The bleak ruins of medieval Brough Castle perch on the western edge of Church Brough, a peaceful collection of attractive, solid, old dwellings huddled round a small square with St Michael’s church in the background. The village of Brough is…
St Mary’s Chapel, Lead
In a field opposite the Crooked Billet pub near the village of Saxton, in North Yorkshire, stands the tiny chapel of St Mary’s, Lead. Cross the field over Cock Beck, which was said to run red with blood after the…
Helmsley Castle and a canter through British history
The guy behind me, approaching the rather unwelcoming gatehouse, grumbled, somewhat disparagingly, “Well, it’s just a ruin.” He was evidently a reluctant visitor to Helmsley Castle, poor soul. He was half-right – Helmsley Castle is a ruin – and Britain…
Whitby Abbey and the Easter problem
Last Updated on 8th May 2019The Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby is celebrated for its fish and chips, the semi-precious gemstone, jet, its associations with the explorer Captain Cook, Dracula – and its abbey. It is less well-known as the…
Art and the amphitheatre
It’s sometimes easy to forget that London is a Roman creation. A site occupying a good position on the north bank of the tidal Thames, which offered deep enough anchorage for ocean-going vessels and which was narrow enough to bridge. …
The British Museum – origins, controversy and internationalism
The British Museum is regularly at the top of the list of the most visited attractions in Britain. Something in excess of 6 million people – considerably more than the population of Denmark – walk through its doors and tour…
The Loveliest Castle in the World?
Last Updated on 23rd November 2017This is Leeds Castle, nowhere near the city of Leeds in Yorkshire, but located some 240 miles to the south, in Kent. It was once described as “the loveliest castle in the world” by historian…
Clifford’s Tower
Last Updated on 6th December 2016Here is Clifford’s Tower, probably the most significant remaining part of the medieval castle of York. Once at the centre of government for the north of England, Clifford’s Tower is looking a little worse for…
St Davids, too much beer and the lost apostrophe
Last Updated on 27th February 2019The River Alun trickles through the neat Cathedral Close, between the Cathedral Church of St Davids and the majestic ruins of the 14th century Bishop’s Palace. In this little green valley, tradition says that St…
Stamford Bridge – the other battle in 1066
Last Updated on 6th December 2016One of the most significant battles in British history took place on 25th September 1066. It was fought at Stamford Bridge, a village in the north of England on the River Derwent, about 7 miles…
Ladies of the Vale
Last Updated on 23rd May 2018There are few things more agreeable than pootling around and about a medieval cathedral. I found Lichfield’s reflected in the Minster Pool, a small reservoir which has been used by the city since the 11th…
Ely Cathedral
Last Updated on 7th December 2016Before England existed, the lonely Isle of Ely lay in the territory of the Gyrwas. Around the year 652AD, Tondbert, a prince of the South Gyrwas, married the Princess Etheldreda, a descendent of the mighty…