ROCHESTER CASTLE, KENT

After talking so much about Dickens let's go to Rochester in Kent!! And here is its impressive Castle. The first castle was raised in Rochester at the time of the Norman Conquest and is mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. This early fortification was rebuilt for King William Rufus between 1087-89 by Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, and was one of the earliest castles in this country to be fortified in stone. Much of the documentation on Rochester survives, along with the many dramatic details of its military history - which saw the castle suffer three major sieges within two centuries of its foundation.

DROMBEG STONE CIRCLE, CORK, IRELAND

The Drombeg Stone Circle is situated on the Glandore Road, west of Clonakilty, County Cork. It dates back to 150 BC, and is locally known as the Druids Altar. The circle has 17 standing stones, and is approximately 30 feet in diameter. At the winter solstice, the rays of the setting sun fall on the altar stone, which faces the entrance to the circle, marked by two upright stones. The word Drombeg means "the small ridge"

YARMOUTH PIER, ISLE OF WIGHT

Yarmouth is located on the western side of the Island and the town has grown up as a result of its natural harbour, which is guarded by Yarmouth Castle, a fortification built to protect the Solent from invading forces by Henry VIII in 1547. The Harbour attracts many yachts and motor cruisers which take advantage of the estuary afforded by the River Yar.

The Isle of Wight has reinvented itself in recent years, changing from a tacky mass-market tourist place with little on offer beyond burgers and chips, to a more up-market destination, with good food, good accommodation and its still unspoilt areas, particularly in the west (with maybe the exception of Alum Bay). To walk along the cliff top footpath is unparalleled for isolation. When the sun shines it is a delightful place.

CORFE CASTLE, DORSET.

Corfe Castle's 1,000 year-old ruins lie in Dorset's rolling, rural Purbeck Hills, just beside the charming little village of Corfe and not far from the start of the 630 mile [1014 kms] South West Coast Path, Studland Nature Reserve, superb beaches at Bournemouth and Studland and pretty good in Weymouth.

KERSEY, SUFFOLK

Here are some nice medieval weavers houses in Kersey.

Kersey is a beautiful village in the Babergh district in Suffolk, in the east of England. The main street has a ford across a stream. A coarse woollen cloth called Kersey cloth takes its name from it. The cloth was presumably originally made there, but later in many other places too. Kersey's church is St Mary's, and the village also contains a primary school. The village is also the filming location to a popular television advert.

AVON GORGE, BRISTOL, SOMERSET

Avon Gorge at Clifton, Bristol.
It's a view of the Suspension Bridge (west side). The cliffs on the left of the photograph are Clifton Down Limestone of Observatory Hill bounded on the north by the Avon Thrust Fault.

KILCHURN CASTLE, LOCH AWE, SCOTLAND

Kilchurn Castle is located at the northeastern end of Loch Awe in Argyll, Scotland (15th century) . It is one of the most photographed castle ruins in the country because of the picturesque location and the romantic images it evokes, even in its current state of decay. The only access to this castle is by boat, during the summer months. You will have to take the A85 road to Lochawe, from where the boats for the castle leave from the pier. A visit to Kilchurn Castle will entrance you and take you back in time to the days of the clans. Imagine yourself standing on the turret looking out to sea as you stand guard over the castle. Now book your plane ticket at once !!!

MYSTERY PHOTO (14)

Hello everyone,

I think it is high time to give you the opportunity to find a new place again. This time it is very easy! However, you know why I'm doing this little game: my goal is to answer your questions in English of course. Good luck!

WEST DEAN, CHICHESTER, WEST SUSSEX

This is a picture of West Dean near Chichester in West Sussex. There is a horticultural college there, lots of sheep on the hills, and of course a wonderful tearoom. Now, the tearooms you can find in some gardens are sometime a fountain of wisdom, old gardeners’ tricks, elder gossip (all England’s country houses and gardens are popular with retired people) and pleasant smiles and the sort of strangers passing. I know I said before but you should really visit one of those places some day.

St DAVIDS, PEMBROKESHIRE, WALES

The St Davids lifeboat station is situated a couple of miles from Britain’s smallest city at Porthstinan (St Justinans) in Ramsey Sound. The station operates two lifeboats - the Tyne class all-weather lifeboat 'Garside' and the D-class inshore lifeboat 'Dewi Sant / St David'.
On the picture you can see the amazing Boathouse and Slipway.

