by Susmita Sengupta

London can be called the city of museums, or more correctly, a city well known for offering free admissions to its museums that are home to arguably the world’s greatest collections. As a frequent visitor to this multicultural city, my family and I make it a point to visit and revisit two of the most famous museums of London, namely the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. These museums hold a treasure trove of South Asian relics and antiquities as a direct consequence of British rule over the Indian subcontinent.

In a recent visit, starting at the British Museum, we decided to bypass the heavy crowds at the Rosetta Stone, the inscribed rock discovered by Napoleon’s soldiers in Egypt, and we walked past the Elgin Marbles from the Acropolis in Greece. I decided to not get tempted by the magnificently detailed carved stone panels from Nineveh or the Assyrian stone sculptures and reliefs from 7th and 8th century BC. On most other visits, these rooms are what would attract me the most, thereby depriving me of the chance to devote time to the galleries related to objects from the Indian sub-continent.

The South Asian collection at the British Museum began with Sir Hans Sloane in the 18th century and continued on with Sir Augustus Franks who used his connections to add to the collection, most notably from Sir Alexander Cunningham, the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India appointed in 1871. The ASI was preceded by the Asiatic Society founded by William Jones in 1784 in Kolkata, who started a periodical journal which focused on the antiquarian wealth of India. Thus the 18th and 19th centuries proved to be a ripe period for the British to accumulate South Asian antiquities.

The crowd was sparse in the gallery when we entered compared to the other halls where the world famous artifacts are present. The South Asian objects are in Room 33 and the first thing I saw after walking in was the Mathura Lion Capital from the first century CE. Discovered in 1869 in Mathura, in central India, about 112 miles from New Delhi, the capital belongs to the Indo Scythian period (200BC – 400CE). It is covered with inscriptions in Prakrit, the predecessor of the ancient classical language Sanskrit, using Kharosthi script. The capital also shows the triratana symbol, meaning the Three Jewels, emblematic of the Buddha, his Dharma and the Sangha. This was the first of the many objects present from the rich Buddhist period of ancient Indian history. The museum has an extensive collection of Buddhist figures and reliquaries on display ranging from the ancient to the relatively modern era of 13th century India. A section of the gallery is also devoted to Buddhist objects from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Burma, Japan and China.

However, the prized possession here is certainly the remnants of the Amaravati Stupa, from the 2nd century BC. The region around Amaravati located in South India, was a major Buddhist hub during the Ashokan period. Ashoka the Great, the third Mauryan Emperor (304BC – 232BC), is well known to historians as the king who devoted himself to Buddhism after the human deaths he saw in war. His rule extended from the borders of present day Afghanistan and Iran in the west to the borders of current Bangladesh and Burma to the east. Only the southern tip of India and the country of Sri Lanka was outside his reach along with the state of Kalinga (presently the state of Orissa), located to the south of his capital Pataliputra (now called Patna). Ashoka wanted to conquer Kalinga, and where his illustrious ancestors had failed, he was hugely successful. The Kalinga War of 265BC caused a huge impact on the Emperor. Buddhist texts talk about the morning after the war when he went to review the battleground. He was struck by the carnage he encountered and became a convert to peace. The years after the Kalinga War saw a proliferation in the building of stupas, monasteries, edicts and pillars by Ashoka and he aided in the spread of Buddhism beyond India.

Similar to the Elgin Marbles of the Acropolis, the remnants of the Amaravati Stupa are sometimes known as the Elliot Marbles. I walked into the Amaravati gallery and felt myself being transported to a different, serene world. All around me were intricately sculpted discs, crossbars, slabs and railings stacked and displayed high up almost to the ceiling. I could see beautifully carved limestone discs in shapes of lotus flowers and railings and crossbars carved intricately with worshippers around an empty throne, a symbol of Buddha. There were drum slabs with gorgeous carvings of events in the life of Buddha.

The Amaravati Stupa, also known as a Maha Chaitya or Great Stupa is considered to be the largest stupa in India, even larger than its most famous counterpart, the Sanchi Stupa. While the Sanchi Stupa is a major tourist attraction in India, the Amaravati Stupa suffered a different fate. Evidence has shown that the stupa built during the reign of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, remained a major religious site well into the 14th century when Hinduism had become the primary religion in India. Till about 1344 AD, various successive dynasties, helped in building and extending the stupa and its surrounding areas.

After that it fell into disrepair and remained hidden till 1797 when Colonel Colin Mackenzie, a Scottish army officer in the British East India Company made its discovery. He carried out some excavations in 1816 after being appointed the first Surveyor General of India and also made detailed drawings, a folio of which survives at the British Library. Then in 1845, another Scottish officer, Sir Walter Elliot excavated more sculptures from the site and a whole collection of these were sent to the erstwhile India Museum in London. Subsequently, the sculptures were acquired by British museum after the closure of the India Museum in 1879.

The gallery also boasts of a sprawling collection of Hindu bronzes, statues and sculptures known almost misleadingly as the Bridge Collection. I admired the dark, seated stone figure of the Hindu sun god, Surya from 13th century Orissa, part of a group of eye catching sculptures which show the nine planets or the “navagrahas”. My eyes rested on a marvelously carved, seated stone figure of Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, also from the same era, depicted unusually with five heads and ten hands. The entire collection was amassed by Charles “Hindoo” Stuart, an Irish officer in the East India Company, known for his affinity to Hinduism and Indian culture. He collected antiquities mostly from the states of Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Central India and displayed them at his home in Kolkata. After his death and burial in Kolkata in 1828, his impressive collection was transferred to England where it was sold in auction to John Bridge in 1829-30. Thus the collection was given to the museum in 1872 by the Bridge family heirs.

The next day at the Victoria and Albert Museum, we entered the South Asian galleries, and found ourselves in the era of 16th-19th century India. That is not to say, the V & A does not have ancient Indian artifacts. Here too we saw the statues and relics of Buddhist periods and early Indian dynasties. But the hallmark collection here belongs to the Mughal period (1526-1748), Rajput kingdoms and the Indian rulers defeated thereafter. The spectacular collection also includes textiles, paintings, photographs and myriad objects of decorative arts from all regions of South and Southeast Asia.

The immense collection at this museum has its beginnings in the East India Company’s India Museum, founded in 1798. The V & A, which was known as the South Kensington Museum in the 1800s, received this collection in 1879 but the India Museum was formally integrated and the name abolished only in the 1950s.

From the era of the Mughal Empire, the white nephrite jade wine cup of Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666), builder of the Taj Mahal, caught our attention because of its exquisite craftsmanship. Made in 1657, the cup is a unique example of artistic unity from China, India, Iran and Europe. We moved on to the Akbarnama, the chronicle of Akbar’s reign (1556-1605) by his court historian and biographer Abul Fazal. It is a collection of manuscripts painted in watercolor by royal artists with Persian inscriptions at its bottom. We looked at rooms full of outfits, furniture and everyday living objects belonging to British men and women who lived in India during the Raj. We spent our time reading everything, trying to take it all in.

But we hadn’t yet seen the two most significant holdings of the museum. The first one is the solid gold throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh empire who ruled over undivided Punjab that stretched to the borders of Afghanistan from 1799-1839. The throne kept in the Sikh treasury came in to the possession of the British after Punjab was annexed in 1849.

Following this, we walked over to see Tipu’s Tiger. Considered by the museum to be one of its most precious and popular objects, this intriguing musical tiger mauling a red coated European soldier was made for Tipu Sultan, the king of Mysore, sometimes known as the “Tiger of Mysore” in South India. Tipu ruled from 1782 to 1799 and fought three wars against the British East India Company before being finally defeated and killed in his capital, Seringapatam in 1799. His treasury was immediately divided among the Company soldiers and the tiger was first displayed at the India museum in 1808. After the dissolution of the East India Company, this semi-automaton musical instrument was moved to the South Kensington museum, now the V & A and has been on display ever since. I realized that a visit to these two museums can be an enlightening as well as a poignant experience for most Indians.

Private Guided Tour of the British Museum in London
from: Viator

If You Go:

British Museum: As per the website, Room 33 is undergoing major renovation and will reopen in Nov. 2017.

Victoria and Albert Museum: Room 41 – The Nehru Gallery

Private Tour: Victoria and Albert Museum
from: Viator

About the author:
Susmita Sengupta is a freelance writer who loves to travel. She and her family have traveled to various parts of the USA, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, Middle East, Southeast Asia and India. She resides in New York City with her family.

All photos by Susmita Sengupta:
Outside the British Museum
The Mathura Lion Capital
Carved Railing Detail from Amaravati Stupa
An Intricately Carved Sculpture of the Deity Ganesh
Emperor Shah Jahan’s Jade Wine Cup
The Gold Throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
The Lacquered and Carved Musical Instrument, Tipu’s Tiger

The terracotta roofs and gleaming walls of Robin Hood’s Bay buildings have always been a welcome sight, whichever way I’ve arrived. So I could relate to the four middle-aged male-hiker characters in the film, Downhill, who were finishing their 190-mile west to east Coast to Coast ramble from Saint Bees in Cumbria by walking down to the sea on vertiginous cobbled roads running parallel to streams flowing under flowering gardens, wooden bridges and atmospheric alleys.

I have walked down the hill from the north and inland, but the closest I have so far felt to emulating the Downhill hikers is by walking part of another trek; the Cleveland Way; from Scarborough in the south. It is a thirteen miles section of a 109 miles trek that mostly runs parallel with the North Sea. The walk is mostly flat, walking along countryside coastal paths, but occasionally it dips down to the beach. At Boggin Hole the cove is lined with trees, making it particularly picturesque.

Arriving from the south, Robin Hood’s Bay is visible miles away; from a jutting limestone headland just past Ravenscar, one of a few villages on the walk. The approach to Robin Hood’s Bay at low tide is on a long stretch of sandy beach, with some rocks and pools along the way. The sea covers most of the beach at high tide; reuniting with the high cliffs in the evening like a blanket being tucked between bed and wall.

It is called Yorkshire’s Jurassic Coast, due to the high amount of fossils found in the area. Ammonites that lived 200 million years ago are commonly found, and occasionally the bones of marine reptiles from that era. Human artefacts have been found in the area from about 9,000 years ago. Star Carr, five miles south of Scarborough, is the best Mesolithic site in Britain, due to its boggy ground preserving artefacts usually lost elsewhere. Only stone tools usually survive from that time, but at Star Carr they have found twenty-one deer-head headwear and 200 antler spears. Romans, Angles and Vikings all landed and built settlements in the region, before it became part of newly created Yorkshire after the mid-11th century Norman Conquest.

The age of Robin Hood’s Bay is unknown, as it was a thriving village of fifty cottages when first recorded in 1540 by Leland, King Henry VIII’s topographer. In the following century it was recorded on Dutch sea charts, which omitted Whitby; RHB’s now much larger northern neighbour. The origins of RHB’s name are also unclear, with no recorded reference to the famous outlaw of Sherwood Forest. That legend did become popular in the 15th century though, with the first recorded ballad dated to 1450, around the same time that the Yorkshire village was thought to be growing. If Robin Hood was the John Lennon of his time, then it seems likely that people would want to name things after him. However, the local history society believe it is more likely that the name derived from ancient woodland spirits, such as Robin Goodfellow, who preceded the now more famous Medieval rebel, and may have played a part in creating the green Sherwood Forest legend, rather than Hood influencing other contemporary things.

The area does seem to have thrived on independence from outside control and taxes, as the legendary Robin Hood did, with the local history society writing there is no doubt that Robin Hood’s Bay was the busiest smuggling village on the Yorkshire coast by the 18th century. That coastal culture was made famous in the Poldark books and television series. I watched the original series as a child in the 1970s, and maybe that is why I have been so excited by Robin Hood’s Bay. I also first watched the Kidnapped film around that time, which is another seafaring story set in the 18th century.

Smuggling was not the only activity dividing village and rulers, as on the other side there was something that looks even more evil in history: Press Gangs were sent into villages such as Robin Hood’s Bay to find and kidnap men for the Royal Navy. Those pressed into service were unlikely to return. It is easy to imagine the drama of the 18th century in the compact steep closely-knit village that still structurally exists, with contraband passed through windows from harbour to hilltop without touching the ground; or the women banging drums when Press Gangs were spotted, and the men running to hide.

While the Downhill end scene showed the harbour and Bay Hotel beer garden it missed the rest of the village, where bookshops and haberdasheries share the seafront approach with ancient pubs such as Ye Dolphin and The Laurel Inn. At the top of the village, The Victoria Hotel provides excellent views of the bay.

When I finished my walk from Scarborough I had to find the campsite a couple of miles farther north of the village. After stopping to take too many photos it was totally dark by then, but I was compensated by a clear night providing an amazing countryside view of the sky, after becoming used to inner city light pollution skies. Looking upwards at regular intervals for long periods of time delayed me further, but as Downhill showed, it’s not all about keeping to time, but what you see and learn along the way.

Last year, alerted by the Coast documentary series, I thought Staithes looked similar to Robin Hood’s Bay, so travelled up there on the last sunny warm day of the year. I took a bus from Leeds to Whitby, and a local bus from there. I was not disappointed, and felt a sense of deja vu walking down the hill to the harbour. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to lunch at the Cod and Lobster after crossing over the Roxby Beck bridge to the harbour.

Instead, I walked back to Whitby, completing another section of the Cleveland Way. Staithes is ten miles above the town famous for Dracula’s fictional landing in England, while Robin Hood’s Bay is five miles below. As with my walk from Scarborough, I took too many photos and made slower progress than planned. Thankfully, I reached Whitby fifteen minutes before the last bus back to Leeds.

That was the last hiking I did, but watching Downhill has made me want to complete both The Cleveland Way and Coast to Coast walks. Hopefully I will one day hike both, finding more short uphill peaks on my long winding downhill descent into old age.

If You Go:

Yorkshire’s Jurrasic Park

Star Carr

Poldark

Robin Hood’s Bay

Staithes

Robin Hood Bay, Whitby and the North York Moors

About the author:
Marc Latham traveled to all the populated continents during his twenties. He studied during his thirties, including a BA in History, and spent his forties creative writing. He lives in Leeds, writing from the www.greenygrey3.com website. He has had a Magnificent Seven books published, most recently completing a trilogy of comedy fantasy travel by web maps and information. The blogged book’s theme might have inspired the return of the X Files. The Truth is Out There and all that, and the books are available on Amazon and other bookstores.

All photos are by Marc Latham:
Leaving Scarborough to the north on Cleveland Way
Cleveland Way sign
Robin Hood’s Bay first sighted from the south
Robin Hood’s Bay arriving from the south
Streams and narrow houses
Interesting seaside
Robin Hood’s Bay from the north

The Yorkshire Moors of Wuthering Heights

by Magdalena Zenaida 

The moors are temperamental. When my daughter and I arrived at Keighley station, the gateway to Bronte’s Haworth, the air was mild and we sweated underneath our jackets. The stone buildings glistened beneath a slight drizzle and thin clouds hid the sun. It appears serenely pastoral at first glance, with cows and sheep gently munching on the dewy grass. But it is also cut with craggy rocks through which the wind slices unapologetically, reservoirs churning with icy depths. It isn’t a countryside to be patronized, and so it is only fitting that these Yorkshire moors are also known as Bronte country, and are home to the recently opened Ponden Hall.

