Andrew's Travels

Andrew's Travels

traveled in 67 countries Read more🌍Cambridge

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Historic Baltic Republics Traveler
LATVIA Gauja NP 1; Cesis and Sigulda
June 7, 2024 in Latvia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
We set off at 9 am, heading south to Latvia and Riga; we will drive through the Gauja National Park.

Latvia has been invaded by every regional power; it has a population of less than 2 million, and the language spoken is a Baltic language similar to Lithuanian - 40% of the population are Russian speaking, however. Half of the country is covered by forest, and timber is a big part of the economy; other main exports are fish and canned fish. There are lots of folk songs, and it is a very "singing" oriented country. The women are the tallest in Europe, on average.

The Gauja National Park was established in 1973; it is only an hour or so outside Riga - and very popular for day trips from here. We stop off at Cesis, a small town on the Gauja River, noted for its 13th-century castle, which was sacked by Ivan the Terrible in 1577. We walk around the castle grounds and see some of the town; see picture captions for details.

We stop off at Sigulda, regarded as the gateway to Gauja National Park, for lunch, and visit the nearby cable car for the view over the Gauja River. It is then a short drive to the other side of the river and our next destination, the Turaida Museum Reserve.Read more
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Historic Baltic Republics Traveler
Tartu
June 6, 2024 in Estonia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Tartu was established when the Livonian Order (the German Crusaders) built on a hill here (Toomemagi); the town was originally known as Dorpat. Tartu University was established during the Swedish reign in the 17th century. Peter the Great took the town for Russia, but it was mostly wrecked; the rest was destroyed by fire in 1775. After some rebuilding, it was destroyed again in WWII; the Post Soviet period has seen a lot of rebuilding and growth. Tartu is now the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn; it is the premier university town and is the European Capital of Culture for 2024.

We have a guided tour of the Old Town and Toome Hill (Toomemagi), and then I did some more exploring on my own; see captions on photos for details about the city.

In the evening, we walk via the Father and Son statue to the Vilde ja Vine restaurant for dinner; outside is a statue of Oscar Wilde and the Estonian Writer Eduardo Vilde (they never actually met).Read more
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Historic Baltic Republics Traveler
En route to Tartu 2; Vijlandi
June 5, 2024 in Estonia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Vijlandi is a pretty town overlooking a picturesque valley with a lake at the centre; the main attraction is the castle, but the town is interesting as well.

We start at Vijlandi Teutonic Order Castle; there was originally a hill fort built in the 9th century on part of the site, but the German Crusaders (the Knights of the Sword or the Livonian Order), built stone fortifications on a series of three small hills; the main castle was a convent building protected by three outer baileys. It fell into disrepair after the Polish-Swedish wars in the 17th century; now, only parts of the wall and foundations remain. We continue with a short tour of the Old Town (see captions on photos).

We drive on to Tartu for two nights; most of us walk along the river and via the Town Hall Square to Pussirohukelder, formerly a gunpowder cellar, but now a beer restaurant; I have an Estonian mashed potato dish with smoked meat and sour cream, served in a bread roll, as well as some the excellent house beer!Read more
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Historic Baltic Republics Traveler
En route to Tartu 1; Parnu
June 5, 2024 in Estonia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
We set off at 9am for Tartu on the mainland of Estonia, and retrace our route to Kuressaare (causeway to Muhu and ferry to mainland) before heading south to Parnu; there is a lot of forest en route.

Parnu became a Hanseatic Sea Port in the 14th century (i.e., Germanic) and, like the rest of Estonia, has been ruled by several parties since then. It is now the Summer Capital of Estonia and is very popular with Finns, Swedes, and Germans due to the clean air, mud baths, and beach; we visit the Old Town, which is sourh of the River Parnu (the beach resort area is north of the river.

We have a walk round with Dzuigas, our tour guide, and I then visit various other places alone (instead of having lunch); see captions on the photos - it is a nice place. We then set off for Vijlandi.Read more
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Historic Baltic Republics Traveler
Kuressaare
June 4, 2024 in Estonia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Kuressaare has a population of 12,000, over third of that of Saaremaa Island; the town was established by the Vikings in the 7th century. It became a spa town in the 19th century, when reserves of healing mud were found nearby; there are still many spa hotels here.

