Nigel's Photo Blog

 This evening, I am reprising a one-day tour of the English Cotswolds, about 100 miles NW of London. Cotswold Falconry Centre, Batsford Tour Group arriving at Cotswold Falconry Centre, Batsford This morning, we departed our lodgings in Moreton-in-the-Marsh and drove to nearby Broadway Tower with aim of  viewing the landscape from the high elevation viewpoint. Unfortunately low cloud and mist obscured the view so we decided to return later and in meantime went to the quaint old wool town of Chipping Campden which is populated with thatched houses, old buildings dating from the 17th century and historic buildings such as the 17th century Market Hall. Thatched House, Chipping Campden Chipping Campden Market Hall, Chipping Campden Chipping Campden Next, we moved to the Cotswold Falconry Centre at Batsford. Here we enjoyed a one hour display of experts flying birds of prey which   included Eagle Owl, Tawny Eagle, Bateleur Eagle, Barn Owl and Peregrine Falcon.   Flying Birds

  Front elevation of Thornbury Castle Tonight, I am reporting on Thornbury Castle which is located in Gloucestershire, England. This is close to Bristol and 122 miles west of London . The building dates from around 1511 when it was built as a residence for Edward Stafford the 3rd Duke of Buckingham (1478-1521). It is not a castle in the military sense but an example of a Tudor era country house at a time when the countryside was increasingly peaceful. Unfortunately for him, the 3rd Duke was beheaded for treason by Henry VIII in 1521. Following the execution Henry VIII confiscated the property and actually spent ten days there in 1535 with Queen Anne Boleyn. Later, in 1554, Queen Mary granted the property to Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford. Following the Civil War in the 17th century the building fell into disrepair but was renovated in 1824 by the Howard family. The main ranges of Thornbury comprise framed courts, of which the symmetrical entrance range, with central gatehouse and

  Westminster Abbey  Tonight I am posting information on Westminster Abbey in London , England. The Abbey is formally known as the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster. This is a large, mainly Gothic abbey church in the City of Westminster, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) .   The Abbey is one of the United Kingdom's most notable religious buildings and a burial site for English and, later, British monarchs. Since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066 all coronations of English and British monarchs have occurred in Westminster Abbey.Sixteen royal weddings have occurred at the abbey since 1100. According to a tradition first reported by Sulcard in about 1080, a church was founded at the site (then known as Thorney Island) in the 7th century at the time of Mellitus, Bishop of London.Construction of the present church began in 1245 on the orders of Henry III. The church was originally part of a Catholic Benedictine abbey

  Tower Bridge This evening, I am reporting on the iconic, Tower Bridge which crosses the River Thames at Southwark, London, England. It is located close to the Tower of London -hence name. Summary information as follows: A combined bascule and suspension bridge which was built between 1886 and 1894. Designed by Horace Jones in collaboration with John Wolfe Barry. Construction period was eight years employing 432 workers each day. Features a giant moveable roadway which lifts up for passing ships. The bridge is raised approximately 850 times each year. Considered a world-class feat of engineering. Tours of the bridge are available.   Riverboat view of Tower Bridge with Shard building on far left. Close up view of Tower Bridge.  

  Houses of Parliament with  Elizabeth Tower ('Big Ben') This evening, I am posting information and images on the U.K. Houses of Parliament (aka Palace of Westminster.) This building serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords . It sits on the north bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, London, England. The Westminster element of the name derives from nearby Westminster Abbey. The palace is owned by the Crown. The first royal palace constructed on the site dated from the 11th century, and Westminster became the primary residence of the English monarchy until fire destroyed the royal apartments in 1512. The remainder of Westminster continued to serve as the home of the Parliament of England which had met there since the 13th century. In 1834 an even greater fire ravaged the heavily rebuilt Houses of Parliament. In the subsequent competition for the reconstruction of the Palace, the architect Charles Barry won with a design

  London Eye This evening, I am providing images and information on the famous London Eye landmark in London , England. Summary information as follows: Located on London’s South Bank and ranks at the fourth tallest ferris wheel in the world. Dimensions are: 443 feet high and 394 foot diameter. Opened to the public in 2000 and now ranks as the most popular paid visitor attraction in the U.K. with about 3.75m visitors annually. Now the second highest viewing point in London. Originally intended as a temporary attraction but since extended to permanent tenure. The structure incorporates thirty-two sealed, air-conditioned capsules each of which can accommodate up to twenty-eight persons. Each revolution lasts about thirty minutes. London Eye London Eye-side elevation Illustration of passenger 'capsule'. Image of River Thames and London taken from London Eye.   Houses of Parliament taken from London Eye.   Overall, a very popular and worthwhile experience. Booking ahead is re

Today I travelled by rail from Glasgow in Scotland to London in England. The journey ran smoothly and on time, about five and a half hours in all.  Weather was superb allowing me to obtain a few useful landscape shots from the train, albeit at high speed. South Scotland landscape Tower Bridge, London Street scene close to my accommodation with the Monument in background. This image features 'The Monument', a tall column erected to record the Great Fire of London in 1666 when two thirds of the city was devastated by fire. The 'Banker' Bar near the River Thames.  The 'Shard' an office block well known for it's architecture style.It is possible for visitors to take a ride to the top.   This an office block locally which, due to it's design is known as the 'Walkie-Talkie'. In absence of a super wide angle lens it is impossible to capture the entire structure due to the heavily built-up location. Here is another aspect of the 'Walkie-Talkie' (

  Tower Bridge, London. This post reprises an intensive, one and half day tour of London using the Bankside district (near London Bridge) as a base. The trip was centred on the key objective of undertaking a tour of, and attending a performance at, the Globe Theatre . Latter is about 25 years old and represents a reconstruction of the original Globe Theatre which was built in 1599 and was the principal venue for the performance of Shakespeare’s many plays. First excursion on morning of 12 th was a regular ferry trip down the River Thames to Greenwich where the Old Royal Naval College forms the architectural centrepiece of the Maritime Greenwich , a World Heritage Site. In addition to the College there are other visitor sites in the locality including the Royal Observatory, the Queen’s House, National Maritime Museum and the tall ship Cutty Sark . Thames Tour Boat Tower of London from River Thames Maritime Greenwich. View of Thames from Greenwich. Canary Wharf (finan