This post from my trip in May 2018 features : Grenada, Barbados, St Vincent & the Grenadines, St Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis and Antigua I had no real interest in going to the Caribbean. I didn’t think that I would discover anything particularly interesting; the colonial history is shameful and recent history dogged byContinue reading “74. The Lesser Antilles (Caribbean)”
Author Archives: skiptondiaries
73. Mayan Trail
This post, from January 2018, features: Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico The adventure starts with BA243 departing Heathrow at 12.55 for Mexico City. A Boeing 787 aka a “Dreamliner”. After 11 hours it is no dream, I can assure you. In the intervening 20 years between the 777 and the 787, all Boeing have comeContinue reading “73. Mayan Trail”
72. Norfolk
This post features Burnham Market, Walsingham, Kings Lynn, Diss, Great Yarmouth, Norwich, Sheringham, Aylsham, Caister, Wymondham and Attleborough Around Burnham Market Blakeney Binham Priory Walsingham Little Snoring Burnham Overy Staithe Booton North Creake Kings Lynn The Minster: Medieval Kings Lynn: The Waterfront: St Nicholas: The Town: Diss Eaton Great Yarmouth The Minster: Town Walls: TheContinue reading “72. Norfolk”
71. Dorset
This post features: Shaftesbury, Sherborne, Poole, Wimborne, Dorchester, Weymouth, Wareham, Bournemouth and Blandford Forum Shaftesbury Sherborne Poole The Old Town: The Harbour: Wimborne Dorchester St Peter’s Church: The Old Brewery: Town Centre: Weymouth Sea Front: The Town Centre: The Fort: The Harbour: Wareham The River Frome: St Mary’s Church: The Town Walls: Spotted in Wareham:Continue reading “71. Dorset”
70. Sussex
This post features: the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Lewes, Chichester, Hastings, Bognor Regis, Horsham, Brighton, Battle, Rye and Winchelsea Weald and Downland Open Air Museum Lewes St Michael’s Church: The Castle: Medieval Lewes: Town Centre: Harvey’s Brewery: Chichester The Cathedral: City Centre: Hastings The Sea Front: The Old Town: The Castle: Street Art:Continue reading “70. Sussex”
69. Cornwall
This post features: The Eden Project, Newquay, Truro, Redruth, Penzance and St Austell The Eden Project Newquay Truro The Cathedral: Victoria Square: Lemon Quay: City Centre: England’s First Tea Estate: Redruth Kresen Kernow: Penzance St Austell The Holy Trinity Church: The Market House and Museum: The Town:
68. Devon
This post features: Exeter, Plymouth, Barnstaple, Exmouth, Axminster, Ottery St Mary, Torquay, Paignton, Okehampton, Crediton, Tiverton, Cullompton, Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, Totnes and Dartmouth Exeter The Cathedral: Churches: Old Exeter: City Streets: Riverside: Plymouth Panoramas: Harbourside: Street Scenes: Barnstaple Exmouth Axminster Ottery St Mary Ottery: St Mary The Town: Torquay Paignton Okehampton Crediton Tiverton I didn’tContinue reading “68. Devon”
67. Surrey
Guildford Guildford’s history as an urban settlement, dates from Saxon times when the first pagans settled around 500AD. The settlement was called Guilden (golden) Ford possibly because of the golden sands on the banks of the river or the golden flowers that grew at the riverside. Despite having a cathedral, Guildford is not a city –Continue reading “67. Surrey”
66. Rutland
This post features Oakham and Uppingham Oakham Uppingham Duddington Not sure why I put it here – Duddington is in Northamptonshire…
65. Middlesex
This post features: Pinner, Twickenham, Staines, Isleworth and Brentford Pinner Twickenham Staines Isleworth The Town Wharf: Brentford
64. Buckinghamshire
This post features: Hughenden, Chalfont St Peter, Bletchley Park, Buckingham, Fingest, Turville and Wing Hughenden Chalfont St Peter Bletchley Park Buckingham St Peter and St Paul: The Town Centre: Riverside: Fingest Turville Wing
63. Switzerland
This post, from August 2017, features: Geneva, Lausanne, Bern, Lucerne, Zug, Zürich, Basel, Sargans and Neuchâtel Heathrow: Geneva Lausanne Bern A City of Statues: Lucerne (Luzern) A city of panoramic views… Around the Lake and the Reuss: From the City Walls: Statues: The City: Zug Zug wasn’t on my itinerary but, as I had someContinue reading “63. Switzerland”
62. Shropshire
