Andrew's Travels

Andrew's Travels

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Derbyshire; The Monsal Trail Traveler
Miller's Dale Valley from Tideswell
August 5, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌬 14 °C
We drive to Tideswell Dale Car Park to do most of Walk 6 and a little of Walk 7 from our Monsal Trail booklet; the circular covers Tideswell Dale, Litton Mill, along Miller's Dale valley to Cressbrook Mill, along the heights on the other side to descend to the Monsal Trail, on to Miller's Dale Village, and back to Tideswell Dale.

We walk down the attractive Tideswell Dale to pass through Litton Mill - formerly a textile mill, but now living spaces - to follow the Miller's Dale valley along the River Wye; there are lovely views of the limestone cliffs on the other side of the river. We reach Cressbrook Mill, another former textile mill situated at Water-cum-Jolly Dale, now a small village. We cross the river here and walk towards the Monsal Trail, but don't take this as our route is via high-level footpath; there are fine views of Cressbrook House, a historic Grade II listed country house on the Grand Tudor style.

We eventually descend to the Monsal Trail and follow the former railway route, the Walk 7 part, as far as a turnoff for Miller's Dale village. From here, it's up to Meadow Farm and back to the car park; a good 7.2-mile walk.

In the evening, we visit the Thornbridge Brewery tap room for pizza and beers; a great way to end the day!Read more
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Derbyshire; The Peak District Traveler
Bradwell; Well Dressing
August 5, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
We drive to the village of Bradwell to see the well dressings that are there.

Well Dressing is an ancient custom that is peculiar to Derbyshire and the Peak District; they are highly decorative items created to place near wells or springs as a thanksgiving for the water It happens in this area because of the limestone here; the porous rock has eroded over the years and rainfall is quickly lost underground - thus access to this water via spings and wells became essential to the agricultural villages economies of the past. About 80 towns and villages in the area have Well Dressings from May to September each year. Colour is added to a design from natural sources, such as bark, flowers, and petals.

We see the Bradwell Well Dressings at Town End, Small Dale, Church End, and The Hills. They are all very beautiful.Read more
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Derbyshire; The Peak District Traveler
Bakewell; Town
August 4, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌧 19 °C
Bad weather and rain all morning due to Storm Floris in Scotland and the North, so it's a late start; after lunch, we walk into Bakewell.

Bakewell is a market town and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of the county and the only proper town within the boundaries of the Peak District (it's capital!)

We visit the market briefly and then go to the Old House Museum; this is a "folk" museum within a Grade II listed Tudor building that was originally built as a tithe house (a tax collector's dwelling) - it was later extended for other dwellings. The museum and exhibits cover the lives of former inhabitants; artefacts within date from the Tudor period onwards, and include ceramics, costumes, and toys. It is quirky and interesting.

We then visit the All Saints Church; this is noted for its two Saxon Crosses in its grounds (the Beeley Cross and the Bakewell Cross), as well as a selection of medieval / Anglo Saxon cross fragments and ancient stone coffins in the porch.

From there, we wander around the town before heading back to our accommodation (check photo captions for details).Read more
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Derbyshire; The Monsal Trail Traveler
Bakewell, Hassop Station, and Ashford
August 3, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌧 18 °C
Today, we do a circular walk from Bakewell, based on walk 3 from our Monsal Trail booklet; the Monsal Trail is a popular footpath and cycle way that follows the route of the former Midland Railway Line from Bakewell to Blackwell Mill, near Chee Dale.

From our accommodation, we take the footpath down to the All Saints Church in Bakewell and join the walking route. We walk out to Holme Bridge and then double back to town via the waterside meadows known as Scott's Garden. We then walk up to the Old Bakewell Station, close to the start of the Monsal Trail, and follow it past Hassop Station, before leaving the trail and descending at a bridge to walk south towards Churchdale Hall and on to Ashford in the Water, a beautiful village located on the River Wye 2 miles north west of Bakewell. We follow the footpath via the River Wye along rolling meadows to get back to Bakewell. It's been a good walk, and we've covered over 7.5 miles (according to the OS app).Read more
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Derbyshire; The Peak District Traveler
Hardwick Hall
August 2, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
We're off to Bakewell in the Peak District National Park area of Derbyshire for a week; this is an area we have been to many times in the past.

