• Old Sarum

    18. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Old Sarum was originally an Iron Age Hillfort, built around 400 BC at the intersection of two trade paths, before becoming a Roman and then a Saxon settlement. William the Conqueror used the site to build a Motte and Bailey castle and a cathedral, and King Henry I added a royal palace. The city declined due to a lack of water and being windswept and subsequent arguments between soldiers and clergy, and a new cathedral was built on the Salisbury Plain - the city of New Sarum, or Salisbury as it became, was established.

    It was interesting to walk over the outer bailey, cross the ditch where the drawbridge would have been and go up to the inner bailey where the palace and castle are situated; the remains of the original cathedral are behind, on the outer bailey.
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  • Salisbury, part 3; The Cathedral

    17. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Salisbury Cathedral is incredible; it has the tallest spire in the UK (404 feet), as well as the largest cloister and cathedral close. The original site was at Old Sarum, but bad relations between clergy and military led to relocation further south on the Salisbury Plain; building started in 1220. The Cathedral clock (1386) is the oldest in the world and the large font (2008) has reflections.

    The Cathedral is also famous for having the best preserved of the four remaining Magna Carta documents; a replica of this is housed between the magnificent nave and choir - the original, which we saw in the Chapter House, cannot be photographed. The Magna Carta was a Royal Charter of Rights agreed by King John and signed at Runnymede, near Windsor, in 1215 to make peace with rebel barons; it is still cited today as a statement of personal liberty.

    After the truly amazing experience of seeing an original,Magna Carta document, we exit tbe Cathedral via the cloister.
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  • Salisbury, part 2; Water Meadows

    17. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We leave the town centre via the High Street Gate and enter the beautiful Cathedral Close area; Mompresson House is closed due to the pandemic and the Cathedral itself well deserves a separate post, but it is a great place to see. Ted Heath used to live in the Close at Arundells; this was also closed and both the Rifles Museum and the Salisbury Museum did not appeal after the Cathedral visit (will see next time).

    We cross over the Cathedral green, look at Bishop's Walk and proceed to Churchill Gardens on the River Avon. Then up the Harnham Road to cross the green there back to the Avon to the 16th century Old Mill, now a hotel. This marks the start of the path across the Water Meadows, with its iconic views of the Cathedral. We are reminded of the equally iconic view of King's Chapel Cambridge with cows grazing in front of it.

    It has been a busy day and we relax with excellent beer at The Haunch of Venison later. This pub has "a nationally important historic interior as the main bar, the Commons, is timber panelled and has a rare zinc topped bar" (a quote from Camra - I'm a member of the Campaign for Real Ale).
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  • Salisbury, part 1; Town Centre

    17. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    We walk in via the Queen Elizabeth Gardens and turn into Fisherton Street, noting Salisbury Clock Tower, and reach the Poultry Cross; behind are some beautiful old buildings, including The Haunch of Venison pub.....

    We arrive at the large Market Place and see the Salisbury Guildhall. Close by is the lovely St Thomas Church which contains the oldest Doom painting in the UK; these show the Last Judgement and depict, amongst other things, people being sent to Hell.
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  • Kingston Lacy

    16. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Following the "slighting" of Corfe Castle after the English Civil War, Dame Mary Bankes and family relocated to Kingston Lacy country house and estate. The original house has been extensively altered by subsequent generations of Bankes's and is now reimagined as a Venetian Palace by William John Bankes in the late 19th century. The house, together with the entire Bankes estate (including Corfe Castle and Shell Bay), was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1981.

    We visit the house and see a statue of Mary with her sword of defiance and castle keys - they were returned to her and can be seen in the Salon here. We see the incredible Spanish Room. Next, we walk in the Formal Gardens, noting the Philae Obelisk shipped back from Upper Egypt. We stroll the 3 mile Woodland Trail and finish bsck at the lovely Japanese Garden.

    The Badbury Rings are a few minutes drive away by road, but still part of the Estate; they are the site of an Iron Age Hill Fort, with its ditches and ramparts, and there is much evidence of Bronze age barrows in the area. In the Roman era, several Roman roads converged here.
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  • Lulworth Castle and Worth Matravers

    15. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Lulworth Castle was originally a hunting lodge on the Lulworth Estate built in the style of a fortified castle, but now houses a museum: access is via the converted stables. Next to the castle is St Mary's Chapel, a Catholic church built in the style of a Greek mausoleum; this was done so that it did not look like a church - it was the first Roman Catholic church to be built in England after the Reformation.