We have a guided tour of the attractions around the town on our tour bus before being dropped off at the triangular shaped town centre for a walking tour, being dropped off at Kuressaare Castle to do our own thing (see captions on photos).

Kuressaare Castle, aka Kuressaare Episcopal Castle or the Bishop's Castle, is the best preserved in the Baltic; it is Gothic in style, with a square building around a central courtyard. It was founded in 1260, but what we see today is from the 14th century and made from Dolomite sandstone; the bastions were added in the 16th and 17th centuries. It contains the Saaremaa Museum, dedicated to the nature and history of the island. It was an interesting visit.

After that, I walk around the bastions outside and up to the harbour area, taking many pictures, Then it's back across the beach to the very conveniently located hotel. I go back for a swim in Kuressaare Bay, the Baltic Sea, later on; it was lovely - not cold and not salt! A great day.Read more
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Historic Baltic Republics Traveler
En route to Kuressaare
June 3, 2024 in Estonia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
We leave at 9:30 am and drive towards the Gulf of Riga; the roads are very good, and there are lots of trees en route to Virtsu where we take the ferry to Kaivastu on Muhu Island.

From here, we drive to the small village and port of Koguva, where the Muhu Open Air Ethnographic Museum of Koguva is situated; the museum reflects Estonian peasant architecture and life - there are separate farm and textile museums, as well as the original school house. The museum has been established on the farm where the Estonian poet and writer Junan Smuul was born; he had associations with Stalin.

After lunch nearby in Liiva, we drive across the 2.5 km causeway to Saaremaa Island. We visit Karja Church; this church contains the richest medieval stone sculptures in the Baltic States, but boes not open until 15th June (doh!). It is built from dolomite sandstone and is very large, but Karja village could not prosper because of the nature of the rising ground in the area.

From here, we visit the Angla Windmill Hill site, which comprises four typical trestle windmills characteristic of the island, one Dutch-style windmill, and a heritage museum on local folk culture and engineering - it is very interesting.

We then stop off at the Kaali Meteotite Crater; we see the largest of the 9 craters that are here. The impact could have been up to 7,500 years ago; the Crater is 100m wide and almost circular.

Then it's on to Kuressaare, the main town on Saaremaa Island; it is on the south of the island, facing the Gulf of Riga.Read more
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Historic Baltic Republics Traveler
Tallinn 4; Linnahall / Walk by the sea
Jun 2–4, 2024 in Estonia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
From the Old Town, I walk past the Energy Discovery Centre and up to Linnahall. Linnahall is a relic of Estonia's Soviet occupation and was built for the 1980 Olympics for the sailing event; it was originally called the V. I. Lenin Palave of Culture and Sports, and is built in the brutalist architecture of the time - it is still used as a heliport.

From there, I walk around the harbour area and join the path at Kalaranna in the Kalamaja District of Tallinn. The path passes by Patarei; this was originally built as a sea fortres to provide defence against the Russians, but was then used as a prison. The path goes through the Seaplane Harbour, a maritime museum, and on to the Noblessner sea front quarter; this was originally a submarine shipyard, but it is now a nicely developed area. I walk back through Kalamaja to the walls and towers of the Old Town.Read more
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Historic Baltic Republics Traveler
Tallinn 3; Old Town - Lower
June 2, 2024 in Estonia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
The guided tour continues down to the Lower Old Town and ends in the Town Hall Square. The Old Town is very beautiful, colourful, and reminiscent of Prague.

After revisiting the Danish King's Garden (see previous post), I carry on exploring the Lower Town, heading north from Viru Gate towards the sea (see captions on pictures) to see Linnahall and have a walk by the sea front of Tallinn (see next post),

After that, it's back to the hotel, walking near to the castle walls.Read more
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Historic Baltic Republics Traveler
Tallinn 2; Old Town - Upper (Toompea)
June 2, 2024 in Estonia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
We start the day with a guided tour of Tallinn Old Town. We start by walking up towards Toompea Castle; originally built in the 9th century. It was overtaken by Danish crusaders in the 13th century; when Estonia became part of the Russian Empire, there were Baroque modifications. We are led through the Upper Old Town and see any of the sites (see photo captions), including lovely views down onto the Lower Old Town.

