Listings

Coombes Church is perched on the side of a hill on the edge of the small farming hamlet of Coombes. Mentioned in Domesday, both the church and tiny community date from Saxon times. The name may be older. Apart from the charming location, the church is famed for its astonishing medieval wall paintings, dating from 1130, which were discovered in 1949. It is a real treasure, set in the South Downs National Park and not far from Shoreham

The picturesque and very unusual village of Clovelly, with its distinctly Celtic-sounding name, is situated on Devon’s beautiful north coast.  A little frozen in time, with most of its buildings listed, it has been in private ownership since the time of Elizabeth I and home to the Rous family for over 400 years. A charge is payable for visitor access.  The village is still a working fishing port, clinging to a 400 foot cliff overlooking Bideford Bay. There has been no motorised vehicular access to its steep, cobbled, street since the 1920’s – just donkeys and sledges.   These days, donkeys are used to give children rides – all goods are moved using man-powered sledges.  Access to the village is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.

Shere is a picturesque, much admired (perhaps over-visited), historic village – some say quintessentially English – just off the A25 between Guildford and Dorking. It was mentioned in Domesday and there is a plethora of timber-framed, tile-hung, old brick and stone and plant-festooned houses, with a little stream, the River Tillingbourne, running through the centre of the village – much loved by ducks and children. Some of the buildings are by Edwin Lutyens, designer of the Cenotaph and Thiepval Memoral.  Shere has a couple of tearooms, two pubs, a museum, an interesting medieval church (St James’s) and the village even boasts its own car park. The surrounding countryside is attractive (the Surrey Hills is an official Area of outstanding Natural Beauty), and popular. Famously, Shere has featured in films, including Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason and The Holiday.

There is a tradition that the origins of Culross were as a 6th century Christian community, headed by St Serf. St Mungo, or St Kentigern, is reputed to have been born here and a chapel, the ruins of which can be visited, was built on the site of his birth. An abbey was founded in the 13th century and the monks began coal mining. There was an iron industry too, and salt panning. It was a busy port. In 1575, Sir George Bruce, a descendant of Robert the Bruce, was granted the lease of the abbey's collieries. Bruce built what is believed to be the first coal mine to extend under the sea, and invented the means by which it could be kept drained. He was also the builder of Culross Palace. James VI visited and granted the burgh of Culross royal status – so as ‘the Royal Burgh of Culross’, it prospered. However, a great storm destroyed the submarine coal mine. For a while, Culross had a thriving boot and shoe industry. But industries declined and so did the town. The National Trust for Scotland acquired the palace in the 1930s and set about preserving and restoring it, as well as many of the town’s other buildings. The result is that Culross looks like something from the 17th century, albeit a little sanitised version of it (thank goodness). In addition to the ochre-coloured palace and its garden, highlights include the Town House (reputedly used as a prison for witches) and the abbey. But simply wandering round the old cobbled streets is very pleasant too.

There is a car park a short walk from the village centre.

Empingham is an attractive village, with a striking looking church, on the road between Stamford and Oakham.  It sits in the Gwash Valley at the dam (eastern) end of Rutland Water and there has been a settlement there since at least Saxon times (the name means something like ‘the settlement of the followers of Empa’.)  The church, St Peter’s, is mostly 15th century, but dates from the 13th century; its impressive tower is 14th century.  Most of the village’s buildings date from the late 18th/ and 19th centuries.

To the north east near Tickencote is the site of the Battle of Empingham, also known as Battle of Losecoat Field, which was fought on 12 March 1470 during the Wars of the Roses. It was a very short battle and a victory for the Yorkists.