A fairytale castle in South Glamorgan, Wales – Castell Coch – has been the subject of media attention this afternoon as around 20 visitors have been trapped due to the drawbridge collapsing. The castle was the brainchild of the eccentric architect William Burges who created it for the third marquis of Bute in the 19th Century.
Visitors to the castle can enjoy a site exhibition and audio tour, and are usually able to depart with the minimum of fuss!
Rivers, Myths and Monsters is now open at Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology, in Durham City, with art inspired by chilling and exciting tales set in the world’s waterways.
Rivers have inspired myths around the world, from the North East legend of the Lambton Worm to tales from India, where Krishna battled the many-headed serpent, Kaliya, and Egypt, where figurines and amulets illustrate the story of the search by the goddess Isis for the body of her husband, Osiris, which had been hidden in the Nile by the evil Seth.
The Old Fulling Mill is open from 11am to 4pm daily and admission is £1 for adults, 50p for children and over-60s, or free to students and the under fives. The exhibition runs until 5th September 2010.
Few Brits need reminding that, much like England and the World Cup, you have to dig out the history books to find the last British men’s singles winner at Wimbledon. In fact, you have to go much further back than 1966 – Fred Perry last won it in 1936. He also won it in 1934 and 1935 – perhaps he was trying to make up for the drought that was about to follow!
Andy Murray made the semi-finals in last year’s Championship and is currently looking to equal that feat this year as he takes on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in this year’s quarter final.
Murray is in great form – 4th in the world and is the only player to have won all his games in straight sets thus far. Will the 75-year duck finally be broken?
Want to catch one of the games in the closing stages of the tournament. Find hotels near Wimbledon here!
With holiday-makers increasingly looking for something out of the ordinary from their summer break, VisitScotland has launched an online accommodation guide with a difference. The guide presents a range of unique accommodation, many of which are new in the last 12 months, which promise to turn an average holiday into a truly special and unique experience.
From Swedish katas to historic castles with fairytale turrets; traditional island cottages to boutique ecopods; wigwams to converted churches, each place offers something truly distinctive for a magical summer stay to remember. And with a wide variety ranging from wallet-friendly island youth hostels to luxury city centre hotels, there’s something to suit every budget.
VisitScotland’s ‘Unique Places To Stay’ guide can be found at visitscotland.com/perfect and some of the newest property highlights include:
• Alternative festival accommodation in glass fibre ‘kocoons’ with ipod docking systems and king sized beds
• A unique 5 star Ecopod Boutique Retreat with eco features including wood pellet biomass stoves and instantaneous hot water supply
• A ‘boatel’ in the heart of Edinburgh complete with sun loungers, fishing rods and fold up bicycles
• Lighthouse cottages at picturesque Buchanness, whose lighthouse was built by Robert Louis Stevenson’s grandfather
• A self-catering cottage that was the birthplace of legendary Scottish folk hero Rob Roy
• Glasgow’s newest luxury boutique hotel, Blythswood Square, the former Royal Scottish Automobile Club and starting point of the 1955 Monte Carlo Rally
Each accommodation is also matched with a special event or activity in the area taking place between June and August, hand-picked to complete the perfect summer experience. Music fans will enjoy the Shetland Folk Festival, Wickerman Festival, North Atlantic Fiddle Convention or Piping Live! in Glasgow. Nature lovers can spot seabirds on a boat trip from Oban or explore the Perthshire mountains on an awe-inspiring Highland Safari. Kids will enjoy the first ever Edinburgh International Magic Festival, eco-warriors will love Scotland’s largest eco-festival The Big Tent, while sports nuts won’t want to miss The Open Championship at St Andrews. And that’s just for starters. Scotland this summer truly has something for everyone.
Britain’s seaside industry supports 210,000 jobs, including 19,000 people in Blackpool alone. No less than 58 towns have at least 1,000 jobs in seaside tourism and interestingly, overall employment in seaside tourism – a part of the UK travel industry that’s often perceived to be in a state of continuous decline – has increased by about 1% a year since the late 1990s, representing an overall growth of 20,000 jobs. In fact, the seaside tourism industry in England and Wales employs as many people as the whole telecommunications sector.
Why don’t you give a seaside holiday in the UK a try? Follow our links for hotels in Blackpool, hotels in Brighton, hotels in Eastbourne, hotels in Newquay, hotels in Tenby, and hotels in Whitby, to name just a few fantastic UK seaside resorts.
(In case you’re curious, the picture is of West Wittering beach near Chichester, West Sussex.)