En route, we stop off at Hardwick Hall, near Chesterfield in Derbyshire. This is closely associated with the lady that built it; Elizabeth Hardwick, later the Countess of Shrewsbury, and popularly known as Bess of Hardwick. Bess was born in 1527 on the site of "old" Hardwick Hall and rose to a position of great power in Elizabethan society (partly due to four marriages to increasingly rich suitors - Barley, Cavendish, St Loe, Talbot!); she died in 1608.

We visit Hardwick Old Hall first; it is now a towering roofless shell; built between 1587 and 1596 on a high rocky ridge,, it fell into disrepair after after the death of Bess"s husband, and she started preferring places like Chatsworth House and built the newer and grander Hardwick Hall. The old hall still has some lovely Elizabethan plaster friezes.

Next to the old hall is the newer Hardwick Hall, one of the finest Elizabethan buildings in the UK, and built by Bess between 1590 and 1597. It is well known own for its rich furnishings, tapestries, and large windows, all of which have been preserved by Bess"s descendants, the Dukes of Cavendish, and now the National Trust.

It has been an excellent diversion en route to our rented house in Bakewell.Read more
TravelerMr D. You must let me know when you’re on my patch we could join you for a walk. We are often in Derbyshire and I have about 70 circular walks we have done there.
9/2/25Reply
TravelerThanks
9/2/25Reply
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Kent Traveler
Viking Trail 2; Margate to Birchington
June 14, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
We're visiting Margate again, mainly to go to Dreamland; this time to attend Rewind, a concert featuring artists and bands from the 1980s. We arrived yesterday and had a walk around from our Airbnb at Cliftonville, an area on the north part of the town, seeing the Winter Garden and Old Town again (see earlier posts).

Today, we continue on the Viking Trail on the Isle of Thanet part of Kent, this time in the opposite direction, from Margate heading west; the Viking Trail is a coastal path that coincides with part of the King Charles III England Coastal Walk.

We walk down to the harbour area past the Turner Contemporary and Droight House and along Marine Terrace towards Nayland Rock (see previous posts as well!). From here, we carry on past St Mildred's Bay (backing onto Westbrook) and on towards Westgate-on-Sea; we pass here to Epple Bay and then carry on towards Birchington. Minnis Bay used to be one of the limits of the Isle of Thanet as the Wantsum Channel used to extend from here down to Sandwich, separating the island from the mainland; this channel has filled in due to natural silting and land reclamation over the 12 to 16th centuries, and the Isle of Thanet is now part of the UK mainland. It has been a good walk, covering 8.5 miles in pleasant weather; we take the bus back to Margate.

Then it's Dreamland to see......

Tiffany / Toyah / T'Pau / Heaven 17 / Nik Kershaw / Midge Ure (ex Ultravox) / Tony Hadley (ex Spandau Ballet)

It was a fantastic evening for people of a certain age!Read more
TravelerThe Viking Trail is predominantly for cyclists but walkers can follow it! The Antony Gormley sculpture can only be seen fully when the tide is out. As a result it is covered in slime and seaweed!
6/15/25Reply
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The Chiltern Hills Traveler
The Barton Hills and The Pegsdon Hills
June 4, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
The Chiltern Hills or The Chilterns are a chalk escarpment that stretches around 50 miles from The Thames at Goring in Oxfordshire, at the south-western edge, to Hitchin in Hertfordshire, at the north-eastern tip. The area covers around 324 square miles of the countryside, and the Chilterns go across four English counties: Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire

This visit is to the north-eastern area with the Cambridge Rambling Club as part of a figure of 8 walk from Hexton, near Hitchin. From Hexton we walk part of the John Bunyan Trail and then head on towards Barton-le-Clay; this village is in Central Bedfordshire, and southeast of the parish are the Barton Hills, which form part of the northeast extremity of the Chiltern Hills and are designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - much of this area of chalk downland is now a national nature reserve, managed by Natural England. It is very beautiful, and there are Dartmoor ponies here during the summer months. We then walk south for a while and back up to Hexton for a lunch break.

We then walk towards Pegsdon and up to the Pegsdon Hills, another nature reserve managed by the Wildlife Trust; the reserve covers Pegsdon Hills, part of the adjacent Deacon Hill in Bedfordshire, and Hoo Bit in Hertfordshire and is in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is a lovely place for a walk, if a little steep in places!

