Andrew's Travels

Andrew's Travels

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North Yorkshire Traveler
Skipton; Town
August 18, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 18 °C
Skipton is a market town and the southern gateway to the Yorkshire Dales; it is also known as Skipton-in-Craven, Craven being the old name for this district of Yorkshire.

The owners of Skipton Castle acquired a market charter in 1204, and the town grew wealthy as a trading centre for wool and sheep. Further growth happened with the building of the Leeds to Liverpool Canal (130 miles long) during the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century.

We explore the town, seeing the main buildings and sites.Read more
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North Yorkshire Traveler
Wharfedale; Grassington Circular
August 18, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 15 °C
This is Walk 5 in our booklet of "Yorkshire Dales Outstanding Circular Walks," and we start at the village of Grassington.

The village is noted for its cobbled market square and many old houses. It was originally a farming centre that expanded due to mining and quarrying locally; it now thrives on tourism - it was used as the setting for the TV series "All Creatues Great and Small".

We leave from the north end of the village and walk past Lea Green, an ancient Neolithic / Bronze Age settlement on the outskirts of Barstow Wood. We then cross the Grass Wood Nature Reserve before heading down to the River Wharfe. We follow the riverside to reach Ghastrill's Strid, a narrow and rocky stretch of the River, before continuing along it further and back into Grassington.

A very pleasant 5-mile walk.Read more
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North Yorkshire Traveler
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal
August 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Fountains Abbey is now part of the Studley Royal Estate; the Aislabie family created the water gardens here. The estate is now owned by the National Trust and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We follow the National Trust map guide and visit Fountains Hall, late Elizabethan, and Fountains Mill, originally built in the 12th century for the monastery.

We now visit the ruins of Fountains Abbey itself; this is the largest and best preserved Cistercian monastery in England and was founded in 1132 when a group of monks were expelled from St Mary's Abbey in York. They were brought to this site in the River Skell valley, and the natural features enabled the creation of a monastery ; it was named after the six springs that watered the site.

We then walk across to the Studley Royal Water Garden, where there are several follies and statues. Fom here, we walk to the deer park - seeing no deer - and exit the park next to St Mary's Church.

Another great day out.Read more
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North Yorkshire Traveler
Brimham Rocks
August 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Brimham Rocks is made of millstone grit, created in a river system 320 million years ago; this layer lifted up when the Pennines, a range of uplands in the North of England, formed. Today, Brimham Rocks is a natural landscape created from the weathering that has split the rocks along natural joints and horizontal weaknesses; the last Ice Age, 10-18,000 years ago, wore away the softer rock leaving the shapes we see today. Natural erosion still continues.

Brimham Rocks is now managed by the National Trust; we followed the trail map for the site to see the rock formations. It was very interesting.Read more
Travelerwho needs Henry Moore?
8/23/23Reply
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North Yorkshire Traveler
Wharfedale; The Strid and Bolton Priory
August 16, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
This is Walk 21 in our booklet of "Yorkshire Dales Outstanding Circular Walks," and we start at Barden Bridge (free parking).

We follow the footpath to a turreted bridge, a Victorian aqueduct, and join the Dales Way through Strid Woods, renowned for its flora and fauna. We reach a narrowing section of the River Wharfe where the fast flowing water is both deep and dangerous - The Strid. We carry on along the path past the Cavendish Pavilion and the Cavendish Memorial Fountain. We head down to Bolton Priory, which is part of the village and parish of Bolton Abbey on the Bolton Estate.

Bolton Priory was founded in 1154 and dissolved in 1539, one of the last to fall in Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries; altough most of the Priory buildings are now ruins, part still survives and is used as the local church. We then join the road and double back a short way past the Victorian Bolton and walk up the hill through fields and a small forest to reach Moorland. There are good views as we reach Middle Hare Head. From here, it is down through the heather to reach a road, which we follow downhill to Barden Tower; this was used as a hunting lodge by the Clifford family (the original owners of Skipton Castle), but was extended in the 15th century. The ruins survive and are also part of the Bolton Estate.

It has been another excellent day out, covering over 10 miles in great walking conditions.Read more
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North Yorkshire Traveler
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Wharfedale; Burnsall and Linton walk
August 15, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
This is Walk 13 in our booklet of "Yorkshire Dales Outstanding Circular Walks," and we start at the pretty village of Burnsall.

