A large and popular seaside resort located on the north coast of Devon, in the United Kingdom, Ilfracombe first developed around an Iron Age hillfort, established on a nearby hill. Its sheltered position, protecting it from the worst of the region’s stormy weather, led to its becoming an important seaport, and it was used for a number of naval sorties over the centuries. Making its income mostly from fishing for many years Ilfracombe has, since Victorian times become popular as a seaside holiday resort. The Victorian used it for sea bathing after tunnels were dug to several of its shingle beaches. These days it attracts holidaymakers, who enjoy its charming and attractive harbour, good climate and weather, superb coastal walks, boat trips and sea fishing trips. Catch up on the local history of Ilfracombe at the Ilfracombe Museum, where you will find interesting facts about the town’s maritime history, and also see a collection of model ships and steamers, which have sailed the Devon coast through the centuries.
May 3, 2011
April 29, 2011
Wokingham Berkshire
A busy rural market town located in the near to Reading in the county of Berkshire, United Kingdom, Wokingham has around 30,403 inhabitants. The history of the town harps back to Anglo-Saxon times, when it was a small settlement surrounded by oak trees. Wokingham still has some old Georgian houses and some pretty half-timbered cottages, if you search down some of the back streets, and the town itself is still quite attractive, and well worth a visit, if you are in the Berkshire area. At one time having a significant brick-making industry, and even longer ago, a bell foundry and silk manufacture, it now relies on more modern businesses such as computer software design. The St Paul’s parish church is not that old by English standards and was only built in the 1860’s. A nice place for a stroll when the weather is fine is the pretty Agates Meadow. Other nearby places include Crowthorne, Binfield and Bracknell.
April 26, 2011
Rouen Notre-Dame Cathedral
One of the main tourist attractions in the French city of Rouen is the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was the site of a church as far back as the 4th century AD. This great cathedral which attracts millions of visitors from all over the world is huge and awe inspiring, with an amazing history which features characters like Charlemagne, Rollo, and Richard I. The cathedral which contains the tomb of Richard the Lionheart, reaches a height of 151 metres, and was at one time the tallest spire in the world.
April 21, 2011
Lyme Regis Dorset
A charming little coastal resort on Lyme Bay in West Dorset, Lyme Regis was a significant medieval port which became a holiday resort during the eighteenth century. It was awarded it royal title “Regis” by Edward I in the late 13th century. The harbour, which became a haven for vessels in stormy weather, it protected by a wall called “The Cobb”, which also allowed the port to build and launch ships. The ill-fated Monmouth Rebellion to overthrow James I, began here in 1685, after the Duke of Monmouth landed there. Lyme Regis was a popular area for smugglers during centuries past and later featured in two books, Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” and John Fowls “The French Lieutenant’s Woman” (later made into a film starring Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep. Lyme Regis and neighbouring Charmouth are two of the best areas for fossils, this being part of the Jurassic Coast Heritage Coast of Dorset.
April 19, 2011
Andover Hampshire Early History
A sizeable town in the north-west of Hampshire, Andover has a population of 52,000, and it stands on the banks of the River Anton roughly equidistant from the city of Winchester and the town of Basingstoke. Like most English towns it dates from Anglo-Saxon times and was recorded in Saxon annals as a royal hunting lodge belonging to King Edred (this was in the tenth century), and even saw the holiding of a Saxon ‘Parliament’. Later also recorded in the Domesday Book, Andover even at this early time had six watermills. Plodding along as a little market town it became quite significant for producing wool, which was the main source of income for the town. At this time Andover had a church, a priory, a hostel and a lepers hostel, the priory being eventually closed by Henry VIII. Much later in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is developed into an important stagecoach stopping off point being on the route between London and Exeter (via Salisbury).
April 16, 2011
Warminster Wiltshire
A small town standing on the River Were in the county of Wiltshire, Warminster (population 17,000), dates from Anglo-Saxon times, though there may well have been settlements in the area as far back as the Iron Age. During the Middle Ages, Warminster grew in size and wealth through the wool and cloth trade, and also due to its importance as a corn market (only surpassed in this region by Bristol). Warminster later became significant as the home of a bell foundry, which produced high quality bells for local churches throughout the 17th century. During WW1, many troops from various countries of the British Empire, were garrisoned in and around Warminster. When the weather is fine, take a pleasant stroll along the River Were, or visit the Minster Church of Saint Denys.
View a map of Wiltshire here: Wiltshire Map.
And check out the latest weather in Warmnster here: Warminster Weather.
April 3, 2011
St Lucia Windward Islands Caribbean
An island country situated in the Windward Islands, Lesser Antilles, in the Caribbean Sea, St Lucia covers an area of about two hundred and thirty eight square miles, it has a resident population of just over one hundred and seventy three thousand. The first settlers in St Lucia came from France, and they found the native Carib people already on the island, control of St Lucia changed continually between France and England, until 1814, when the British finally took over total control of the island. St Lucia is a popular holiday destination and the most poplar time to visit is between January and April when the weather is at its best (this being the dry season). The capital of St Lucia is Castries.