This post features: Market Drayton, Hodnet, Ironbridge, Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Church Stretton, Shrewsbury, Whitchurch, Wem, Whittington and Oswestry Market Drayton Hodnet Ironbridge Bridgnorth Churches: The Castle: The High Town: Riverside: Street Scenes: Ludlow The Castle: St Lawrence: Black and White: The Market Square: Street Scenes: Church Stretton St Laurence: The Town: Shrewsbury Shrewsbury was first settledContinue reading “62. Shropshire”
61. Wales – 1
This post features: Cardiff (Caerdydd), Newport (Casenewydd), St David’s (Tyddewi), Lampeter (Llambedd), St Asaph (Llanelwy), Bangor, Wrexham (Wrecsam), Gresford, Overton, Chirk and Llangollen… Cardiff (Caerdydd) The Castle: Llandaff Cathedral: The City of Arcades: Pubs: Civic Grandeur: Other Churches: Famous Sons: Newport (Casnewydd) The Chartists: The Rebecca Riots: Although the Rebecca riots took place in ruralContinue reading “61. Wales – 1”
60. Belarus
June 2017: This post features: Minsk, Khatyn, Vitebsk, Polotsk, Berezinsky Reserve, Lida, Murovanka, Grodno, Ruzhany, Brest, Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Pinsk, Nesvizh, Mir and Strochicy Poor old Belarus kept getting pushed back – maybe next year – I didn’t think there would be much of interest to see and I had an expectation of a country atContinue reading “60. Belarus”
59. Azerbaijan
This post, from May 2017, features: Baku, Ateshgah, Yanar Dag, Gobustan, Bešbarmaq Dag, Quba, Xinaliq, Maraza, Samaxi, Lahic, Qabala and Sheki My reason for visiting Azerbaijan was primarily to fill a hole in a map. I’ve been to Armenia, Georgia, Iran & Turkey and so felt it was about time I finally went. I hadContinue reading “59. Azerbaijan”
58. Wiltshire
This post features: Chippenham, Castle Combe, Corsham, Cricklade, Lacock, Malmesbury, Swindon, Stonehenge, Avebury, Crofton, Warminster, Devizes, Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge, Salisbury, Marlborough and Calne Chippenham The Church of St Andrew: The Town: The River Avon: Castle Combe Castle Combe has been called ‘The Prettiest Village in England’ and it is not hard to see why. OriginallyContinue reading “58. Wiltshire”
57. Cambridgeshire
This post features: Ely, Wicken Fen, Buckden, St Ives, Peterborough, Wisbech, Cambridge, Huntingdon, March and St Neots Ely The Cathedral: The City Centre: Wicken Fen Buckden St Ives The Bridge Chapel: The Town Centre: Peterborough Until 1888, the Soke of Peterborough was part of Northamptonshire. It then became an independent administrative area until 1965, whenContinue reading “57. Cambridgeshire”
56. Gloucestershire
This post features: Cirencester, Newent, Berkeley, Dyrham Park, Bibury, Bourton on the Water, Tewkesbury, Gloucester and Chipping Campden One day I’ll get around to adding Cheltenham, Stroud and Stow in the Wold… Cirencester The Romans established a town here in about 75ad, calling it Corinium. By the second centrury AD it was the second largestContinue reading “56. Gloucestershire”
55. Northumberland
This post features: Hexham, Alnwick, Warkworth, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, Morpeth, Berwick upon Tweed, Chillingham, Seahouses and Prudhoe Hexham The Castle: The Abbey: The Town: Alnwick The Castle: The Town: Warkworth The Castle: The Town: Bamburgh Dunstanburgh Morpeth Berwick upon Tweed Chillingham The Castle: There’s another reason to visit Chillingham: Seahouses Prudhoe Prudhoe is pronounced as inContinue reading “55. Northumberland”
54. The Magnificent Seven: London’s Cemeteries
In 1800 the population of London was 1 million but by 1850 it had grown to 2.3 million. Such rapid population growth resulted in a lack of burial space. The city’s small parish churchyards became dangerously overcrowded, leading to decaying matter getting into the water supply and causing epidemics of diseases such as cholera. ThereContinue reading “54. The Magnificent Seven: London’s Cemeteries”
53. Egypt
This post features Cairo and Luxor from a trip in January 2017 Cairo The Mosque of Ibn Tulun: The Coptic Church of St Mary: St George’s Greek Orthodox Church: Mosque- Madrassa of Sultan Hassan: The Mohammed Ali Mosque: The Mamluk Mosque: Museum of Islamic Art: The Egyptian Museum, Tahrir Square: Wandering Around: Garbage City: SakkaraContinue reading “53. Egypt”
52. Somerset
This post features: Frome, Taunton, Wellington, Castle Cary, Bristol, Weston Super Mare, Wells, Glastonbury, Yeovil, