Beeston Bump", an isolated hill above this village, and descend down the other side to Sheringham.Read more
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The River Cam Traveler
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Part 2; Clayhithe to Cambridge
May 11, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
From Clayhithe, I head south along the River Cam, passing the village of Horningsea, to reach Bates Bite Lock (No. 2 on the navigable portion of the River Cam). Then it is under the A14 towards Fen Ditton, a village on the northeast edge of Cambridge; there are good views of its Church and of rowers on the river today, both eights and singles.

As I walk towards Cambridge, there are views of Ditton Meadows. I walk under the Railway Bridge linking Cambridge and Cambridge North railway stations, and carry on long the Fen Rivers Way to cross over the bridge at the Green Dragon pub to reach Stourbridge Common (see post Cambridgeshire; CambridgeCity) and walk towards the Museum of Technology, an industrial heritage museum whose original building housed a combined sewage pumping and waste destructor station (hence the 175ft chimney shaft) - it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. There are houseboats on both sides of the river as I walk beyond Elizabeth Bridge, along Midsummer Common to reach the edge of Jesus Green and Cambridge Lido.

It is not far to Jesus Lock; this divides ‘Middle River’ from the ‘Lower River’ and sets the border where punting gives way to rowing and boathouses - it is Lock No. 1 on the navigable portion of the River Cam. Finally, I reach Magdalene Bridge, just south of Magdalene College, which straddles the River Cam and is on the site of the original bridge that gave "Cambridge" its name.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi I loved our narrowboat-trip 2002 and I’m looking forward to the next trip. It‘s on our short list! (Heidi)
5/13/21Reply
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The River Great Ouse Traveler
1. King's Lynn to Downham
May 11, 2021 in England ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
From King's Lynn (see post in Norfolk), I walk south and cross the River Nar, a tributary of the Great Ouse; there are good views back to King's Lynn before we pass the side of Palm Paper's giant mill, on the site of what was once King's Lynn's sugar factory. Following the river, I cross the bridge over the Tail Sluice where the Relief Channel rejoins the Great Ouse; the Tail Sluice works in tandem with the Denver Sluice further down river for water management across parts of the Fenland area.

I reach the first of the four Wiggenhall villages; the Church at Wiggenhall St Germans (the other Wiggenhalls are St Peter, St Mary and St Mary Magdalene. A mile down river are the ruins of the Church of Wiggenhall St Peter and another mile brings me to Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalene, the largest. The church here is huge and has a weeping chancel, where the nave and chancel are built at a slight dogleg to each other, as well as a rare collection of medieval stained glass and beautifully carved benches.

The route south heads via Stowbridge takes me past the stone supports for an old rail bridge across the river on the line that ran from Watlington to Wisbech - the line closed in 1969, although the bridge over the Relief Channel is still there. At times, the Relief Channel is very close to the River Great Ouse;

From Downham Bridge, I head to Downham Market railway station after completing the first leg of this walk.Read more
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The River Cam Traveler
Part 1; Pope's Corner to Clayhithe
May 9, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Pope's Corner is the confluence of the River Cam and the River Great Ouse (see that trip for posts before reaching, and after leaving, Pope's Corner). Heading south from here, I soon reach Dimmock's Cote Bridge and then pass a pumping station and pill box en route to Upware; this is where Reach Lode begins (this links the the village of Reach with the Cam) - Upware is known for its aptly named "Five Miles from Anywhere, No Hurry" inn which backs down to the Cam.

The footpath passes Swaffham Bulbeck Lode, where there is another lock and pumping station (this lode links the hamlet of Commercial End with the Cam), and then ir reaches Shrubb's Marina boat moorings. A little further on, I reach Bottisham Lock (No. 3 on the navigable portion of the River Cam) and the pumping station and flood gates at the end of Bottisham Lode (this links the village of Lode with the Cam).

Waterbeach is further down river; this is now designated as a "new town," and, as I follow the track, we enjoy a view of the boats mooring there. A little further on I reach the bridge over the Cam at Clayhithe and enjoy the view of the Conservator's House from The Bridge public house; this is the residence of the foreman of the Conservators of the River Cam, the navigation authority for the River Cam in Cambridgeshire.

