All Articles
Recent Articles
-
Maidstone and its Legacy from Medieval Archbishops
Maidstone is the county town of Kent. The county is also referred to as the Garden of England thanks to its rich agricultural land that supports a variety of crops and large, flourishing orchards. It has a wealth of historical buildings including a timber-framed Tudor inn and an Archbishop’s…
-
Highlights of Historic Dover
Dover has a splendid promenade, the Esplanade, that stretches between its white cliffs at one end of the town to the large port at the other. The New Marina Pier offers a great walk and good views of the working docks on one side and the White Cliffs of Dover on the other. This Esplanade was…
-
A Meander through the Medieval Streets of Sandwich in Kent
This curfew bell, sometimes referred to as the ‘pig bell’ was also a signal that animals could be released into the streets to graze on the rubbish that had accumulated in the streets during the day. A ‘goose bell’ would be rung at 5 in the morning as a signal that it was time to round up all the…
-
Discover the Delights of Deal on the Coast of Kent
Before the advent of the steamship sailing ships would seek shelter in the stretch of water known as The Downs situated between the shore and the Goodwin Sands. As they lay at anchor waiting for favourable conditions to continue their journey the Deal boatmen would ferry supplies across the water…
-
Four Extraordinary Estates to Visit in Hampshire, England
Ralph Dutton inherited Hinton Ampner from his grandfather, John Dutton, in 1935. By then the building, believed to have been built during the 1540s had morphed under various owners from a Tudor to a Georgian and finally a Victorian mansion. Ralph, a devotee of Georgian architecture, disliked…
-
Four Highlights of the Test Valley and East Hampshire
A dramatic finale to this display involved a bush fire and the sudden appearance of several different birds flying overhead including vultures, storks and ibis. A cheeky meerkats was perched on a rock keeping an eye on the proceedings. Deep, throbbing African music accompanied this incredible…
-
Alton in Hampshire - All About Jane?
Jane Austen is not the only famous person to be associated with Alton, another well-known resident was Sweet Fanny Adams. Fanny Adams did actually exist but today she is more commonly associated with the phrase sweet fanny adams that translates as sweet nothing or very little. Her story is told…
-
Luxury Personified at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island, South Carolina
At the top of the elegant staircase leading to the East Wing is the "Ocean Room":https://kiawahresort.com/dining/the-ocean-room/ that offers gourmet dining. Gregg, the head waiter provides such wonderful descriptions of each dish I was constantly changing my mind. Gregg is so persuasive I was not…
-
Arundel and its Castle - a West Sussex Gem
Of particular interest in the castle grounds is the Collector Earl's Garden This incredible garden is decorated with colossal green oak structures surrounded by flowerbeds bursting with colourful blooms. It was established as a memorial to the fourteenth Earl of Arundel who was a friend of the…
-
Charleston in South Carolina: A Trail of the Unexpected
Described as quintessential Charleston, Mrs Whaley's Garden on Church Street is, reputedly, the most visited private garden in America. Open during festivals and by appointment this pretty, very English garden, is charming. When it was first created by the renowned landscape architect, Loutrel…
