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Andrew's Travels
Andrew's Travels

Andrew's Travels

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  • Andrew's TravelsHampshireTraveler

    Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - part 2

    September 14, 2020 in England ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    HMS Warrior was launched in 1860 and was a 40-gun, steam powered iron clad warship - the most powerful of its kind in the world at the time. She never fired a shot in anger and was returned to Portsmouth in 1987 for public display to provide visitors with an insight into life on board a ship of the Victorian era with guides "of that time".

    Moving forward to 1915, the HMS M.33 is one of only two Royal Navy warships to survive from the First World War and the only one from the Gallipoly Campaign. Once again, very interesting to visit.

    The harbour tour afforded many views, not least that of HMS D34 which was commissioned in 2011 and saw action in the Middle East.

    The HMS Queen Elizabeth was launched in 2014 and an aircraft carrier capable of carrying 60 aircraft (including helicopters). She has a Tudor rose-adorned crest - bringing us full circle from Henry VIII's Mary Rose!    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsHampshireTraveler

    Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - part 1

    September 14, 2020 in England ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    There is a lot to see here and it is all good. This post and the next post presents the ships at the Dockyard in historical order.

    First up is The Mary Rose, a Tudor navy warship that was financed by, and completed for, King Henry VIII in 1510. It was his favourite ship and he watched from Southsea Castle as it capsized in 1545 during the Battle of the Solent. It was recovered in 1982 and, after extenive renovation, can now be seen in a display that put its many artefacts and lives of the crew members into historical context. Highly recommended. The three images show the timbers of the port side of the ship, a typical cannon and the original Mary Rose bell.

    HMS Victory was completed in 1765 and best known as being Admiral Lord Nelson' s flagship during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson was fatally shot, but victory over the French was already assured. An iconic site with an excellent interpretation. Once again, highly recommended.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsHampshireTraveler

    Gosport Borough

    September 13, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    After a short drive to the River Alver Country Park, we are happy to be walking on grass and in the fresh air. There are several relatively short circular walks here which we combine to make a pleasant few hours of walking. The Little Woodham 17th century re-enactment village is closed blue to Covid. We carry on through the Nature Reserve and aroud Noah's Lake, where there are lots of water fowl. Down and across Junkett Bottom and Sandhill, a former refuse tip with views across The Solent to the Isle of Wight, before going through the Browndown MoD site and its gorse vegetation.

    Next there was another short drive to Lee-on-the-Solent, a seafront town on the coast of The Solent with shingle beaches. Lots of people doing seaside stuff - paddling, swimming, sailing etc. The ice cream was well deserved!

    Back via Stokes Bay, Clayhall to Gosport. The beers were very well deserved!    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsHampshireTraveler

    Gosport; Waterfront Trail - part 2

    September 12, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We continue past Gosport Marina and up to the Royal Clarence Yard, which was built in 1827 as a premier naval victualling establishment. Closed in 1994, the site with its large purpose built granary, bakery, slaughterhouse etc buildings (Grade II listed) is now undergoing major refurbishment for modern living and commercial / leisure use. The large Ceremonial Gate and accompanying Flagstaff Green are still as they were.

    We cross the Millenium Bridge over Forton Lake (actually a tidal creek) to Priddy's Hard, a heritage area of Gosport which was an 18th century Ordnance Depot for weapons, explosives and other stores; a fitting place for the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower, our final destination at the north end of the Waterfront Trail. The Grand Magazine, a Grade I listed building, used to hold 4,000 barrels of gunpowder, but now shows a video of the site's history. The exhibition tells the story of the people who worked there and the weapons they made. Very interssting, with lots of guns and missiles (including Exocet) on display.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsHampshireTraveler

    Gosport; Waterfront Trail - part 1

    September 12, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We walk to the southern end of the Waterfront Trail to start at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum. The centrepiece is HMS Alliiance, an A-class long-range submarine built for service in the Far East and then modified for Cold War duties. Passing one-way through it, we see the cramped accommodation (reminiscent of overnight on Indian trains!), eating spaces, toilets, densely packed control room with periscope and, finally, the torpedo compartment. A fantastic experience! Next was Holland 1, the Royal Navy's first submarine, and midget submarines, including Turtle, a replica of the first submersible ever used in combat (in 1755 against the Royal Navy during the American Civil War).