I revisited later alone to spend more time in the Danish King's Garden, going up to the accessible walls and museum there, as well as visiting the Kiek in die Kok Tower; this means "peek into the kitchen" in the German dialect of the time, but is amusing when spoken in English!Read more
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Historic Baltic Republics Traveler
2
ESTONIA Tallinn 1; Telliskivi
June 1, 2024 in Estonia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
I flew to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, via Helsinki, arriving early in the afternoon.

Tallinn is UNESCO listed and one of Europe's most complete walled cities. It was originally settled by Finno Ugric people in 2,500 BC; Estonia is apparently still similar to Finland to this day, people and character wise. Tallinn was invaded by the Danes in 1219, who built a castle on Toompea, a small hill here.

Tallinn joined the Hanseatic League in 1285 for trade and eventually became part of the Russian Empire in 1870, after it was surrendered to Peter the Great in 1710. By WWII, Tallinn had many shipyards and was capital of the brief Estonian Republic from 1920-1940; it suffered badly in WWII and became a main grain handling port for Moscow with much subsequent urban development. It has been transformed since 1991, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and is now part of the EU.

After settling into the hotel (L'Ermitage), I walked close to the western edge of the Danish Castle walls, along Snell Pond in Dome Park; the pond was once part of the preserved moat around the castle. There were tantalising views of the Old Town as I walked to the Kalamaja District of West Tallinn.

I walked through the interesting Balti Jaam Market, a renovated hall with stalls on 3 levels and into Telliskivi. This is an area of the former industrial complex of Tallinn, including the electrochemical plant, but the old buildings now comprise of many shops, bars, and restaurants, with modern street art decorations on many walls; Telliskivi is known now as the Creative City and is the area to go for reasonably priced food and drink - which the Explore Group did, later on!Read more
Wolfgang und HeidiHi Andrew, these countries are on our bucket list. Thinking to go next year on our own. So your information will be very interesting for us (Heidi)
6/3/24Reply
Traveler👍 Tallinn is great , as the next posts will reveal......
6/3/24Reply
Traveler 😁
6/3/24Reply
TravelerHadn't thought of that one...... xxx
6/3/24Reply
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Cambridgeshire; South District Traveler
Toft, Comberton and Hardwick
May 15, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
These three villages were visited during a 12 mile walk with the Cambridge Rambling Club.

Toft is a small village 6 miles west of Cambridge. We walk east across part of the Cambridge Meridian Golf Club, which has the Prime Meridian running through the 14th fairway, and reach the southern part of Comberton. This is a much larger community than Toft, having the local village college and various other amenities. Our route is through part of the village northwards before we cut across to Hardwick.

Hardwick is historically very old and is now another large village approx. 6 miles west of Cambridge and 4 miles east of Cambourne (see previous post in Cambridgeshire; South District); it has a large housing estate area north of the centre, but the older area is attractive and interesting. From Hardwick, we walk west and then south along the edge of Hardwick Wood (rather wet and muddy) before crossing back to Toft.

A good day out (despite some rai) and some interesting views (details are on pictures).Read more
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Cambridgeshire; Cambridge City Traveler
Standing Tall; Giraffes in Cambridge 2
May 13, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
This post follows on from Standing Tall; Giraffes in Cambridge 1, and shows the rest of the sculptures in Cambridge Cilty Centre as well as those at the two railway stations; once again, location and sculpture name are indicated on the the photo captions.Read more
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Cambridgeshire; Cambridge City Traveler
Standing Tall; Giraffes in Cambridge 1
May 12, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Cambridge Standing Tall is a giraffe sculpture trail in Cambridge city centre from 21 March to 2 June 2024; after this the sculptures will be sold off to raise money for Break, a charity organisation working in Cambridgeshire. Break "gives vulnerable children, young people and families the time, support, and care they need to achieve their full potential", and the purpose of the trail is to raise the aspirations of the county’s young care leavers.

The trail comprises 31 large giraffe sculptures, each decorated by an artist and sponsored by a local business; en route, there are also 60 mini giraffes created by local schools and community groups.

