A review of an outing to English Heritage’s Ranger’s House and Wernher Collection, on the border between Blackheath and Greenwich Park. A homeless collection and a collection-less house: a match made in heaven? Ranger’s House – A History Have you heard of the Ranger’s House? I don’t blame you if you haven’t, I’m sure many […]
A description of a visit to Saltaire, a Victorian model village centred on Titus Salt’s immense woollen mill. This UNESCO World Heritage site gives an interesting insight into the intersection of 19th Century philanthropy and business, and 20th Century regeneration. Who Was Titus Salt And What Is Saltaire? On a recent seasonal visit to Yorkshire […]
What a nice life, to have these as your town house and country house. With one operating today as a family home and the other as rented business premises, however, the visitor experience is quite different. The Spencer Family I feel like I have been visiting a lot of stately homes recently. There was Blenheim […]
A review of a visit to the Igreja e Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. A wonderful place to explore Portuguese tilework and marvel at the grandeur of the royal Braganza pantheon. A Monastery In The Heart Of Lisbon And just like that, we have reached the last in our series of posts […]
A review of the Museu de Marinha (Naval Museum) and Fragata (Frigate) Dom Fernando II e Glória. Together, this substantial museum and restored naval frigate give interesting insights into maritime life in Portugal. Naval Lisbon Lisbon was long the capital of an empire. It sits on a river estuary as it joins the Atlantic. Bold […]
A visit to the Padrão dos Descobrimentos. This lookout point, rather lacking in introspection, ended up being one of my favourite sights in Lisbon thanks to a great temporary exhibition. Padrão dos Descobrimentos When in Rome, do as the Romans do. And when in Lisbon in the autumn, pack in all your outdoor activities when […]
My first visit to the Lake District after more than a decade living in the UK had me thinking about our relationship to landscape and how it has changed over time. 2021: Year Of The Staycation I miss being able to plan holidays abroad. I really do. But a silver lining of the pandemic is […]
In Part II of exploring my recent Hadrian’s Wall experience, I will take you through some of the stops (forts and museums) you may want to enjoy along the way. Part I is here for those who want to read more about the history of the wall and the practicalities of walking it. Forts and […]
In Part I of this write-up of my recent experience walking Hadrian’s Wall, I give you a potted history of the Wall, as well as some practical info on what it’s like to trek along its 135 km (84 miles). In Part II we will look at some of the forts and museums you can […]
Hiding in plain sight, this small London museum is a wonderful discovery. And a guided tour is the perfect way to get to grips with the history of the Order of St John, and peek behind the scenes. The Museum Of The Order Of St John That’s quite a mouthful – what does it really […]