From the Burnsall Bridge, we follow the Dales Walk along the River Wharfe paat Loup Scar, a limestone gorge on the river, and cross over the Hebden Suspension Bridge (1895). We follow the riverside path and turn off towards Linton, with a good view of the squat Linton Church of St Michael and All Angels. Reaching Linton, we cross the bridge over the Linton Falls, a natural limestone waterfall. Linton Beck joins the River Wharfe here, and we see Little Emily's Bridge, an old Packhorse bridge. Linton is very pretty, with a village green and a pub; this part of the village is dominated by the Fountaine Hospital, a 1721 almshouse.

We leave Linton via a footpath across Moorland and then follow a single track lane to the small village of Thorpe and its Manor House and then take another path over undulating fields back to Burnsall.

It has been a good, not overly challenging, 7.75-mile walk in pleasant weather with some lovely views. Things could be worse!Read more
Traveler He does it in style!
8/23/23Reply
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RHS Gardens Traveler
RHS Garden Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire
August 14, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
RHS Garden Harlow Carr is located on the Western edge of Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

Springs of warm sulphur water were discovered here in the 18th century, and a hotel and bath spa house was finally established in 1840. The Northern Horticultural Society acquired the 26-acre site at Harlow Hill and opened the Harlow Carr Botanical Gardens in 1950. The site was acquired by the RHS in 2014 after the hotel, now the Harrogate Arms, closed in 2014; this is now being redeveloped as a cafe area, whereas the Old Bath House is now an exhibition area.

The weather was inclement today, but we enjoyed exploring the gardens, seeing the various areas (see photo captions for some of them).Read more
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North Yorkshire Traveler
Skipton; Castle and Woods
August 13, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Skipton Castle was originally built as a motte and bailey castle by the Normans in 1091; the cliffs behind drop down to Eller Beck and woodland behind it, making for a good strategic position. It was passed to and renovated by the Clifford family in 1310 and is one of the best preserved and complete medieval castles in England.

During our visit, there was a 1635 household reenactment going on over the weekend; it was interestto hear how things were done then by chatting to the serving staff, the cook the physcian, and the musicians in some of the places our tour map took us from the main gates. These included Lady Anne's Steps, the Conduit Court, the Kitchen, the Banqueting Hall, the Withdrawing Room, the Lord's Day room , the Watchtower, the muniment room, the curing room. It was a good visit!

We then walked through Skipton Castle Woods, part of the landscape for 1,000 years, and very much a part of Skipton, industrial heritage. In the 18th century, Eller Brook was dammed so as to provide water for the Mills of the town; it was also fed into the Spings Canal to provide water for the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The walk took us past the Round Dam and the Long Dam and then back over Moorland to the town.Read more
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West Yorkshire Traveler
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
August 12, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 20 °C
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park occupies the parkland of Bretton Hall, near West Bretton, Wakefield, and is basically an art gallery with both outdoor and indoor exhibition locations. Internally, there are exhibits in an underground gallery, as well as at The Weston and the redundant Bartholomew Chapel.

It was very interesting to see these and walk around the park.Read more
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Cambridgeshire; Hunts District Traveler
St Ives
July 11, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
St Ives is a market town 12 miles north-west of Cambridge; I have worked here, on the Industrial Estate on the edge of town, for the last 10 years (on and off) and have finally got round to a proper explore and town walk (now that I am retired!) Originally called Slepe, St Ives is situated on the banks of the River Great Ouse; it was a strategic location in Anglo-Saxon times and in the 18th and 19th centuries was an active river port and trade hub on the way to London. The use of the River Great Ouse declined as the railway and road networks improved, but it is still an active market town.

I start at the Riverside; the St Ives Bridge dates to the 15th century and is one of only four bridges in the England to incorporate a chapel (it is Grade 1 listed as a result); there are good views from the bridge, including the old corn mill which has been converted to flats (and is where Clive Sinclair invented the world's first pocket calculator. I walk back into town along the riverside to the car park and bus station - the site of the original cattle market and only the gatehouses remain at the entrance - and then double back to the wide Market Hill (where the modern market is now held). Here, there is an imposing statue of Oliver Cromwell, who was born close by (in Huntingdon) and moved to St Ives for a while, during which time the non-conformist Free Church was built, as well as many old buildings along the street and nearby.