    We then walk over the Haslar Bridge and past the Haslar Marina, Gosport's moat and ramparts (1803), the colourful Harbour and Seaward Towers (blocks of flats) to the Haslar Millennium Pier, where there are views of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and Harbour with the incredible Spinacre Tower dominating the skyline.

    At the Falkland Gardens next to Gosport Ferry, we see the Tide Clock and the HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy's newest aircraft carrier.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsHampshireTraveler

    Winchester, part 2

    September 11, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Winchester Cathedral is is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe and founded originally in 642. Jane Austen is buried here, amongst many others. It is a magnificent place and has a beautiful quire as well as a Holy Hole into which pilgrims would crawl to be next to the bones of Saint Swithin. Beautiful mortuary chests are positioned along the top of the quire. We visited the interesting Kings and Scribes exhibition that was on.

    We visited the tiny St Swithun-upon-Kingsgate Church literally above an arch in a road and proceeded past The Pilgrim's School to the remains of Wolvesey Castle for a visit. Then a nice walk along the River Itchen with the playing fields of Winchester College on one side of us. Crossing the road, with views of St Catherine's Hill on the other side, the walk finished at the Hospital of St Cross and its Almhouse - the oldest in the UK.

    A great place.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsHampshireTraveler

    Winchester, part 1

    September 11, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    For this staycation we travel to a part of the country that neither Helen nor I know well - Hampshire. En route to our apartment in Gosport, we stop off for the day in the cathedral city of Winchester. It is steeped in history, being the start of the Pilgrim's Way to Canterbury, and well worthy of a longer stay in the future.

    We start at the Statue of King Alfred the Great and proceed along the High Street past the Guildhall (1871 and built in the Gothic Revival Style) to the 15th century Buttercross Monument. There are many beautiful old buildings around us we continue up to Westgate and the medieval Winchester Castle - only the Great Hall (13th century) remains now. It houses the "Winchester Round Table" as well as a statue of Queen Victoria and has a lovely medieval style garden next to it.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsRoots - where I grew upTraveler
    St Augustine's Church
    The Corner PinThe former Lord RaglanThe former Railway TavernTithe BarnHowbury Moated Grange

    Slade Green

    August 31, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    I was born close to, and brought up in, Slade Green; this is part of the London Borough of Bexley and the easternmost settlement in London south of the Thames - there are excellent train links to London Bridge and Charing Cross that pass through Woolwich, Charlton and Greenwich on their way to the City.

    Industrial development of Slade Green began in the late 19th century and the church of St Augustine was built in 1900 (it is now surrounded by small industrial units). Rapid expansion followed the construction of a major rail depot and a small station was added to serve the depot and community; Slade Green could be described as a railway town. Indeed, with the development of London Crossrail from Abbey Wood a few stops up the line, who knows what will happen next?

    Slade Green underwent a lot of growth in the late 1950's (when I was born) with council built flats, bungalows, semi-detached houses and shops being built; the large blocks of grey flats that I remember were demolished around 1990 and replaced by much more pleasant housing - it wasn't the best of areas back in the '60s and '70s! A lot of perople were moved down from parts of London as those areas became more gentrified (eg Islington) and I grew up with their children. This is why I look out for Arsenal FC (as well as Charlton Athletic).

    On the social side I note that the Corner Pin pub is still in business, but the Lord Raglan (which I used to frequent) is now flats. The old Railway Tavern, a listed building, has long been converted to flats after initially being reborn as a gymnasium. The demise of Slade Green Football Club in 2009 led to the loss of another watering hole, as well as local sport. Slade Green Secondary School (later Howbury Grange) has now gone, but the infants and primary school I attended is still there (although renamed to St Paul's).

