It says a lot about Winchester that even after visiting so many places, we still have so much more to see. In fact we didn’t see everything worthwhile in Winchester so knowing time was against us, we decided to see something all together different. An old castle which was indeed at one time a palace.… Continue reading Exploring the ruins of Old Wolvesey Castle (Old Bishops Palace)
Tag: castles
A visit to the impregnable Tilbury Fortress
Last Monday being part of a long Bank-holiday Monday and us entering our months behind schedule first warm weather of the year, I decided to visit Tilbury Fortress in the county of Essex though to all intents and purposes it is on the edge of London. It’s a property that belongs to English Heritage and… Continue reading A visit to the impregnable Tilbury Fortress
The Tintagel Bridge over the troubled waters of King Arthur
There are few places in the world where history and legend intermix so thoroughly and so naturally as at Tintagel in Cornwall. Following the retreat of the Romans from Britannia, from about the 5th to the 7th century AD it was an important stronghold, and probably a residence of rulers of Cornwall. Many fragments of… Continue reading The Tintagel Bridge over the troubled waters of King Arthur
Holding a nearly 2,000 year old Roman shoe at Vindolanda
I’ve been so busy with my tours that I haven’t had a day off since April 16th and so my blog posts are currently a bit shorter than usual. Even last week when I would be walking for up to 11 hours a day, I still had to start and finish my day with what… Continue reading Holding a nearly 2,000 year old Roman shoe at Vindolanda
Has the birthplace of King Arthur been discovered?
In all the names of mythical and semi-mythical beings in history, there are few if any that rank more highly than that of King Arthur and his legendary knights of the Round Table. Quite why people get so worked up about someone who was for a long time largely thought to be a work of… Continue reading Has the birthplace of King Arthur been discovered?
The Worst Restorations Ever
The U.K. is covered in old buildings and ruins. Deciding which to fully or partially restore, which to manage to prevent further degradation and which to let disintegrate away is a complicated process depending on the structures uniqueness and importance to history and the arts as well as expense. The rules are very strict and… Continue reading The Worst Restorations Ever
Barnard Castle and the Silver Swan at The Bowes Museum
Some of you may remember back in October I went on holiday to the north of England and made a number of popular posts on my trip into old mines, behind waterfalls and along Hadrians Wall amongst other places. I always had one more day to post so a little late, here it is. On… Continue reading Barnard Castle and the Silver Swan at The Bowes Museum
Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon
It had been a long old winter with two potentially serious health scares that thankfully were gradually eliminated over repeated visits to doctors, hospitals and specialists. With good news ringing in my ears and strong encouragement from some friends I vowed to make up for lost time and treat myself to a weekend away. I wanted to… Continue reading Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon
In the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia
Hopefully you will have read the previous post about the classic epic movie, Lawrence of Arabia, it’s not entirely necessary but it sets this post in perspective. I came to Lawrence through the film and after watching it, you do get a good idea of what he must have been like. Lawrence was also a… Continue reading In the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia
Qasr Amr – pleasure palace of the Caliphs
Qasr Amr is located on the desert road to Azraq and only a short distance from Iraq. It is possibly the highlight of the chain of desert castles built in eastern Jordan. It was built by Caliph Walid I around 715AD. As the name suggests it was originally part of a castle but now all… Continue reading Qasr Amr – pleasure palace of the Caliphs
Stephen Liddell 