A short walk along Merryfield brings me to The Broadway, another wide street where the Victoria Memorial is situated, as well as many other fine old buildings. The Broadway meets a riverside area known as The Waits; this is a lovely area, and the Norris Museum is here, featuring a collection of Huntingdoshire's history. Along the road is the Old Butcher's Shop, the Old Grammar School, and it finishes at the Parish Church of All Saints (Grade 1 listed).

St Ives is a lovely place, and there are some great walks nearby.Read more
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RHS Gardens Traveler
RHS Garden Rosemoor, Devon
June 19, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
The house at Rosemoor (originally Rowe's Moor) was bequeathed to Lady Anne Berry by her father in 1931, and she created the original garden around the house in 1959; it was noted for rare and unusual plants (and is still very much a "plants woman’s" area). In 1988, Lady Palmer (as she then was) gave the garden to the RHS along with extra land, which has now been developed into the Formal Gardens area.

Starting from Lady Anne's Garden, we wander through the exotic garden and stone garden to view the temperate house; then it is a nice walk through the arboretum, past the bog gardens and across the estate grass to double back past the play area and the stumpery.

From the newer Formal Garden, close to the entrance, we have a lovely walk through the Queen Mother's Rose Garden (modern roses), Model Garden, Winter Garden to the Cool Garden and Hot Garden (they are arranged symmetrically around the Long Border, a straight walk that bisects the Formal Garden); then we see the Shrub Rose Garden (old traditional roses), Herb Garden and Foliage Garden.

Leaving the Formal Garden area, there is a short walk to see the Lake, Orchard, and Fruit and Vegetable Garden.

There is much variety here; another fine visit to our third of five RHS Gardens in the UK.Read more
Wolfgang und HeidiI like „bequeathed“. That word is even for advanced German speakers a really challenge
6/22/23Reply
TravelerThanks. Mind you, some German words are hard to pronounce for those with some German!
6/22/23Reply
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Devon Traveler
Dartmoor; Okehampton / Belstone Circular
June 18, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Today, we go on another walk; it was from Pathfinder Guides' "Dartmoor Walks," a book at the apartment. Apparently, this northern part of Dartmoor contains the highest land in Southern England, and also some of its wildest and loneliest.

After visiting Okehampton Castle (see previous post), we joined the West Devon Way for a while, passing through woodland, and cross over the A30. There are views of Okehampton Army Camp as we walk over what was once Okehampton Park (used by the De Courtneys for hunting) on our way to Lower Hadstock Farm.

We now cross bleak moorland topped with granite tors to reach Cullever Steps, site of an ancient Ford. Heading south, we pass a ruined wall on Belstone Tor; this is the Irishmen's Wall, built in the 19th century to enclose areas of moor, but it was pulled down by locals as quickly as it was built. We turn left at Winter Tor and climb up to the Higher Tor Rocks, where there are great views of the area.

Then it's down to a stream and up through Belstone village and on to the Dartmoor Way path; under the A30, this time, and through Ball Hill Conservation Area bt the East Okemont River and back to Okehampton.

It's been about a 10-mile walk. That's enough for us when there is a lot of up and down!Read more
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Devon Traveler
Dartmoor; Okehampton
June 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
We stayed at Okehampton, on the northern edge of Dartmoor, for the Lydford Gorge walk and the circular walk via Okehampton Castle, Lower Hadstock, and Belstone.

It is an interesting town to visit, and we had a quick look around the town centre before an excellent dinner at Brothers restaurant.

The next morning, we visited Okehampton Castle; it was founded after the Norman Conquest as a motte and bailey castle, guarding a crossing point over the West Okemont River. In the 13th century, the Earls of Devon owners (the De Courtneys) used it as a hunting lodge, but it went into decline in the 15th century after the Wars of the Roses. It is now managed by English Heritage. The ruins mainly comprise a 12th century keep and 14th-century domestic buildings and a chapel.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Dartmoor; Widecombe and Lydford Villages
June 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
This post covers two villages visited as we travelled between Haytor and Okehampton.

We visited Widecombe in the Moor after the Haytor circular walk; the village is very pretty and noted for its Church of St Pancras and its association with the old song "Widecombe Fair". The song is about a group of people travelling to the fair, including "Uncle Tom Cobley" - an expression that now relates to "anyone and everyone."

