Two Devon towns which both have significant claims to fame are Barnstaple and Braunton located close to each other on the North Devon coast. Barnstaple is claimed to be the United Kingdom’s oldest borough, having its own mint even before the invasion of Britain by the Normans. A town which grew around the wool trade, Barnstaple was established on the River Taw’s lowest crossing point. To the north-west of Barnstaple, Braunton claims to be the biggest village in the United Kingdom, though many would call it a small town with its resident population of 7,500. Another ancient settlement, Braunton was mentioned in the Domesday Book and was possible founded by St Brannock, a missionary who crossed the Bristol Channel in the 6th century AD. Both towns attract visitors for various reasons and the North Devon coast sees a large influx of tourists during the summer months due to the fine weather conditions and the attractive coastline. Devon Map.
July 16, 2010
Lowestoft Suffolk
A town which contains the most easterly point in the United Kingdom, Lowestoft is also the second largest town in the county of Suffolk, and a significant port for many years. One of the suberbs of Lowestoft, Oulton Broad, is at the southern end of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads a popular area for boating. An early Viking settlement, Lowestoft gets its name from the Viking language, the town was also mentioned in the Domesday Book, when it has just 100 inhabitants. Fishing was largely the main industry of the town over the years though it later became important for tourism, and still attracts large number of visitors today. Since 1996 an air show has been held every year on Lowestoft seafront.
July 15, 2010
Ascot Berkshire
A small town in the Windsor and Maidenhead region of Berkshire, Ascot is perhaps best known for its fantastic racecourse which holds the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting every June, a huge fashion and social event. Comprising Ascot, North Ascot and South Ascot the town is close to Bracknell and the life of the town centres around the racecourse which brings many thousands of visitors to the area. Ascot Map.
Slough Berkshire
Lying to the west of Greater London on the A4 trunk road, the town and borough of Slough was formerly part of Buckinghamshire but now comes under the county of Berkshire. With a population of around 117,000 and an area of some thirteen square miles Slough lies north of the River Thames and the town of Windsor, with the tiny village of Eton and its famous college sandwiched between the two. Though its modern day appearance does not suggest any significant history, Slough was actually a settlement (albeit a small one) way back in the 13th century when it was variously known as Slo, Slowe, Sloo, Slow and Le Slowe. Growing later as a town mostly due to the stagecoach trade, Slough is now a large industrial town. Becoming a local government area only in 1863, Slough was incorportated into Berkshire in the 1974 reshuffle. Experiencing a typical south England climate, Slough averages 45mm of rain monthly and has its best weather in the period May to September.
Torrejoven Hotel Punta Prima
Torrejoven Hotel Punta Prima Torrevieja
One of the more popular hotels in the Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa area of the Costa Blanca, the Torrejoven is located on the main N332 road at the Punta Prima roundabout, about 4 km south of the bustling town of Torrevieja. Ideal for visiting the beaches and facilities of the Orihuela Costa, the Torrejoven Hotel has 110 rooms on 6 floors, it has an outside swimming pool, conference rooms, Lift, Internet Centre, Garden/Terrace, Billiards, Darts, Outdoor Swimming Pool, Solarium, restaurant, bar, disco etc. A very cheap option for your accommodation in this area the Torrejoven can be booked for around 20 pounds per night. The hotel resort of Punta Prima is at the northern end of the Orihuela Costa (very popular with Brits and Irish) on the Spanish mainland, it has good sandy beaches and plenty of restaurants, bars and shops, the facilities of Torrevieja are just a short drive from Punta Prima and the resort of Benidorm is only an hour and a quarter away. Punta Prima enjoys superb weather right through the year and sun is pretty much guaranteed between May and October.
Website address for Punta Prima guide: http://www.punta-prima.my-costa-blanca.co.uk/
July 13, 2010
Indalo and Oasis Hotels Mojacar
Indalo Hotel Mojacar
For those of you heading to Mojacar on the Costa Almeria, Spain, this year there are a couple of excellent hotels that you might want to consider for your accommodation needs in this popular resort. The first is the Mojacar Indalo Hotel which is situated overlooking the beach in the Mojacar Playa area of the resort, this fine hotel offers 308 rooms and a fine range of facilities including swimming pool, sun lounging areas, buffet restaurant, bars, parking, tennis court, billiards, sauna, gym etc, it is handy for visiting the old town of Mojacar and the surrounding Costa Almeria resorts. The second hotel is the Oasis Mojacar (Best Oasis Tropical), offering 398 rooms, plus some wonderful facilities including indoor and outdoor pools, tennis, paddle, gym, sauna, laundry, restaurant, bar, café, spa, massage and much more. Both the Mojacar Indalo and the Oasis Mojacar offer a wonderful opportunity for your stay in the area, where the weather is fabulous all year round and rain very scarce, there are of course lots of other Mojacar hotels to choose from, but you should find everything you need in these two. Mojacar is situated around eighty kilometres from the city of Almeria and its airport, so just an hours drive will get you there.