If you love Wuthering Heights devoutly, the words “bed and breakfast” can inspire fear. Would the broad beamed ceilings and mossy walls be protected, or would they be swallowed up into an upscale conversion? Bronte’s “Thrushcross Grange”, or as it is known in reality, Ponden Hall, is exactly as its hero and heroine would have it.

Our taxi driver crawled around the corner of the dirt road and I saw a walled garden where we were met by Stephen Brown, one-half of the inn’s proprietors.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take your bags,” he said as he stepped out the front door. I ushered my daughter into the long, narrow hallway lined with wellies and jackets. It is still a family home. We entered the sitting room to the right and met the home’s other half- Julie Akhurst, a warm and inviting hostess bearing tea and cookies.

The home was deeply and utterly as much the Bronte experience as it ever had been. The large beams stretch across the ceiling, the hearth spreads out commanding the room, and the fragile windowpanes traced along the windows. A long broad table that is as much a centerpiece to the room as the hearth, both inviting you to sit, stay, and join, in that room.

We were upgraded you to the Heaton Room, the first of many kindnesses Our room was as if a home of its own. Two twin beds were at opposite ends of the room while a large four-poster graced the interior wall. Stephen had built a warm fire in the hearth in front of the chairs and sofa, and the ceiling reached up to a height that made the room grander than a suite. It was quiet enough to hear the cows chewing the grass outside our window, and when we went to bed, a slight wind rattled the windows occasionally, but seemed to promise calm.

In the middle of the night, the winds came, creating all of the taps and rattles that vex an old house. The long, broad gusts animated for the ears how they must be sweeping across the land, merely brushing against this house in its path. Though in a cozy four-poster bed nestled in the softest of pillows and blankets, we both slept fitfully. If the sea lulls you to sleep, the wild winds toss your spirit about, raising and twisting it above the earth, toying with your dreams. I read part of my treasured Wuthering Heights quietly, wondering if I was really in the home that inspired Bronte’s Catherine Heathcliff to come to as a haughty and tempestuous bride to Edgar Linton.

Despite the protective comfort of our warm duvets, we eagerly came down for traditional British breakfast. The Akhurst-Brown family invited us to join them at dinner because it would be late for us to take a taxi to the local pub the previous night and Julie proved she is an excellent cook with a delicious squash soup. Julie came in and out of the kitchen juices, fresh eggs, and warm homemade bread. Stephen pulled two large pillows in front of the stone fireplace so my daughter could sprawl out on the stone floors and watch cartoons. Listening to the family move behind us in the daily lives added more warmth to the room, aside from their heated stone floors and their giant Aga stove, than I ever could have imagined. Indeed it felt as if the haunted souls of Wuthering Heights had been set free.

Yet the real roaming of the imaginative spirit isn’t contained within any historic walls as much as it is in the land they call “Bronte Country.” Only a foolish writer would contend to describe the moors better than Emily and her “bleak hilltop of the earth.” It is best to just walk it. It isn’t a very arduous hike to get to Top Withens, the ruins that some historians claim to be Wuthering Heights. Whether it merely lore or not no longer seems to matter when standing at its viewpoint. The ragged horizon of the land provides an understanding why Bronte dreamed up a freedom from “unquiet slumber” for her lovers upon their beloved earth.

The Akhurst-Browns understand the importance of the fabled spirit, and have helped recreate history from fantasy in Ponden Hall. In the Earnshaw room they created a box bed, designed in exact specification to the one described in the novel. On the windowsill sits a large old bible, open as the intrepid narrator was supposed to have left it. But there are so many factual delights as well, as that very window was supposed to inspire the frightening scene in which the ghost of Catherine Heathcliff tries to claw her way back into the home.

I reread part of Wuthering Heights before bed again during my second night. So much of the book continues long after the lovers have been parted and the actual homes, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, become a focus as hope remains alive on the wild and rocky moors; something, quiet, peaceful, and warm enters those haunted grounds. The Akhursts-Browns have created Ponden Hall as a fulfillment of literary destiny- a haunting history within hallowed walls illuminated by new traditions, vibrant and comforting. As it continues evolving Ponden Hall seems even more immortal than ever.

Private Group Haworth, Bolton Abbey and Yorkshire Dales Day Trip from York

If You Go:

♦ Ponden Hall is open year round. Rooms are available from 85 pounds per night. Tour and tea time is available for 10 pound per head, call in advance. Ring: 01535648608 Web:  Address: Haworth, BD22 0HR

♦ Keighley Station can be arrived at via National Rail Services from Leeds. Services to Leeds from London’s Kings Cross are available daily.

North Yorkshire Moors and Castle Howard Day Tour From York

About the author:
Magdalena Zenaida has been traveling for about as long as she has been writing. Her children’s book, An Honest Boy, Un Hombre Sincero won the 2014 International Latino Book Award for best first children’s book. She has also written travel pieces for Matador Network, InTravel Magazine, and DeSuMama. www.magdalenazenaida.com

All photos courtesy of Ponden Hall.

Northumberland and Cumbria, England

by Jean Pidgley 

I rarely if ever meditate but, when walking in special places, I will contemplate on my past, my present and what’s to come, and then I always feel grateful for my sight enabling me to see the glory of magnificent views and for my hearing, which allows me to absorb the sound of rushing streams and the songs of birds.

Some thirty years ago I repeated a walk when on holiday with family in Yorkshire, which I had done often in my teens. Yorkshire, a lovely county and a favourite of mine, allows easy access to lovely dales and outstanding moorland and to the wilds of Northumberland and Cumbria.

Cumbria, mountainous and outstandingly beautiful, was only created in 1974 when several county names were changed. Formerly Cumberland, it was formed to include a part of Lancashire and all of lovely Westmoreland, home to the England’s Lake District. Unlike my beloved Cotswolds which ranks highly in the order of English landscape beauty, Cumbria is subjected to harsh weather, but has the beauty of its dales partly due to the splendour of the surrounding countryside, the contrast between green fields,woods and valleys, and the naked breezy moors which are never far away.

Cumbria’s mountains are part of the Pennine chain and the grassy slopes of the hills have to feed the sheep and deer in severe Winter storms and heavy Spring rains. Scattered farm houses are the only signs of human habitation and as one drives or walks higher, the links with civilisation disappear, and there is nothing but moorland and sky, and breathtaking views without apparent limit.

From the loveliness of the Yorkshire Dales a foray into Cumbria combines the beauty of the scenery with austere rocky canyons and all England’s mountains over 3,000 feet are within its boundaries. In many parts nature is allowed to go completely untamed and we can see its glory without the addition of human intrusion. But Cumbria, wild, hilly, sparsely populated, site of many sieges and visibly displaying gutted castles, shares with Northumberland Europe’s largest surviving Roman monument – Hadrian’s Wall.

Stretching eighty miles from the natural beauty of Solway Firth on the west coast to Newcastle in the east, it was built around 124 AD on the orders of Emperor Hadrian. He decided his Empire needed securing and he gave the order to build a wall across the northern frontier. The Wall took six years to complete and it’s thought to have begun as a rampart of earthwork and turf and then later replaced by local stone.

A splendid view of the Wall is seen at Housesteads in Northumberland at a section between Walltown Crags where it undulates for several miles over Whin Still ridge. I loved to ramble on top of the Wall itself where it is eight to ten feet wide and over ten feet high. I would stand alone on one of the Wall’s highest vantage points and look down on some of the most spectacular scenery in England, and immerse myself with thoughts of Roman legions patrolling where my own feet were firmly planted. I could envision them toiling to pull earth, cut turf, and lay stones, hewed, hacked and sawed and placed one by one to strengthen and form this massive barrier their Emperor had ordered.