History of Fuengirola Costa del Sol
Location of an early Iberian settlent, what is now known as Fuengirola was originally known as Suel. A little later the Phoenicians founded a trading post there, to serve their ships, which regularly plied their trade along this coast, on their way to Portugal and beyond. Subsequently occupied by the Romans, and noted by Pomponius, a Roman historian, a fortress was built in Fuengirola, together with spa baths and residential villas. Sohail Castle was built much later, and by another civilisation, namely the Moors, this was during the 10th century. The settlement was burnt to the ground in the Middle Ages, and became little more than a heap of ashes and rubble, its remaining residents fleeing to nearby Mijas. In the late 15th century Fuengirola was recaptured from the Arabs, by the Christians, it soon became depopulated, but eventually recovered to become the sizeable town that it is today. In the 20th century tourism arrived and saw the area grow considerably, attracted by the wonderful weather, excellent beaches, and good amenities, Fuengirola has continued to attract visitors up to the present day, becoming one of the most popular resorts on the Costa del Sol.
March 29, 2011
Rugby and Southam Warwickshire
A couple of towns which are situated fairly close together in the county of Warwickshire, Rugby and Southam are both to the south-east of Coventry. Rugby is in fact the 2nd largest town on the county, since Coventry and Birmingham were moved to the West Midlands in 1974. Rugby of course gives its name to the sport, after the new game was “invented” by William Webb Ellis, while playing football at Rugby School in 1823, when he bent the rules by picking up the ball and running with it. Southam is a much smaller town but has an interesting history receiving a charter from Ethelred the Unready during its early day as a Saxon settlement.
Coventry West Midlands
Previously part of Warwickshire, but, since the 1974 counties shake up, one of the cities of the West Midlands, Coventry is a large city with over 300,000 residents. It has a proud history of industry, first in weaving, then coal mining and finally car manufacture. The history of the city however goes back beyond any of these industries, to Saxon times, when it grew up around a Saxon nunnery during the seventh century. The modern history of Coventry is more brutal, with its almost total destruction by German bombing during World War 2. Due to this damage the city appears mostly modern, though a surprising number of old buildings survived, including Bird’s Hospital, the Charterhouse, the Golden Cross Inn and the St Mary’s Guild Hall. Many may not realise that a river runs under Coventry city centre, the River Sherbourne was mostly paved over, during the rebuilding work that took place after the War, outside the city the river is a nice place to take a stroll when the weather is fine. Coventry is approximately ninety seven miles from central London.
March 25, 2011
Warwickshire Towns
Located in the West Midlands region of England in the United Kingdom, Warwickshire comprises some famous towns and popular tourist destinations. Its worldwide fame as the birthplace of William Shakespeare gives it its nickname “Shakespeare’s county” though of course it has much more to offer, such as Warwick Castle, located in the county town of Warwick, a Norman castle built on the foundations of a former Anglo-Saxon burg. The county also boasts a famous spa town in the form of Leamington Spa, known to the Romans but mostly developed much later, in the 19th century. One of the counties largest towns, located in the heart of coal mining country, Nuneaton was actually better known for its textiles, it too goes back to Saxon times but grew mostly later around a Benedictine nunnery. The town with which William Shakespeare is inextricably linked is, of course, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and life in this pretty town seems to revolve around the Bard and everything connected to him.
Leicestershire Towns
Continuing our series of posts on Leicestershire, today we shall be visiting 4 more towns to the west of the city of Leicester, Coalville, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Hinckley and Lutterworth. Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch are two ex-coalmining towns, the name Coalville of course, slightly gives this away, and in fact it has seen the digging of coal since medieval times, and continued until the decline in the industry in the late twentieth century. Ashby-de-la-Zouch has not been quite so reliant on mining, with other industries like brick-making and ribbon making, to supplement the coal. Hinckley on the other hand is famous for the production of hosiery and stockings, second only to Leicester for this specialised trade. The Warwickshire border runs between Hinckley and Nuneaton which is only five miles away. Lastly we shall consider Lutterworth, a smaller town with around eight thousand residents, Lutterworth got its name from the Old Norse, and has some ancient buildings.
March 22, 2011
Desborough Rothwell Loddington and Braybrooke
Four of the lesser known of Northamptonshire’s towns and villages, Desborough, Rothwell, Loddington and Braybrooke, are all in the Kettering area, and all lie to the west of that larger town. The largest of the towns, Desborough grew around the weaving industry and now has a population of approximately 8,000. Another town of a similar size is Rothwell, its well known Market House, was designed by the eccentric William Grumbold, and took over three hundred years to complete. The village of Loddington lies close to the Cransley Reservoir, and has a population of just four hundred. Finally the village of Braybrooke used to be the site of a fortified manor house, called Braybrooke Castle, little now remains of this structure, Braybrooke has a population of just three hundred.
March 20, 2011
Towcester Rushden and Corby
Towcester Rushden and Corby - Three widely differing towns located in the county of Northamptonshire, Towcester, Rushden and Corby are 3 of the larger towns in the county. Towcester famous for its racecourse actually dates from Roman times, when it was a significant settlement, it is a charming place with a 12 century church. Rushden is a growing town, the 5th largest in the county, with over one fifth of its 10,000 population arriving in the last 10 years, it grew around a variety of industries including lacemaking. Corby is an almost entirely industrial town, peppered with industrial estates, it grew around first the iron ore industry then later steelmaking, which produced a boom for the town during the twentieth century. These three towns surround the county town of Northampton, Towcester to the south-west, Rushden to the east and Corby to the north-east.