We followed the trail for the large ones, and these are shown in the order on the Trail Map. This post covers Eddington, on the northwest of the city centre, to New Square Park, in the centre. Captions on the photos indicate the location and the name of the sculpture.Read more
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Cambridgeshire; East District Traveler
Dullingham and Stetchworth
May 8, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
These villages were visited on a 7.5 mile walk with the Cambridge Rambling Club

Dullingham is a small village and civil parish situated 4 miles south of Newmarket and 14 miles east of Cambridge. It is a pretty place with a village green, local pub, church and nice properties, and even has its own railway station; opened in 1848, it lies on the Cambridge branch of the Ipswich to Ely Line, via Newmarket. We leave the village, passing by several small horse stud farms on our way to the small village of Dullingham Ley, where we head north along Basefield Wood towards Woodditton.

Woodditton is a small village that lies at the south-eastern end of the Devil's Dyke, a defensive earthwork thought to be of Anglo-Saxon origin (see FP post in The Cambridgeshire Dykes). The embankment is high here and thickly enclosed by scrub and bushes, with large roots crossing the path. After a short walk of about 1/2 mile along it, we turn off for Stetchworth.

Stetchworth is another small village and civil parish and we are now 3 miles south of the horse-racing centre of Newmarket and around 12 miles east of Cambridge; typically, there is a pub, church and interesting properties here; the Ellesmere Centre is a community centre, including a post office, and community store, serving Stetchworth and the neighbouring villages mentioned above - we have our lunch here before heading back to Dullingham.

Another good walk - in splendid weather, this timeRead more
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Cambridgeshire; Cambridge City Traveler
Hobson's Conduit; Nine Wells - Cambridge
May 2, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
I have long wanted to do this complete walk, from the source of Hobson's Conduit to the city centre, having walked parts of various sections over the years. Hobson's Conduit, also called Hobson's Brook, is a watercourse that was built from 1610 to 1614 to bring fresh water into the city of Cambridge from the freshwater chalk springs at Nine Wells; the scheme was financed by Cambridge University, but Thomas Hobson, a local businessman, was involved in the construction and set up a maintenance endowment for the waterway which is now named after him.

Nine Wells is a nature reserve close to Addenbrooke's Hospital; there are four springs here and a monument, one of two, to the conduit. Hobson's Brook runs past the hospital and biomedical campus; there is a slight diversion for walkers away from the brook due to ongoing building work at the new Cambridge South railway station, but I soon re-join the path and follow it with the Hobson Park Bird Reserve on one side and the edge of Great Kneighton village on the other. I then cross the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway track before walking through more green space to reach Long Road (A1134); after this, the waterway reverts to its original name of Vicar's Brook as I cross over and onto Darien Meadow.

At the end of the meadow, the man-made channel of Hobson's Brook branches off from Vicar's Brook - there is a small bridge to cross here (obviously) and the two run parallel for a while enclosing a stretch of common ground, now used for allotments (the Empty Common Community Garden), emerging at the junction of Brooklands Avenue and Trumpington Road. The waterway passes the west side of the Cambridge University Botanical Gardens (it supplies water to the small lake here) before reaching the conduit head at Lensfield Road, where there is the second monument to Hobson and the conduit - the original Market Fountain was moved here in 1856.

The flow of water was divided into four separate branches from here for different uses, but only one branch remains - the Trumpington Street branch, which fed Peterhouse and Pembroke Colleges, as well as the original Addenbrooke's Hospital. I follow this, seeing the deep channels known as runnels at the side of the road that did this, and then divert to the Market Square; the original fountain was partly moved to form the monument in Lensfield Road and soon after a Gothic Revival gabled fountain was erected, but most of this Victorian fountain was pulled down in 1953.

It has been a very interesting 4.4-mile walk with great views in places (see captions on photos).Read more
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Norfolk Traveler
Oxburgh Estate
April 21, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 8 °C
We stop off at the Oxburgh Estate, near Swaffham, on our way home. Oxburgh Hall is a moated Manor house originally built by Sir Edmund Bedingfield as a symbol of power in 1482. It underwent extensive refurbishment in the mid 19th century, and this Grade I listed building is now managed by the National Trust

The Bedingfield family were strong Catholics, but things changed in the 16th century during the reigns of Elizabeth I and Henry VIII when Catholics were persecuted and even executed for sheltering Catholic priests.