FROZEN SOUTHBANK LONDON

Frozen London in December 2010. The offices are eerily quiet. Many people are snowed in and couldn't get in to work. The Southbank gets a rare moment to itself - devoid of people, tourists and fast-pacing salarymen. A stunning backdrop in white punctuated by the rare sight of human lives dressed in black; the only time the colour of misery contrasts sharply with the colour of fantasy

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

Arthur's Seat is the main peak of the group of hills which form most of Holyrood Park, a wild piece of highland landscape in the centre of the city of Edinburgh, about a mile to the east of Edinburgh Castle. The hill rises above the city to a height of 251m (823 ft), provides excellent panoramic views of the city, is quite easy to climb, and is a popular walk. Though it can be climbed from almost any direction, the easiest and simplest ascent is from the East, where a grassy slope rises above Dunsapie Loch. If you go to Edinburgh for a visit don't forget to go there.

CLIFTON, SOMERSET

The Clifton Suspension Bridge, spanning the picturesque Avon Gorge, is the symbol of the city of Bristol. For almost 150 years this structure has attracted visitors from all over the world. Its story began in 1754 with the dream of a Bristol wine merchant who left a legacy to build a bridge over the Gorge. Designed in the early 19th century for light horse drawn traffic it still meets the demands of 21st century commuter traffic with 11-12,000 motor vehicles crossing it every day.

OXFORD, THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS

Hertford Bridge is a skyway over New College Lane in Oxford. This bridge is often referred to as the Bridge of Sighs because of its similarity to the famous Bridge of Sighs in Venice. However, it was never intended to be a replica of the Venetian bridge, and indeed it bears a closer resemblance to the Rialto Bridge in the same city.

The bridge links together the Old and New Quadrangles of Hertford College, and much of its current architecture was designed by Sir Thomas Jackson. It was completed in 1914, despite its construction being opposed by New College.

FORDE ABBEY, DORSET

Forde Abbey is a treasure in an area already known for its outstanding beauty. More than 900 years of history and romance are encapsulated in this elegant former Cistercian monastery and its 30 acres of gardens.

BASS ROCK, SCOTLAND

After a few days in Scotland I had to post something about it. So here it is.

Only a few miles from the centre of Edinburgh and situated in the Firth of Forth, lies a rock tooth island. This is the renowned BASS ROCK famous for its history and amazing wildlife. The Bass Rock is the closest sea bird sanctuary to the mainland and was the first to be studied by ornithologists during the 19th century. This colony is the largest on the east coast of Britain and holds approximately 10% of the world population of North Atlantic Gannets.

THE ROYAL CRESCENT, BATH, SOMERSET

The Royal Crescent is a residential road of 30 houses, laid out in a crescent, in the city of Bath, England. Designed by the architect John Wood the Younger and built between 1767 and 1774, it is among the greatest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the United Kingdom and is a grade I listed building.

The houses have been home to various notable people for over 200 years. Changes have been made to the interiors, however the facade remains much as it was when it was built.

The Royal Crescent now include a hotel and museum with some of the houses being converted into flats and offices. The buildings have been used as a location for several films and television programmes.

LOCH OSSIAN, SCOTLAND

Loch Ossian (Scottish Gaelic: "Loch Oisein") is a fantastic narrow loch that is about 5 km long on the north eastern edge of Rannoch Moor, on The Corrour Estate, with its western corner 2 km east of Corrour railway station. It is drained by the River Ossian, flowing north into Loch Guilbinn and ultimately to the River Spean. Mind you Loch Ossian is remote from public roads, and the nearest access is from Corrour railway station. That is why it remains unspoilt..... Just enjoy the picture.

THE GOTHIC TEMPLE, STOWE PARK

Stowe House is a Grade I listed country house located in Stowe in Buckinghamshire.
It is a fantastic Landmark. A James Bond film ('The World is Not Enough') starts with this Temple as its back drop for a funeral scene. (cleverly shot to double as a Scottish castle).
It has an amazing domed ceiling inside with a gallery.
There are wonderful views across Stowe Park with its landscape of buildings, statues and bridges.

KYLEMORE ABBEY, IRELAND

Kylemore Abbey is the oldest of the Irish Benedictine Abbeys. Unlike many Abbeys we can visit, Kylemore Abbey is no ruin, it is a working boarding school. Before you get too excited about visiting the Abbey; only five rooms are open to the public. Nevertheless, it is worth visiting the gardens and grounds of this picturesque site. The Community of nuns, who have resided here since 1920, have a long history stretching back almost three hundred and forty years.