I haven’t seen a sunrise or experienced a sun setting over the Wall’s contours but I can imagine the sun, rising or setting, could well highlight its character and definition – enhancing its sloping banks and clumps of craggy rocks with elongated shadows. When I was there last no large official car parks, tearooms, or hordes of hikers had taken over the wall and it was allowed to stand firm, and relatively untouched except for the National Trust which oversees archaeological digs, rebuilding and repairs. Casual walkers, like me, digested its history, walked to protect the wall knowing that too many feet, far outnumbering the legions of centuries ago, could shift the turf, damage the stones, and ultimately commercialize a true jewel in England’s plethora of historical gems.

When I walked I could envision the Roman soldiers marching to protect this well fortified defence. Forts were built every five miles and small settlements for housing sprang up, well equipped to provide shelter and storage. In this wild outpost of the Roman Empire, amidst the clamour of every tongue and the practice of every cult, the legions gathered together for training, sometimes to meet British tribes on the other side in friendly chatter or more often in deadly strife.

So much of the Wall disappeared in the 1700s and much of the stone went to build local churches, homes and farm walls. No need to shape, cut, form but simply pillage and build. England can thank John Clayton, born during the time of Lord Nelson, who was shocked at the way the local landowners showed little or no regard for the Wall and its history but continually took stone for their own use. Mr Clayton proceeded to buy up farms and other properties whenever they came up for sale, and his own farm labourers then cleared and rebuilt sections of the damaged wall.

I have since heard much has been done to preserve this now World Heritage Site, but when I was last there restoration and digs and finds were apparent but I saw few, and just took in the views and felt the ever-present wind on my face.

I liked to end my walk at the Vindolanda Fort. Hadrian’s Wall at Vindolanda was always my dessert after I had absorbed, like a glutton, the magnificence of a small slice of Cumbria and its sections of wall en route east to the sites in Northumberland. I would remain alone with my thoughts amidst the grandeur of Northumberland’s heathered rolling hills and ancient meadowed countryside and a host of Roman ruins and forts as I worked my way some six miles from Housesteads to Vindolanda.Few facilities existed then and I continued my trudge over undulating hills, past a tiny wood and down a small valley, dotted with grass chewing sheep with the occasional osprey swooping down to grab an unsuspecting field mouse, to the hamlet of Once Brewed where The Twice Brewed Inn served good hearty northern fare. Feet sore, body aching, a hot home cooked meal washed down with a local light ale, and I was in my heaven on earth and I have never found anywhere better. Forgotten was children’s writer Beatrix Potter’s Cumbrian house, Hill Top, where she created her characters Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle Duck. It would be seen another day. William Wordsworth, inspired by the same lakes and mountains, could also be remembered another time, and Dove Cottage on Lake Grasmere, where he lived for over fifty years, could be re-visited. But, during my allotted time with Hadrian and his Wall, I had deliberately stayed remote with my thoughts midst Nature’s grandeur and Rome’s remnants from empire building, aware that, just around a corner in a lane in Once Brewed, I had left a car which would transport me down the road back into Yorkshire and family happenings, where tranquility, dreams and contemplation would be put on hold.

Holy Island, Alnwick Castle and Northumberland Tour from Edinburgh

If You Go:

♦ Hadrian’s Wall Path
♦ Once Brewed
♦ Visit Northumberland
♦ Accomodations
♦ Twice Brewed Inn

About the author:
Jean Pidgley was born in the New Forest, England, and emigrated to Canada in 1961. She spent many years in Marketing Communications with the telecommunications industry, and retired when Business Advertising Manager with one of Canada’s leading telecommunications companies. Her passion is golf and interests include travel and writing for pleasure.

Photo credits:
Hadrian’s Wall 1 by David Mark from Pixabay
Housesteads Roman Fort by Eleonora Pavlovska from Pixabay
Twice Brewed Inn by Bill Henderson / The Twice Brewed Inn

by Paris Franz

My trip to Brighton was both a response to the end of an excruciatingly long winter and an exercise in nostalgia. Brighton had been the destination of choice for many a day at the seaside during my childhood, and would be forever associated in my mind with windswept, pebbled beaches and ideas of escape. It’s been said you should never go back to places where you were happy, lest the reality not measure up to the memory, but how could I not? It’s less than an hour from London by train, and the sun was shining.

I set out from London Bridge Station and the chaos of its extensive refurbishment, prompted by the arrival of the gleaming and unlikely Shard next door, the tallest building in the European Union at 1,016 feet. It was, briefly, the tallest building in the whole of Europe, until the Mercury City Tower in Moscow overtook it.

My train left from platform five, departing smoothly with cool and quiet glory, so different from the noisy and stuffy trains of yore. The landscape was one of increasing greenery, complete with allotments and ponds, sheep and cows and horses. It struck me again, as it does every time I travel across England when the sun is shining, just how many shades of green there are, and how pretty the country is.

Taking the waters in Brighton

Brighton’s train station is still magnificently Victorian, with its soaring iron roof. The formerly sleepy fishing village of Brighthelmstone began to be transformed towards the end of the eighteenth century when the aristocracy arrived ‘to take the waters’, but it wasn’t until the arrival of the railway in the 1840s, that Brighton really put itself on the map and became the destination of choice for toffs and day-trippers alike.

I can’t remember my first visit to Brighton. It’s all a jumble of memories – sunshine, wind, ice-cream on the pier, an unsuccessful experiment with candy-floss (I was a fastidious child). I remember stumbling across the pebbles and paddling in the sea with my grandmother, and swimming farther out when I was older and bolder and getting caught by a wave just as the seabed beneath my feet gave way. My grandparents met in Brighton, and my mother was born there, and it’s always felt a little like home.

Brighton has been called London-by-the-Sea, and it’s easy to understand why. For all its relatively small size, it has that busy, big-city, cosmopolitan vibe, with many a language to be heard. Queen’s Road, which leads directly from the station to the sea, was lined with cafes and supermarkets and a gratifyingly large Waterstone’s bookshop, and was as crowded as any London thoroughfare.

I stopped for a coffee and a sandwich at the Beach Hut overlooking the sea, where I was able to sit and look out over the expanse of beach and sky. There were stacks of evenly placed deck chairs ready for hire, a sandy volley-ball court, and a plentiful array of restaurants and cafes, stretching all the way to the pier and beyond. I didn’t recall it being quite this organised, or tidy.

It seems to me that Brighton doesn’t quite know what it wants to be, so it’s a bit of everything. It is certainly family friendly, and has also acquired a reputation as an arty, bohemian kind of place. The architecture is mostly Georgian, with an abundance of pale stone and wrought-iron balconies. There’s a hint of art deco about the casino and a timeless innocence about the pier, while the Royal Pavilion, with its domes and its silks, is an Orientalist fantasy come to life.

The Fishing Museum

I took a walk along the sea-front, breathing deeply of the sea air, and made a nostalgic detour to the pier, complete with funfair and fish and chips. I visited the small but perfectly-formed Fishing Museum. The fishermen of Brighthelmstone were not best pleased at the arrival of all these new visitors, but they made the best of it.

The museum houses a full-sized fishing boat, along with plaques and photos and anchors, and delights in telling visitors of the broad-beam hog boats, or hoggies, known locally as ‘knock-arse boats’. Sleek they are not, but they remained stable in rough seas. There’s also a section honouring the boats that went to the rescue at Dunkirk – I can remember my grandmother telling me you could barely see the sea that fateful summer in 1940 for all the boats.

The Royal Pavilion

When it came to mistresses and houses, the Prince Regent was a lover of excess. ‘The more, the merrier’ would appear to be his motto. His mistresses were plump and matronly, and his houses extravagant.

George moved to Brighton in 1786, escaping both his creditors and the stultifying dullness of the court of St James. He soon rented a farmhouse on the river Steine and, once his financial troubles were sorted out (he had to sell his horse-racing stud) he instructed the architect Henry Holland to convert the house into a dwelling more suitable for the Prince of Wales, as he then was. The result was a beautiful example of neo-classicism.

The Pavilion soon became an alternative court, where a colourful aristocratic circle surrounded the Prince. They were, according to contemporary biographer Robert Huish, “a set of titled cardsharpers.”

But it was not enough. By the 1820s, the house had been transformed into a grand Orientalist fantasy by the architect John Nash, who also designed Buckingham Palace and Marble Arch. The flamboyant mix of Indian and Chinese influences really shouldn’t work, yet somehow it does.

The interior is a riot of chinoiserie, at its most flamboyant in the magnificent Banqueting and Music Rooms, rooms dedicated to two of the Prince Regent’s passions. In the Banqueting Room, the walls are decorated with murals and the table is set for the dessert course. The lamp stands, blue jars of Spode porcelain, are original, as is one of the sideboards, veneered in satinwood and with carved and gilded dragons.

The room is dominated by the dazzling chandelier, a ton in weight, grasped in the claws of a silvery dragon suspended from the ceiling. I’d read that, hidden among all the chinoiserie, are a number of Masonic symbols, and I set about looking for them, the sun and the moon and the All-Seeing Eye. The Prince Regent was the Grand Master of the Prince of Wales Lodge, mostly made up of his friends.

The Music Room is likewise a sumptuous space, lit by nine lotus-shaped chandeliers. The Italian composer Rossini performed here in 1823, by which time the Prince Regent had become King George IV. The room has been fitted with a hand-knotted carpet, a reproduction of the original, made using evidence from surviving fragments and contemporary illustrations, and visitors wearing high-heeled shoes are requested to take them off before entering.

Other rooms are rather more restrained, in an elegantly sumptuous kind of way. I was reminded of a Jane Austen novel, and it occurred to me that I could really do with a chaise longue.

Upstairs are the guest suites and private rooms, complete with heavy silks and four-poster beds. There’s also an art display, including a set of irreverent cartoons satirising the Prince Regent – he was a cartoonist’s dream – and the delightfully cheeky painting HRH The Prince Regent Awakening the Spirit of Brighton, painted by Rex Whistler while he was billeted in Brighton in 1944. I think the Prince Regent would have approved.

Sailing Sunset Cruise from Brighton

If You Go:

♦ Brighton is easily accessible from London by fast train, departing from either London Bridge or Victoria Station. Rail passes and tickets can be booked at Britrail online.
♦ Apart from trains, some travellers prefer private transfers from London for a smoother ride, especially on day trips. Services like London Wheels Limo offer direct, door-to-door travel.
♦ Information on accommodation, restaurants and Brighton’s plentiful events calendar can be found on the comprehensive Visit Brighton website.

Brighton Pier Tour with Lunch at English Pub

About the author:
Paris Franz is a London-based freelance journalist. She has had work published in a variety of web and print publications, including The Independent, Wanderlust and Europe Up Close. See more of her work at www.parisfranz.com

All photos are by Paris Franz:
Ferris wheel
Fishing Museum
The Royal Pavilion
The Lanes shopping area

by Chris Herbert

Start with a serving of red eye from Vancouver, add a Toronto stopover, stir them up and upon arrival at Gatwick Airport London you have the perfect recipe for testy travelers. Thankfully Jill, our host for the next three weeks, had the antidote. Her compact Ford, laden with my sister Anne, myself and our luggage, safely delivered us to Reading for a much needed pint at a local pub and a good night’s sleep.

Rising the next morning to very un-English like weather ( read “sunny” ) the three of us headed for Petersfield, south of London. During our stay this would be our home away from home. Founded in the 12th century by William Fitz Robert the second Earl of Gloucester as a market town, Petersfield grew in importance because of its location on a direct route north to London and south to the coast. Like those travelers before us we took advantage of the locale returning most days to a late meal and a pint at the pub. Albeit we had the benefit of modern travel and Brit Rail passes purchased before leaving Canada which offered us sizeable fare savings.

Our excursion to York began with a relaxing train ride north from Petersfield through the English countryside. We enjoyed our stay in the 1752 Micklegate Georgian Townhouse turned hostel spending time with travelers from around Britain and the Continent. Steps from York’s historic rail station, once Europe’s largest and just minutes to the centre of this medieval town, the hostel was clean and affordable, the bunk beds were comfy even if the showers had to be the snuggest in which I have had the pleasure of lathering up.

York has seen its share of visitors in its time, most welcome some not so much. Among them were the Romans in the first century who called York Eboracum and the Vikings who built the first Minsters. During its long history York has been the centre of the English wool trade and a major railway network. More recently the University of York, the city’s museums and a renewed tourism sector have been economic stimulants to this city of 200,000.

A short visit can’t do justice to all that York offers but the highlights of our visit include Jorvik on the site of a Viking village complete with its workshops to latrines. The Shambles, a medieval street were butchers dressed and displayed their wares. Thomas Herbert House on the site of a Lord Mayor of London Christopher Herbert’s house of 1620. Could I be related? Of course the Ghost Walk, an entertaining stroll through after hours York and a great way to learn the town’s darker history followed by a glass of the local bitters and Cornish pasties at the Golden Fleece Pub. Do you sense a bedtime ritual? To quickly our stay in York is over and we board the return train to Petersfield. Our next excursion, Windsor.

Private Ghost Tour of York

Windsor is known for its ancient castle long the home of the British Royal Family, Eton College and the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Anne and Jill, being equine enthusiasts, couldn’t resist the jumping, dressage and carriage grand prix. Not being a fan of the horsey set, I went off to explore side streets, alleys and ancient buildings. Otherwise I might have never come across the historic Spread Eagle Hotel or the ruins of Sir William Fitz Williams 16th century manor house in Chichester, the historic home of the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal to Henry VIII, or Whip-Ma Whap-Ma-Gate and the 17th century remains of the now defrocked St. Crux Church in York. So following our early morning train ride we went our separate ways with a plan to meet at days end at Eton Train Station. I headed in the direction of Windsor Castle. This being May the tourist crowds were light so my castle and grounds tour around the gardens and a browse about the gift shop was without the usual pushing and shoving.

During my walk-about I meandered down narrow roads, past Market Cross House which is said to have a secret passage way used by King Charles II for private trysts. Continuing through public and some private gardens. After a lengthy stroll along the Thames I found myself at Eton College where since 1440 A.D. Olde Blighty’s future leaders have been educated. A quick check of my watch and I realize that I have barely enough time for a fly-by sandwich and an Ale at the Bel and The Dragon before I am to meet up with the women.

The next day we choose to stay closer to Petersfield with a visits to Chichester and Aldershot, the latter being infamous for a IRA attack in 1972 during the “troubles”. Our well laid plans came to a unexpected halt when we got a flat tire. It seems that compact British Fords lack the space for a spare requiring us to spend the afternoon in the Greatham Inn over an ale while waiting on the UK AA.

Over that ale we decided that London should be next on our agenda even if we could not agree on what to do once there. Fortunately by the time we had arrived at Waterloo Station a compromise had been reached. We spent the day doing the tourist things. Crossing the Thames by the Waterloo Bridge we continued along Victoria Embankment, through the gardens of the same name finding our way to Covent Gardens. There we stopped at Pips Dish before moving on to Trafalgar Square where we took the Tube to Harrods for a little shopping. I vowed that my next time in London would be spent in exploration.