It has been a 12-mile walk in a very interesting area.Read more
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Lincolnshire Traveler
The Belton Estate; House and Gardens
May 25, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌬 17 °C
We visit the Belton Estate on our way home from Hawes in North Yorkshire.

The Belton Estate is now managed by the National Trust and is a Grade 1 listed county house, which was the seat of the Brownlow family for about 3 centuries.

We visit the house and its formal gardens; it is a very attractive property and an interesting place to visit - see captions on photos for details.Read more
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North Yorkshire Traveler
Hawes Mosaic Trail
May 24, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
The Hawes Mosaic Walk is a 2000 millennium project where the community of Hawes created a circular route with 20 mosaics to find. The walk starts at the Dales Countryside Museum and finishes at St Margaret's Church. The trail features 20 mosaics that depict aspects of Wensleydale's culture, history, landscape, flora, and fauna.

We used a trail map to find the mosaics and did the trail in two stages by incorporating it into the local walks that we did around Hawes (see previous two posts). The pictures show the 20 mosaics, together with their titles and approximate locations. It made the two walks even more interesting!Read more
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North Yorkshire Traveler
Hawes, Aysgill Force, and Appersett Walk
May 24, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌬 13 °C
The other very popular circular walk in Hawes is to Aysgill Force; we do this, but with extensions east and west to incorporate the Hawes Mosaic Trail (see next FP post).

We leave Hawes and follow the footpath to Burtersett, known for being the seat of the Hillary family with connections to Sir Edmund Hillary, the famous mountaineer. The weather is overcast, but there are still good views over Upper Wensleydale with lots of sheep in the fields.

From here, we walk up Shaw Lane towards the small hamlet of Gayle. Here, we cross the bridge and follow the path along Duerley Beck to Aysgill Force, a small but spectacular waterfall. After a while, we double back north towards Low Bands Farm via Bands Lane. We pass Thorny Mire house and turn up towards Appersett, going under Appersett Viaduct; this used to carry trains over the Beck from Garsdalw to Hawes, but was totally closed in 1964.

From Appersett, we cross the bridge over the River Ure and walk up over fields (in the rain!), eventually bearing east towards Hardraw (see last post). From here, we follow the Pennine Way back to Hawes to complete an interesting 11-mile walk.

We enjoy a lovely meal at The Fountain Inn later on. It's been a good weekend in Hawes.Read more
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North Yorkshire Traveler
Hawes, Hardraw Force, and Sedbusk Walk
May 23, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Hawes is a market town in North Yorkshire, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and at the head of Wensleydale; it is the main producer of Wensleydale Cheese.

We set off on the Hawes Circular Walk from the site of the former Hawes Victorian railway station, now the Dales Countryside Museum, and pick up part of the Pennine Way, 268-mile long-distance footpath from Edale (in the Peak District) to Kirk Yetholm (just beyond the Scottish border). We cross Haylands Bridge over the River Ure and cross fields over to Hawdraw, a hamlet named after the nearby Hardraw Force waterfall; with a single 200 ft drop, it is claimed to be England's highest unbroken waterfall, discounting those underground. It is on private land, and we pay to enter, taking in both the lower and higher circuit walks. The Church of St Mary and St John here featured as Darrowby Church in the TV series "All Creatures Great and Small"

Afterwards, we walk across fields to the Simonstone Hall Hotel and follow a footpath to the hamlet of Sedbusk. We then follow a footpath across more fields back Haylands Bridge and into Hawes. It has been a pleasant 6-mile walk.Read more
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Northern Lake District Traveler
Keswick town and Castlerigg Stone Circle
May 23, 2025 in England ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
We leave Keswick today for Hawes in North Yorkshire; the first part of the footprint photos shows some of the key sites in Keswick (see captions on photos for details).

Castlerigg Stone Circle is a short walk from Keswick, but we drive here en route to Hawes; the location is atmospheric, with panoramic views around the Thirlmere Valley and the surrounding mountains. Castlerigg Stone Circle dates from about 3,000 BC and is 97 ft (30 metres) in diameter and now comprises 38 stones.

Keswick and the surrounding area have been excellent (the good weather has helped), and we will certainly be back here.Read more
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Northern Lake District Traveler
The Langstrath Valley
May 22, 2025 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
The walk today is noted for being a lower level valley walk but offers beautiful fell and typical lakeland views without a lot of ascent.

