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March 2nd, 2010 Ben
On your next stay at a Scarborough hotel taking a trip around some of Yorkshires finest historic landmarks are a must. Dotted across the Yorkshire countryside you will find grand stately homes that are testament to the areas colourful history. Many of these magnificent houses have remained in the same family for hundreds of years and have built up an impressive collection of artworks and antiques.
Many of the houses will contain quintessentially English touches from Capability Brown designed gardens to regency mansions and Jacobean Palaces.
Harwood House near Leeds is the magnificent home of the Earl of Harewood and is famous for its architecture and Adam interiors. The house also contains a wonderful collection of Chippendale furniture, fine porcelain and art.
Castle Howard near York is situated on beautiful parkland dotted with temples, lakes, fountains and statues aswell as formal gardens, woodlands and even an ornamental vegetable garden. The 18th century house is famous as the backdrop for the film and TV adaptations of Brideshead Revisited.
Burton Agnes Hall in East Yorkshire is a wonderful example of Elizabethan architecture. Inside the house has an Impressionist art collection while in the gardens there are beautiful topiaries and an old walled garden.
Ripley Castle in North Yorkshire allows you to follow the lives of one family over 700 years of history and see how some of the biggest events in English history have affected them.
Brodsworth Hall & Gardens in Doncaster was built in the 1860’s and is one of the most unchanged Victorian country houses left in England.
Temple Newsam in Leeds is one of the most admired historic houses in the North of England. The house has an impressive collection of furniture, paintings, silvers, local pottery, ceramics, textiles and wallpapers. The 1500 acre grounds were landscaped by the Capability Brown during the 18th century
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March 1st, 2010 Ben
Although Robin Hood and his Merry Men are synonymous with Nottingham, with legend having it that Sherwood Forest was his chosen place of residence and Nottinghamshire being ‘Robin Hood County’, when it comes to making an epic film, various locations are sourced and chosen. The filming for the remake Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe and directed by Ridley Scott for Universal Pictures found its way to filming on the National Trusts Freshwater, one of the wildest beaches in Pembrokeshire just months after Harry Potter had scenes filmed there and hundreds of people flocked to have a Short Cottage Break Wales just to see some famous stars.
The filming, which was granted permission by a number of organizations including Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, The National Trust and Pembrokeshire Council, commenced with an impressive battle scene which involved more than 800 people including 450 extras, 250 crew members, marshals and beach cleaners. It also had a raft of boats and 130 horses which were stabled nearby for the duration of the filming. Whilst it is undisputable that much disruption was caused, the general consensus from locals about the crew being there and the filming taking place was unified in recognizing the positive effects this has brought to the area. Not only in the short term with temporary staff being employed and local businesses being utilized but also the long term benefits of raising the area’s profile and attracting visitors to the region for a Wales Holiday Cottage stay, bringing benefits to the local economy and follow on tourist spend.
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February 26th, 2010 Alex
One of the most famous features on the Isle of Sky, the largest and most northern island in the Hebrides, is the Storr, a huge and rocky hill that looms over the Sound of Raasay. The island, and especially the Storr, has long been an attraction for people enjoying self catering in Scotland.
The Storr itself is a massive outcrop of rock that emerges suddenly from the smooth grassland that surrounds it. It’s a popular attraction for walkers, climbers, and people who enjoy looking at large outcrops of rocks.
Easily the most popular, dramatic and famous sights of the whole region though, are the strange, upright pinnacles of rocks which jut out of the ground in an area just in front of the Storr known as the Sanctuary. These attract most visitors, and people are happy to spend an entire day of one of their cottage holidays in Scotland wandering around, looking at these large, natural wonders. It’s unsurprising, given how impressive they are in person.
The largest and best known of these is Old Man Storr, a huge pinnacle that stands head and shoulders above the others.
The whole of the Storr has also been turned into a massive art display at one point by NVA, a Scottish natural arts company, in collaboration with various artists and musicians. Photos of the area have won awards, unsurprising given the beauty of the landscape. In the hands of a skilled photographer, the area can be presented in fantastic ways, as many visitors to the island find.
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February 24th, 2010 Alex
Just one and a quarter miles away from Land’s End, the westernmost point of England, there is a rocky outcrop that spells danger and death to ships and sailors. It’s called the Longships, and the number of shipwrecks there has made it into an excellent diving location, as there’s plenty to see, but that’s of little comfort to the people on board the boats. The lighthouse has become a popular sight amongst those on cottage holidays in Cornwall.
