Penkridge in Staffordshire is an old market town which had a collegiate church. The Domesday Book 1086 notes the town’s economy as agricultural and it had a watermill. The town has a wealth of Listed buildings and several timber-framed buildings. Parish Church Penkridge There has been a church on the site of St Michael and […]
Leatherhead, a historic market town, is the gateway to the beautiful Surrey Hills. This includes Box Hill on the route of the 2012 Olympic road cycle race. The town is a busy business and shopping centre. The High Street is traffic free making it a relaxing and pleasant place to shop. Here you will find […]
Taunton, the county town of Somerset, is a treasure which is waiting to be discovered. The menus in the cafes, bars and restaurants reflects the rich soils in the Vale of Taunton. The weekly farmers’ market offers the chance to explore the best of the local produce. The town has the benefit of many independent charming […]
The resort at Clacton-on-Sea was primarily the vision of Peter Bruff. He was engineer and manager of the Eastern Union Railway and working nearby on the line connecting Colchester to Walton-on-the-Naze. He realised that Clacton Beach was the ideal spot for a boat trip from London. Before the mid C19th a few fishermen sailed from […]
King Edgar established Hertfordshire with Hertford as its County town. The town is now a blend of old and new and set in delightful countryside. The War Memorial, dating from November 1921, has a bronze stag standing on a Portland stone plinth. Some of Henry II’s walls of 1173 have survived, James I demolished the […]
Modern Woking has grown up close to the medieval village known today as Old Woking. Here Henry VIII had a Palace and its ruins are a Scheduled Ancient Monument. By the C17th the village was a prosperous market place and some buildings and street layout remain to this day. Buildings In Woking In the heart […]
Roger Montgomery built Arundel Castle in the C11th, and it is now one of the oldest and most complete castles in England. It stands in superb grounds which look over the River Arun in West Sussex. And this year it celebrates the 950th anniversary, and today is the family home of the 18th Duke of […]
Until the mid C19th Southwick was a farming and fishing village. There were a few cottages and a tithe barn on the west of The Green. A notable Roman Villa sat to the east of Southwick Street (a Scheduled Ancient Monument), and finds are on show in the Manor Cottage Heritage Centre. Manor Cottage dates […]
An ancient market town, Oswestry stands by an Iron Age Hill Fort named Caer Ogyrfan. According to legend, this was the name of King Arthur’s father in law. Gwinevere may have been born here. Of the 25 hill forts on the Welsh borders, this is the largest and is very impressive. The fort shows that […]
The Royal connections in Brighton go back before the Prince Regent. Sussex Yatch Club organises the Royal Escape Race from Brighton to Fecamp in Normandy. The race celebrates the escape to France of King Charles 11 in 1651. Today a bunch of hardy volunteers organises the race and raises funds for sailing charities such as […]