We visited Lydford after the Lydford Gorge walk; Lydford was originally an important town in medieval times as it was the most westerly burgh (fortified town) in Alfred the Great's Kingdom of Wessex. Its remoteness and changing times have caused a decline, but it is still very pretty and has relics of its past.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Dartmoor; Lydford Gorge
June 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Lydford Gorge is a steep sided River Gorge nestled on the Western edge of Dartmoor; it is owned by the National Trust. We pick up a leaflet at the NT kiosk and walk the "Lydford Gorge Trail."

We walk for about a mile along the top edge of the gorge and pass close to an old railway bridge before walking down to a bird hide. From here, it is back along the River Lyd to reach the 30m high, single drop Whitelady Waterfall. Then it's over a footbridge and along the narrow river path (hand rails) to reach Tunnel Falls; there are several small cascades before the footpath passes through a tunnel carved from the rock by Victorians (hence the name). We then walk on Devils Cauldron, named for the noise, and the many boulders washed down.

Then it's lunch before exploring Lydford Village and returning to Okehampton.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Dartmoor; Haytor/Houndtor Circular Walk
June 16, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
We leave our accommodation in St Marychurch and drive to the next, in Okehampton, via southern Dartmoor, stopping at the Dartmoor National Park at Haytor. We are recommended an excellent walk with lots of variety - the Houndtor Circular Walk.

From here, we walk to Haytor Quarry, the largest of five in the area, all of which were linked by granite tramways; these continuous rails were built from 1820 to transport granite downhill to Stover Canal and then on to Teignmouth Docks. Next, we walked on to Smallacombe Tocks prehistoric settlement; these were round houses with conical roofs thatched with rush, gorse, etc.

It's downhill now to cross Becka Brook via a clapper bridge mafe from granite slabs. Then, uphill towards Houndtor medieval 13th century settlement, a small hamlet consisting of the remains of four farmsteads (longhouses) abandoned in the 14th century. We pass Hound Tor itself, and then Greattor as we head downhill to cross Becka Brook again and walk up Holywell spoil heap, the remains of another old quarry, and join the granite tramways again.

We then climb up to the Haytor Rocks, dating from the Devonian Period, enjoy our sandwiches, and walk downhill to the visitor centre. It has been an excellent walk.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Coleton Fishacre and Compton Castle
June 15, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Today, we visit two National Trust properties in this part of Devon.

The first, Coleton Fishacre, is near Kingswear and is an old country house in the 1920s Jazz Age Art-Deco style of that time. It was built 1923-26 for the D'Oyly Carte family, and the interior is very interesting. Not only that, the gardens are beautiful and are built around a narrow Combe that runs down to the sea at Pudcombe Cove (which is on the South West Coastal Path) and features many rare and exotic plants.

The second, Compton Castle, is near Marldon and is actually a fortified Manor House with high curtain walls, towers, and two portcullis. We are fortunate with timing and join a guided tour of the house and gardens; the inside features a medieval kitchen, a great hall, a sub-solar room, a solar room and a Chapel. The house is owned by the Gilbert Family (Sir Humphrey Gilbert was the half-brother of Sir Francis Drake); it has been in the care of the National Trust since 1951.

An excellent day out.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Torbay; Torquay, Paignton and Brixham
June 14, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
The three towns of Torquay, Paignton, and Brixham are situated around Torbay and comprise the English Riviera; this post describes additional places seen on diversions whilst walking between them - they are described by the picture captions.

Torquay was originally a fishing port but is now a major, large seaside town comprising several parishes and villages (including St Marychurch, Babbacombe, Wellswood, and Cockington visited earlier). Paignton is a pretty seaside town that merged with the neighbouring villages of Goodrington and Preston as it grew. Brixham is still an active fishing port and extremely pretty.Read more
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The South West Coastal Path Traveler
Torquay to Brixham
June 14, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
It's an early 22 bus into Torquay to continue the walk; it's going to be hot today.

We start at Beacon Quay and cross the Millenium Bridge to follow the coastal path along Torquay seafront. We pass Corbyn Head, Livermead Head, and walk along the promenade past Paignton Pier. We pass the small harbour and descend Roundham Head to Goodrington Sands and across to Broadsand Beach. We go round the headland, through Marriage Woods, and then Elberry Cove and Fishcombe Beach to reach Brixham.

