Nigel's Photo Blog

  Above image shows tour guests at Castle Combe.  Tonight I am reprising a day tour of one of my favourite locations, namely the English Cotswolds. This itinerary illustrates the diverse range of sites which can be covered in just one day, albeit in indifferent weather conditions,. This morning, we commenced our tour in somewhat foggy overcast conditions,with  intermittent rain. However, the skies gradually cleared as the day progressed. First, we drove for about 2 hours to the 'picture postcard' village of Castle Combe in Wiltshire. This is often considered as England's prettiest village. It is certainly quaint, with narrow streets, a stream, houses dating back hundreds of years, small shops and a church dating back to around the 12th century. There is a burial there dated 1270. Castle Combe  Castle Combe After about an hour exploring Castle Combe we drove north for about one hour to the Roman Villa at Chedworth . Along the way we navigated narrow, country roads wi...

   Buckfast Abbey Tonight, I am providing information on Buckfast Abbey which is located about 200 miles S.W. of London . Overview Buckfast Abbey   forms part of an active   Benedictine   monastery at   Buckfast , near Buckfastleigh, Devon. . Buckfast first became home to an abbey in 1018. The first Benedictine abbey was followed by a   Savignac   (later Cistercian)) abbey constructed on the site of the current abbey in 1134. The monastery was surrendered for dissolution in 1539, with the monastic buildings stripped and left as ruins, before being finally demolished. The former abbey site was used as a quarry, and later became home to a Gothic mansion house. In 1882 the site was purchased by a group of French Benedictine monks, who refounded a monastery on the site, dedicated to Saint Mary. New monastic buildings and a temporary church were constructed incorporating the existing Gothic house. Buckfast was formally reinstated as an Abbey in 1902...

  This evening, I am reporting on top visitor attraction, Hampton Court Palace on the banks of the River Thames which lies about fourteen miles S.W. of London. Hampton Court Palace is closely associated with King Henry VIII of England. Cardinal Wolsey (Henry's administrator) presented Henry with the Palace in 1525. This was a red brick Tudor palace. Subsequently, baroque style additions were completed in the late 17th century. This extensive building includes: The Wolsey Rooms Henry VIII's Apartments The chapel Royal West Front Base Court Clock Court Fountain Court Kitchens William III's Apartments. Queen's Staircase. Cumberland Art Gallery.   Replica Wine Fountain Tudor era elaborate food preparation. Fountain Court Gardens with Palace in background Palace from River Thames Entrance    Clock  Court    River Thames at Hampton Court          

This evening, I am posting information and images relating top the ancient town of Colchester in S.E.England.   Rose and Crown Introduction Colchester is a historic market town in the county of Essex which in turn is within S.E. England. The town occupies the site of what was Camulodunum, the first major Roman city in, and sometimes capital of, Roman Britain. Colchester claims to be the oldest recorded town in Britain. There has been a military garrison in the town since the Roman era. Currently Colchester is home to the 16 th Air Assault Brigade. Population is about 138,000.  Charlie Brown's, circa AD1330. More information The town is situated on the River Colne and is about 50 miles N.E. of London. There are road rail connections with London. Nearest airport is Stansted, about 30 miles away.   Colchester Castle is a huge Norman keep, built on the foundations of a Roman temple. The town's museum displays artefacts up to 2,500 years old. Hollytrees Museum, is ...

  St. Andrew's Church, Heddon-on-the-Wall. Originally Catholic but now Anglican/Episcopalian. This evening, I am posting information on the village of Heddon-on-the-Wall in Northumberland, northern England. This village as a population of about 1300 and evidence suggests a continuity of settlement here since Hadrian's Wall was built by the Romans in the 130s AD. The Romans left in the 5th century but the church (St. Andrew's) has Saxon origins dating from the 7th century and thereafter Norman (French) architecture through to the current period. Interestingly, the architectural sequence tracks the development of the English language. After the Roman withdrawal the void was filled by immigration from Germany and Holland (Anglo-Saxons) with locals speaking a north German dialect which progressively evolved during the latter part of the first millennium. The Norman-French invasion of 1066 introduced about 30,000 new words, mainly of Latin origin, and hence the cor...

  River Kent at Kendal. This evening, I am focusing on the sizable town of Kendal which is located on the southern edge of the Lake District National Park, about thirty miles south of Penrith. County is Cumbria which is in N.W. England. The name translates from Old Scandinavian and means 'Village with a church in the valley of the River Kent.' Towards the end of the first millennium there occurred heavy migration from Norway to Cumbria which is reflected today in place names and local dialect. Kendal Town Centre Kendal has a population of about 27,500 and sits on the banks of the River Kent. In the past wealth was generated from markets and wool. Today, there are various industries including Kendal Mint Cake manufacture and snuff & tobacco. Kendal Mint Cake is not a cake in the conventional sense but an 'energy bar' the recipe for which was discovered by accident in 1918.Each 100g bar contains 379 calories.The manufacturer is George Romney Limited.Other unusual prod...

  Village scene with parish church in background. This evening, I am providing summary information on a pleasant village in North Wales which my wife and I visited recently. Name Meaning : Llansanffraid means   "Church of Saint Bride"   in the Welsh language, and ym-Mechain refers to its location in the medieval cantref of Mechain and distinguishes it from other places with the same or similar names.The dedication to St. Bride probably dates to Catholic times, during the medieval period.This church is now Anglican/Episcopalian. Location : The village is located in the county of Powys, mid- Wales, which is near Shrewsbury and about 120 miles directly north of the Welsh capital of Cardiff . The Welsh language is spoken  here. About 30-pct of the entire Welsh population claim to be able to speak Welsh. Population : About 1500 persons. More information This is not a tourist destination. We stopped at Llansanffraid for refreshments. The village is well kept and has a 'c...