    As you exit Slade Green and walk along Moat Lane you reach the listed monument of Howbury Moated Grange (c.900) which was formerly the manor of Howbury, known as Hov in the Domesday Book. Next to it is a Grade II Listed Jacobean Tithe Barn (c.1600).

    At the end of the lane, we reach part of Crayford Marshes; an ideal location for the 40 acre ammunition works that used to be there - and you can still see disused air raid shelters and pill boxes (where I used to play as a youngster!). A little further brings you to the banks of the River Darent and the opportunity to link up with the London LOOP walk - you turn left for Erith (see earlier footprint) and right for Crayford and beyond (see me t footprint).    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsRoots - where I grew upTraveler

    Walk 1 - Erith to Slade Green

    August 31, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    The walk from Erith to Slade Green is interesting and forms part of the London Outer Orbital Path, more usually known as the "London LOOP", a 150-mile (242 km) signed walk along public footpaths and through parks, woods and fields around the edge of Outer London.

    We start at Riverside and then it is a long slog via Manor Road; there is a lot of industry here and it is not possible to walk by the river. We double back to the river at a small industrial estate housing the Bexley Brewery (excellent beer). This is overshadowed by a 285-foot, 500 kW wind turbine and there is a good view of the turbine and the Erith Yacht Club from the Erith Saltings sign on the footpath along the flood embankment; next to the footpath is saltmarsh, campshedding (wooden piles) on the mudflat, remnants of fossilised forest and, finally, the river itself. On our other side we have Crayford Marshes.

    Proceeding east, there is a view of the marshes with the QE2 bridge linking the M25 clearly visibly beyond; in the foreground is the confluence of the Thames with the River Darent. As we walk from this confluence we reach the Dartford Creek Tidal Flood Barrier; on our right is a brownfield site with lots of scrap yards, recycling plants and light industry. We proceed further along the River Darent from the Flood Barrier and turn down track the which leads to Moat Lane and on to Slade Green.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsRoots - where I grew upTraveler

    Erith 2 - Riverside

    August 24, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We start at Riverside and Erith Pier; many years ago, there were plans to make Erith a resort because of its location - these did not work out, although it still has the longest pier in London as a result of this and it is popular with anglers. There is talk of a proposed ferry connection between Erith and Rainham in order to close the missing link of the London Loop, but what goes round comes round - there was once a ferry to Erith from the other side of the Thames which was mainly used by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury! Close to this plaque is an interesting sign showing that Robinson Crusoe stopped at Erith on his way home…

    Further along and through the Erith Riverside Gardens , we reach the place where the Swimming Pool used to be (I learnt to swim here - it was demolished in 2010 and replaced by flats) before reaching the older part of Riverside.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsRoots - where I grew upTraveler

    Erith 1 - Town

    August 24, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I was born in Erith; it was then within the historic county of Kent, but has formed part of the London Borough of Bexley in South East London since 1965.
     
    In Victorian times, Erith enjoyed a brief spell as a riverside resort due its pier and the day-trippers arriving on Thames pleasure boats.  The town suffered heavy bomb damage in the Second World War, mainly due its position on the riverside near the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. This bomb damage and a gradual decline in local trade prompted major redevelopment in the 1960s; in 1961, plans were put forward to redevelop Erith into a modern, sleek shopping and working environment.....
     
    One of the first films I saw with my mother was the 1963 version of "Jason and the Argonauts" - with its amazing dynamation sequences by Ray Harryhausen - at the Erith Odeon cinema (it is still one of my favourite films ). I used to go there and see A and B films for sixpence (6d) and did not appreciate at the time that the building was in the Art Deco style.  The Odeon became a large Bingo Hall before being demolished and rebuilt as flats and office units; the picture shows things as they are now on the same site.
     
