The town has an ancient heritage, and since medieval times has been prosperous. The name Saffron comes from the valuable Crocus sativus crop, which was cultivated here between the 15th and 18th centuries and was used as a dye, flavouring and medicine. The Woolcombers Hall survives from this period. The area is a good place […]
Witney is situated 12 miles west of Oxford and was once an important river crossing on the River Windrush. The place-name Witney is first attested in a Saxon charter of 969 as Wyttannige; it appears as Witenie in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name means Witta’s island. A charming and bustling market town, there’s […]
Godalming a market town in South West Surrey has a long history. The presence of Mesolithic and Neolithic flints points to human activity here in prehistoric times. Also, remains of Roman pottery suggest Roman occupation nearby. The pretty town was already a large busy village in Anglo Saxon times. Then, King Alfred left the village […]
Hailsham is a small town in the Wealden District of East Sussex, at the gateway to the South Downs National Park. It is convenient for travel having easy access to the coast and coastal towns, airports, and London. The town has a mix of old and new and there are interesting medieval buildings. It was […]
Great Yarmouth is one of the UK’s top seaside resorts with stunning beaches and a newly revived seafront. It has a fascinating maritime past with a wide range of period architecture. As the beautiful countryside around includes the famous Norfolk Broads, Great Yarmouth is hard to beat as a holiday base. Its coastal location, almost […]
The ancient market town of Bampton lies in the south of the area, not far from the River Thames. Until about 1850 it stood in the centre of a large area of common land, hence its name ‘Bampton in the Bush’. The name, meaning Beam-tun (the settlement by the tree or cross), was a major […]
Waltham Abbey, in Essex, grew into a Saxon settlement on well-drained gravel close to the River Lee. The first church on the site dated from about 700. It rose to fame because of the Abbey. According to legend, Tovi the Proud, standard bearer to King Cnut, accompanied a cross that travelled under its own direction […]
Ross-on-Wye is a market town in Herefordshire overlooking the Wye and inside the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Midway between Hereford and Gloucester; it is the Gateway to the Wye Valley. At the centre is the historic Market House; a listed Ancient Monument. It houses an art and craft gallery and one of […]
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 […]
Discover Towns has enjoyed trying some real ales and fine food from the East Kent Triangle. Kent is famous for its hops including East Kent Goldings. Sold under that name since 1838, it is now a Protected Food Name. Grown only in East Kent by a few growers, it is one of the local varieties […]