Cambridge had been a major inland port as a result of its position on the navigable River Cam for centuries, but this position changed with the draining of the Fens and the Conservators were established to elicit tolls at sluices and locks along the Cam.Read more
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Essex Traveler
Littlebury Green Circular
May 2, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
Littlebury Green is a small village in the Uttlesford District of north-west Essex and 3 miles from Saffron Walden. It has a chapel of ease since the main parish church is in Littlebury itself; a chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently - it is not every day you see a church with corrugated sides and roof!

From here, our walk takes us south west across fields to reach the B1309 where we cross and head to the outskirts of Rockell's Wood, one of several in the area with beautiful carpets of bluebells between the trees. From here we walk to Duddenhoe End and walk north and pass The Hamlet Church - it is not every day you see a church with a thatched roof!

We cross the B1309 again and head towards Elmdon; we have a view of Lofts Hall Stud which has bred several winners at the Newmarket race course over the years. The original hall was in the former parish of Wenden Lofts; this in now abandoned, but the ruins of the old parish church (St Dunstan's) are still visible in the adjoining house gardens - it is not every day you see a church that has been left to become a shell!

We turn off before Elmdon and have a good view of St Nicholas' Church there as we follow part of the Icknield Way along the northern outskirts of Free Wood (more bluebells) towards Catmere End and head south back to Littlebury Green.

A good walk with few expectations (other than bluebells), but it turned out to be rather "churchy" and interesting.Read more
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Cambridgeshire; Cambridge City Traveler
Mill Road, Cambridge
April 26, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
Mill Road is a mile-long byway linking central Cambridge to the ring road; it runs from Parker's Piece (see "Cambridge - Fantastic beasts and where to find them" post) to Brooks Road (see "Cambridge - Cherry Hinton / Coldham's Brook" post). It forms the spine of two distinct communities, the wards of Petersfield and Romsey Town, separated by a railway bridge; Petersfield, on the west side, was developed in the early 19th century on land owned by the Colleges whereas Romsey grew to house workers on the new railway - thus historically, Petersfield has always been thought of by local residents as being on the "Gown" side and Romsey on the "Town" side of the town and gown divide. The Mill Road area was, and is, often thought of as being "Bohemian" and there are many interesting / independent shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs in the area.

Starting on the Petersfield side of Mill Road bridge, we pass some of the interesting businesses that can be found there and reach Gwydir Street. The old Dales Brewery building is now home to a Hot Numbers cafe and opposite this is the David Parr House; this modest, terrace house is a time capsule decorated by a painter in the manner of the grand Arts and Crafts interiors he used to do as a day job - there are hand-painted wall decorations, Gothic carvings and stained glass panels. Nearby is the old Cambridge Bath House, now a community centre; further down the road is the Cambridge Blue pub - this backs onto the Mill Road Cemetery (see "Cambridge - Urban Ramble, part 3").

We cross the Mill Road bridge, covered in colourful murals, into Romsey. Recently, an R-shaped sculpture has been erected; it was commissioned to celebrate the people and history of Romsey and their relationship with the railway - the destinations on the sculpture show residents' significant railway journeys. Further along is Salisbury House, now a social club with bar. Nearby is the small St Philip's church which functions as a church / community centre / cafe and further on is what is now Hilary's Fruit and Veg; this building was originally built as a corn merchants and bakery in 1886 - the type of produce traded has not changed drastically. Towards the end of Mill Road we reach the Cambridge Central Mosque which was opened to the public in 2019. Europe's first eco-friendly mosque, it was featured as part of a profile in the Sky Arts programme "The Art of Architecture" in 2021.Read more
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Cambridgeshire; Cambridge City Traveler
Cambridge - It's in your DNA
April 23, 2021 in England ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C
DNA is now known by most of the general public to carry genetic information, the instructions that a living organism needs to grow, reproduce and function.

The structure of DNA - a double helix twisted-ladder - was first realised by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953 at the Cambridge University Cavendish Laboratory and gave rise to modern molecular biology; the contribution of Rosalind Franklin is now recognised as crucial to the discovery DNA structure, however, as her work in X-ray crystallography established that the molecule existed in a helical conformation. Their discovery is commemorated in several relevant places in Cambridge.

The first announcement was made by a jubilant Francis Crick as they walked into the nearest pub to their laboratory, The Eagle, and proclaimed that he and James Watson had "found the secret of life"; this lovely old pub has a fine courtyard as well as a ceiling covered covered with writing by Allied pilots who frequented it during WWII. There is a blue plaque outside it to commemorate the event (it has been recently defaced to mention Rosalind Franklin) and their old laboratory nearby also celebrates it.