We walk around the gardens and part of the grounds before visiting the house itself (part is still used as a family residence); there are many portraits and artefacts describing the Bedingfield family's turbulent history. The house is particularly noted for the Oxburgh Hanging and a priest hole (see pictures and captions).

It has been another excellent visit to Norfolk.Read more
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Norfolk Coastal Path Traveler
1
Old Hunstanton to Hunstanton
April 20, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 7 °C
It's a short walk from our accommodation to Old Hunstanton Beach, where we rejoin the coastal path and walk up to the lighthouse and cliffs at Hunstanton (a popular coastal resort on the North Norfolk coast). Both the coastal lookout and the lighthouse at the top are now holiday homes that are available for rental.

A stone's throw away is the ruin of St. Edmunds Chapel, which was erected in 1272 in memory of Edmund who landed in 855 and was crowned King of East Anglia. He led an army against Viking invaders but was captured and killed. He was later martyred, becoming a patron Saint of England; when his body was found, it was being guarded by a wolf.

We follow the path along the top of the cliffs, noted for their distinctive stripes of carrstone, white chalk, and red chalk, to the Esplanade Gardens and then further to The Green. The Norfolk Coastal Path starts or ends here.

By coincidence, some family members are staying in Hunstanton this weekend, and we meet up with them for coffee.

It's been a good morning!Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi nice pics
4/21/24Reply
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Norfolk Traveler
Burnham Thorpe and the Creakes
April 19, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 10 °C
We drive to Burnham Thorpe and park near the church. Burnham Thorpe is a hamlet on the River Burn and famous for being the birthplace of Horatio Nelson, the victor at The Battle of Trafalgar on HMS Victory. His father was the rector of All Saints Church when he was born; the house where Nelson was born was demolished soon after his father's death, but a plaque commemorates his birth.

We start our walk at the church, passing a flint and stone barn, to meet the wall around Holkham Park. Here, we follow the course of an old Roman Road south and then turn down a farm track. There are good views en route before we turn to follow the road to North Creake, also situated on the River Burn. We visit St Mary's Church and walk through the village before taking the road and then a bridleway north towards Creake Abbey ruins; these Grade I listed ruins are St Mary's Abbey and now under the care of English Heritage.

The Abbey was at its peak in the 14th century but was destroyed by fire in 1483. It was rebuilt in parts, but the Monastic community was wiped out by sickness in 1506.

We walk on to Burnham Thorpe, seeing some more of the pretty village. Another great day out, and 10.1 miles of easy walking.

In the evening, we meet up with our old friends Paul and Miriam for dinner; they used to live in Duxford, but now live in Norfolk.Read more
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Norfolk Coastal Path Traveler
Brancaster Staithe to Old Hunstanton
April 18, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
It's a nice day as we set off on the 9:34am Coastal Hopper to Brancaster Staithe to resume the walk from where we left off. After a short while, though, we had to retrace our steps as the path was flooded and workmen were rebuilding it. We walked back and followed the diversion to Brancaster along the A149. From there, the coastal path and diverts inland behind Titchwell.

There are good views of the countryside and of a pig farm before the 1 mile walk down to Thornham and the coast. The path is raised as we walk along a coastal defence towards the Holme Dunes National Nature Reserve, enjoying great views of saltmarsh, water pools, and pasture. There is a "wild" beach at the Nature Reserve; this is ideal for coastal breeding; we see a lot of bird watchers and stop here for a late cappuccino and lunch.

We then set off for Old Hunstanton along the coastal path and have good views from the beach on the walk there. Another good 12 mile walk.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidiengland is a nice country !
4/19/24Reply
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Norfolk Traveler
1
Royal Sandringham; House and Garden
April 17, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
Sandringham House is a royal residence of King Charles II, and usually used by Royalty in the winter; it was originally a large manor house in the Elizabethan era and was rebuilt in the Jacobean style between 1870 and 1900. It is the home of the Royal Stud and has excellent shooting on the grounds.