We pass the Freshwater Fish Market and walk around the harbour and marina to Brixham Breakwater (1,000 feet long) to end this stage of the South West Coastal Path.

On arrival in Brixham, we booked onto the Western Lady ferry to cross the bay back to Torquay; £5 each well spent!Read more
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Devon Traveler
Cockington Court, Country Park, Village
June 13, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
We take the 22 bus (again) through Torquay to Livermore Sands and walk up to Cockington, a village close to Torquay, via some lovely water meadows.

From the village, we follow a circular walk that includes part of the John Musgrave Cultural Trail, around to Cockington Court and Country Garden. The Manor House was owned by the influential Cary and Mallock families before passing to Torbay Council; the Country Park was created in 1991. There are interesting craft studios and gardens here, as well as the local village church (Norman).

We walk through the Country Park to reach Cockington Village itself; it is like stepping back in time, as it is very beautiful with many lovely cottages.Read more
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The South West Coastal Path Traveler
Shaldon to Torquay
June 12, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
We take the 22 bus to Shaldon, where we finished yesterday; Shaldon is a pretty fishing village on the Teign Estuary, opposite Teignmouth.

We walk through the village to the beach and rejoin the coastal path to go up the Ness; behind it is Ness Cove beach, only accessible via a (smuggler's) tunnel from the car park. It's a steep climb, and we enjoy the views from Bundle Head and Labrador Bay and onwards to Maidencombe and Watcombe. More up and down until we reach the outskirts of Torquay Golf Club, where, much to our surprise, we have a lovely view of the "twin towers" of St Marychurch. We descend to Oddicombe beach, crossing under the Cliff Railway (unfortunately closed until the end of June), and follow the coastal path to the beach part of Babbacombe around Withy Point. We walk via Walls Hill at the top of Long Quarry Point, over Anstey's Cove and on to Black Head, where there are great views of the Hope's Nose headland, which separates Babbacombe Bay from Tor Bay.

Then it's on via Thatcher Point and Meadfoot Beach, a steep climb up to the top, around Daddyhole Plain, and on past the curiously named London Bridge rock formation to reach Beacon Quay in Torquay. It has been a long and hot day.Read more
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The South West Coastal Path Traveler
Dawlish Warren to Shaldon
June 11, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
We are staying in St Marychurch, a part of Torquay, whilst we walk this first section of the SW Coastal Path starting at Dawlish Warren (technically, the Jurassic Coast walk from Poole to Exmouth is part of the SW Coastal Path - see previous trip in FP).

We take the 22 bus to Dawlish Warren; this is a popular holiday resort, and the Nature Reserve is located at the mouth of the River Exe Estuary, opposite Exmouth, on a sand spit. We explore this and take the sea wall path route of the SW Coastal Path to Dawlish, which runs next to the railway line. The cliffs are Permian Red Sandstone; there are lovely views, and it is easy walking.

Dawlish is a pretty seaside resort; the small park and play area built around the small coastal stream (Dawlish Water, aka The Brook) is known as The Lawn. We carry on along the seawall path and go up Lea Mount. This takes us via Holcombe and then another seawall path to Teignmouth.

Teignmouth is a seaside town and fishing port at the mouth of the River Teign; we walk along the Esplanade, with views of The Ness on the other side of the river, visit the pier and reach the harbour area to take the Shaldon Ferry across the River Teign Shaldon; from here it is the 22 bus back to St Marychurch.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidinice walk - nature and history. that what I love (Heidi)
6/13/23Reply
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Devon Traveler
St Marychurch, Babbacombe, Kents Cavern
June 10, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
We are staying in St Marychurch, a small parish of Torquay whilst walking parts of the South West Coastal Path. Torquay, along with Paignton and Brixham, are located around Torbay, aka The English Riviera ( or "Torbaydos").

St Marychurch is named after one of its churches, St Mary, and we see this and the other church (the "twin towers") during a quick explore of the town before walking along the nearby Babbacombe Promenade - the highest in the UK - and on to Wellswood, where Kents Cavern Prehistoric Caves are located.

Formed in the early Pleistocene period from Devonian limestone, the cave system has been occupied by at least eight separate, native populations. This Stone Age labyrinth of caves is spectacular and deservedly popular.Read more
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Suffolk Traveler
The Three Churches Walk
May 31, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
This walk was done with the Cambridge Rambling Club, and takes in the three churches at Moulton, Gazeley, and Dalham - three villages just east of Newmarket - and much of it follows the Icknield Way.

