Steve's World Blog Information and articles on cities, towns and villages around the world.

September 2, 2013

Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire

Filed under: England,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 2:17 pm

A bustling little town with a population of around 37,000, Leighton Buzzard is in the county of Bedfordshire, to the north-west of Luton and Dunstable. The town lies close to the Chiltern Hills and is joined seamlessly to the neighbouring town of Linslade. Leighton Buzzard is well known for its narrow guage railway (the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway), it also lies on the Grand Union Canal. Leighton Buzzard has two weekly markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays, there is also a Farmers Market once a month.

Get more information on Leighton Buzzard here: http://www.leighton-buzzard.my-towns.co.uk/

April 17, 2013

Stone Buckinghamshire

Stone Buckinghamshire – A pretty little village situated near to the town of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire (Bucks), Stone has a population of about 2,500 and has been in existence since Saxon times (being called Stanes in the Doomsday Book). Stone lies on the A418 road between Aylesbury and Thame (Oxfordshire) and is one of the many villages which surround the town of Aylesbury, other include Stoke Mandeville, Bierton, West Turville and Aston Clinton. Stone was formerly the location of an asylum called St John’s Hospital, this was closed down in the early 1990’s, and the land developed for new housing.

View maps of Buckinghamshire towns and villages here: http://www.buckinghamshire-maps.co.uk

January 21, 2013

Silsden West Yorkshire

Filed under: England,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 11:25 am

Silsden West Yorkshire – A small town of approximately 8,000 inhabitants, Silsden in West Yorkshire lies in the Aire River Valley to the south-east of Skipton. A historic town, Silsden was listed in the Domesday Book and was considered the most significant village in the Craven district at this time (1086). Originally agricultural Silsden became involved in industry with the arrival of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the emergence of the Indistrial Revolution. Some of the old mills that were built during this time still remain as a testament of its former glory. Silsden is about 8.4 miles from Skipton, West Yorkshire.

See a map of Silsden here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/silsden-map.html

May 8, 2012

Darlington County Durham

Filed under: England,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , , — needahand @ 9:37 am

Darlington County Durham – Darlington is a town in the north-east of England, not far from Durham. In 1974, this town was gathered with other localities to form the borough of Darlington in County Durham. Since 1st  April 1997, the Borough of Darlington has the status of unitary authority that made it independent from the county of Durham. Darlington is two hours and forty minutes train ride from London by the East Coast Main Line. Darlington is twinned with Amiens (France). The local newspaper is the daily newspaper The Northern Echo. The town is proud of its railway heritage. The Darlington Borough Council and Morrison Supermarkets commissioned the artist David Mach in 1994 to create a large-scale sculpture entitled “Train”, to be installed on the Darlington site to commemorate the first British railway, the line from Stockton to Darlington. At 40 m long, this is the largest outdoor sculpture ever made in England and was opened on June 24, 1997.

See a map of Darlington here: http://www.streetmapz.co.uk/darlington.html

And a map of County Durham here: http://www.streetmapz.co.uk/county-durham.html

May 3, 2012

Redbourn Hertfordshire

Filed under: England,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 10:56 am

Redbourn Hertfordshire – A village located to the north-east of Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, Redbourn has a population of about six thousand inhabitants and has a history going back at least to the times of the Saxons, when a settlement existed there. Redbourn was considered important enough to be listed in the Domesday Book and by the twelfth century its St Mary’s parish church was built, followed closely by the foundation of a priory on Redbourn Common. Evidence of early settlement is taken from its proximity to “The Aubreys”, site of an Iron Age hillfort. Redbourn was later a significant coaching stop and was renowned for its large number of pubs and inns, built to service these passing travellers. Redbourn is close to St Albans, Harpenden and Hemel Hempstead.

Get a street map of Redbourn village centre here: http://www.streetmapz.co.uk/redbourn.html

And a map of Hemel Hempstead centre here: http://www.streetmapz.co.uk/hemel-hempstead.html

April 15, 2012

Liverpool Merseyside

Filed under: England,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 6:20 pm

Liverpool Merseyside – Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of Merseyside, in the western region of England, on the east side of the estuary of the River Mersey, bordered to the north by the metropolitan municipality of Sefton , East by that of Knowsley, south and west by the Mersey river. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and had that status until 1880, when it received the title of city. According to the latest official census, dating from 2001 , Liverpool had a population of 439,473 inhabitants. The city lies at the heart of Liverpool Metropolitan Area, which has a population of 816,216 inhabitants. Liverpool city centre is a lively vibrant place with good shopping, great nightlife and friendly atmosphere.