Due to the recent droughts in the UK, the water level of Haweswater reservoir has lowered massively. It’s been 70 years since the drowned village Mardale Green has been able to make an appearance, having been deliberately flooded in 1940 with the reservoir’s construction. In 1929 they started to build the Haweswater dam but ran out of funds due to the great depression and the project stood idle for 4 years. They began building the dam again in 1939 and finished in 1940.
Visitors wanting to see the remains of the once-thriving farming community of Mardale could choose to stay at the Haweswater Hotel on the shores of teh reservoir or in the nearby town of Kendal, in a luxury riverside apartment fromKendal Cottages.
A bird that hasn’t been seen wild in the Lake District for some 160 years is set to make a return. Conservationists have re-introduced the first 30 of 90 red kites to Grizedale Forest in the Lake District. They have been transported from Rockingham Forest in Northamptonshire as the Forestry Commission seeks to re-populate the area by releasing the kites over the next three years. Many birders will be delighted with the news but not everyone is happy: Cumbrian pigeon fanciers – who have already seen their flocks decimated by the expanding numbers of peregrine falcon – are expressing their discontent, pointing out that the site of the re-introduction co-incides with the main pigeon flight-path into Cumbria.
Premier Cottages is urging holidaymakers to make the most of the great British weather with a break at a cottage where outdoor swimming pools and built in barbecues prevail. They’ve highlighted a small selection of those available, where the outdoor facilities provide an ideal location for a summer break in the UK.
• Neuadd Farm Cottages are a flagship for Welsh Tourism nestling in flower filled gardens and grounds with a fantastic outdoor heated swimming pool (open mid May to September). Relax by the pool with a glass of wine and enjoy a barbeque with spectacular views of the lake in the valley. This is an historic site where Henry Tudor stayed on his march to the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Originally farm buildings, the mellow stone walls are now festooned in clematis, wisteria, honeysuckle and roses, forming a peaceful garden courtyard. Cottages vary in size and can sleep from two to six people. Visitors will find everything from a corkscrew to a cafetière, colour TV, DVD, books, games, original watercolours and a welcome tray of home made cookies on arrival. For children a wendy house and adventure play area awaits as do a number of animals for them to pet and feed including a pony, two donkeys, two pigs, two little goats and badger sett. Prices range from £430 for a two person cottage or £950 for the eight person cottage per week for mid season.
• Just two miles from Devon’s famous Jurassic Coast, Longchimney Farm Cottages comes with a large Mediterranean style heated outdoor swimming pool. This beautifully converted former flint barn and stables have retained original character features and each cottage comes with private south facing patios and barbeques, ideal for those long sunny summer evenings. For the energetic there is a fitness room with numerous exercise machines including a cross trainer, rowing machine, cycle and running machine and a sauna. A well equipped games room will keep children entertained with air hockey, snooker/pool table, table tennis and football table. Nearby is the Heritage Coast Trail, a magnet for walkers, whilst the charming coastal settlements of Beer, Branscombe and Sidmouth are close by for shops, restaurants and bars. A week’s mid season accommodation starts at £720 sleeping four people or £1055 for six people with short breaks also available.
• One of Cornwall’s most attractive Georgian manor houses is situated on Broomhill Manor Country Estate together with 17 cottages converted from old cob barns and stables. Each cottage has its own Australian barbeque laid out in small individual courtyards creating a pedestrianised village atmosphere. A large heated outdoor swimming pool with sun terrace area is a great sun trap. Numerous other activities include horse riding on-site, all weather tennis court, archery on the front lawn (in summer), gymnasium or be really indulgent and have beauty treatments by an on-site qualified therapist. Every cottage is furnished with CD’s, DVD’s, widescreen TV’s and well equipped kitchens. The property is located close to the popular seaside resorts of Bude and Widemouth Bay. Accommodation for one week starts at £630 for the smallest cottage sleeping two people or £1130 for a six person cottage throughout mid season.
See the UK cottage website for more holiday cottages in the UK.
Nearly 200 crop circles have appeared in just one formation not far from Warminster, Wiltshire, known as the UFO capital of Britain. The circular 90m (300ft) design, believed to represent the passage of the Moon and Sun, contains 193 rings, including six key circles and a seventh in the centre. Crop circle expert Karen Alexander said: “This is the most complex circle so far this year.” The formation, near the village of Mere, is the first in the area since 1997.
This Saturday sees Paul McCartney return to Wales for the first time in 35 years since he last played Cardiff with Wings in 1975. Keen to inject some Welsh flavour into his return, he brings with him as support acts one of the most exciting new bands from North Wales, The Joy Formidable, as well as Welsh legends Manic Street Preachers.
He will play at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Anyone attending and still needing a hotel for the night can find one via our Cardiff hotels price comparison facility.
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