    The Square and Compass at Worth Matravers is an incredible pub; it only has a hatch for service (no bar!) and real ale and home pressed cider is served directly from the barrels. The pub has been in the same family since 1907 and we are put in the tap room, in which "a returning Victorian labourer would find nothing out of place" (according to my recent Camra Beer magazine) - it is a correct description, this is an extraordinary place.
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  • 4. Kimmeridge Bay to Durdle Door

    15. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Kimmeridge Bay, aka Purbeck Marine Wildlife Preserve, is renowned for fossils and is a site of Special Scientific Interest; it is semi-circular in shape with a wave cut platform and rock pools beneath the cliffs. Clavell Tower on the overlooking Hen Cliff was built as both an observatory and a folly.

    Next up is Lulworth Cove, one of the world's finest examples of a natural cove; the nearby Stair Hole, an infant cove, shows how it may have looked many thousands of years ago. Lulworth Cove has been shaped as a result of wave diffraction through the narrow, hard Purbeck entrance into the softer clays behind it which are bordered behind by hard greensand and chalk .

    We walk on to Durdle Door, a natural limestone arch; the same rock strata as Lulworth Cove have been folded 90 degrees. Wonderful!
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  • 3. Dancing Ledge to Chapman's Pool

    14. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    The walk from Dancing Ledge brings us first to Headbury Quarry, where an old cannon on the rocks is visible - it is from a ship wrecked in a storm in 1786 whilst on its way to India. Next, we pass Seacombe Cliff and reach Winspit, a disused quarry with caves that has been used as a TV setting for Blake's 7 and Dr Who. There are great views before and after Winspit; for the latter, we can see back to Anvil Point and its lighthouse.

    We reach St Aldhelm's Point, the most southerly part of the Isle of Purbeck peninsula, where is another National Coastwatch Institution look-out point. There is also a Radar Memorial and St Aldhelm's Chapel, a Norman Church rebuilt in the 19th century.

    There is a very steep descent followed by an ascent up Emmett's Hill before we enjoy a wonderful view of Chapman's Pool, a small cove below, and of Egmont Point; the Kimmeridge Ledges and Kimmeridge Bay are beyond.
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  • 2. Swanage to Dancing Ledge

    13. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We proceed through Swanage to Peveril Point - a promontory where there is a National Coastwatch Institution look out point manned by volunteers - and on further to Durlston Bay, a renowned site for fossils.

    The bay borders Durlston Country Park where Durlston Castle, originally built as a folly by George Burt on Durlston Head, is now the visitor centre. Burt also commissioned the Great Globe which is made from Purbeck Stone; at 3m diameter and 40 tons in weight, it is one of the largest stone spheres in the world. A little further on are the Tilly Whim Caves, originally quarries for the valuable Purbeck Stone; the "Purbeck Beds" extend from here to St Aldhem's Head. Now closed to tourists, the caves are a sanctuary for bats. Still within the grounds of the country park, we reach Anvil Point and its lighthouse.

    Leaving the park area and a couple of miles futher on is Dancing Ledge; this is a flat area of rock at the base of a small cliff that was also used for quarrying, since ships could come right up to the sheer edge due the depth of the water. There is a lot of rock climbing going on and the views are splendid.
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  • 1. Old Harry Rocks to Swanage

    12. oktober 2020, England ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    We walk across high chalk grassland to reach the Old Harry Rocks; these mark the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast (a UNESCO world heritage site) which starts here and finishes at Orcombe Point, near Exmouth. The rocks are chalk and the original formation used to stretch as far as the Isle of Wight, linking up with The Needles there. They are really impressive, but you do not want to get too close to the edge of the steep cliff!

    Not far from here are the pointed chalk stacks known as The Pinnacles. We walk further, crossing the end of Ballard Down at Ballard Point and the start of the Purbeck Way, to reach the steep, but stepped, descent to New Swanage. From here we see Ballard Down behind beach groynes, which help intercept water flow and sediment movement.

    We have good views of Swanage as we enter it, noting the Wellington clock tower (originally built for London Bridge) and Swanage Pier in the distance, as well as beach huts closer by.
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  • Sandbanks and Studland Bay

    12. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We drive to Swanage and take the bus and then chain ferry to Sandbanks, a small peninsula on the end of a spit crossing the mouth of Poole Harbour: it is famed for being one of the most expensive places in the world for real estate. We walk on the beach and circle back via Panorama Avenue - Rick Stein's restaurant is on the junction next to Caff (their spelling) and an estate agent.

    We take the chain ferry back, about a 5 minute journey, and enjoy a view of Bournemouth in the distance. We start at the beginning of the South West Coast Path - of which the Jurassic Coast Walk forms part - and enjoy walking on the beach of Studland Bay; this section is extremely popular with dog walkers and people of a certain age!