    The old Erith High Street and its side streets are long gone and this area has been replaced by the Riverside Shopping Centre.  Walking towards the river, we reach the end of what was the High Street; the White Hart pub is still there (albeit a restaurant now with a Thames Barge mural on one side), as is the Erith Playhouse and the Cross Keys pub (also a restaurant now).  At the river, we see Erith Pier (more correctly Erith Deep Water Wharf) - the longest pier in London (see Erith 2 - Riverside); from here, it is a short walk up West Street to see the Church of Saint John the Baptist. Doubling back and proceeding up Walnut Tree Road we reach the old library - Grade II listed and in a state of disrepair - before reaching the main roundabout, which has a De Luci fish mosaic sculpture at its centre; behind it we see the tall spire of Christ Church.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorfolkTraveler

    Norwich; Urban Ramble - revisited

    August 15, 2020 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    I went back to Norwich with friends from Duxford ("Friday Forum" Plough group) and treated them to the Urban Ramble Tour (parts 1 to 3); there was also time (and inclination) to visit a few of the fine pubs that are present in Norwich, the "City of Ale". Here are a few supplementary images of this beautiful city, presented in the order of the original posts, together a couple of pub highlights..

    Part 1 - The Maids Head Hotel really is a fine place to stay and highly recommended (we were in the Premier Inn, Nelson this time!)
    Part 1 - With care and a good zoom camera you can see Norwich Castle in some detail from St James Hill
    Part 1 - The modern Jarrold Bridge seems to float over the River Wensum (the posts are not part of the structure)
    Part 2 - On the corner of the market square is the Jarrolds Department Store, established since 1770

    The Adam and Eve claims to the be the oldest pub in the city.
    The Fat Cat is usually packed out and serves 30 real ales - in these Covid-19 times, we were able to get a table and choose from only 15 real ales! A wonderful place.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsEssexTraveler

    Saffron Walden - Castle and Town Centre

    August 2, 2020 in England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Just a few miles south of Duxford, you cross the border into the Uttlesford area of of northwest Essex and reach the beautiful market town of Saffron Walden. Originally called Chipping Walden and then just Walden, the Saffron part comes from the valuable saffron crop which was cultivated here between the 15th and 18th centuries and was used as a dye, flavouring and medicine.

    The remains of the 12th century Walden Castle can still be visited; it was destroyed by Henry II. Originally a motte and bailey, the current market square, a short walk away, is located just external to what would have been the outer bailey (markets are still held every Tuesday and Saturday). A half timbered Guildhall is one side of the market cross and the Corn Exchange - now the library - is on the other.

    Walking down from the castle along Castle Street, we see some of the many timber framed historic buildings in the town; many are brighly coloured and others, such as the 14th century Old Sun Inn - once used as Oliver Cromwell's HQ - feature an external display of decorative moulded plasterwork, known as pargeting; in this case, there are two figures which are said to represent a local hero who killed the Wisbech Giant!

    Saffron Walden is a lovely town - more in a separate post.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsDuxford and Local WalksTraveler
    The former Red Lion
    The former King' s HeadThe former Three HorseshoesThe former WheatsheafThe former FlowerpotThe former Butcher's Arms

    Duxford Village 2 - Lost Pubs

    July 19, 2020 in England ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    There is an excellent website that details the decline of the Englsih Pub - The Lost Pubs Project (https://www.closedpubs.co.uk/). I thought it would be a good idea to look into this for Duxford - time for a walk round the village and up to Whittlesfod Parkway station to see what is listed below....

    After consulting the website and then that for the Duxford Parish Council, it appears that in 1900 there were eight places that supplied alcohol to the village of Duxford.
    There were:

    - four public houses: The Red Lion, The King’s Head, The Three Horseshoes and The Plough
    The Red Lion is now The Red Lion Hotel, but has been part of Whittlesford Parish since 2010 due to a boundary change
    The King's Head and The Three Horseshoes are now privately owned residences
    The Plough is still active as a Public House (for picture, see "Duxford - Village" FindPenguins entry)