We take the Borrowdale bus again back to Rosthwaite; here, we join the Cumbria Way to follow the path along Stonethwaite Beck, passing the hamlet of Stonethwaite on the other side. The steep woodland along the dry stonewalls on our left ends, and we carry on to reach Galleny Force; unfortunately, the dry weather recently means that the waterfall is very quiet - the river bed is filled with boulders. We cross the Beck here to follow the Cumbria Way along Langstrath Beck as it winds along Langstrath Valley (Langstrath means Long Valley).

It is very beautiful, we have Eagle Crag on our left rising above us and we soon pass the ruins of the Johnny House on the other side. We pass the impressive Blea Rock and eventually cross a footbridge over Langstrath Beck to retrace our route on the other side of the valley. Where we turn back towards Rosthwaite at the end of Langstrath Valley, we follow a pretty footpath along Stonethwaite Beck back to Stonethwaite. Here, we cross over Stonethwaite Bridge and walk back along the Cumbria Way to Rosthwaite.

It's been lovely weather again for our 9.5-mile walk. Later on, we enjoy a couple of beers and a pub meal at The Wainwright in Keswick.Read more
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Northern Lake District Traveler
Grange to Rosthwaite via Castle Crag
May 21–24, 2025 in England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
We take the bus from Keswick to just south of Grange, to the stop for the Bowder Stone. This is one of the most famous rocks in the Lake District and weighs 2,000 tons; it is 30 ft high, 30 ft across, and 90 ft in circumference. From here, we follow the route around Grange Fell, passing a cubic shaped boulder and an old quarry before reaching Comb Gill en route to Troutdale Cottages. We follow the road a short distance to Grange Bridge and then, from Grange village, walk via Holmcrag Wood to join the Cumbria Way to Borrowdale (as yesterday) for a short way before turning off to take the path to Seatoller via Castle Crag.

Castle Crag is an impressive slate hill overlooking Derwentwater; the other side of the hill is where we were yesterday, at the High Hows Quarry and the Millican Dalton Cave. The top of Castle Crag offers magnificent views of the surrounding area and has a memorial to the Borrowdale men who fell in WWI. The slate makes it a tough ascent and descent.

We then carry on the route to Seatoller, crossing several gills en route. From the small village of Seatoller, the path to Rosthwaite is actually part of the coast-to-coast walk. We eventually reach Rosthwaite to take the bus back to Keswick.

Surprisingly, it has been a walk of 1,854 ft ascent and 8.3 miles in length, and the weather has been fantastic again..Read more
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Northern Lake District Traveler
1
Portinscale to Rosthwaite via Catbells
May 20, 2025 in England ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
The plan to take the bus to Catbells, the third of the Keswick 3 peaks, was thwarted due to ongoing roadwork, so we had to get off at Portinscale after a diversion there; it just means a longer walk!

We repeat the Portinscale to Hawes End part from yesterday and start ascending Catbells from the cattle grid stop (where we should have got off). The ascent via Skelgill Bank is fairly steep, but there are great views on another lovely day. We reach the top; it is 1,480 feet above sea level, and one of the most popular fell walks in the Lake District with fabulous views.

We carry on along the fell and then descend to the southern end of Derwentwater and Manesty Park. We proceed along the edge of Maiden Moor, enjoying views of Bull Crag and High Spy, towards Grange. Here, we join the Cumbria Way, eventually passing Hollows Farm before turning down towards the River Derwent and Borrowdale.

The Valley is very scenic, and we come yo a disused quarry area for slate with a cave. The River Derwent is devoid of water in parts (it has not rained heavily for a while, which is unusual in the Lake District) after we leave the woods. We reach what is known as New Bridge and cross the river, following the Cumbria Way to Rosthwaite to catch the bus back to Keswick.

It's been another lovely walk in great weather; 9.1 miles and a total of 2,139 feet of ascent.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi 👍😊
5/21/25Reply
TravelerThe ascent to Cat Bells was tricky - towards the top there was a lot of scrambling/climbing. Thankfully we went down a different route!!
5/22/25Reply
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Northern Lake District Traveler
Derwentwater Lake Circuit
May 19, 2025 in England ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
The plan today is to walk around Derwentwater; we head down Keswick Main Street and cross the bridge over the River Greta before turning off to join the Cumbria Way as it runs along the west shore of Derwentwater; the Cumbria Way is a linear 70 mile walk that connects the towns of Carlisle and Ulverston. We walk towards Portinscale and then follow it to Hawes End Jetty; this is the landing stage for the main walk to Catbells, another of the Keswick 3 peaks.

