castlerigg stone circle

Castlerigg is an impressive prehistoric Stone Circle in Cumbria. It is the most visited stone circle in Cumbria to date and only topped by Avebury Stone Circle. Thousands of tourist trek to the site to photograph, draw and wonder why and when and by whom it was built.

Avebury Stone Circle Taster Tours

Avebury Stone Circle is probably one England's best kept secrets; because it is somewhat sadly over shadowed by it's more famous younger brother Stonehendge.

The Avebury ring is the oldest stone ring that is known to be in existence anywhere in the world and is even older than Stonehenge.

Glastonbury Abbey, the final resting place for Camelot's King Arthur & Queen Guinevere

Glastonbury has more more to offer than play host to an annual music festival; its also home to the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey. Reputed to be the final resting place for the 'fictitious' Camelot's King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, this ruined abbey was firmly placed on my to do list down in Somerset.

Alnwick Castle and the Creature from the Tomb

Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England, and has been the home of the Percys, Earls and Dukes of Northumberland since 1309, making this year the 700 year anniversary. The castle has been most recently used for the filming of harry potter. However there is a more chilling tale to be told about the Vampire that once frequented this castle.

Count Dracula rises again after laying dormant under Whitby for centuries

Count Dracula is possibly the most famous of the un-dead creatures of the night. The very name instills fear  and dread at the heart of many an English mans soul. Bram Stokers Vampire creation came to England from the deepest darkest depths of eastern Europe on the search for fresh blood in 1847-1912.

Appeal to save Brueghel for the nation

The National trust has joined forces with the Art Fund to launch a £2.7 million fundraising campaign to save an iconic Old Master painting for the nation.

The Procession to Calvary’ by Pieter Brueghel the Younger is the star attraction at Nostell Priory in Yorkshire, owned by the Trust since 1954, where it has hung for over 200 years.Now, however, the painting, which is still owned by Lord St Oswald, has been put up for sale, with the risk that Nostell’s greatest work will no longer be accessible to the public.

I would like to support the cause and urge every one to help where they can.

Support it now

Nostell Priory and Parkland is a fantastic house built on the site of a medieval priory.

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Its definitely not grim up north

Its a popular saying from the south of England "Its grim up north", but just how has the North West of England managed to expel the gloomy image and become one of the top tourist destinations.

Well to start with the North West has an immensely diverse appeal, containing the splendor of Cumbria and the Lake District, through the romance of Lancashire and the cosmopolitan metropolis of Liverpool and Manchester to the ancient town of Chester. The North West is bordered by sea to the west, full of great beaches like southport and seaside resorts like Morecombe. Rugged Pennine Mountains to the East and lets not forget the fells of the Lake District to the north. The North West also borders two countries, Scotland and Wales so in all its uniquely equipped to thrill, surprise and seduce any visitor.

The North west is a place of extraordinary beauty, ranging from the soft, sandy coastline of cumbia to the rolling plains of cheshire, from the tranquil lakes of lancashire to the hubbub of blackpool and her famous illuminations. Have I gone on enough?

So next time you are thinking of a day out why not give the north west a visit.

Ashridge Forest, Autumnal scenes straight out of the story books.

The ancient Ashridge Forest glows with colour this time of year. The vibrant oranges and yellow of autumn shine through; a final burst before the snow covering of winter.

The magical forest surrounds Ashridge House, a Gothic mansion built by James Wyatt in 1808. The estate extends for six square miles and to the north leads Ivinghoe Beacon.

Get spooked at a haunted castle - after dark they comes out!

Legend has Lowther Castle is haunted by Sir James Lowther. He was very unhappy with a prearranged marriage, and fell in love with a farmer's daughter. When she suddenly grew ill and died, Sir James refused to believe she was dead and left her on the bed. She was finally moved and placed in a coffin with a glass lid, which he set in a cupboard where he could look at her. She was finally buried, and Sir James died unloved and unmourned.

Hadrian's Wall Northumberland

The Roman Emperor Hadrian built this impressive barricade to snake its way for 73 miles(117 km) from Wallsend-on-Tyne to Soloway Firth. The wall was a fantastic feat of engineering, constructed of stone in the eastern part and turf to the west, with a sophisticated system of defensive ditches running its length. Not just a wall, the structure incorporated 17 large forts, smaller forts and watch towers and was garrisoned by infantry and cavalry. It remained in use until AD 383.

There are numerous stretches of the wall which offers a fantastic walks, most notably the 84 mile National Trail takes walkers along the riverside route in Tyneside, through farmland in Tynedale and the grazing upland section dominated by the Whin Sill enscarpment. It then gradually descends to the rich pastures of Cumbria and finally the salt marsh of the Solway Estuary.

Read more about Hadrian's Wall

Lindisfarne Castle Northumberland

Lindisfarne Castle stands sentry over its small kingdom of Holy Island. The castle was built in 1959 using stones from the skeleton of the near by ruin abby, and was designed as a fortress against the marauding Scots and their allies the French. By the 1900's the castle had fallen into ruin and in 1902 it was bought by Edward Hudson, founder of Country Life magazine. he commissioned the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens to restore the castle and in 1968 it was taken over and preserved by the National Trust.

Read more about the National Trust and Lindisfarne Castle

William Shakespeare's Birthplace, Stratford-Upon-Avon

William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564; died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith.
Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died three years later.