We visit inside the house, where there are excellent guides to describe the various rooms downsrairs that are open to the public; these include the saloon, drawing rooms, dining room, and no photographs are permitted. We also see a collection of 26 innovative garments and accessories, made using plant waste taken from Royal Gardens, including Highgrove and Sandringham, as part of an ongoing collaboration between VIN + OMI and His Majesty.

Outside, we visit The Old Stables Courtyard and former Coach House, where there is a small museum showing old Royal Cars and the Sandringham Fire Engine (now no longer used). We walk around the Sandringham Gardens via the stream, Lower Lake, Upper Lake, Topiary Garden, and North Garden before visiting St Mary Magdalene Church; this is used by the Royal Family when in residence. After lunch, we follow the 3 mile Nature Trail walk around the Royal Parkland.

It has been a really interesting visit.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi 👍
4/18/24Reply
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Norfolk Coastal Path Traveler
Wells-next-the-Sea to Brancaster Staithe
April 16, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 8 °C
We take the Coastal Hopper 36 bus (free for people of a certain age) from Old Hunstanton to Wells-next-the-Sea and get off at Quayside to resume the Norfolk Coastal Path.

We follow the coastal path to the lifeboat station, where it diverts across and through Holkham Nature Reserve. We walk along the outskirts of pine woods and then along alongside salt marshes and the tidal foreshore. We then turn sourh west through the Overy Marshes, water meadows, and the Overy Creek towards Burnham Overy Staithe, a hamlet and small harbour one mile north of Burnham Overy (Staithe means a landing place for boats in the local dialect).

We walk close to the Burnham Overy Staithe Windmill, a Grade II listed Tower Mill that is now holiday accommodation, where the coastal path doubles back around the Norton Marsh and then goes on west past Deepdale Marsh and down to Burnham Deepdale. We then walk on to the neighbouring village of Brancaster Staithe - a landing place / harbour for the nearby Brancaster- with more saltmarsh on our right.

Then it's back on the 36 bus, for a well-deserved cup of tea after a lovely 12 mile walk (despite the wind and rain at times!)Read more
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Norfolk Traveler
Old Hunstanton and Ringstead
April 15, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 8 °C
It started off very windy and wet today but perked up before midday when we went out.

Old Hunstanton is a quiet, small village compared to what is known locally as "New" Hunstanton. We walk around the village and see many very expensive houses that have been built or are being built. Hunstanton Golf Course is here, and we walk along a footpath, skirting the edge of the links course and following the course of the River Hun, to the next village, which is Holme-next-the-Sea This is the meeting point for the Peddars Way and the Norfolk Coastal Path; we follow the Peddars Way as far as Ringstead. This is a small village, also known as Great Ringstead, to distinguish it from the nearby deserted medieval village of Little Ringstead, aka Barret Ringstead.

We walk across the attractive Ringstead Downs, a chalk grassland nature reserve on the edge of the L 'Estrange family estate where Hunstanton Hall, the original family home, is situated; as we head back up to Old Hunstanton, we see the ruins of the Chapel of St Andrew at what was Little Ringstead.

It's been 8.4 miles and a good walk.Read more
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Norfolk Traveler
2
Castle Acre; Town, Castle and Priory
April 14, 2024 in England ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
We're staying in Old Hunstanton in North Norfolk for a week and stop off at Castle Acre on the way here.

Castle Acre is a rare and complete survival of a planned Norman settlement; it includes a castle, town, parish church, and associated monastery. It is situated on Peddar's Way, a trade and pilgrim route. There is a 12th century Bailey Gate as you enter the main street

The Castle was founded as a country house after the Norman Conquest by William de Warenne, a Norman Knight who fought at Hastings. It was converted to a strong keep in the 12th century.

From the Castle, we walk up to the Church of St James the Great; this has Norman origins but was restored in the 14th and 19th centuries - it is very large, reflecting how busy the town was then.

Castle Acre Priory is one of the best preserved Monastic sites in England. It was founded around 1090 by the son of William de Warenne and was inspired by the monastery at Clunes, France. We enter via a 15th century gatehouse; the Priory has a spectacular west frontage, with access to the 12th century Priory Church. We follow the route via the nave, cloister, and chapter house to the Prior's lodging, chamber, and chapel (dating from the Tudor times).