We follow the Cumbria Way to Otterbield Bay, and on past the two Brandelhow landing stages to Manesty Park at the southern end of the lake. We leave the Cumbria Way here and carry on to the cross the River Derwent again; there are great views of Catbells and Walla Crag from here. From Lodore, we walk northwards towards Keswick via the edge of woodlands to Barrow Bay and on to Ashness Gate landing stage (more great views). We then proceed via Calfclose Bay and Stable Hills to Friars Crag, named for its use as a disembarkment point for monks, making a pilgrimage to St Herbert's Island. It is a short walk back to Keswick from here; it has been a lovely 10.6-mile walk.Read more
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Northern Lake District Traveler
Keswick to Rosthwaite, via Walla Crag
May 18, 2025 in England ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
This walk takes us up to Walla Crag, also one of the Keswick three peaks.

We walk up via Moot Hall in Keswick Market Square and up past St John's Church before following Springs Road to Springs Farm, and then up through Springs Wood to Rakefoot. There are good views as we walk up past Great Wood to Walla Crag, but even better views from the viewing area at the top of Walla Crag!

We leave here and follow the path towards Falcon Crag and then down to Ashness Bridge; this is a small, traditional packhorse bridge and very photogenic. From here, there is a narrow road through the woods up to Surprise View, named for its lovely view of Derwentwater. We turn off the road and follow a broad track through the woods, and at the end, we walk along the Watendlath Beck, which takes us to the small hamlet of Watendlath, managed by the National Trust. It is situated by an attractive Tarn and also noted for its packhorse bridge.

We then follow a very stony and undulating bridleway towards Rosthwaite to catch the bus back to Keswick. It's been a lovely walk of 9.8 miles (according to the OS app on my mobile).Read more
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Northern Lake District Traveler
1
Latrigg Fell Circular Walk
May 17, 2025 in England ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
We arrived yesterday in Keswick to spend a week in the Lake District, this time in the northern area. Keswick is a market town in Cumbria, just north of Derwent Water.

Latrigg (Fell) is one of the lowest fells in the Lake District, and one of the Keswick "3 Peaks" - the others are Walla Crag and Catbells - which surround Derwent Water. By coincidence, this weekend is the annual Keswick Mountain Festival, which features various outdoor adventures, speakers, and live music; one event is the sponsored 3 peaks hike, a figure of 8 walk around Derwent Water, covering Catbells and Walla Crag, and then around and up Latrigg. We see a number of entrants on this 17.5-mile hike as we do our 1 Peak circular walk!

We start at the Moot Hall in Keswick and cross the River Greta to Fitz Park before heading east via the trail along the old Keswick to Threlkeld railway line. After a while, we pass under the A66 and recross the River Greta, leaving the railway trail, to walk along a forested path. We eventually turn to walk up Latrigg, enjoying magnificent views on the way to, and at, the top of Latrigg (1,203 feet). From the top, it's down via Mallen Dodd, and then the Cumbria Way back to Keswick.

It's been a lovely 7.6-mile walk in fine weather; a drink at the Keswick Brewery and its Fox Tap and Beer Shop is well justified!Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi 👍
5/18/25Reply
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Cambridgeshire; Hunts District Traveler
Woodwalton Fen, Woodwalton, and Upwood
April 30, 2025 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
These places were visited on a 13.7 mile walk with the Cambridge Rambling Club - a bit of a longer walk than usual!

The walk starts in Upwood, a village in the parish of Upwood and the Raveleys, approx. 7 miles north of Huntingdon and still part of Cambridgeshire. We leave the village heading due west and then south past Lady's Wood before heading north along the Great Raveley Drain towards Woodwalton Fen.

Woodwalton Fen is a site of Special Scientific Interest and managed by Natural England; it is one of only four remaining fragments of the ancient wild fens that once stretched for 1,350 square miles across the area and a last haven for many rare fen species (not that we saw them). The ancient wild fens once stretched for miles across a huge part of East Anglia, but more than 99% of the habitat disappeared when the land was drained for agriculture, and this site would not exist today if it were not for Charles Rothschild, a successful banker, wildlife enthusiast and "father of modern conservation". We walk along several of the trails before leaving on the other side and walking south towards Manor Farm and Church End, where the redundant parish church of St Andrew stands - it is now in the keeping of the Friends of Friendless Churches. From there, it is still over a mile to the village Woodwalton itself.