Winchester is a short car ride to the west of Petersfield. The architecture and history of its’ 7th century Cathedral not to mention the church’s treasures, including the Winchester Bible and Jane Austen’s grave make for a worthwhile trip. We were fortunate enough to be serenaded by the angelic voices of the boys choir and the resonating sounds of cathedral’s ancient organ. The tour of Winchester Cathedral is worth every pence. We followed that with the Great Hall, King Arthur’s Round Table and a stop at a shop for a 99.

Being a fan of Dan Brown‘s The DaVinci Code, locating the Knights of the Templar Church was a must do. As my time in England was rapidly passing I needed to get to it. Some say that the Temple Church is so named for Knights Templar, 12th century pious noblemen who set out to protect pilgrims travelling to the holy land. Others insist the Temple Church was a medieval bribe designed to silence the Knights Templar as they knew a little to much of the Catholic Church’s looting and pillaging of which they played a major role. Likely there is some truth in either version. After following a circuitous route in an effort to find the Temple Church and about to give up I spotted it nestled between much larger buildings in a back alley between London’s Fleet St. and Pump Ct. around the corner from Ye Olde Cock Tavern, fittingly in the centre of a district rife with solicitor’s chambers. Unfortunately, this day the church was closed.

I continue my wanderings along Fleet Street to Chancery Lane, Regent St. to Oxford, and Rathbone Place where alongside two young fellows I gaze at the musical wares on display in Hobgoblin Music. Captivated I have a sixties flash back. I see Sgt. Pepper’s band strolling along Abbey Rd and Cat Stevens sitting alone with his guitar on a roof top as morning breaks over Shaftesbury. Those young musicians with whom I shared a few moments likely have their own dreams of making musical history.

I had been walking some five hours by then with, my feet and legs are sore, my plans for an afternoon meal dashed. Unbeknownst to me a bank holiday is scheduled for the coming Monday which requires Londoners to queue up out front of each and every pub starting early Friday. So onward I go, hungry and thirsty, in the direction of Waterloo Station.

I’m still determined to stroll along The Mall to Buckingham Palace. I continue through Cambridge Circus past the Palace Theatre where Monte Python’s Spamalot is playing and along the tree lined route of Kings and Queens. There I take a seat on a bench in St. James Park to admire the palace. Then it’s along Birdcage Walk as I pass Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.

Back on the train I settle in as the English countryside whips past and I rerun our time spent in the south of England. I reminisce about our day trips to Winchester, Chichester and Portsmouth, the country fairs, the London shops, the warm English people and their warmer beer. But now it’s time to pack my bags for the red eye home to Canada.

Private Historic London Pub Tour: Royalty and Writers

If You Go:

♦ Take advantage of the savings and off season prices.

♦ Petersfield is central but where ever you choose to stay pick a town on a mainline for quick and easy train travel around the south of England. Take a look at www.visitpetersfield.com. Purchase your rail pass before leaving home. There are several types of passes available. One will surely meet your travel needs at  www.britrail.net.

♦ Hostels in York and elsewhere in England can be found at www.hostelworld.com. Most importantly, explore the alleys and side streets. Have a pastie and beer for me.

Private Tour: Jack the Ripper Day Time Walking Tour in London

About the author:
Chris Herbert is retired, enjoys travelling and writing about his adventures. When at home he lives on Canada’s west coast. If you would like more information about Chris’ stories contact him at stilltravelswell@hotmail.ca.

All Photos are by Chris Herbert.

Southampton, England

by Matthew Adams

Southampton is famous for its ships such as the great ocean liners that dominated its port during the early 20th century. Briefly among them was White Star’s Titanic which was the largest ship to have been constructed in 1912. The Titanic set sail from Southampton in April 1912 for its maiden voyage. However, this was cut short as the Titanic famously sank like a rock in the Atlantic with more than 2,000 aboard. Only a minority were picked up and arrived in New York. In 2012, Southampton commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Titanic in the month of April.

The SeaCity Museum

For the anniversary a new state-of-the-art SeaCity Museum was opened at Havelock Road, within the Cultural Quarter of Southampton. This museum has now replaced the former, and smaller, Maritime Museum which was closer to the seafront. As the SeaCity Museum is located within a former court building it does not win any prizes for innovative architecture!

Within the museum three exciting exhibitions are included: Titanic the Legend, Gateway to the World and Southampton’s Titanic Story. These exhibitions showcase a range of Titanic artefacts, Titanic collectables and more general archaeological artifacts (such as old pottery) which are showcased at the Gateway to the World exhibition.

Southampton’s Titanic Story is the exhibition that covers the brief history of the Titanic. A large diagram of the Titanic is drawn out on one wall which displays the ship’s layout and various compartments such as kitchens, boiler rooms, cafés, the Grand Staircase, cabins, lifts etc. Behind this there are glass cases which display Titanic documents and artefacts such as the captain’s sword. Various bits and pieces from other similar ships are also included in the exhibition like the Olympic’s Honour and Glory Panel, which was very similar to the panel included at the Grand Staircase of the Titanic.

Another highlight of this exhibition is the full size 1930’s court room which depict the London Titanic tribunal. The left and right walls of this courtroom are dominated by two large cinematic screens which are supported by audio commentary from the original court records.

The Gateway to the World exhibition is a smaller exhibition which covers the history of Southampton more generally. At the center of the exhibition is a large round touch-screen map which includes a number of bird’s eye maps of Southampton from various periods. In a smaller adjacent room there is a large Queen Mary ocean liner model, alongside hundreds of smaller ship models.

The City Art Gallery

Beyond the SeaCity Museum, the Cultural Quarter also includes the City Art Gallery which displays a variety of paintings. Although not exactly the Louvre, it is still renowned for its collections. For the Titanic anniversary this gallery is dominated by hundreds of Titanic paintings. These probably won’t always be included in the City Art Gallery, but there are always a variety of paintings displayed at the gallery.

The Titanic Trail along the East Park

Southampton’s West Park and East Park surround the Cultural Quarter outside. These parks include tennis courts, cafés, mini golf courses, fountains and rose gardens. They were not left out of the anniversary either as the East Park includes the Titanic memorial. For the anniversary an actual size outline of the Titanic’s hull from the prow to the stern, and its lifeboats, was painted along the centre of the East Park path to walk along; and stretched from the Titanic memorial to the end of the park.

Other Destinations

However, Southampton is not just famous for ships. Famous aircraft have also ‘taken off’ at this site in the UK. Among them, the first Spitfire was constructed at Southampton’s assembly lines during the 1930s. Unlike the Titanic, this plane did not go down so easily as it was an influential RAF aircraft during World War Two.

Southampton’s Solent Sky Aviation Museum is an aircraft museum that includes a Spitfire aircraft among a variety of others. This is close to the Ocean Village marina on the east side of Southampton. A variety of further alternative museums such as the Bargate Monument Gallery can also be found within Southampton’s Old Town, an older part of the city which links to the Cultural Quarter.

Or you can take a trip to Southampton’s Mayflower Theater. The Mayflower is located within the Cultural Quarter, close to the SeaCity Museum. The theater is a venue for a variety musicals, dance, ballet and opera.

So, when in Southampton visit the SeaCity Museum, Mayflower Theater, Solent Sky Museum, City Art Gallery or the Bargate Monument Gallery. You can reach Southampton via the air, rail or the sea. However you travel, the trip should be a smoother one than the Titanic’s maiden voyage!