In 1795 a lighthouse was built on the island, its purpose, as with all lighthouses, to warn ships away from the rocky outcrop. It was an excellent plan, and saved many lives. The only problem with it was that the highest point of the rocks, where the lighthouse was built, was only forty feet above sea level. The lighthouse itself was another forty feet, and because the Atlantic isn’t the calmest of waters, eighty foot waves weren’t such a rare occurrence that this didn’t cause problems. In high seas, the lighthouse wasn’t visible, and its light didn’t shine out to warn ships of the danger nearby. This was hardly ideal.
Because of the dangers of high seas to both this light house and the ships that couldn’t see it, Trinity House ordered another built in 1869. Trinity House are the public, non-departmental body that oversees the building and maintenance of lighthouses, lightvessels and buoys. They also, since their use become standard, ensure that maritime radio and satellite communication systems are operating. They do all of this in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar, but not Scotland, Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man.
This new tower was first lit in 1873, but that didn’t stop the S.S. Bluejacket being wrecked on the rocks right by the light house on a clear night, nearly taking the light house with it. Luckily, the lighthouse remained, and has so up until the present day, though it became unmanned in 1988.
As was mentioned above, the Longships are a very interesting place for diving. This is partly because the number of shipwrecks there, from both before and after the building of the lighthouse, has made it a historically interesting place. It’s also because the rocks themselves are filled with gullies and canyons, and absolutely teem with marine life.
Many places, especially houses or cottages on the nearby Cornish coast, use Longships in their name, recognising the fact that looking out to see the rocks has become something of an attraction for tourists. It’s not uncommon to see Cornish Holiday Cottages like “Longships View” around the coastline.
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February 15th, 2010 Ben
The Bath Skyline walk has proved the most popular amongst users of the National Trust website with more downloads of its 6-mile guide than any other walk.
The route takes in woodlands, meadows, Roman remains, an 18th century folly, an abundance of wildlife and an Iron Age fort on its trail around the World Heritage City.
One highlight of the walk is Little Solsbury Hill, which offers wonderful views over Bath. The Site of an Iron Age fort has gentle grassland slopes, which is home to a number of plants and wildlife.
The beautiful Prior Park is another highlight of this walk. The stunning landscape garden contains the famous Palladian Bridge, one of only four found in the world.
During the last year downloads from the National Trust site for walking routes more than doubled to 250,000. The site currently has 130 walks to download, a number that is set to increase to 1,000 in just two years time. The huge demeaned on the site just goes to show that people are eager to get out into the beautiful British countryside and explore all that it has to offer.
It’s hardly surprising that Bath has become the most popular amongst walkers, the city and beautiful surrounding countryside just has so much to offer.
If you are planning on taking a short break in Bath then why not download the guide yourself and try the walk out to discover all that Bath has to offer.
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February 2nd, 2010 Alex
The Peak District is, as you might have guessed from the name, full of peaks.
Well, they’re peaks in one sense of the word. The district actually only has two peaks, the white and dark. The former consists mostly of limestone and has the flowing hills and valleys associated with that, and the latter consists mostly of gritstone rock and shale, giving it a much harsher appearance, with tors, moorland and bear rocks jutting up. It all makes for fantastic views for the Peak District cottages that are available to rent there.
The “peaks” of the tors, rocks, and hills, though are all a draw. And as with anything high, most people feel a compulsion to get to the top of it. The best way to manage this in the Peak district is normally the most simple: walking.
The district was the first national park, created in 1951, and since then has drawn millions of visitors to participate in all sorts of activities, but walking has always been one of the favourites, Coleridge and Wordsworth both spent much of their lives there, walking around and generally being inspired by the beauty of the landscape, something which you can also experience on your own Peak District holiday.
Walking can be exhausting, so it’s very important to make sure you’re properly equipped. Comfortable shoes, and enough food and water to get you through however long your trip may be are a must. Hopefully, this will have convinced you to take a healthy walking holiday somewhere, possibly even the Peak District.
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February 1st, 2010 Alex
Plenty of places in the UK are rumoured to be full of ghosts and other forms of paranormal activity, but what many people fail to realise is just how many ways to explore these rich, unearthly tapestry there are, especially for holiday makers. Sussex is a great place for those looking to have an otherworldly experience.
The number of abbeys in the county is the first sign that there should be plenty of tortured spirits around, due to so many of their inhabitants being horribly killed at various points in history, often on the behest of a king or through religious conflict. As I’m sure you’re aware, people being put to death by kings are some of the most likely to have unfinished business and wander around posthumously. There are plenty of paranormal groups who investigate these places and allow guests to join them for a fee, meaning you get all the benefits of their ghost hunting equipment on your Rye holiday.