    - four beer houses: The Wheatsheaf, The Flowerpot, The Butcher’s Arms and The John Barleycorn (beer houses were set up from earlier in the 19th century to provide beer, regarded as healthy and nutritious at the time, to the working population)
    The Wheatsheaf is now closed and trading as Graystones Cafe Deli & Bistro, since Spring 2018
    The Flowerpot and The Butcher's Arms are now privately owned residences
    The John Barleycorn is still active - as a Public House now (for picture, see "Duxford - Village" FindPenguins entry)    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorfolkTraveler

    Norwich; Urban Ramble, part 4

    July 15, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    This walk is from an old booklet we have called "North Norfolk Rambles" and covers a circular route from Cow Tower and passes through Mousehold Heath, Waterloo Park and Sloughbottom Park before doubling back to the Wensum. We diverted here to see some other interesting sites of Norwich.

    From Cow Tower, we followed the route and had more fine views of the city. We diverted from the Gilman Road perimeter and into Mousehold Heath itself. Crossing through this mainly wooded area we eventually arrived at Lazar House; this 900 year old flint building was originally a leper hospital, became Norwich's first branch library and is now part of Norwich Assist. From here we proceeded to Waterloo Park, originally considered the finest park in East Anglia due to its lovely gardens,, and dominated by the its bandstand and art-deco central pavilion. We walked to Sloughbottom Park for completeness - sports fields, playgrounds, BMX track, pavilion - and then proceed back to the river and crossed over the Dolphin Bridge to walk along a track which follows the old railway route to the site of the old Norwich Station (now long gone - it is now a main roundabout). There is an interesting building near the roundabout - "the 10-sided toilet on St Crispin’s Road dates back to 1919 and is believed to be the oldest surviving concrete urinal in the UK. It has been granted Grade II listed status, and is now being renovated". Not open for use yet!

    We now diverted to see the last remaining sections of city wall on Grapes Hill and then a little further to visit The Cathedral of St John the Baptist outside them. This is the second largest Roman Catholic Cathedral in England and is one of the dominating features of the Norwich skyline we saw from St Jame's Hill (see earlier post).

    A good morning of exploration to see some "hidden Norwich".    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorfolkTraveler

    Norwich; Urban Ramble, part 3

    July 14, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Just opposite the Cathedral close is Tomblands, originally a pre-Norman market place, and the oldest part of Norwich. Passing through the Erpingham Gate, you reach the west entrance of this magnificent Norman Cathedral and vast expanse of the close - the cloisters are second only in size to those of Salisbury Cathedral. We had a look around the cathedral and then walked down The Close to Ferry Lane and the River Wensum. Here is Pulls Ferry, an old ferry house where the monks built a canal under the arch to ferry stone from the river to their construction site.

    From here it was back along the river the railway station to complete the urban ramble around and in the wonderful city of Norwich    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorfolkTraveler

    Norwich; Urban Ramble, part 2

    July 14, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    After crossing St George's Bridge, we passed the Old Technical School to reach The Halls; comprising St Andrew's Hall and Blackfriars Hall (14th century), they make up the most complete friary complex in England. St Andrew's is the centre piece, as it is constructed in the local flint. This area is known as the Norwich Lanes and is full of interesting little shops.

    Next we arrived at the Marketplace - this has the beautiful 15th century Guildhall on one side and the art deco City Hall, guarded by sleek bronze lions, on another with the market - the largest open air market in the country - nestling in the middle. We walked along the Memorial Gardens to the Church of St Peter Mancroft, opposite the Guildhall, and then proceeded down to and through the splendid Royal Arcade, a beautiful and covered shopping street. This brings you out to Norwich Castle (now a museum and unfortunately closed for the time being) situated on its mound; it was founded by William the Conqueror and was originally a Motte-and-bailey castle.

    Leaving this lovely area we walked to Elm Hill, a historic and cobbled lane and the most complete medieval street in the city; it was derelict and decaying one hundred years ago, but fortunately the Norwich Society was able to change the plans to demolish it    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorfolkTraveler

    Norwich; Urban Ramble, part 1

    July 14, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    This urban ramble finds us in the beautiful medieval city of Norwich and is just over an hour from Cambridge. It is the first "big trip" since lock down!

