LEEDS, YORKSHIRE

A beautiful photo by Jonathan Emery. Leeds Bridge is a historic river crossing in Leeds. The present cast iron road bridge dates from 1730.The medieval town of Leeds centred on 13th century burgess building plots either side of a wide road from the river crossing called Bridge Gate, now Briggate. A wool cloth market operated at Leeds Bridge, becoming the centre of wool trade for the West Riding of Yorkshire in the late 17th century.

CANTERBURY, KENT

Enjoy Canterbury's history and heritage. See the stunning architecture and the famous buildings. Visit the magnificent Canterbury Cathedral and stroll along the river Stour. Canterbury has the perfect blend of city, coast and countryside. Canterbury is simply inspirational.

CARRICKFERGUS CASTLE, NORTHERN IRELAND

 

Carrickfergus Castle is a Norman castle in Northern Ireland, situated in the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, on the northern shore of Belfast Lough. It's a striking feature of the landscape from land, sea and air. Carrickfergus Castle greets all visitors with its strength and menace. It represents over 800 years of military might. Besieged in turn by the Scots, Irish, English and French, the Castle saw action right up to World War II. Today it is maintained by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and can be enjoyed by visitors wanting to learn more about its history or just looking for a fun day out in a unique setting.

HAWKERS COVE, PADSTOW, CORNWALL

 Situated at the mouth of the River Camel, near Padstow is Hawker’s Cove beach. The beach has an expanse of sand stretching almost 1.5 miles towards the old lifeboat station at the north-western end. Despite being a beautiful spot and located close to Padstow the beach here doesn’t really get crowded. This is largely due to the limited parking and convoluted access. Perhaps the best way to approach the beach is along the coast path following the Camel Estuary and past the old fortifications at Gun Point. Along with the row of coastguard cottages, the lifeboat house at Hawker’s cove dates back the 1820s when it housed the original Padstow lifeboat, a four man rowing boat.

CASTLE RISING, NORFOLK

Castle Rising is one of the most architecturally powerful Norman ruins in the country but it also exhibits many ecclesiastical designs.One of the largest, best preserved and most lavishly decorated keeps in England, Castle Rising near King’s Lynn in Norfolk, has an intriguingly chequered history. Built from 1138 onwards by William d’Albini for his new wife, the widow of Henry I, it has served as a hunting lodge, a royal residence and home to Isabella the mother of Edward III. Here is a photo of the little post office, near the castle.

CASTLE COMBE, WILTSHIRE

Castle Combe is a small village in Wiltshire, with a population of about 350. Ranked No. 2 in The Times's 30 best villages, it is renowned for its attractiveness and tranquillity, and for its fine buildings including the medieval church. The 14th century market cross, erected when the privilege to hold a weekly market in Castle Combe was granted, is situated where the three principal streets converge. Some small stone steps near the cross were for horse riders to mount and dismount and close by are the remains of the buttercross.

ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL, KENT

Another beautiful place in my favourite county ''Kent''. Rochester Cathedral is England's second oldest, having been founded in 604AD by Bishop Justus. The present building dates back to the work of the French monk, Gundulf, in 1080. The glorious Norman architecture of the nave, parts of the crypt, as well as one of the finest Romanesque façades in England, make this an inspirational place to visit. The Cathedral has some fine examples of later Gothic styles as well as the magnificent 14th century Chapter Library door.  Hidden from view (although it can be viewed by special appointment) is one of the oldest doors in England.

CLANDON PARK, SURREY

Clandon Park is located at the foot of the Surrey hills. Clandon Park is one of the country’s most complete examples of a Palladian mansion, built by a Venetian architect for the Onslow family in the 1720s. The magnificent interiors are faithful to the period, featuring original plaster ceilings, the most impressive of which is in the breathtaking Marble Hall. Since then the estate has been passed down through generations of Onslows.

Today the house at Clandon Park contains a superb collection of 18th-century furniture, porcelain and textiles, much of which was acquired by the remarkable connoisseur Mrs Gubbay.

PEEL CASTLE, ISLE OF MAN

Peel Castle is a castle in Peel on the Isle of Man originally constructed by Vikings. The castle stands on St Patrick's Isle which is connected to the town by causeway. It is now owned by Manx National Heritage and is open to visitors during the summer.

The castle was built in the 11th century by the Vikings, under the rule of King Magnus Barelegs but was eventually abandoned in the 18th century.

BARAFUNDLE BAY, PEMBROKESHIRE, WALES

Barafundle Bay is a remote, slightly curved, east-facing sandy beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, near Stackpole Quay and is part of the Stackpole Estate, managed by The National Trust. The beach, as the whole Stackpole Estate, used to be owned by the Cawdor family of Stackpole Court and it was their private beach. On the northern approach to the beach are steps and a wall which were built by the owners to ease access to the beach. Barafundle Bay is set between cliffs to the north and south.