A spectacular start to our week away.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi (Heidi) I love these places, Andrew !
4/15/24Reply
TravelerSo do I!
4/17/24Reply
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Hertfordshire Traveler
Reed, Buckland, Anstey, and Nuthampstead
April 10, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
This post describes a 12 mile circular walk from Reed done with the Cambridge Rambling Club, combined with a follow-up trip by car to visit the churches properly.

Reed is a small, pretty village in North Hertfordshire and is situated on a chalk ridge approximately 3 miles south of Royston. We walk around the village green, past the old chapel (used as the local school for many years before becoming a private residence) and down to St Mary's Church; this had a new organ installed at a cost of £170,000! We then walk north for a while to the main footpath and past Reed Wood on the route to Buckland (another small village). Then it is east and over towards Anstey, passing Anstey chalk pit. The church here, St George's, is cruciform in shape and noted for its stained glass windows in memory of the USAAF 398th Bombardment Group who lost their lives in combat in WWII - they flew from the nearby former air station at Nuthampstead. This is a short distance away, and we walk up along one of the runways of what was USAAF Station 131 during the war; the airfield was constructed by the U.S. Army engineer battalions starting in 1942. We pass the Barkway DVOR (Doppler Very high frequency Omnidirectional Range Station), an aeroplane navigation aid that is in active use. There is another monument to the USAAF 398th outside the Nuthampstead Airfield Museum, but this is unfortunately closed.

After a break - we have walked over 8 miles so far - it is back to Barkway via a footpath along the Cokenach Estate and then back to Reed. Another great day out in a local area not that far from Duxford.Read more
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Cambridgeshire; East District Traveler
Six Mile Bottom and Burrough Green
April 3, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 12 °C
This post describes a 12-mile walk with the Cambridge Rambling Club.

Six Mile Bottom is a hamlet within the parish of Little Wilbraham, near Cambridge; it is 6 miles from Newmarket and located in a "valley." There are few houses here and a small church, but the A1304 main road runs through it and it is on the Cambridge to Ipswich railway line; the station here was closed in 1967, however, and is now a private residence.

We circle round the back of Six Mile Bottom and cross open countryside towards Weston Colville; we then join the Icknield Way Trail and head through Brinkley towards Burrough Green - this is a small parish in Cambridgeshire, close to the Suffolk border, and also 6 miles from Newmarket. There is a lovely village green here, a pub and the parish church of Church of St Augustine (a Grade II listed building dating from the 13th century); nearby the church is the Old Hall, a manor house which is now a farm. Also of note is the primary school, which has been operating for over 400 years and the Reading Room dating from 1887.

We then walk to Westley Waterless; this is a small, long, and thin village that is featured in the Domesday Book. The recently restored Parish Church of St Mary-the-Less is known for its 1324 brass monument to Sir John de Creke and his wife, Alyne (Anne) Clopton.

It has been a really interesting walk.Read more
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Cambridgeshire; South District Traveler
Cambourne and neighbouring villages
March 20, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Cambourne is the largest town within the South Cambridgeshire district, comprising the villages of Lower, Great, Upper, and West Cambourne. It is a new town, and construction began in June 1998 on what was previously the land of Monkfield Farm, with Upper Cambourne completed in 2016. In January 2017, outline planning consent was granted for a further 2,350 homes to the west of Lower Cambourne. The name of the community was created from the names of Cambridge, the nearest city, and Bourn, a nearby village; the local area is interesting, with some good walks - this post is a compilation from two of them.

We start off from Cambourne, up to the local nature reserve and pass by couple of small lakes (see picture captions) enroute towards Bourn, but not into the village itself; we visit the local landmark that is Bourn Mill, which dates from 1636 and has been recently restored (thanks to the Cambridge Past, Present and Future organisation). Another nearby village is Eltisley, which has a large village green and an interesting church with a lychgate (a covered gateway found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard). We then walk to Cambourne via the village of Caxton; note that Caxton Gibbet (now a replica of the original) is a long way outside of Caxton itself, on small knoll on Ermine Street (now the A1198) - the original was reputed to be a gruesome example of the cage variation of the gibbet, into which live victims were allegedly placed until they died from starvation, dehydration or exposure!

It has been an interesting couple of walks, and there is more to the Cambourne area than I originally thought.Read more
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