Posted by trev on July 28, 2010 – 10:30 am
The Isle of Arran nestles just off the South West coast of Scotland in the Firth of Clyde making it both easy to reach and a truly relaxing destination.
The island is often described as Scotland in Miniature as it contains all the elements of this fine land with craggy mountains, stunning beaches and a more laid back approach to life than found in much of the rest of the UK.
For those looking for a little adventure during their trip, there are a wealth of activities including climbing, horseriding and paragliding as well as sea kayaking, abseiling and mountain biking.
Cycling is probably the best way to see the island at it’s best especially through the Brodick island country park with around 200 acres of parkland including woodland, meadows, ponds, gardens and also a castle.
Brodick Castle houses a glorious collection of furniture with some pieces dating from the 17th Century when the castle was the seat of the Dukes of Hamilton.
Arran offers something for everyone whether it be a day trip to see the castle or a long weekend. There are a number of hotels on Arran from family run B&Bs to 4 star hotels.
Useful resources:
Hotels on the Isle of Arran
More attractions on the Isle of Arran
Posted by Paul on July 28, 2010 – 10:27 am
The Mirror is offering a weekend away for a couple or a family for four, courtesy of the rather odd trio of Actimel, Enjoy England and Best Western. All you have to do is answer a very simple question and enter your details. Hint: Phillip Larkin and Charles Dickins (I know, I know… it should be ‘Philip Larkin’ and ‘Charles Dickens‘ – tell The Mirror, not us!) are not renowned Lake District poets.
Useful links:
Lake District Hotels
Dove Cottage (the home of… *ahem*… William Wordsorth)
Posted by trev on July 28, 2010 – 10:21 am
Dartmouth Castle in Devon has seen many historic events and played a vital role during World War II. During August the castle is hosting a series of events designed to give people of all ages an idea of how it was to live during the outbreak of war with rationing, gas masks, identity cards and the Make Do & Mend campaigns.
On certain days, re-enactors from the WWII Living History Association will present a vivid retelling of wartime life from the perspective of the different men and women who defended and attacked these shores, dressed in full authentic costumes.
Full details on the events
Note: Members of English Heritage can get into Dartmouth Castle and 450 other English Hertitage owned attractions for free – click here for details of joining.
Useful links:
Dartmouth Castle
Attractions in Dartmouth
Hotels in Dartmouth
Posted by Paul on July 28, 2010 – 10:15 am
With exactly two years to go until the London 2012 Olympics, the BBC has opened its own dedicated site. Packed with all kinds of information, it gives details on everything from volunteering (apparently 70,000 volunteers are required!) to the progress being made on various Olympic venues.
Useful links:
Hotels in London
B&Bs in London
Self-catering in London
Tourist attractions in London
Posted by trev on July 28, 2010 – 9:53 am
Ever wanted to just get away from it all and go somewhere where the brilliant white beaches meet turquoise waters and there is an abundance of wildlife?
You could re-mortgage your house and take a holiday in the Seychelles on your own private island…or perhaps stay a little closer to home and explore the natural beauty of the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland with a private yacht charter.
This way you get the best of both worlds – idylic coastlines and nature at it’s finest, combined with luxury accommodation and food.
There are a range of options available with an abundance of operators providing this service, from self-chartered boats to fully crewed yachts, although the latter is naturally a little more expensive.
Visit Scotland list a number of yacht hire companies offering this opportunity.
For those a little unsure about Scottish geography, the Outer Hebrides are the islands off the far west coast of Scotland (outside the Inner Hebrides), sometimes known as the Western Isles, including Lewis & Harris, North & South Uist, Barra and Grimsay.
Useful links:
Wikipedia Outer Hebrides
Hotels in the Western Isles
Self-catering cottages in the Outer Hebrides
Posted by trev on July 28, 2010 – 9:23 am
St Mawes Castle is among the best-preserved of Henry VIII’s coastal artillery fortresses. Built as part of the chain of forts along the south coast to protect his kingdom from Catholic France and Spain, the rather charming clover-leaf shape is even today very similar in design as to how Henry would have seen it.
