Steve's World Blog » United Kingdom

Wells Somerset

needahand — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:48:38 +0000

Wells Somerset – A small cathedral city in the county of Somerset in south-western England, Wells is actually the tiniest cathedral city in the country. With a resident population of just over 10,000 it is little more than a large village. Getting its name from 3 wells located in the city which are all dedicated to St Andrew and tracing its history back to Roman times, Wells became established as a true settlement during Saxon times when a minster church was founded by King Ine of Wessex. Wells grew in prosperity mostly due to the cloth trade and the arrival of the railway increased its accessibility. Wells Cathedral dates from the 12^th century. Wells is situated between Shepton Mallet and Cheddar in the county of Somerset.

Olympic Stadium Map

needahand — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:58:29 +0000

Olympic Stadium Map, Marshgate Lane, Stratford, London, United Kingdom.

View larger map

Olympic Stadium Map Stratford London – Above is a satellite map showing the Olympic Stadium located in Marshgate Lane, Stratford, London.

View a detailed street map of Stratford here: Stratford Map

See a map of the central areas of London here: London Map

Get more information on the Olympic Stadium here: Olympic Stadium.

Olympic Stadium Stratford London

needahand — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:47:37 +0000

Olympic Stadium Stratford London: At the heart of the 2012 Olympic games in London is the amazing new Olympic Stadium which has been built in the Stratford area of East London. Stratford was chosen as the location for the stadium after being identified as an area in need of regeneration close to central London. Situated on land near Marshgate Lane in Stratford work on preparing the site started in 2007, though the actual building work did not begin until the twenty second of May 2008. The Olympic Stadium was completed on the twenty ninth of March 2011. The Olympic Stadium was designed by architectural firm, Populous, it has a seating capacity of 80,000, though this will be reduced after the completion of the games, when it will become a wonderful venue for the people of London.

Ulverston Cumbria

needahand — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:34:10 +0000

Ulverston Cumbria – A small market town located at the heart of the Furness peninsula in Cumbria, United Kingdom, Ulverston has a population of around 11,500. A market town since the late 13^th century, Ulverston later developed into a thriving maritime community after the construction of a deepwater canal which linked it to the open sea. Famous as the birthplace of black and white film star Stan Laurel (Laurel and Hardy), and also as the location of the Hoad Monument, Ulverston is a charming and largely unspoilt town with a maze of cobbled streets and alleys. The parish church of Ulverston (St Mary’s) is the oldest structure in the town and dates from Norman times, with sections surviving from the early 12^th century.

Cumbria Map.

Ampthill Bedfordshire England

needahand — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:03:56 +0000

Ampthill – A small market town of around 7,000 inhabitants, Ampthill traces its history back to Anglo-Saxon times and its name in fact comes from the Anglo-Saxon language (meaning “ant hill”). Ampthill has held a street market since 1242 and market day in Ampthill is on Thursdays. The town once had a castle which has long since disappeared, though in the 16^th century was regularly visited by Henry VIII. The St Andrew’s parish Church in Ampthill has a monument to the 1^st English Governor of Long Island in New York. Ampthill is in the county of Bedfordshire between Bedford (to the north of Ampthill) and Luton to the south.

Bedfordshire Map.

Hot Air Balloon Rides

needahand — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:48:16 +0000

Hot Air Balloon Rides UK

Hot Air Balloon Rides – One of life’s great experiences which is probably easier to arrange now than at any time in the past is a hot air balloon ride or hot air balloon flight, whichever you prefer to call it. Throughout the United Kingdom there are dozens of great launch sites from where you can experience this amazing adventure for yourself, or maybe purchase a trip for a loved one or friend. Float serenely across the British countryside and get spectacular views of villages, towns and exciting attractions, experience the quiet tranquility of a flight with no noisy engines or propellers. Sip a glass of champagne and drink a toast to a wonderful lifetime experience, but be prepared to be hooked and want to go again and again. Some of the great venues from where you can experience hot air balloon rides are the Cotswolds, Kent, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk, Scotland, Devon, Dorset, Sussex and Gloucestershire, in fact almost all Uk counties have launch sites.

BOOK YOUR HOT AIR BALLOON RIDES HERE.