    After checking in at The Maids Head Hotel - claimed to be the oldest hotel in the UK - we walked down the riverbank to the station to start the walk by going up the hill to pass through Rosary Cemetery which was the first non-denominational burial ground in the UK. It was interesting to walk around, before navigating through the ancient woodland of Lion Wood - a remnant of Thorpe Wood which was mentioned in the Domesday Book. Eventually we reached the old Brittania Barracks located on St James Hill, close to Mousehold Heath, with spectacular views of the city; the barracks were the former home of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, but now form part of HM Prisons Norwich.

    From here we proceeded down the hill to the city and the River Wensum, which passes through it. On the far bank is Cow Tower, built in the 14th century as part of the city's strategic defence systems. We had a short walk along the river before crossing the Bishop Bridge (1340) - one of the oldest bridges in England - before doubling back to Cow Tower. We walked along this bank passing the modern and attractive Jarrold Bridge before reaching Norwich Quayside, the heart of the city in medieval times.

    We crossed Fye Bridge and walked along Colegate, with its many historic buildings, before reaching St George's Church and crossing the bridge there.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsDuxford and Local WalksTraveler
    11

    Duxford Village 1

    July 3, 2020 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We have lived in Duxford, a village in Cambridgeshire about 10 miles south of Cambridge, for over 30 years now. Duxford is well known for its airfield (now owned by the Imperial War Museum, IWM) and its air shows; the airfield was used as a sector station during the Battle of Britain.

    The village was originally formed on the banks of the River Cam and there is an old Water Mill; this is now a private property, but opens on local garden days.  There are two Grade I listed medieval parish churches, St Peter's Church (with the war memorial outside it) and St John's Church (now redundant, but open for visitors as it contains a variety of interesting wall decorations ranging from medieval wall paintings to graffiti - some of this dates from the Second World War). There is a lovely village green and we have two pubs – The John Barleycorn and The Plough. There is a new village community centre opening shortly; overall, it is a great place to live.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; Cambridge CityTraveler
    1

    Cambridge lock down, part 2 - Gown

    June 2, 2020 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    As a result of the lockdown, there are no students at the University. The photos show:
    1. The University Library,
    2. Empty punts viewed from Garret Hostel Bridge,
    3. Trinity College chimneys,
    4. The Great Gate of St John's College; the animals are mythical beasts called yales, which have elephants' tails, antelope' bodies and goat's heads with swivelling horns,
    5. The Senate House and
    6. The Mathematical Bridge spanning the River Cam at Queens' College.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; Cambridge CityTraveler

    Cambridge lock down, part 1 - Town

    June 2, 2020 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Helen and I thought we would walk around Cambridge mid-week during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown to enjoy a local and tourist free experience - it was not disappointing.

    The town centre was virtually deserted, as you can see from the pictures of Kings Parade, Trinity Street and the Market Square. The statue is William Harvey (he discovered blood circulation, apparently) and the final picture is something we had never visited before - the Ascension Parish Burial Ground located on the outskirts of Cambridge. It was formerly the burial ground for the parish of  St Giles and St Peter's and includes the graves and memorials of many academics.Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsEssexTraveler

    Thaxted

    May 5, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Driving south from Saffron Walden further into Uttlesford via the Debden Road, we reach the town of Thaxted. There is a classic view of the town's church and windmill on this route.

    Thaxted's status as a town is due to its prominent late medieval Guildhall on the main high street - during the Middle Ages, Thaxted prospered as a centre for the production of cutlery. There are many beautiful old houses here, as well as a large and fine English Perpendicular parish church dedicated to St John the Baptist with Our Lady and St Laurence; it is one of the largest in Essex. Just South of the church we see the Grade II listed five-storey tower mill, John Webb's Mill, which has been restored to working order and is open to the public at certain times.