    We reach Redend Point and have an excellent view of thecOld Harry Rocks. We also see the Dragon's Teeth - apparently Studland Bay was considered an invasion point during WWII and these are anti -tank fortifications. We also go into Fort Henry, an observation bunker overlooking the bay, on the route to Handfast Point and the Old Harry Rocks.
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  • Corfe Castle

    11. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Corfe Castle itself was built in a strategic position between a gap in the natural chalk hills; its elevation means that they could also see Poole Harbour. Originally a Roman site, the castle was established by William the Conqueror, with the large keep added added by Henry I. It was demolished to its present state after the Engish Civil War ended in 1651.

    After visiting the castle and Corfe Castle village, we set off on a circular walk across Corfe Common, up the hill to Kingston and then back across another part of the "common land"; Kingston has a magnificent church with a disproportionate tower; the church is built from Purbeck stone and appears pink - due to algae, apparently.
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  • Poole - The Old Town

    10. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    After lunch we follow the so-called Cockle Trail through Poole Old Town.

    We start at the Quayside and see the Custom House, a Grade II listed Georgian building now used as a restaurant. We walk up Thames Street, past many beautiful buildings and St James Church (closed), to reach the lovely West End House, built by a Newfoundland merchant. We go up Market Street to Guildhall, enjoying a new lease of life as a wedding venue. From here we double back down High Street, with its many old buildings, to Poole Museum. We see the Poole logboat, an Iron Age boat found in the harbour; the museum is extremely interesting and features local history.

    Later, we meet up with two old friends who moved to this area from Duxford six years ago. Beers and an excellent Indian dinner follow!
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  • Poole - The Quays

    10. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Poole is a large coastal town in Dorset, well known for its natural harbour. We arrive there on the Purbeck Breezer bus from Corfe Castle village and embark on the Rotary Club Five Quays Walk.

    We walk through Baiter Park and arrive at the interesting Fisherman's Dock on Poole Harbour before proceeding along Poole Quay - lots of nice pubs here (two were visited later in the day). We walk along Great Quay, passing the Sea Music Sculpture, and walk onto the Twin Sails Bridge; we were lucky as it opened a little later and we saw why is named so from West Quay. Lifeboat Quay is the home of the RNLI College and Trainng Centre; there is incredible architecture and a beautiful memorial honouring all lifeboats men who have lost their lives (they are all named).Les mer

  • Knowlton Church and Wimborne Minster

    9. oktober 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We have an excellent journey to Dorset and head for Knowlton Church. Why? It is a ruined Norman Church built inside a Neolithic henge monument (trenched earthworks) - together they also known as the Knowlton Circles.

    A detour from the main road takes us via some extremely pretty villages to Wimborne Minster, a beautiful market town with lovely old buildings. Not least of these is the Minster itself, a Saxon Church dedicated to St Cuthburga. There is some great stuff inside it, but unfortunately the church is closed most of the time now as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The bell tower has a soldier guading the bells....... We then visit the tourist information office and embark on a walking tour. After this, we go to the Wimborne Model Town and Gardens, which feture a 1:10 scale model of the town as it was in the 1950s. This is really interesting and there is also a model railway and dolls house exhibition - both better than they sound!

    We head to Corfe Castle, where we are renting a cottage for a week.
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  • Crayford

    28. september 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    My father was born and raised in Crayford and my grandparents continued to live there until they passed on in the late 1960s.  I used to go to Crayford a lot as a child.
     
    Crayford Social Club is a working man's club close to the Waterside and was built in 1925; my parents used to take the family there on Saturday evenings. Nearby, the Crayford and Bexleyheath Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium; we knew it as Crayford Dogs and, as children, went there on several occasions.  In 1985 it was rebuilt as part of a development project by Ladbrokes into a new greyhound track and sports stadium and renamed Crayford Stadium.  I took my father there in 2016 as a treat and the picture shows greyhounds being paraded before a race (I didn't back the winner!)

    The Penny Farthing micopub opened in 2014 in what was originally an old bicylce shop on the Waterside; it is a superb place. There is no music, mobiles are not to be used for talking and beer is served from the wood - the picture shows me and dad enjoying a pint after the greyhound racing.

    Crayford Clock Tower, a commemoration of the coronation of Edward VII, was constructed in 1902. It has a secondary purpose; it is also a sewage lift station - there are vents at the top of the tower. 
     