2-Day Stonehenge, Cotswolds, Bath and Oxford Private Tour from Southampton

If You Go:

♦ SeaCity Museum
♦ Solent Sky Museum
♦ Mayflower Theater
♦ Ocean Village

‘Fasten Your Seat Belts’ Aviation Tour from Southampton

About the author:
Matthew is a freelancer who has produced a variety of articles for various publications and websites such as Swing Golf Magazine,TripAdvisor, Captured Snapshot, Coed Magazine the Washington Post and Vagabundo Travel. Matthew also has his own golf blog at: amateurgolfer.blogspot.co.uk. Email: mav_uk28@yahoo.co.uk

Credits:
Sea trials of Titanic illustration by Teufelbeutel / CC BY-SA
Photos by Matthew Adams:
A model of the Queen Mary ocean liner in the museum.
A display case within the SeaCity Museum.
The City Art Gallery.
The East Park in Southampton.

by Melissa Gardiner

I must admit to having my doubts about Liverpool’s World Heritage Status and its European Capital of Culture award back in 2008. It might have been an outdated view but as somebody who had never visited, I imagined it as a fairly run-down northern city, famous for the Beatles, football and little else. The reality is that my visit to Liverpool was a wonderful surprise, from the moment I walked out of Lime Street Station to see the magnificent St. George’s Hall across the road, to my farewell drink in Ye Hole in the Wall pub which has been tucked away in a city center back street since 1726.

Architecture

It’s Liverpool’s architecture that grabs you first of all, even before you begin to explore the history behind it. Liverpool’s history is tied up in its past as a great Atlantic port and the buildings on the waterfront, known locally as the Three Graces, symbolize the wealth that international trade once brought to Liverpool. The most iconic building of all, the Liver Building, sits proudly looking over the River Mersey and local legend has it that if the Liver Bird sat on top of the building ever flies away, the city will crumble. The Waterfront is a part of Liverpool’s World Heritage Site which winds through the docklands and across the Ropewalks area up to the St. George’s Quarter which also includes the Walker Art Gallery and the recently re-furbished Central Library.

Museums

There are a number of fascinating museums down at the Pier Head and in the Albert Dock area. The Merseyside Maritime Museum is located near to historical sites such as the Piermaster’s House and the Canning Docks. It also houses exhibitions highlighting Liverpool’s involvement with the Titanic and the Battle of the Atlantic. The International Slavery Museum helps visitors and locals understand how Liverpool’s past is rooted in the slave trade. Over 5000 slave ships left Liverpool docks between 1695 and 1807, undoubtedly contributing to the growth and success of the city during this period. The museum includes exhibitions about life in West Africa and the Legacies of Slavery. Liverpool’s Chinatown is also well worth a visit. It was the first established Chinatown in Europe and you can wander into the area through a huge ceremonial Chinese arch. The area is mainly a home to restaurant and grocery shops these days but there is a range of cultural events held throughout the year with Chinese New Year seen as a major event in the city.

Eating Out

I grabbed lunch at Bluecoat Chambers on my first day. It’s a 300-year old Grade I listed building in the heart of Liverpool’s shopping district. It has a lovely café and restaurant; with gardens outside if the weather is nice. The Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival was due to be held there the week after I was in town and it’s a place where there’s an all year-round calendar of cultural events. Later that evening I ate at The Clove Hitch in the Georgian Quarter. It was located on a Hope Street, a fabulous thoroughfare close to Liverpool University and the Philharmonic Hall. Liverpool has some great old pubs, prefect for real ale drinkers and visitors who love to drink somewhere with a bit of character and history. I was tempted to join up on a ghost walk around parts of old Liverpool, but a few hours exploring the pubs in my own time seemed a better option. Another little place that I loved however was The Brink, a little café bar that is alcohol free and puts on regular cultural and educational events to support those in the city who have suffered through alcoholism and addiction. It’s easy to forget in the rejuvenated city center that Liverpool is a city that has gone through tough times and there are still areas where there are high levels of deprivation, crime and drug use. The recently built Museum of Liverpool is a great place to explore the less glamorous side of the city, with exhibition about life working at the docks and Liverpool’s social history, including the Toxteth riots in 1981.

Cathedrals

Hope Street also links the city’s two cathedrals. Liverpool is proud of its two places or worship. The Anglican Cathedral which offers spectacular views over the city is the largest in the UK whilst the Metropolitan Cathedral which serves Liverpool’s Catholic population is known locally as Paddy’s Wigwam and has a more modern look.

A weekend probably wasn’t enough time to really explore Liverpool. It has a rich musical and sporting heritage that the local tourist industry has a real focus on, and there are plenty of places outside of the center such as Speke Hall and Croxteth Country Park that would also be of interest to those with an interest in history. I found time for a ferry trip on the River Mersey before I headed home. I sat on the top deck and as the Three Graces came into view on the return leg I realized that that Liverpool is really one of the UK’s cultural and historical gems.

Private Beatles Tour of Liverpool by Taxi

If You Go:

Alongside the other places you may want to branch out and visit:
♦ The Tate Gallery – a must for any serious art buffs
♦ The Albert Docks – a pleasure to walk around with many sights to see, whether during the day or in the early evening
♦ Knowsley Safari Park – a haven for those people who like wildlife of a different kind and a must for those travelling with small children

Private Half-Day Peaky Blinders Tour of Liverpool

Photo credits:
Ye Hole In Ye Wall Pub by John Allan / Ye Hole in Ye Wall
Port of Liverpool Building by KGGucwa / CC BY-SA
Beatles Exhibit by David Poblador i Garcia from Barcelona / CC BY-SA
Bluecoat Chambers restaurant by Charles Hutchins / CC BY

About the author:
Melissa Gardiner is now a freelance writer, but prior to this she worked within the travel industry as a tour guide, specializing in sites of historical interest throughout the UK. She has a keen interest in ancient history and loves seeking out places of interest to write about that she feels will interest others as much as herself.

by Matthew Adams

During one summer, I took a holiday in the seaside town of Paignton. Paignton is one of three towns in Torbay alongside Brixham and Torquay. It is part of a supposed English Riviera that has miles of sandy beaches along its coastline, and some great coastal landscapes.

When visiting in late August I expected sunshine, but it rained for much of the week. It was not great weather for a trip to the seaside. Paignton has a number of beaches along its coastline such as Goodrington Sands, Broadsands Beach and Hollicombe Beach. Paignton Sands is the stretch of beach that includes Paignton Pier which I visited during a wet day in August. The pier includes an arcade, bingo hall, café, seafood and ice cream takeaways.

Dartmouth Steam Railway

The Dartmouth Steam Railway is a preserved steam railway line that runs from Paignton through to Dartmouth. This is one of the few remaining U.K. steam railway lines which has a variety of rolling stock locomotives. Locomotives such as the 4277 Hercules, 7827 Lydham Manor and 75014 Braveheart run the 6.7 mile railway from Paignton to Kingswear.

This was something I couldn’t miss in Paignton. From Paignton station I boarded one of the steam locomotives which passed Goodrington Sands Halt and Churston en route to Kingswear. The train passed the Saltern Cove and Armchair Rock, and then crossed over the Broadsands Viaduct. After crossing the Greenway Viaduct, the River Dart came into view on the just before the train stopped at Kingswear Station.

When I arrived, the station was packed out. This largely due to the annual Dartmouth Regatta. Consequently, I did not cross the River Dart into Dartmouth. One of the highlights of the Dartmouth Regatta is the Red Arrow displays. During one such display the Red Arrows flew over Paignton, and I spotted some fairly low flying aircraft from my hotel.

Oldway Mansion

Among the more notable buildings in a Paignton is Oldway Mansion. This is a large 19th century building built in the same style of the Palace of Versailles. I visited the intriguing building in Paignton, which is something of an architectural landmark.