From Woodwalton, we then walk east passing through Lady's Wood, an 18-acre nature reserve west of Upwood, and then through Upwood Meadows National Nature Reserve and a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, before arriving back in Upwood. It has been a lovely walk on a lovely day in an area I have never visited before.Read more
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Norfolk Traveler
Grime's Graves
April 16, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
We arrive at Grime's Graves and go to the visitor centre first.

The name Grime's Graves means "pits of the pagan god Grim" (Grim is also known as Woden) and was named by the Anglo Saxons. It is a prehistoric / Neolithic flint mine that was worked between 2,600 and 2,300 BC; the site covers about 91 acres, and there are many shafts dug into the natural chalk to reach the seams of flint. There are three layers of flint here - the upper "top-stone, middle "wall-stone" and the bottom "floor-stone" - and the flint was used for making stone axes in this period, The formation of flint is a complex process which began in the chalk seas millions of years ago, and flint forms in bands or layers because chalk sedimentation occurs in cycles and/or because the process during formation exhausts the silica within a given depth of sediment and flint formation can only recommence when there is enough silica to start the process again. The site was first extensively explored by the archaeologist William Greenwell in 1868.

We visit the one pit open to the public (9m deep, with a steep staircase) - it is the only one of its kind open to the public in the UK - and we enter it to explore the shaft. Afterwards, we take the walking trail around the site; Grime's Graves is a really interesting place to visit.Read more
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Norfolk Coastal Path Traveler
Caister-on-Sea to Sea Palling
April 15, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
Caister-on-Sea, also known as Caister, is a large village, seaside resort, and civil parish 2.75 miles north of Great Yarmouth and 18 miles east of Norwich. Caister's history dates back to Roman times, and around 200 CE a fort was built here as a base for a unit of the Roman army and navy (which we visit as we leave the village).

We start from Caister Lifeboat Station and pass Caister Point on our way to California Gap and beyond; the Coastal Path has to divert to the beach at Scratby due to extensive coastal erosion further up towards, and at, Hemsby. We can leave the beach here and re-join the footpath towards Winterton-on-Sea; there are excellent views along here, and at Winterton the path goes down to the beach and proceeds along the Winterton Dunes, a national nature reserve, as far as Winterton Ness where we re-join a footpath towards Horsey Gap.

Horsey Gap is a sandy beach known for its grey seal colony (we see some in the distance), and is a nature reserve that is part of the Norfolk Broads National Park; there are many groynes here, all numbered to help identify location of the seal pups. The path takes us along Delve Bank towards Waxham and beyond to Sea Palling; Sea Palling Lifeboat Station is a voluntary-staffed and charitable-funded lifeboat station located in the village.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidiwe are looking forward to walk the South West Coast Path (Cornwall) 😊
4/17/25Reply
TravelerWe've yet to walk that - too far away from us! When are you planning to come over to the UK?
4/17/25Reply
Wolfgang und HeidiI think next year. What is the best time for this walk ?
4/17/25Reply
Wolfgang und HeidiThis year we will walk in Alsace (June) and River Rhine (September)
4/17/25Reply
TravelerProbably May and June, less heat and fewer holidaymakers
4/17/25Reply
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Norfolk Coastal Path Traveler
Hopton to Caister via Great Yarmouth
April 14, 2025 in England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
We take the Coastal Hopper bus from Caister-on-Sea to Hopton-on-Sea and cross through the Potters Resort, a holiday seaside resort, to the start (or end) of the Norfolk Coastal Path.

We start walking up the coastal path before and follow it as it descends to the beach. We reach Gorleston-on-Sea, a seaside town in the south of the borough of Great Yarmouth, and situated on the River Yare. Gorleston was a centre for fishing, but the decline in this industry during Edwardian times changed to a seaside resort. The footpath follows along the road through Southtown, originally known as Little Yarmouth, but now part of the Great Yarmouth district.

We cross the bridge over the River Yare into Great Yarmouth itself; it has been a resort since 1760, as it is a gateway to the Norfolk Broads and the North Sea, and holidaymaking rose in 1844 when the railway opened -it has blossomed as a resort during the 20th century. The Coastal path heads towards the South Quay area, but then then crosses over towards the coast, past the friary ruins, and St George's Park. We walk along the promenade and divert through Venetian Waterways Park; this was constructed in 1926 by local men to boost post-war employment.