    Looking up the High Street, we see the Dukes Head pub on the left and the green top of the Masjid Abu Makar (the Methodist Church was converted to a mosque in 2007); at the top of the hill is the tower of St Paulinus Church.  This church is of great relevance to the family as my parents were married there and now buried there too; my father was christened there, as was I.
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  • Walk 2 - Slade Green to Crayford

    28. september 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    The walk from Slade Green to Crayford is also part of the London LOOP. We walk to of Moat Lane and turn right, enjoying the view of the Dartford Crossing, and reach another river confluence; this is for the River Darent and its tributary the River Cray – the Darent continues on to Dartford in Kent whereas we follow the Cray to Crayford in Greater London.

    We pass through another industrial area and reach Thames Road - the Jolly Farmers Pub stood at the corner, but is now gone - before crossing over to rejoin the Cray Riverway Walk (as this section is known). As we proceed through Barnes Cray, there is a lot of building development on our right; we reach Maiden Lane and cross this road to join the other side of the riverbank. Barnes Cray Road runs parallel to the river and much to my surprise we see from the bridge that some of the modest houses here have rigged up moorings for small boats at the ends of their back gardens.

    We reach Crayford and its lovely Waterside Gardens, a landscaped small park either side of the river in the centre of the town; they were refurbished in 2009 and now feature a large modern sculpture and a footbridge - the excellent Penny Farthing micropub beckons on the right hand side of the river from behind a signpost and the footbridge. On the right of this is Vintage Lindy Lou, a family run vintage tea room set in Waterside garden; it has beautiful internal decor now - a vast improvement on the building's previous life as a Crayford public convenience!
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  • South Downs National Park; Midhurst area

    19. september 2020, England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    The New Lipchis Way is a walking trail that links Chichester Harbour, a large natural harbour area south west of Chichester, with Liphook, a large village in East Hamphire. It passes through the heart of the South Downs National Park, including Midhurst where we link up with it as it passes through a pretty section of the Rother Valley. We join at the weir and follow the route along the river through Woolbeding Parkland to a bridge, where we cross and follow the river north. We pass Stedham Mill and the magnificent Stedham House. We leave this trail at Iping and cross the A272 to get to Iping and Stedham Common, where we link up with the next trail.

    The Serpent Trail is appropriately named; it runs from Petersfield to Haslemere; 11 miles apart as the crow flies, yet the trail is 64 miles long! The Common is managed sandy heathland and we cross it to reach Woolmer Bridge where we pass through the Severals Woods en route to Midhurst. Next morning, we pick up the trail across Midhurst Common and then follow Pitsham Lane to Cocking Causeway. Here we see a large obelisk, which turns out to be a memorial to Richard Cobden; he was born locally and as a Victorian MP, reformer and statesman was involved with the Corn Laws. The memorial states "Free Trade, Peace, Goodwill Among Nations" - still topical. We carry on down Dunford Hollow and reach the neglected Dunford House - this was built by the same Richard Cobden and gifted by him to the YMCA Charity on condition it was used for educational purposes. It is now, controversially, up for sale..... We leave the Serpent Trail after walking along the Goldbslls Plantation and proceed back to Midhurst - this is with the New Lipchis Trail again - along the outskirts of the Cowdray Estate.
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  • Midhurst

    19. september 2020, England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    A random choice of a central place to stay close to the Living Museum turns out to be a stroke of good fortune. The market town of Midhurst is very much still a Tudor town; it lies on the River Rother and is an extremely interesting place to visit.

    Within a short walk of the town centre is Cowdray House; albeit in ruins, it was one of England's great Tudor houses but destroyed by an unfortunate accident in 1793. Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth both stayed there as monarchs.

    Carrying on with our town walk, we climb up St Anne's Hill to see the foundations of St Anne's Castle, all that remain now; the castle was originally a Norman earth and timber ringwork fortress that was converted to a stone and mortar manor house in 1160. South Pond, as it is known locally now, was originally the castle fishpond.

    Walking north into the town from the pond, we see the Anglican Church of St Mary Magdalene and St Denys.
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  • Weald and Downland Living Museum

    18. september 2020, England ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Stopping here on our journey to Midhurst, we find a large site covering 40 acres and surrounded by beautiful South Downs countryside. The Living Museum has over 50 historic buildings from South East England that were all threatened with destruction and have been dismantled, conserved and rebuilt in their historical context.

    We see houses from many periods, old stables, a working woodyard, a market square area and a craft and industries section. Not forgetting the modern Downland Gridshell, a lightweight structure made of oak laths.

