Glendalough is known for its historical and natural beauty. But it is most famous for the Glendalough Monastic Site, which was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. The site is in a beautiful, peaceful valley surrounded by two lakes. And it has become a major pilgrimage site. The valley and its surroundings are …
If you enjoy visiting charming, quaint, old villages full of character, Tideswell in the Peak District should be added to your list. By Peak District standards, it’s a large village. It’s the second largest in the national park after Bakewell. But if you live in a town or city, it will seem tiny. The history …
You surely can’t visit the Fylde in autumn/early winter without a visit to the illuminations. Cheesy. Traditional. Or actually, something that Blackpool should be proud of? Let’s see. The illuminations are on from the end of August to the beginning of January. This extends the usual British seaside season for the town. Blackpool Illuminations are …
If you find yourself in the Peak District and fancy a weatherproof excursion, you could do worse than a trip to Blue John Cavern. The scenery on the drive makes for a pleasant journey too. The cavern is named after the semiprecious mineral, Blue John. It’s a rare form of fluorite and is also the …
Located just a few miles away from Derby, Kedleston Hall is a spectacular stately home owned by the National Trust. While the magnificent mansion you see is neoclassical, the powerful Curzon family, who owned the hall, have lived in Kedleston since the 1150s. Unlike many wealthy families, they didn’t update and extend their grand houses, …
Conisbrough Castle isn’t quite unique, but it’s a very rare design in England. Keeps are usually square, but Conisbrough has a polygonal or cylindrical design. The closest in style in the country is Orford Castle in Suffolk. It is certainly striking, and the white stone looks beautiful. Built in the 1170s or 80s, this picturesque …
Roche Abbey is very much a ruin. There isn’t very much left of what must have been a phenomenally impressive complex of buildings. But it still is quite a magnificent sight with the surviving white towers, expanse of lawns and an enchanting stream running through it. It’s not difficult to see why it’s a Grade …
We decided to take a visit over the school holidays to Nottingham Castle and have a wander around the city while we were there. It’s not much more than an hour or so away and a castle we’ve never visited. Tickets were reserved online and off we went. Nottingham Castle isn’t really a castle. It …
I don’t know why, but there is something quite romantic about a steam train journey. There shouldn’t be. It’s noisy. It’s dirty. It’s far from smooth and it’s relatively slow. And yet, there’s nothing quite like it as a way to get somewhere. Especially on Peak Rail. Peak Rail is a heritage railway offering train rides …
Back in August 2023, myself (Lucy) and Adam got married. As we’ve lived together for a while now, we asked for any wedding gifts to be money that we could put towards our honeymoon. As I had done most of the planning for the wedding, Adam was left in charge of organising the honeymoon, which …
