What to See and Do in Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon is often overlooked by the tourists who flock to the nearby city of Bath. Which is a pity: like Bath, it has an enviable location in the Avon Valley and, unlike Bath, it is a medieval town with lots of older buildings. Whether you visit for a few...
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Visiting the Queen’s Horses at the Royal Mews, London
I was hardly aware of the existence of the Royal Mews: they were not on my “to do” list for London. In fact, they do not seem to be high on the tourist radar at all. I found them by accident, when I saw the mile long queue snaking around Buckingham Palace, and hastily...
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Where to Find Jane Austen in Bath
Even if you’ve never read any of her novels, the chances are that you associate Jane Austen with Bath. As for most people of her time and social class, Bath was an important part of Jane Austen’s world, and she mentioned it in all of her novels. Two of the books –...
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In the Footprints of Great Writers: Discover Literary Bath
For many people literary Bath is synonymous with Jane Austen, a frequent visitor and sometime resident of the city. But during Bath’s heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries many fashionable authors visited the city, and featured it in their writing. I have rounded up...
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A Tour of the Old Theatre Royal and Masonic Hall, Bath
Bath has lots of small museums. One of my favourites is the Old Theatre Royal and Masonic Hall. Mainly because, somewhat unusually, it is the building itself, with its multi-layered history, that is the main exhibit. Entry is by guided tour (see website for times)...
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Holburne Museum and Sydney Gardens: The Oldest Park and Gallery in Bath
When you visit Bath don’t miss the Holburne Museum and Sydney Gardens. Just a short – and interesting – walk from the city centre, across the Pulteney Bridge and along Great Pulteney Street. Here you’ll find the oldest park in Bath and the city’s first public art...
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Exploring the Museums of Bath
There are so many museums in Bath that it would take a month to explore them all. I’ve spent the last week visiting several of them, but I’ve got a lot more to go! There are the museums and galleries that you might expect, a few more unusual, and a surprising number...
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Discovering Hidden York
I had half a day to spare in York and decided to set myself the challenge of seeing something new. A tall order, perhaps, as this is a city I have been visiting regularly over the last 40 years. But I was determined to try, and managed to discover a “Hidden York”...
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The Antonine Wall, Britain’s Other Roman Wall
You may be familiar with Hadrian’s Wall, the 73-mile defensive structure that the Romans built across the north of England in AD 122. But did you know that they built a second line of defence – the Antonine Wall – across Scotland a few years later? I set out to find...
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In Search of the Callanish Standing Stones
I had been wanting to visit the famous Callanish Standing Stones, on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, for a long time. I finally got my chance last summer, during a road trip around Scotland. The stones were everything I had expected, but I was unprepared for...
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