At the building’s entrance is the grand staircase. Ornate paintings, partly based on the original design of the Versailles Palace, decorate the ceiling above the marble and bronze grand staircase. Also above the staircase hangs a reproduction of the Crowning of Josephine by Napoleon painting. The original is, as you probably guessed, on display in Versailles.

There are 17 acres of landscaped gardens around Oldway. The gardens strike upon an Italian theme, and contain various subtropical plants and shrubs. In addition, the grotto gardens include a waterfall that passes over a rocky cave into a pool below.

Torquay and Brixham

On the final couple days of my holiday the weather was a little better, and I went into two of the neighbouring towns. The first I visited was Torquay. Torquay is a town that includes exotic gardens along its seafront, Living Coasts, Kents Cavern, Babbacombe Model Village and Cockington Court which is about a mile away.

The historic building of Torre Abbey is also in Torquay. This restored building now includes painting and sculpture art exhibitions. Instead of going inside, I went into the Torre Abbey gardens. Outside Torre Abbey there is also Abbey Park. This is a picturesque seaside location that includes tennis courts and pitch & putt golf course.

Finally, I made the trip to Brixham aboard one of the regular boat crossings that run from Paignton to other towns in Torbay. Brixham is primarily a fishing port in Torbay with a rich maritime history. There you can board a replica of Drake’s Golden Hind, and the Brixham Museum displays a variety of boat models within its galleries.

In Brixham I headed for the Royal Estate, otherwise Berry Head, which is a coastal headland nature reserve. Guillemots, Razorbills and Black-legged Kittiwakes seabirds flock to the coastal cliffs of Berry Head. At Berry Head there is also a promontory Napoleonic fortress which guarded the Torbay naval anchorage. The former artillery house now includes a display which provides further details on the fort.

After visiting Brixham, my holiday had finished. A week in Torbay certainly made for an interesting vacation. Aside from soaking up the sun on Paignton’s beaches, soak up the history at Torbay’s museums, steam railway, Oldway Mansion and Berry Head.

English Wine Tasting Tour to Sussex from London

If You Go:

♦ Dartmouth Steam Railway
♦ Berry Head
♦ Paignton Pier
♦ Paignton
♦ Brixham

Photo credits:
Paignton Beach and pier by Herbythyme / CC BY-SA
The Dartmouth Steam Railway by Geof Sheppard / CC BY-SA
Oldway Mansion by Ianmacm at English Wikipedia / Public domain
Torquay Harbour by averoxus / CC BY

About the author:
Matthew Adams is a freelancer that has produced a variety of articles for various publications and websites such as Swing Golf Magazine,TripAdvisor, Captured Snapshot, Coed Magazine the Washington Post and Vagabundo Travel. Matthew also has his own golf blog at: amateurgolfer.blogspot.co.uk

by Melissa Gardiner

It was a bright spring morning as my walking partner and I took our first footsteps along the path of Hadrian’s Wall. It’s an 84-mile trail across the north of England from Wallsend near Newcastle on the east coast to Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast. Or that’s the most popular route, we were travelling west to east as it fitted in better with our travel plans. The Hadrian’s Wall Path is a World Heritage site, passing through historic towns and villages, and sticking very closely to the path of the Roman wall built in AD 142, primarily to protect Roman England from troublesome Scots north of the border. It also passes through some of England’s most notable archaeological sites, dotted across rolling hills and at times, wild, rugged countryside.

Carlisle

We managed to complete the trail in seven days, walking between 12-15 miles each day and stopping in decent bed and breakfast accommodations or cozy country pubs along the way. There were a number of historical highlights, with the Roman city of Carlisle first along the way. Carlisle is a bustling border town on the banks of the River Eden. Its impressive medieval castle sits high on a hill overlooking the city and is open for tours and visits to its dungeons. We arrived in Carlisle late in the afternoon and after a shower and a bite to eat, enjoyed a few drinks in some of the historic pubs dotted around the center. The King’s Head was the pick of the bunch.

After Carlisle, it was a few days hard walking and taking in the sights of the countryside that runs between the border city in the west and the vibrant city of Newcastle in the east. We spent a night in the quaint market town of Brampton and then headed towards the Housestead Crags, some of the toughest walking on the trail. The trail is well sign-posted for walkers even in the remote areas and we regularly saw plaques marking points where the original wall stood. There are still a few small stretches of the original wall that can be seen, as well as mounds and trenches which now evidence where the wall once ran.

Newcastle

The second half of the trip saw us heading down from the hills towards the north-east coast. Our final day walking took us from the quiet village of Wylam along the banks of the Tyne, right into the heart of Newcastle. It’s an impressive city as you walk along the Quayside area and underneath the magnificent Tyne Bridge. Newcastle has been a major port for centuries and whilst the docks are no longer as busy as in the past, the city has partly re-invented itself as a tourist destination and a starting point for cruises to Northern Europe and the Arctic. Passenger ferries to Holland and Belgium also run out of Newcastle as well. The Hadrian’s Wall trail ends a couple of miles past the city center at Segedunum Roman Fort in the suburb of Wallsend. This has an impressive visitor center with a viewing tower looking over the wide area of excavated fort on show. We saw barracks blocks, command posts and an 80 metre stretch of the original wall as we wandered around the site, tired but delighted that we had completed the trail.

Roman Forts

The historical highlights of the trip however were the old Roman forts that we came across along the way. Hadrian’s Wall is a route for lovers of history and architecture and the forts and the visitor centers that accompany them will not disappoint enthusiasts. Housesteads Roman Fort is found on an escarpment above the trail route. There are substantial remains of the 2000-year old fort and the views out over the rugged crags were spectacular on the clear day that we visited. The site has a museum and exhibition and we wandered through the remains of barracks that once housed over 800 soldiers. In Cumbria we passed Lancercost Priory, an Augustinian Priory which dates back to 1169 and still functions as an Anglican church, as well as paying a brief visit to the remains of Birdoswald Roman Fort – not as impressive as Housesteads but with impressive interactive displays and a full height model of the wall it’s worth the detour from the trail route.

We also stopped for a night in Chollerford, a picturesque Northumberland village and visited the nearby Chesters Roman Fort on the banks of the River Tyne. This was a cavalry fort and there are also remains of Roman baths and steam rooms nearby. As with the other forts along the route, there was an informative visitor center with knowledgeable staff to chat to.

We ended our walk with a look around Segedunum, weary but delighted to have finished the trail. We’d seen history and magnificent rural scenery along the way, but on the final leg of the trip it was time for a metro back into Newcastle city center and an evening enjoying its famous nightlife.

One For the Road – Newcastle Pub Walk

If You Go:

Along with the other places in this article, you may also want to visit:
♦ Durham Cathedral, known for being one of the finest and best examples of Norman architecture in the world
♦ Lindsifarne, home of the monastery of St Cuthbert. Visiting this small, tidal island off the North East coast is a rare and sacred pleasure and will need careful planning, but will be worth every moment.
♦ Monkwearmouth-Jarrow – Visit the remains of the Monastic dwelling of the Venerable Bede, responsible for the creation of the epic tome “Ecclesiastical History of the English People”
♦ Lanercost Priory
♦ Housesteads Roman fort
♦ www.nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrians-wall-path
♦ www.english-heritage.org.uk
♦ Art Cruises: www.iglucruise.com/art-cruises

Photo credits:
Hadrian’s Wall Image by David Mark from Pixabay
Housesteads Roman Fort by Eleonora Pavlovska from Pixabay

About the author:
Melissa Gardiner is now a freelance writer, but prior to this she worked within the travel industry as a tour guide, specializing in sites of historical interest throughout the UK. She has a keen interest in ancient history and loves seeking out places of interest to write about that she feels will interest others as much as herself.