    The Living Museum is also the venue for a popular BBC2 programme, "The Repair Shop", in which a team of conservators breath new life into old household treasures that viewers bring in for their consideration, comment and possible rejuvenation.
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  • Chichester

    17. september 2020, England ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Originally an old Roman town, Chichester is now a cathedral city. The thick Roman walls have been replaced by thinner medieval walls built on their foundations.

    Formerly kown as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, Chichester Cathedral was established in 1075. It has a beautiful interior and a guide pointed out the Arundel Tomb to us; this is unusual as there are two figures lying side by side - the Earl of Arundel and his second wife, Eleanor - and is commemorated in a famous Philip Larkin poem. There are also Roman mosaic remains on view in the cathedral. We explore the Bishop's Garden before walking to the city centre.

    Here, the Roman nature of the city is further confirmed by the NS and WE roads from the city gates meeting; the Chichester Cross now stands at this central point - this is where the market used to be held.

    Rejoining the city walls we reach Priory Park which houses the remains of Chichester Castle; originally built in 1154 only the motte remains today. Close to it is the Guildhall, a fine example of 13th century architecture (apparently).
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  • Portchester Castle and Bosham

    17. september 2020, England ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Portchester Castle has been descibed as "a Medieval Castle within a Roman Fort". It was originally built by the Romans as one of the "Forts of the Saxon Shore" in the late 3rd century to defend against Saxon pirates. The first picture shows the castle as viewed from our Portsmouth Harbour tour (it became an important port due to its location at the head of the harbour) and the second shows Helen and part of the Roman Walls (which are still almost completely intact). Portchester was developed as a castle in the 13th century, with a keep and an Inner Bailey (courtyard) in one corner, and used as a prison in the 17th and 19rh centuries, during the Anglo Dutch war and the Spanish Succession, respectively. The rest of the enclosure now has a small, local church and lots of open space within the walls.

    We travel on to Chichester in West Sussex via Bosham, a beautiful coastal village on an inlet which forms part of the Chichester Harbour area. We see the Holy Trinity Church and walk round the small harbour - stunning.
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  • Portsmouth - Seaside walk to Eastney

    16. september 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Our walk continues along the Milleniun Promenade to Clarence Pier and we note the three odd looking shapes out on the Solent. These are the Solent Forts, built in 1859 for military defence against potential invasion from the eastern side by the French. Also known as the Palmerston Folllies, they were never used for this purpose and are now planned as luxury hotel accommodation.

    At the edge of Southsea Common stands the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. We reach Southsea Castle, which is smaller than expected! It was built in 1544 by Henry VIII, also to prevent invasion by France (and the Holy Roman Empire) due to the annulment of his marriage from Catherine of Aragon. The Mary Rose was lost in front of it.

    We visit Southsea Pier and proceed further, also visiting the Rose Garden - the walls of which formerly contained Lumps Fort! We see the Sea Kale and other fauna growing in the shingle above the tidal limit.

    The Millenium Promenade finishes at Eastney, but we carry on and see the now permanently closed Royal Marines Museum from the road. The Fort Cumberland pentagonsl fort is also decommissioned. We reach our end point - the Southsea Marina and the bus stop for our return journey to the Gosport Ferry.
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  • Old Portsmouth

    15. september 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Leaving Gunwharf Quays, we join the Millenium Promenade which takes us through Old Portsmouth, the original medieval site of the town.

    The Round Tower fortification stands at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour and was originally wooden before being rebuilt in stone in 1490. It is easily visible from the Gosport Ferry and on its far side are the remaining parts of the city walls (the hotwalls) which connect with the Square Tower. This was built in 1494 and used as a gunpowder magazine (storage) before that was moved to Priddy's Hard on the Gosport side of the harbour. It is now used for events such as weddings and small concerts.

    Further ahead is a statue of Lord Nelson looking out to sea; behind him is the Royal Garrison Church, which was originally an almhouse and hospice for Old Portsmouth.

    Just up from this is the Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury,, aka Portsmouth Cathedral. Originally dedicated in 1188, the small church was extended in 1750 and had further significant changes in 1927 due its elevation to cathedral status. A true mixture of styles, it is nonetheless impressive both internally and externally.
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  • Portsmouth - Emirates Spinnaker Tower

    15. september 2020, England ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Next to the ferry terminal is Gunwharf Quays, the UK's only waterfront shopping outlet and site of the iconic Emirates Spinnaker Tower. Originally a Millenium Project, a sequence of problems meant that construction did not begin until November 2001 and it did not open until October 2005!

    Helen had booked afternoon tea which we enjoyed 105m above sea level. There are superb views in all directions.
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  • Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - part 2

    14. september 2020, 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!
    Les mer

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