There are also plenty of ghost walks around castles (another source of gruesome deaths) or other areas of ethereal note, many of which are available for people of any age. It’s an interesting addition to a holiday, and something that many people take part in during their stay in East Sussex hotels.
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January 30th, 2010 Alex
A popular activity among tourists visiting any destination is exploring the history of the place, but some areas can offer a lot more with regards to this than others. For instance, those who are visiting the Isle of Wight for an Isle of Wight holiday in the near future will no doubt be astounded to find out that very recently (the end of December last year) a three thousand year old bronze dagger was found in a field on the western side of the Island.
It’s never been contested knowledge that the Isle of Wight has been inhabited throughout most of the period in which humans have lived in Western Europe, and so this find is not interesting because it brings new evidence to light; it is interesting because the dagger was then donated by the man who found it (using a metal detector) and the owner of the land it was found on to the Isle of Wight Council’s Museum of Island History.
This means that anybody visiting the island can see this spectacular find for themselves, and the amount of people coming to see it should prove a boon to Isle of Wight hotels. Archaeological finds and artefacts have always been a draw to tourists. Think of the pyramids in Egypt or the Great Library of Alexandria. The Isle of Wight may just have found their own big draw to match these two.
Posted in Destinations, attractions, isle of wight | 1 Comment »
January 29th, 2010 Ben
I can think of nothing better than being whisked off to the beautiful city of Bath, Somerset for a romantic holiday in Bath and with Valentines Day on the horizon I have a small glimmer of hope that it may happen. Set at the bottom of the Avon Valley and close to the southern edge of the Cotswold’s, it is an idyllic location steeped in history, culture and beauty. The distinctive 18th Century Georgian architecture making up the city adds a feel of mythical greatness and elegance and people unsurprisingly travel far and wide to walk in the footsteps of Jane Austen, visit Bath Abbey, marvel at the excavated Roman baths and shop in the uber trendy boutiques.
Bath has become one of the most alluring small cities in Europe, blissfully unspoilt, it has come to represent the quintessence of rural England with the rolling uplands of the Cotswold’s framing it and the lively, bustling streets comprising it. The City has been immortalised in countless books, paintings and films and is deservedly popular with tourists but despite this has managed to maintain its authenticity and preserve its history.
There are an assortment of hotels, restaurants and things to do in Bath for all budgets and tastes but for the best deals and quieter periods it is best to book a mid week break in Bath. If I have any chance of being whisked off my feet this Valentines I may have to start dropping some fairly obvious hints, especially as the question I had posed to me the other day was ‘Are we doing Valentines this year?’ you can imagine my response.
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January 28th, 2010 Ben
If you’re a bit of a foodie and enjoy nothing more than tasting foods from around the world, then booking yourself into a North Yorkshire Hotel and whiling away the days tasting the cuisines of Yorkshire probably isn’t on your radar. However, Yorkshire has a long history of foods associated with it. Let’s take the most obvious: Yorkshire pudding. Who doesn’t have a Yorkshire pudding with their roast beef? Or chicken? Or any meal that involves gravy? The Yorkshire pudding is a staple of the famous British Sunday Lunch and dates all the way back to 1737.
Another widely known food that originates from Yorkshire and is still manufactured and dispatched from the area today is Wensleydale Cheese. Wensleydale Creamery has been handcrafting cheese for more than 100 years to the time honoured traditional recipes. The business of making the cheese has had its ups and downs over the years but was greatly boosted in the 1990’s by a certain Yorkshire man called Wallace, a cheese enthusiast whose favourite cheese is the now famous Wensleydale. “Gromit, that’s it! Cheese! We’ll go somewhere where there’s cheese!”, “No cheese, Gromit. Not a bit in the house.”, “Get off me cheese! GET OFF!”
Other foods associated with the county are Curd tart, along with Parkin, a sweet ginger cake, the beverage ginger beer, Liquorice Sweet and of course the many chocolate factories that have played a prominent role in the confectionary industry: Rowntree’s, Terry’s and Thornton’s. Now, if this doesn’t make you book into North Yorkshire Accommodation and eat Yorkshire Pud and Wensleydale cheese all day then maybe knowing that Yorkshire has a beautiful scenic countryside, chic cities and over 800 attractions ranging from World Heritage sites to mining museums, ruined castles and abbeys along with serene gardens, interesting breweries, thrilling rides and industrial heritage will.
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