View a map of Liverpool city centre here: http://www.streetmapz.co.uk/liverpool.html

And a wider view of Liverpool area here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/liverpool-map.html

April 12, 2012

Mousehole Cornwall

Filed under: England,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , , , — needahand @ 12:45 pm

Mousehole Cornwall – Mousehole (meaning “island harbour”) is a village with about 850 inhabitants located in the south-west England (UK). Mousehole lies at the south-western tip of Britain in the former District of Penwith, within the county of Cornwall, between Penzance and Land’s End, set in a spacious bay on the southern English coast. Administratively, Mousehole is one of the five boroughs of Penzance. A delightful little fishing village, Mousehole has a nice beach where you can head when the weather is nice, it also has a wild bird hospital which is worth a visit. You can visit Mousehole if you are staying in Newlyn, Penzance, St Just, Marazion of Sennen.

Cornwall Road Map.

See a detailed map of Mousehole here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/mousehole-map.html

And a map of Penzance here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/map-penzance.html

April 11, 2012

Clovelly Devon

Clovelly Devon – Clovelly is a fishing village on the north coast of Devon in the UK. It was primarily known through the novel Westward Ho by Charles Kingsley. Even Charles Dickens describes in his book A Message From the Sea, the rugged area around Clovelly. With its picturesque location Clovelly attracts many tourists. However, the site itself can be visited only on foot, as cars are not allowed due to the steep slope. For older people, however, there is the possibility to use a Land Rover with a service charge, which carries the people down at the harbour. An 800 metre long road with cobblestones leads down to the harbour, where there is a quay wall from the 14th Century. There are two chapels in the village, restaurants, gift shops and craft shops. Clovelly has a small beach, where many visitors head when the weather is fine. The village has about 400 inhabitants, many of which still survive through traditional fishing, as demonstrated by the white fishermen’s houses. Clovelly is close to the Hartland Peninsular and nearby towns include Holsworthy, Putford, Bude and Bideford.

See a map of Clovelly here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/clovelly-map.html

And a map of Devon here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/devon-map.html

Basildon Essex

Basildon Essex – Basildon is a new town in Essex, created in 1949 after the Second World War, it was intended to house those who suffered due to the bombing in London and the destruction of many of its neighbourhoods. Part of its population comes from East London, near the docks. Basildon was created from four small villages, Pitsea, Basildon, Laindon and Vange. The first reference to Basildon in historical annals is in the Domesday Book, (records of 1086) being referred to as “Belesduna”. Basildon’s name means “the hill” and the words come from Anglo-Saxon, “Beorhtel” and “dun.” Throughout the centuries and in different historical documents, Basildon will be called in different names such as: Berdlesdon, Batlesdon and Belesduna. Within the district of Billericay, we can see a house dating from 1620 where the Pilgrim Fathers met, before emigrating to America on the Mayflower. Basildon today has a population of 185,000, it is situated to the south-east of Brentwood, to the south-east of Billericay and to the north-west of Southend-on-Sea, South Benfleet and Canvey Island.

View a map of Basildon here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/basildon-map.html

Mortehoe North Devon

Mortehoe North Devon – A pretty little North Devon village which is steeped in history, Mortehoe is situated high above the town of Woolacombe and surrounded by protected land owned by the National Trust. Located a little inland from Morte Point (a peninsular notorious for shipwrecks), Mortehoe is a charming place with delightful tea rooms, shops, and friendly pubs. Its church (St Mary) dates from Norman times and it also boasts a Heritage Centre which outlines the rich maritime history of the area. Mortehoe is close to Woolacombe, Ilfracombe, Braunton and Barnstaple and is a popular tourist destination for those visiting this rugged coast of Devon.