We start at Moulton, which is well known for both its church - the Church of St Peter - and a 15th century Packhorse bridge spanning the tiny River Kennet, on the old cart road from Cambridge to Bury St Edmunds. We leave the churchyard, and after a little road walking, take the path between the hedges of the Gazeley Stud to reach the All Saints Church and then the village itself. From here, we cross the road and join the Icknield Way (a 110-mile route from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to Knettishall Heath in Suffolk), crossing fields and several woods. There are views of the 3,000 acre Dalham Hall as we turn off for the Church of St Mary the Virgin; it is a lovely church, and there are traces of old wall paintings above the chancel arch. The church cuts into grounds for Dalham Hall, and is right next to the viewpoint for it; one of the previous owners of Dalham Hall and stud farm was Cecil Rhodes, the Victorian empire-builder and founder of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), but it is now owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the UAE. As we walk down into the village, we pass an old and large conical red-brick malting kiln. After a packed lunch in Dalham Village Hall, we double back past the malting kiln and turn off to follow a footpath along the River Kennet back to the Church of St Peter at Moulton

A good, 7-mile walk.Read more
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RHS Gardens Traveler
RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Essex
May 30, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
The garden at Hyde Hall was created by Dr. and Mrs. Robinson in 1955; Hyde Hall was formerly a working farm on a hilltop surrounded by arable land and became the property of the RHS in 1993.

We start our visit at the original Hyde Hall farmhouse, thatched barn and farmhouse garden, and then - using the map supplied - walk behind to the Robinson Garden, an original area of garden created by the Robinsons themselves. After walking along the Shrub Rose Border, we reach Lower Pond - also an original feature that has been expanded by the RHS. Then it's the Global Growth Vegetable Garden; created in 2017 outside the original borders, this garden is set out in a circle and split into four quarters to showcase plants of Europe and the Middle East / Asia / North and Central America / South America; at its centre is a 14m wide octagonal glasshouse in which less hardy edibles are grown. We then cross the Hilltop Garden to reach the iconic Dry Garden, one of the most well-known parts of Hyde Hall Gardens. We walk down the sun facing Clover Hill towards the man-made lake / reservoir and then up through the Winter Garden to the Courtyard Gardens; planted in 2012, they comprise the stylised Modern Country Garden and the relaxed classic Country Garden.

It has been another excellent visit to our second RHS garden.Read more
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Cambridgeshire; Cambridge City Traveler
Chisholm Trail, Phase 1
May 23, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
The Chisholm Trail is a walking and cycling route which will link the business and science parks via Cambridge North railway station to Addenbrooke's Hospital, the Biomedical Campus and the proposed Cambridge South railway station; it will also connect with the Guided Busway to St Ives, Cambs and the National Cycle Network. Phase 1 was opened in December 2021 and covers the area from Cambridge North Station to Coldham's Lane; Phase 2 will connect to phase 1 at Coldham’s Common on Coldham’s Lane.

We start at Cambridge North railway station; the aluminium roof cladding has a mathematical design derived from the Game of Life 'cellular automaton‘ and outside it is a 2021 statue depicting the Greco-Roman deities Hercules and Galatea where the man looks "rigid and dated" and the woman appears “strong, dynamic and empowered"..... We walk down to the river and cross the new Abbey Chesterton bridge for bicycles and pedestrians across the River Cam, installed in November 2020, before crossing Ditton Meadows towards Newmarket Road via properly surfaced paths. We reach the 12th century Leper Chapel, part of the buildings of a leper hospital that stood a little beyond the outskirts of the city on the road to Bury St Edmunds.

We are now able to cross Newmarket road via the new The Newmarket Road underpass, an important link in the Chisholm Trail, that reopened in 2022 with proper artwork to replace the graffiti and "street-art" that was there previously. On the other side is Coldham's Common and a proper view of Barnwell Lake - previously, it could only be glanced through trees. The Chisholm Trail crosses the common outside the Abbey Stadium, home of Cambridge United, before reaching Cromwell Road.

Phase 2 of the Chisholm Trail will connect here, providing a route through the city via Cambridge main railway station to the south of the city on both sides of the railway track. Watch this space.........Read more
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