    On the cultural side, Thaxted is also known for its association with Gustav Holst, who lived here from 1917 to 1925, and for its link with Morris Dancing; in 1934, the year that Holst died, the Cambridge Morris Men invited five other teams (Letchworth, Thaxted, East Surrey, Greensleeves and Oxford) to join them in the formation of a national organisation - The Morris Ring - and there is a plaque on the house where this happened. The Thaxted Morris Weekend is a major event on the Morris Dancing calendar and many sides, or teams, visit here each year; it is also a major local tourist attraction.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsSussexTraveler
    1

    Brighton; Urban Ramble, part 2

    February 8, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Only two of us for the second and more strenuous half of the walk which takes us up the valley via Richmond Heights to the "Pepperpot", the last remaining element of an Itaianate villa. Passing through the lovely Queens Park, we proceeded up Whitehawk Hill to the aerial mast and then past Brighton Racecourse, one of only two horseshoe shaped courses in the UK (the other, Epsom, does not form a complete circuit either).

    Passing through a tunnel under the racecourse, we walked downhill along the Tenantry Down Allotments to the Brighton Cemetery, way more interesting than you might think! Then it was downhill to The Level, a restored park area where two streams converge, past St Peter's Church and back to the hotel.

    Brighton is a wonderful place and I look forward to returning.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsSussexTraveler

    Brighton; Urban Ramble, part 1

    February 8, 2020 in England ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Three of us set off for first part of this "figure of eight" shaped urban ramble based centrally.

    We passed the clock tower on our way up to Brighton Station to start the walk. Walking down Camden Terrace,, a twitten (local dialect for an alleyway), we proceeded to St Nicholas's Church which is the oldest surviving building in Brighton. Another twiten led us to the Montpelier district of the town - lots of classical and Recency architecture here, with Montpelier Crescent (Amon Henry) being the highlight of the area. Crossing the St Ann's Well Gardens, where Brighton's reputation as a health spa began due to the natural spring there being a source of particularly good spring water, we strolled down to the wonderful green expanse of Brunswick Square.

    Proceeding along the seafront - see earlier post - we turned left at the Palace Pier and passed the Old Steine Gardens to walk through the Lanes, a quirky and colourful area with lots of interesting shops. Next we walked through the Cultural Quarter which includes the Brighton Dome, the Museum and, of course, the Royal Pavilion. Designed by John Nash, the palace here has an Indo-Islamic appearance on the outside (very Silk Road); the interior is saved for my next visit to Brighton,    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsSussexTraveler

    Brighton; Seafront

    February 7, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    This trip was with a group of friends based at my local pub - a lads weekend away! It was the first time I have ever been to Brighton in my life and the town did not disappoint - it is a marvellous place and I will definitely return to repeat the urban ramble with Helen and to see things that were missed.

    After a good journey down by car we decided to all go the sea front. First we went to the British Airways i360 viewing tower; this needle like structure was opened as recently as 2016 - normally the "flights" have to be reserved in advance, but no problem with that in early Feb! Lots of good information about how it was built (from the top down!) and excellent views as the cabin ascends to the top. Well recommended.

    Then a walk along the esplanade seeing the various sites - the "Birdcage" Bandstand,, the upside-down house, the remains of the West Pier, the pier arches creative quarter, the fishing museum - until reaching the Palace Pier.

    A great afternoon - thirsty work....    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsLincolnshireTraveler

    Lincoln; Urban Ramble, part 2

    January 25, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Next morning we visited some of the places there was not enough time for yesterday (or were not on the route).

    The first tanks used in World War 1 were made in Lincoln at the William Foster factory and there is a memorial for this on the Triton Way roundabout, conveniently close to our hotel near Ropewalk. Another tourist "emblem" for Lincoln is the Empowerment Sculpture spanning the River Witham by the City Square.

    No visit to Lincoln is complete without passing through the Guildhall and Stonebow archway along the High Street, then ascending to The Strait and Steep Hill (well it deserves that name) and further up to the Cathedral for more great views. Behind it, on East Gate, are the remains of the North Tower of the Roman East Gate.

    After that, we walked down to the so-called Cultural Quarter via the Usher Gallery, a charming diversion. Lincoln is a wonderful place!    Read more

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