Francis Crick lived in a house in Portugal Place and there is a double helix above the door to mark this. James Watson was an alumnus of Clare College, where he began his post-doctoral research in 1951 and became an honorary fellow in 1967, and there is an aluminium sculpture of the double helix close to an entrance there.

Further afield is the DNA cycle path, which runs from Addenbrooke's Hospital to Great Shelford; there is a double helix sculpture at the start and part of the route is decorated with 10,257 colourful stripes which represent the four nucleotides of the BRCA2 gene (discovered at the Sanger Centre in Hinxton).Read more
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Cambridgeshire; South District Traveler
Fowlmere Circular; part 2 - Foxton
April 3, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
We cross the A10 at Shepreth Mill and follow the course of the River Shep; we turn at the road we eventually meet and have a good view of the Shepreth All Saints Church. From here we walk up the High Street as far as The Plough and cross a stile and then a small bridge before walking up a lane next to the River Shep; we turn off before Shepreth Wildlife Park, doubling back to take the footpath to Foxton. We reach a large, private lake close to the A10 - we never knew the lake was there as it is hidden from the road.

Crossing back over the A10 we walk into Foxton, passing daffodils and reach the small, triangular village green; there are several attractive houses around it and an interesting shelter on it. We walk up the High Street to see Foxton Dovecot and Meadow, a 300 year old building with a small conservation area around it. A very short distance from here is the Church of St Laurence.

We double back to the Green and pass through Foxton Wood on our way back to Fowlmere. A really interesting day out.Read more
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Cambridgeshire; South District Traveler
Fowlmere Circular; part 1 - Fowlmere
April 3, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C
We start this walk in Fowlmere; this is one of the southernmost villages in Cambridgeshire, just beyond Thriplow, and we explore it a little before setting off. The village has a scheduled ancient monument - a ringwork known as "The Round Moat" - which is the remains of an early Saxon settlement dating from around the 9th century; the ringwork comprises a roughly oval stronghold, fortified by an earthen bank and an external ditch. Not far from here is the 12th century Church of St Mary and a short walk up the High Street brings us to the War Memorial and the water pump.

We leave the village on the turning towards Manor Farm and Fowlmere Airfield; the airfield originated in 1918 when it was used by the RAF for training and then became a satellite for RAF Duxford before being turned over to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) fighter command. It is now home to the British Aerobatic Academy and the Modern Air flying club. We see the war memorial and espy some planes before continuing on the walk to reach Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve, also called Fowlmere Watercress Beds; our route takes us along part of the nature trail that is there. It is very beautiful here; the reedbeds and pools are fed by natural chalk springs and a chalk stream originates in, and runs through, the reserve - this is known locally as the River Shep and it flows north through Shepreth to join the River Rhee (also called the River Cam) at Barrington.

We follow the stream to the A10 and cross over to start the next part of this excellent walk.Read more
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Hertfordshire Traveler
Therfield Circular
April 2, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
We start at Therfield Heath, only this time we walk through the woods to the top of the chalk bank to see if the Pasque flowers are out - they are! The striking, purple Pasque flower has a beautiful, upward bell-shaped flower is now a very rare plant in the UK, restricted to just a few chalk and limestone grasslands and found on only a handful of nature reserves - one of them being Therfield Heath. From the bank there is a good view of the gallops, which we walk along again to reach Thrift Farm.

From the farm we carry straight on up the incline - this is part of the Hertfordshire Way, a 194 mile circular walk around Hertfordshire - and see Therfield water tower on the horizon. As we approach the top we enter Slipe Woods and enjoy the view down towards the heath and fields; we then walk past the water tower, leaving the Hertfordshire Way, and pass the Church of St Mary's to reach Therfield itself. We cross the Causeway and village green to the The Fox and Duck, a well known pub in the area, and proceed to the other side of the village where we join the Icknield Way; this is an ancient trackway in southern and eastern England that runs from Norfolk to Wiltshire and follows the chalk escarpment that includes the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills.

As we head back towards Therfield Heath, we enjoy the view and pass giant haystacks en route (Giant Haystacks was the ring name of a famous British wrestler who was active in the 1970s and 1980s), and walk back through the woods that skirt the southern edge of the golf course back to the car.Read more
Wolfgang und HeidiHi Andrew, we don‘t know this flower in Germany. It‘s beautiful. (It‘s snowing here today 😥)
4/5/21Reply
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