What makes this castle stand out more than the others along the chain such as Pendennis Castle, Portland Castle, Deal Castle and Walmer Castle is the carved Latin inscriptions in praise of King’s Henry VIII and his son Edward VI which appear across the stonework.
The castle also features a rather unique clover-leaf shape which was originally surrounded by an outer defence wall.
St. Mawes did however fall to a landward attack by Civil War Parliamentarian forces in 1646 and remained untended until the 19th Century when it was partly rearmed. Today the castle is owned by English Heritage.
Note: Members of English Heritage can get into St Mawes Castle and 450 other English Hertitage owned attractions for free – click here for details of joining.
More links:
More attractions around Falmouth
Posted by trev on July 27, 2010 – 8:26 pm
Travel back in time around 2000 years to the Iron Age and wander through the remains of the ancient village of Chysauster, situated close to Penzance on the tip of Cornwall.
The village was occupied between 100 BC and 400 AD and structured in a remarkably modern way with pairs of stone houses lined along a “street”, each having it’s own garden plot, surrounding a courtyard area. Many have several rooms within and the walls still stand across the site up to 3m tall.
Nearby there are the remains of an enigmatic ‘fogou’ underground passage although the exact purpose of this remains unclear.
Posted by trev on July 27, 2010 – 8:18 pm
Situated in a spectacular position on top of a large crag above the Cheshire countryside is Beeston Castle. This popular family attraction allows visitors to see across up to 8 counties from the Pennines to the Welsh mountains on a clear day from this formerly impenetrable fortress.
Around the castle are 40 acres of beautiful woodlands to explore, with wildlife trails for the children to follow, and even the chance to find the lost treasure of Richard II.
The castle also features 4000 years of history at the ‘Castle of the Rock’ exhibition.
Note: Members of English Heritage can get into Beeston Castle and 450 other English Hertitage owned attractions for free – click here for details of joining.
Beeston Castle details
Posted by trev on July 27, 2010 – 7:15 pm
On Saturday 31st July and Sunday 1st August, Old Wardour Castle in Wiltshire will provide the backdrop for the Siege of Wardour.
This is much more than a re-enactment of the battles themselves. During the weekend the Wardour Garrison local re-enactment group will provide a living history camp with displays weaving, cookery and surgery from the English civil war. There will also be plenty of family games in the grounds and other events for children throughout the event.
At 4pm on both Saturday and Sunday, there will be the dramatic live siege of Old Wardour Castle in which famous faces from the past will emerge from the history books including Lady Arundel who was forced to give up her home.
For more details about this fun packed family weekend, see the official web page.
Note: Members of English Heritage can get into Old Wardour Castle and 450 other English Hertitage owned attractions for free – click here for details of joining.
Other useful resources:
Hotels in Salisbury (near Old Wardour Castle)
Attractions around Salisbury
Posted by trev on July 27, 2010 – 5:14 pm
Thanks to a £1.44m Heritage Lottery Fund grant, English Heritage are hoping to fully restore and open up the little known gardens of Wrest Park in Bedfordshire.
For years the garden was overgrown and neglected as other parts of the park were being used as an agricultural research centre, but from June 2011 the Italian and Rose Gardens will be revealed to the public after this extensive renovation.
The park belonged to the Grey family from the Middle Ages right through to the mid 20th Century, and much of the garden’s splendour was created during the 18th Century by famous names such as Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, William Kent, Batty Langley and Thomas Archer.
What makes Wrest Park so unique is that unlike the majority of formal gardens, each part of the garden was kept in it’s original style rather than being replaced by the new vouge designs, thus giving an important historic angle to this opening.
Within the magnificent French-inspired Grade 1 listed mansion, there are plans to restore the the Countess’ Sitting Room and host an exhibition of the estate charting it’s changes throughout the centuries.
Full details of the plans from English Heritage
Note: Members of English Heritage will be able to get into Wrest Park and 450 other English Hertitage owned attractions for free – click here for details of joining.
