If you’ve visited Sir John Soane’s Museum, you’ll know that the eponymous architect left his home in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, to the nation, via an Act of Parliament. This may seem like the final triumph in a long life … Continue reading The dynasty that never was
The Anglocentric cliché which claims that an Englishman’s home is his castle does a notable disservice to the rest of the British Isles. If your idea of heritage keeps a special place for castles, there are plenty of excellent examples … Continue reading Scotland’s painted castles
If I were ever so unfortunate as to be imprisoned in the Old Gaol at Hexham, I would definitely want to be accommodated on the first floor. The gaol was built on the orders of Archbishop Melton in 1330. Unusually … Continue reading Hexham: The Moving Skull and other stories
2022 is the 1900th anniversary of the construction of Hadrian’s wall – once the north-western frontier of the Roman Empire, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Until last year the only part of the wall we had visited was Segedunum, … Continue reading Weekend on the Wall
Events during the Covid pandemic having brought a certain historic market town in county Durham to our attention, we decided we had to pay a visit to Barnard Castle. As a medievalist, Helen was keen to visit the castle itself, with … Continue reading A sight for sore eyes
Originally posted on Travels with me aren't:
As lockdown gradually lifted in the spring of 2021, opportunities for Covid-secure travel began to open. Open being the operative word here. Whilst visiting indoor attractions was still not possible, visiting outdoor… Continue reading Castles in Wales
Originally posted on Travels with me aren't:
You could say that we had a whale of a time when we returned to Hull for a weekend in June.? Which would give us something in common with Herman Melville, the… Continue reading Back to Hull
Originally posted on Travels with me aren't:
When I was small, I was sometimes taken to visit my grandparents’ cousins’ farm at Swan Bottom in Buckinghamshire.? On the way I always looked out for the figurehead of Admiral Lord… Continue reading Figureheads
Originally posted on Travels with me aren't:
The unmistakable chords of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor provided an atmospheric backdrop to my first visit to Notre Dame.? That was many years ago now, and I still don’t… Continue reading What a Magnificent Organ!
Heritage Weekends 