Basingstoke Aquadrome Hampshire

needahand — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:59:26 +0000

Basingstoke Aquadrome Hampshire – A wonderful leisure facility for residents of and visitors to Basingstoke in Hampshire, Basingstoke Aquadrome has a wide range of activities to enjoy including a water park, swimming pool, fitness centre, workout studio, café and health suite. Clubs and groups who meet there include the Fat Boyz Street Dance Group, Basingstoke Bluefins Swimming Club and Water Polo Club, and Mend Junior Fitness & Nutrition. So if you are looking for a place to have fun, swim and work out in Hampshire, whether the weather is sunny or rainy, look no further than the splendid Basingstoke Aquadrome in Worting Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire. View a map of Basingstoke here: Map of Basingstoke.

Filey North Yorkshire

needahand — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:20:31 +0000

Filey North Yorkshire – Located on the North East coast of England within the county of North Yorkshire, the traditional seaside town of Filey was originally a fishing town, and had remained so for many centuries until the Victorian trend to take holidays by the sea, made it into a renowned resort attracting visitors from all over the region. Bracing sea breezes, healthy air, and a friendly, peaceful atmosphere all add to the appeal of this charming Yorkshire town. One of Filey’s main attractions is its sandy beach, lining a wide bay and backed by the traditional promenade a great place to take a stroll when the weather is fine. The beach is peppered with beach chalets, offered for rent to holidaymakers as well as local people. Local attractions in Filey include Bempton Cliffs, the Filey Dams Nature Reserve, Filey Museum, and the Roman Signal Station, a good time to visit is during the Filey Edwardian Festival, a seven day festival celebrating Filey’s historic past. Filey is close to the more famous resort of Scarborough, which is about eight miles north-west of Filey on Yorkshire’s beautiful coastline. Filey Map.

Sticklepath Dartmoor Devon

needahand — Sun, 08 May 2011 18:07:24 +0000

A tiny village situated in Devon, on the northern edge of the Dartmoor National Park, Sticklepath is in an area of picturesque countryside, challenging walking country and historic monuments. Location of the National Trust’s Finch Foundry, Sticklepath attracts its fair share of visitors, who come to enjoy the peace and quiet, the walking, the fishing, the pony trekking, and to enjoy the Tarka Trail which runs through the village. Another attraction is the Lady Well, a historic well which never dries up and has provided drinking water for people passing Sticklepath for many centuries. Located close to Okehampton and midway between Exeter and Launceston, Sticklepath is well worth a visit if you are in the Dartmoor region.

Ilfracombe North Devon

needahand — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:01:04 +0000

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.

Wokingham Berkshire

needahand — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:54:02 +0000

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.

Watergate Bay Newquay Cornwall

needahand — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:35:24 +0000

An excellent place that you could visit if you are taking a holiday in Newquay, Cornwall, this year, is the beautiful Watergate Bay, located some two miles north of the resort, near to the village of Tregurrian. With a wonderful long sandy beach, and a bay exposed to north-westerly winds, Watergate Bay is a renowned location for surfing and water sports. Such a great spot that the National Surfing Championships have even been held there in the past. Ideal if you ever wanted to learn to surf, Watergate Bay is also fantastic for kite flying, so while you are learning to surf, the kids can be having their own fun. There is plenty of self-catering accommodation in the area, with caravan parks a plenty, there is also an excellent hotel, called the Watergate Hotel, which overlooks the bay. The vibrant nightlife of Newquay is just a short drive away for your evening entertainment.

Cornwall Map.

Lyme Regis Dorset

needahand — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:12:55 +0000

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 13^th 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.

Andover Hampshire Early History

needahand — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:35:34 +0000

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).

Hampshire Map.

Warminster Wiltshire

needahand — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:05:51 +0000

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 17^th 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.

Rugby and Southam Warwickshire

needahand — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:38:36 +0000

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 2^nd 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

needahand — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 09:00:35 +0000

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.

Warwickshire Towns

needahand — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:41:36 +0000

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 19^th 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

needahand — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:22:43 +0000

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.

Bodies Found in Ashbury Oxfordshire

needahand — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:50:30 +0000

Latest news suggests that 2 bodies have been found near to the village of Ashbury in Oxfordshire. It is thought that one of the bodies is that of Sian O’Callaghan, the 22 year old girl who went missing in Swindon at the weekend. The surprising fact is that there were two bodies, the identity of the other body is unknown. A man has been arrested in Swindon, and his taxi taken away by the police. Ashbury is situated close to the Oxfordshire border with Wiltshire. This fast moving and shocking story continues.