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 →
St Enodoc Church can be found hunkered down in the sand dunes at Trebetherwick, surrounded by a golf course. It's not the usual spot for a place of worship, and the building itself is also a curiousity. This unusual spot might be reason enough to visit, but it also happens to be where you'll find... Continue Reading →
The myths and legends surrounding Arthur, Excalibar, Merlin and the other assorted hangers-on have been told, re-told, and re-imagined many times throughout history. It's a tale of chivalry, forbidden love, magic, tragedy, pretty much everything you need for a timeless story - no wonder it's still so popular. Cornwall, an area of the UK steeped... Continue Reading →
Waverly Abbey was the first Cistercian abbey in England founded in 1128. Unfortunately, being built on a flood plain, it was flooded more than once, leaving the inhabitants at the mercy of poverty and famine. The ruins are sparse but give the impression of how impressive the abbey would have looked in its day. There's a... Continue Reading →
Chances are if asked to imagine a castle, you'd think of something like Arundel Castle. Towering above the small historic town it gets its name from, the castle has it all - towers, slit windows, a portcullis, moat, ginormous walls. It's the kind of castle where it's easy to imagine medieval knights and ladies. But... Continue Reading →
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