East Midlands

Stanton Moor is a small area of upland in the Derbyshire Peak District, up to around 1,000 feet (300+ metres) above sea level, between Matlock and Bakewell and with wonderful views over the Derwent and Wye valleys.  It was lived on and farmed 3-4000 years ago and traces of these ancient Bronze Age inhabitants are scattered across the landscape.  These remains have survived because the land has not been intensively farmed, thus preserving the type of monuments that have been destroyed in other parts of the country.  Some seventy barrows, four stone circles as well as ancient enclosures and standing stones have been identified, though most are covered with heather and hard to spot.  A notable exception is Nine Ladies stone circle.  Nevertheless, Stanton Moor is of such interest to archaeologists that it is all protected as a scheduled monument.  Many of the remains were excavated in the 20th century by local amateur archaeologists JP and JC Heathcote, who created a private museum of their finds in their home village of Birchover, on the edge of the moor.  Their collection is now in Weston Park Museum, Sheffield. Stanton Moor has also been used for quarrying, including up to the 20th century.

There is no postcode.  There are various points of access to Stanton Moor and the address given is one and for guidance only.  Find a lay-by on the east side of Birchover Road, where there is an information board.

An amazing 15th century moated red brick castle.

There has been a castle at Tattershall since at least 1231, when Robert de Tateshale received a licence from King Henry III to build a crenelated stone manor house.  In the early 15th century, the castle was acquired by Ralph, 3rd Baron Cromwell, who became Treasurer of England in 1433.  Cromwell upgraded and enlarged the property, including building the great tower, enlarging the moat and adding an additional outer moat.  Unusually, Cromwell used brick rather than stone.  In 1453, Thomas Neville married Cromwell niece, Maude Stanhope at Tattershall.  The powerful Neville family was mid-feud with the equally powerful Percy family and it was when en route from Tattershall to home turf at Sheriff Hutton that the Neville wedding party was famously attacked by the Percys.

After Cromwell’s death, Tattershall passed to the Crown.  It was subsequently owned by various loyal and/or royal celebrities, including Edward IV, Henry VII, Margaret Beaufort, Henry VIII, Henry Fitzroy and Charles Brandon.  It then passed to the Clinton family, the Earls of Lincoln.  A large part of the castle was destroyed in 1643 by Royalists during the Civil War and, after the last Earl of Lincoln died in 1693, the castle was abandoned and became derelict.  Eventually, it became a romantic tourist attraction and in 1910 was sold to Americans.  The fireplaces were ripped out and sold.  Thanks to the efforts of the Reverend Yglesias of Holy Trinity Church and Lord Curzon, further destruction was prevented.  Curzon bought the castle and restored it, including reinstating the fireplaces.  It was opened as a visitor attraction in 1914 and was left to the National Trust when Curzon died.  The rescue of Tattershall inspired the first piece of buildings conservation legislation in the world, the 1913 Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act.

The Battle of Winceby took place on 11 October 1643. A Royalist force under Sir John Henderson and Sir William Saville was on its way from Lincoln to relieve Bolingbroke Castle, under siege by Parliamentary Forces. The Cavaliers were greeted by Roundhead cavalry waiting for them on high ground close to Winceby. The Roundheads, commanded by Oliver Cromwell and Sir Thomas Fairfax, were outnumbered two to one, but charged into the enemy. Cromwell had his horse shot from under him and was almost captured, but seized another mount and continued the attack. The Royalist horsemen panicked, fell back into their own infantry and it turned into a rout with the King’s men stuck in a hollow (to the right of the picture), graphically known as ‘Slash Hollow’. About a thousand Royalists perished and a similar number was taken prisoner; Parliamentary losses were few. Although the Cavaliers were pursued all day, the fight itself lasted about half an hour and gave Parliament virtual control in Lincolnshire.

The site is agricultural land and the post code is very approximate. Look out for an information panel in a lay-by on the north of the B1195.

Nottingham's Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is one of several pubs in Britain claiming to be the oldest - but it probably isn't.  Known locally as 'the Trip', it is built into the rock beneath Nottingham Castle and reputedly dates from 1189. Legend has it that this was a place of rest for pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem. The pub is steeped in history, with a touch of spookiness and, inevitably, gets very crowded.