RECULVER TOWER, KENT

 

The imposing twin towers of the medieval church at Reculver dominate the skyline of Herne Bay, acting as a navigation marker for ships at sea. This was the site of one of the earliest Roman forts built against Saxon raids on the 'Saxon Shore'. It later became the site of an Anglo-Saxon monastery before becoming the parish church for Reculver. The tall towers were built in a remodelling of the church in the 12th century. Much of the site has been lost to coastal erosion, but alongside the twin towers are the ruined remains of the early Roman fort.

The old village of St Nicholas-at-Wade lies hidden in plain view in the flat farmlands near the Kentish coast, its flint church tower rising among red-brick houses. The royal-blue flowers of green alkanet brightened the dusty clay verges of the track I followed from the village through fields of barley and rape towards the distant twin towers of Reculver

SCOTNEY CASTLE, KENT

 

Scotney Castle is an English country house with formal gardens south-east of Lamberhurst in the valley of the River Bewl in Kent, England. it is near Tunbridge Wells.It belongs to the National Trust. It is a fourteenth century moated castle with a garden that is a prime example of picturesque aesthetic ideas applied to garden design. From 1952 to 1970 it belonged to Christopher Hussey, author of an excellent book on The Picturesque, which traces the ideas to Price and Knight. The author's grandfather, Edward Hussey, was an amateur artist and had the new house built with a terrace, designed by William Sawrey Gilpin, and a transition to the picturesque castle garden. The latter is planted with exotic plants, in the picturesque manner. Lanning Roper designed a circular herb garden near the bridge.

LANGLAND BAY, GOWER PENINSULA, WALES

Langland Bay is a family friendly beach with a coastal clifftop walk around to Caswell Bay near Swansea. It might look like the Gold Coast of Australia where waves crash and surfers ride but this is actually Langland Bay on the Gower Peninsula in Wales. Due to the sheltered nature of the bay and an off shore reef which gives different levels of swell to suit all abilities this is surfers paradise Welsh style! However, if surfing is not your thing – simply crack open a deck chair and chill on the sandy shore whilst you watch the guys and girls do their stuff.