Hidden away in the Cairngorms, lies the Burn O'Vat, an ancient place once used by the notorious outlaw known as "Gilderoy". Found in the Muir of Dinnet National Natural Reserve, this wonder of geology is only a short walk from the closest car park but does require a bit of a scramble to actually get... Continue Reading →
One of the things I like about exploring is finding out the history of a place - the stories it holds essentially. A case in point is Featherstone Prisoner Of War camp in Northumberland. When I looked into what happened there, I discovered a number of fascinating facts. Firstly, in 1944 it was one of... Continue Reading →
I've been on holiday and that means I've found a bunch of new inspiring places to blog about - so be prepared for a deluge over the next few weeks. Let's start by wheeling back in time to when the Romans ruled Britain. Vindolanda was a Roman fort and Vicus (self-governing village), located just south... Continue Reading →
Born Cicily Isabel Fairfax in 1892, Rebecca West was a writer, literary critic, and journalist, named "indisputably the world's number one woman writer" by Time magazine in 1947. Both a CBE and DBE, West died in 1983 and is buried in Brookwood Cemetery. Cicily took the pseudonym "Rebecca West" from the rebellious young heroine in "Rosmersholm" by Henrik Ibsen... Continue Reading →
Brean Down is a natural pier, protruding out between Weston-Super-Mare and Burnham-On-Sea in Somerset. At its very end lies what remains of Brean Down Fort, an eerie ruin. The Down appears to have had settlements on it from the early to middle bronze age. Some Roman artifacts have also been recovered there. Brean Down Fort... Continue Reading →
Glastonbury is a place long entwined with myth and legend, most famously that of King Arthur. Even today it's a pace that attracts those with an alternative bent, and the town is filled with shops selling crystals, herbs, and various Pagan items. If you're interested, I also have a post about Glastonbury Abbey. But today... Continue Reading →
You smug-faced crowds with kindling eyeWho cheer when soldier lads march by,Sneak home and pray you'll never knowThe hell where youth and laughter go.”Suicide in Trenches, Siegfried Sassoon You'll find the grave of Siegfried Sassoon in the lovely small Somerset town of Mells. Sassoon is one of the most famous poets of the First World... Continue Reading →
Sitting just outside Newbury in Berkshire, UK, is a piece of public land. Initially, it may not seem out of the ordinary, but a closer look reveals an air traffic control tower, several abandoned buildings, and... a derelict aircraft? This is not your usual park. This is the once in-famous Greenham Common. An American airbase... Continue Reading →
I was browsing through some old photos and discovered a set from a visit to a fascinating convent we visited near Lisbon, Portugal, in 2019. This winding, cramped religious complex was established in 1560 by just eight monks. It's tucked away from the world even now and, curiously, has walls, doors, and windows lined with... Continue Reading →
Something odd stands on a hill, high over the rolling hills of Berkshire. A tall wooden pole topped with a length of wood to form a T shape. The fact that the hill is called "Gallows Down" gives you a good idea of what this unusual object was for. The original Coombe Gibbet was erected... Continue Reading →
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