See a map of Mortehoe village here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/mortehoe-map.html

And view street maps of Devon here: http://www.streetmapz.co.uk/devon.html

April 10, 2012

Combe Martin and Hele Bay

Filed under: England,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 5:16 pm

Combe Martin and Hele Bay – A couple of attractive little villages and good spots to visit if you are in North Devon, Combe Martin and Hele Bay are situated to the east of Ilfracombe, on the coast and both minor holiday resorts which attract a number of tourists to the area, both are also on the western edge of the Exmoor National Park. Combe Martin is a delightful village with a long High Street once thought to be the longest village street in England (it isn’t!), it also has a small sheltered cove with a nice little beach. The village of Hele Bay is even smaller but also has a nice little beach and is sheltered by surrounding hills.

See a map of Combe Martin here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/combe-martin-map.html

Truro Cornwall

Filed under: England,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 10:56 am

Truro Cornwall – Truro is a city of 20,920 British residents (2001), and capital of the county of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is located on the banks of Truro river near its mouth in the English Channel. Industries in Truro include the ceramic industry, textile, wood and food production. The most prominent monument is the Truro Cathedral (Gothic Revival), which reaches a height of 76 metres, and was begun in 1880 and was completed in 1910, it was built on the site of the former St. Mary’s Church, consecrated six hundred years before. Truro is the only city in the county of Cornwall. Truro has a busy tourist industry with thousands visiting the Cornish coastal resorts and looking for a place to visit when the weather is not so good. Truro has good shopping and a number of interesting tourist attractions. Truro is to the east of Redruth and to the north of Falmouth, it is a 27 miles drive from Penzance.

See a map of Truro here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/truro-map.html

April 6, 2012

Sherborne Dorset

Filed under: England,History,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 2:26 pm

Sherborne Dorset – Sherborne is a small town in the county of Dorset in southern England, located on the River Yeo, 6 kilometres from the town of Yeovil (Somerset). Sherborne had 9,350 inhabitants in 2001, it is in the District of West Dorset and has a variety of historic buildings and schools, the best known of which is Sherborne School. The town takes its name from scir burne (Old English) as “a clear river source”. Origins of the town date back to the 7th Century, Sherborne was an important town and religious centre of Wessex, one of the seven kingdoms of England. Saxonian King Alfred’s older brothers Athelbald of Wessex and Athelberht of Wessex are buried in the abbey  (Sherborne Abbey). Sherborne is located close to Dorset’s border with Somerset, to the east of Yeovil and to the north of Dorchester. Sherborne is the 9th largest town in Dorset.

See a map of Dorset here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/dorset-map.html

Dorking Surrey

Filed under: England,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , , , , — needahand @ 11:52 am

Dorking Surrey – Dorking is a town in England, below the North Downs in Surrey, about 40 kilometres south of London. The town has 17,000 inhabitants and belongs to the district of Mole Valley. Dorking began as a small postal station on Stane Street, the Roman road from London to Chichester. In the 11th Century, this Surrey town was listed in the Domesday Book as the Manor of Dorchinges. The landlords were the Dukes of Norfolk, who lived in Dorking, until they moved to Arundel. In the Middle Ages, Dorking, was a prosperous agricultural market, which benefited from its location on a variety of important roads. In 1750 the building of the Turnpike Road made Dorking a post station on the way to Brighton and the coast. This position was lost with the construction of the railway. Dorking is situated south of the town of Leatherhead and west of the town of Reigate, in the county of Surrey.

View a map of Dorking, Surrey here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/dorking-map.html

April 5, 2012

Harlow Essex

Filed under: England,History,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , , — needahand @ 3:25 pm

Harlow Essex – Harlow is a town in Essex in south-east England. It was created in 1947 as a New Town from the towns of Harlow, Great Parndon, Latton, Little Parndon and Netteswell and today with some 80,000 inhabitants, is one of the largest north-eastern suburbs of London. Administratively, Harlow is both a town and district in Essex. Harlow was the first British town, which was equipped with a pedestrian zone in the town, also here in 1951 was the first residential tower in the country, now a listed building. Harlow is located approximately 30 km northeast of London’s city centre. It has a highway access to the M11 (London-Cambridge) and a station on the London-Cambridge line.The Harlow area has been inhabited since the Neolithic period, in Parndon was found an axe, which was dated to about 6000 BC. The place name Harlow indicates a foundation by the Anglo-Saxons. Harlow was in the Magna Carta and was mentioned as a typical rural village. Harlow is situated to the north-west of Chelmsford and also to the north-west of Brentwood.

View a map of Harlow, Essex here: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/harlow-map.html

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