Something about one of Britain’s National Parks, or particular places in a National Park.
We stepped down the lane in the dappled sunlight of a still frosty winter afternoon. It has an ancient, lived-in, feel to it, does the hamlet of Chapel-le-Dale. Sitting astride a Roman road, evidence of long-vanished communities are shown on the Ordnance Survey map with the word ‘settlement’ printed over various places close-by, in old […]
St Leonard’s, Chapel-le-Dale Read More »
Have you ever found yourself in the middle of Scotland? Not just vaguely messing about in it, as it were, or immersed in its cultural hub (wherever that is), but bang in the geographical centre of the country? There really is a centre of Scotland – of course there is – and its location is
In the middle of Scotland Read More »
Or it could be the other way round. Son of Britain and I had often considered meandering through Swaledale between the small villages of Keld and Muker. Once, we had even chanced, equipped with boots and all the trimmings, as far as the car park in Keld. But it had been a day when the
Swaledale ‘twixt Muker and Keld Read More »
I’ll never forget my first experience of Great Gable. It was during a geography field trip to the English Lakes, I was callow youth of 17 and, up to that point, the landscape opening up all around had belonged on biscuit tin lids and boxes of fudge. Walking up Great Gable was one of the
Missing Great Gable Read More »
If you went to school in Britain, and paid attention during geography lessons, you probably know all about Malham. Amongst other things, it is famed for its limestone topography. My failure at geography was spectacular, but even I remember pouring over Ordnance Survey maps trying to pick out the characteristic features that the erudite, kindly
The men of the 4th Cohort of Dalmatians were a long way from home. They were undoubtedly cold and Hardknott Fort, which the Romans probably knew as Mediobogdum, must have seemed like the end of the world. Certainly, situated in the mountainous northern region of the most northerly province of Imperial Rome, it was one
The road to Mediobogdum Read More »
Castlerigg Stone Circle is probably the best-known prehistoric stone circle in North West England, perched on the slopes to the east of Keswick inside the Lake District National Park. We will probably never know what our ancestors were doing, building these things. Perhaps if you visit Castlerigg when there are few other people about, the
Castlerigg Stone Circle Read More »
I was on a boys’ weekend in Whitby. You know, don’t you, that ‘boys’ in this context actually means ‘grown men’. In fact, it would be more accurate to say ‘mature men who should know better’. But we’ll settle with ‘boys’; it’s a comforting euphemism. It’s just occurred to me that ‘euphemism’ can be a
The train will arrive in a heartbeat Read More »
My mate Dave said we should go to Fox’s Pulpit. “There’s not a lot to see,” he said. “But we should go.” He was right, of course – on both counts. Fox’s Pulpit is one of those curios of the British historical landscape. It is about 3 miles north-west of Sedbergh in the county of
Whernside, one of the Yorkshire Dales’ Three Peaks, is often thought to be relatively uninteresting walking country compared with its partners, Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent. This is unfair. Whernside can be bleak, but there is plenty to see. If you stick to the popular path, the going is easier than on either of the other two
Time to go for a walk. So here’s Pen-y-Ghent, one of the Three Peaks of the Yorkshire Dales. To get the full set, you need to conquer Ingleborough and Whernside too. Some folk hike scramble or totter up all of ‘em in a single day, a distance of about 24.5 miles; it’s a challenge. Before
Perambulating Pen-y-Ghent Read More »
The wealthy banker Lionel de Rothschild bought the Exbury Estate, in Hampshire, in 1919. In 1922, work began on creating what is now a 200 acre garden, internationally famous for its rhododendrons, azaleas, rare trees and shrubs. Exbury Gardens are open to the public, nestle on the eastern edge of the Beaulieu River in the
Blooms and a mystery at Exbury Gardens Read More »
You cannot visit a stone circle, not even a little one, without being impressed. Think about it. Apparently, there are around 1,000 stone circles in Britain. Each one would have taken organisation, willpower and a heck of a lot of muscle to build. Imagine a conversation starting, “Hey, I’ve got this great idea…” Stone circles
Swinside Stone Circle Read More »
My female reader of a certain age may recall the scene in the film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), in which Kevin Costner in the title role bathes naked under a waterfall. He is surprised by the fragrant Maid Marion, played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and the rest is inevitable. With all due respect
