Banbury – Oliver Cromwell’s secret headquarters
Banbury is a historic market town in the north of Oxfordshire. It sits on the edge of the Cotswolds, Britain’s second largest protected landscape.
All posts filed under: Historic Towns
Nantwich a thriving market town
Nantwich is a lively medieval market town on the banks of the River Weaver in Cheshire. The town is famous for its medieval timbered buildings. It is also proud of its markets, its International Cheese Show and Food Festival, and its Civil War history. Music festivals, such as the Blues and Jazz Festival and Acoustics […]
Port Isaac – Renowned for having one of the narrowest thoroughfares in Britain
The picturesque fishing village of Port Isaac is one of North Cornwall’s more popular ports. The village provides lovely walks along the coast due to its position in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and its Heritage Coastal Area status. The village port From the Middle Ages until the middle of the C19th, Port Isaac […]
Historic Ely, home of Oliver Cromwell
Ely in Cambridgeshire, takes its name from its history of trading in eels. Set in marshes, the Fens, eels were for many years the mainstay of the local economy. If you are interested in the life cycle of the eel then follow the Eel Trail. This self-guided circular tour connects 5 pieces of art which […]
Hertford, on the River Lee, once a Saxon stronghold on the boundary between Saxon and Danish England
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 […]
Worthing, a resort with a pier and an art deco pavilion
Worthing began to develop as coastal resort in the late C18th. The town had the benefit of the sea air without the hustle and bustle of Brighton. By the end of the century the town had just two shops. The first theatre opened in 1796, and in 1797 the hot and cold saltwater baths opened. […]
Aberystwyth the cosmopolitan town which retains its Welsh character
Aberystwyth is unique because it retains its Welsh character, with half the population speaking Welsh, but is at the same time cosmopolitan. We have welcomed Syrian refugees here and they love it because of the warm welcome they have received. The mile and a half long promenade is the place to be at sunset and […]
Hereford a walled city where the street plan is almost exactly as it was in medieval times.
The modern city of Hereford, on the boarder between England and Wales, is a treasure trove of historic buildings and artefacts. While the Old Market is an up-to-the-minute, and buzzing, shopping destination. Hereford Cathedral The see of Hereford dates from AD 676, and the present Cathedral from C11th-C12th. The columns and arches in the nave […]
Woking in Surrey, was home to HG Wells, and inspiration for The War of the Worlds
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 […]
Heritage Open Days – England’s unexplored heritage sites at a town near you. Here’s your starter for ten
In early September the doors will be open on hundreds of unusual and exceptional historic and iconic properties. We start you off with some ideas of where to visit around the country.