Wells is the smallest city in the UK. Its status as a city dates from medieval times, and depends on its stunning cathedral complex. It's been a filming location for a number of productions including 'Poldark', 'Dunkirk' and 'Hot Fuzz' - the high street and market place are immediately recognisable from the climactic shoot-out scene.... Continue Reading →
Have you ever wanted to roam around Lothlorien looking for the elves? Or test your courage in Mirkwood against the foul things that dwell there? Well pop into Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean and you can. You'll need a smidge of imagination, but not much to understand why this place is said to have... Continue Reading →
The Monte Hotel is a rather different to Gerna Manor, the derelict building I wrote about in part 1. It's a lot bigger, far more accessible and has an interesting story behind its rise and fall. Perched high above the Lagoa das Sete Cidades, you can understand the attraction of building a hotel here. It's... Continue Reading →
The Azores are a stunning set of islands in the Atlantic, formed by volcanos and colonised by the Portuguese in the 15th-century. They're perfect for walkers with lush, mountainous trails dotted with fascinating points of interest - including an abandoned building or two. This is what's left of Grena Manor, built next to Lake Furnas... Continue Reading →
When Terry Pratchett died, it affected me because he shaped the person I am today. The same is true of Carrie Fisher, albeit in a different way. To women of a certain age, especially those in love with fantasy, she was an icon. There weren't a great deal of notable female characters in the genre... Continue Reading →
Monk's House was once the home of Virginia and Leonard Woolf. Today it's owned by the National Trust and the unassuming 18th century cottage with a beautiful big garden and orchard is a world away from the grand buildings it's known for. Virginia's writing shed can be found in the orchard, and she resides here... Continue Reading →
Any fan of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ will know that its eponymous heroine is based on a real person. Alice Liddell was the fourth child in the Liddell family. They were friends with Charles Dodgson AKA Lewis Carroll and it was on a boating trip that he whipped up the tale of Alice and the White... Continue Reading →
The Glasgow Necropolis on a cold, bright morn; grand and Gothic and unsurprisingly, Victorian. Ever a society in love with death, elevating it into an art form fit for the ancients. It's easy to see why writers are fascinated by cities of the dead. Cemeteries tell a thousand tales. Inspiration and intrigue around every corner.... Continue Reading →
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