All posts filed under: Castle

Heritage Centre © Shropshire Tourism
Heritage Centre © Shropshire Tourism

Oswestry on the Welsh and English border is an old market town with a turbulent history. The home of Queen Gwinevere, the town is full of folklore and legend.

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 […]

High Street © Guildford Borough Council
High Street © Gulidford Borough Council

Historic Guildford in the centre of Surrey has architecture from Saxon times through to the C20th. Enjoy a walk along the tow path by the River Wey, or take a boat trip from Dapdune Wharf.

The early town grew in importance because of its situation on the River Wey. It was a resting place for pilgrims on the medieval Pilgrims Way. Later the town was a coaching stop on the route from London to Portsmouth. The Angel Inn, a medieval timber-framed building on the High Street, remains a hotel to […]

Windsor©windsor.gov.uk
© windsor.gov.uk

Windsor is famous world wide for its Royal connections which go back to William the Conqueror

Windsor Castle has the distinction to be the residence of the Royal Family. And is the oldest and the largest occupied castle anywhere in the world. It has been home to 39 monarchs. The first Norman castle was the typical motte and bailey, which was part of the Conqueror’s ring of castles surrounding London. It […]

St Mary's Chepstow showing the town, the Castle and the 1816 bridge© John Burrows
Chepstow © John Burrows

Chepstow has always been a forward looking, modern town. At the gateway to the Wales Coast Path, you can stand on its Bridge and have one foot in Wales and the other foot in England.

William FitzOsbern, cousin of William the Conqueror, founded the Castle, Priory, and Town at Chepstow. He was joint 2nd in command of the Normans in the Norman conquest of 1066. So afterward, William I made him Earl of Hereford. Chepstow Castle The priority for both the Conqueror and FitzOsbern was to secure the English-Welsh border. […]

Morris Dancers at Apple Day © www.golakes.co.uk.
Morris Dancers at Apple Day © www.golakes.co.uk.

Penrith in the Lake District is right in the middle of it all! It’s a market town with cobbled lanes, and surrounded by Bronze Age monuments.

In the heart of Cumbria, Penrith is the social and commercial centre of the Eden District. It is the perfect base from which visitors can explore the Eden Valley and the Lake District National Park. The cobbled lanes in the town centre have independent shops and a range of eateries which range from cafes to […]

People shopping on Rochester High Street © Visit Kent
Shopping in Rochester © Visit Kent

Rochester in Kent, is a historic town on the route between London and Dover, and home to one of England’s greatest novelists.

Rochester is a very old city, within the walls of a Roman town where Watling Street crosses the river Medway. Later Anglo Saxons built Rochester Bridge which has ten timber spans across the Medway; a great achievement. Named landowners were responsible for the upkeep of piers or spans. Rochester Castle The first castle dates from […]

Signpost between Milford and Lymington © New Forest Destination Partnership.jpg
Signpost between Milford and Lymington © New Forest Destination Partnership.jpg

The village of Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire has the air of being pleasantly caught in a time warp.

Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire sits on the New Forest Coast and offers something for all ages whatever the weather. It’s one of the few remaining coastal villages in Hampshire, and being on top of the cliff offers wonderful views. Download a map of the village here. All Saints Church Milford-on-Sea All Saints is an C11th church; […]

Scarborough Spa © Welcome to Yorkshire
Scarborough Spa © Welcome to Yorkshire

Scarborough in Yorkshire, was once a town of sailors and fishermen, then a fashionable spa town, and recently a popular, genteel seaside resort.

The history of Scarborough in Yorkshire goes back at least as far as the iron age, with the remains of a hill fort to show it. In Roman times the vantage point up on the cliffs was a signal post. A tower in a courtyard, it was the look-out post against raiding Angles, Saxons and […]

Harlech Castle taken from a Drone © Gwynedd Council
Harlech Castle taken from a Drone © Gwynedd Council

Castle Harlech, in Gwynedd, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a magnificent, cliff-top stronghold.

Edward I built Harlech Castle over 6 years from 1282 to 1289; like a giant clenched fist it symbolised power and domination. It was a response to an uprising led by Llewellyn in 1282 in which the English had big losses. But Edward I drove Llewellyn back to Snowdon and he died in a skirmish. […]

View of the harbour at Fowey © Paul Watts and Visit Cornwall
Fowey © Paul Watts and Visit Cornwall.

The beautiful harbour town of Fowey sits in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, looking out to the Atlantic Ocean

Fowey is pronounced Foy; it rhymes with ahoy and buoy. This area is part of the country’s early naval history. St Catherine’s Point is a rocky headland at the entrance to the River Fowey estuary. It’s also a popular heritage site on the South West Coastal Path. Due to its strategic position, the site has […]