In 2004, Barafundle Bay was included in a list of the Top 12 beaches in the world. The Good Holiday Guide also said that it was the 'best beach in Britain'. In 2006, it was voted the best place in the United Kingdom for a picnic by Country Life magazine

OSBORNE HOUSE, ISLE OF WIGHT

"It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot" - such were the words of Queen Victoria after her first visit to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. This is the royal seaside palace where Queen Victoria lived with her beloved Prince Albert and their nine children. 

You can also explore Queen Victoria's private beach, now open to the public for the first time. The beach is a pleasant 20 minute stroll from the house down the Valley Path. You will enjoy views across the Solent from Queen Victoria's alcove, and spot seabirds from the shore.

NEWQUAY, CORNWALL

The town of Newquay is the perfect place for a sunny Cornish break and full of top tourist attractions. Newquay has been a major holiday destination since Victorian times.

Today Newquay is one of the most visited areas of Cornwall and its many tourist attractions just get better and better. Newquay's countless attractions are almost endless and include superb sandy beaches, exceptional surfing conditions, many lively nightclubs, Cornwall's only zoo, a central aquarium, and a popular waterpark with fast slides.

THE TRANSPORTER BRIDGE, NEWPORT, WALES

The transporter bridge in Newport is an iconic symbol, the one structure that any visitor to the town has to see. It is one of only three such bridges in Britain, one of only eight in the whole world. The bridge was opened on 12 September 1906. Designed by French engineer Ferdinand Arnodin and built by the contractor Alfred Thorne of Westminster, it was the culmination of many years' discussion and consideration.

There had been numerous proposals for bridges and subways under the River Usk at this eastern end of the town but none of them had come to life, mainly due to the nature of the work required and the high cost.

The banks of the river were - and still are - very low at this point and it would have required long steep approach ramps to build a bridge with sufficient height to allow ships to pass underneath.

WOTTON, SURREY

This the church of St John the Evangelist in the village of Wotton in Surrey overlooking a broad sweep of the North Downs.

This isolated church, sitting below the North Downs, has parts dating from the 11th century. The church also contains the Evelyn Chapel where there are some magnificent monuments and the tomb of John Evelyn, the diarist.

GLENFINNAN, SCOTLAND

This small, beautiful village has sat comfortably among the hills of Glen Finnan for centuries. The village is located within a lovely u-shaped valley that follows a north-east to south-west route with Loch Shiel in the centre of the glen. This unique site at the head of Loch Shiel is to the memory of the Jacobite Uprising of 1745. Erected in 1815 the monument is a tribute to the clansmen who fought and died in the Jacobite cause.

DUBLIN, IRELAND

The Liffey (An Life in Irish) is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.

The song about Seamus Rafferty refers to the "bowsies on the quay" - However, recent years have seen much development on the quays, with the addition of linear parks, and overhanging boardwalks which give the river banks renewed life.

There are quays on the North bank and the South bank of the Liffey, extending from the weir at Islandbridge to Ringsend bridge over the river Dodder, just before the East Link Toll bridge.

AVEBURY, WILTSHIRE

Avebury is a Neolithic henge monument containing three stone circles, around the village of Avebury in Wiltshire, in southwest England. Unique amongst megalithic monuments, Avebury contains the largest stone circle in Europe, and is one of the best known prehistoric sites in Britain. It is both a tourist attraction and a place of religious importance to contemporary Pagans.

Constructed around 2600 BC, during the Neolithic, or 'New Stone Age', the monument comprises a large henge that is, a bank and a ditch. Inside this henge is a large outer stone circle, with two separate smaller stone circles situated inside the centre of the monument. Its original purpose is unknown, although archaeologists believe that it was most likely used for some form of ritual or ceremony.

THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER, KENT

This is an iconic place bringing back sweet memory to all of US who took the ferries to come to England. For almost 1,000 years, Dover Castle, perched on top of the white cliffs, has stared back at those who may have cast an envious eye at England from only 20 miles away.
But why are the cliffs so white? Well they are made up of billions of the crushed shells of tiny sea creatures. A hundred and fifty million years ago in the Cretaceous period, these organisms gradually settled in shallow seas.The sediments built up were gradually lifted to form the chalk cliffs.
These are eroded by the sea, keeping them white.
But where the sea cannot reach the cliffs because of beach and sea defences, then erosion stops and the cliffs become vegetated with trees and shrubs.

PORT ISAAC, CORNWALL

Port Isaac in Cornwall is where the ITV comedy drama Doc Martin has been filmed and also where the BBC’s Poldark series was filmed in the ’70s.  It is a beautiful Cornish harbour town with good pubs, restaurants and gift shops.

THE GIANTS CAUSEWAY, NORTHERN IRELAND

For centuries countless visitors have marvelled at the majesty and mystery of the Giants Causeway. At the heart of one of Europe’s most magnificent coastlines its unique rock formations have, for millions of years, stood as a natural rampart against the unbridled ferocity of Atlantic storms. The rugged symmetry of the columns never fails to intrigue and inspire the visitors. To stroll on the Giants Causeway is to voyage back in time.