We carry on along the North Beach, where there are lots of sand dunes, up towards Caister-on-Sea; we head back to the accommodation at RNLI Caister Lifeboat station; it has been a 10.3 mile walk, with lots of interesting sites - see captions on photos for details.Read more
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Suffolk Traveler
Ickworth House
April 13, 2025 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
We are on en route to Caister-on Sea to walk some more of the Norfolk Coastal Path and divert to stop off en route at Ickworth House, near Bury St Edmunds.

Ickworth House is a National Trust property and is a large neo-classical / Italianate country house set in Parkland. It was built by Frederick Hervey, the 4th Earl of Bristol, and also the Bishop of Derry, between 1795 and 1829. The "Earl Bishop," as he was known, travelled extensively in Europe and was inspired to build the Italian inspired Rotunda to live in, with galleries in the in the east and west wings to showcase the art and sculptures collected in his travels. It has been the chief dwelling of the Hervey family since then, before being passed to the National Trust in 1956.

We walk around the rotunda and east and west wings of the house, seeing the upstairs, ground floor, and basement (see captions on photos for details).

We then explore some of the gardens and grounds, walking the River Linnet trail, with part of Lady Hervey's walk for views of the Walled Garden. We then visit the Italianate Garden and walk the Alabana Wood Trail.

It has been a great visit.Read more
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Cambridgeshire; East District Traveler
Anglesey Abbey 3; Finding the Flock
Apr 9–12, 2025 in England ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
Anglesey Abbey is hosting a Wild in Art trail in its gardens and grounds over the Easter period based on the character Shaun the Sheep; Shaun the Sheep is a British stop-motion animated silent children's television series, and a spin-off in the Wallace & Gromit franchise. There are twelve uniquely decorated Shaun the Sheep sculptures on the ‘Find the Flock’ trail; each 160cm sculpture has been painted by either a national or international artist with bright colours and bold patterns. After the event, the sheep sculptures will be returned to their respective owners.

On this visit to Anglesey Abbey, we decide to pick up a trail map and follow the Follow the Flock route around the grounds to see all twelve of the sculptures. It is interesting to see them, as well as the grounds themselves again!

The location numbers are shown on the map, and these numbers and sculpture names are shown on the picture captions.Read more
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Cambridgeshire; East District Traveler
Anglesey Abbey 2; Gardens and Grounds
April 9, 2025 in England ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C
We have also visited the gardens and grounds of Anglesey Abbey many times over the last 3 years, and this post shows them; the garden at Anglesey Abbey was developed by the 1st Lord Fairhaven from 1926 and has become one of the British Isles' most beautiful 20th century gardens.

After entry, it is convenient to walk to the house (see previous post) and see the formal gardens; these comprise 4 small gardens, including the dahlia garden, rose garden and a semi-circular herbaceous border. From here, we walk through the herbaceous garden and then along Quy Water towards Lode Mill; this is a historic watermill that was acquired Lord Fairhaven in 1926 and restored it to its original corn-milling condition (after Lode Mill, Quy Water becomes Bottisham Lode, a branch of the River Cam). This walk brings us back towards the entrance where we drop off and walk along tree lined avenues and other footpaths to see more of Lord Fairhaven's impressive collection of statues that is positioned throughout the gardens and the grounds.

It is always interesting to visit the gardens at all times of the year.Read more
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Cambridgeshire; East District Traveler
Anglesey Abbey 1; The House
April 9, 2025 in England ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C
Helen and I have been members of the National Trust for a few years now and have visited Anglesey Abbey many times.

Anglesey Abbey is in the village of Lode, 5.5 miles northeast of Cambridge; the property includes a country house, built on the remains of a priory, large gardens and landscaped grounds, totalling 98 acres, and a working mill (Lode Mill). After an interesting history, the house was acquired by Lord Fairhaven as the last private owner of Anglesey Abbey; he made extensive additions to the house to provide room for his rapidly expanding collection of books, paintings, tapestries, clocks, furniture and objets d'art, and he left it to the National Trust when he died in 1966. The interior is noted for its contents, as well as the beautiful rooms (see captions on photos).

This post describes a visit to the interior of the house that we have made previously (see captions on photos for details).Read more
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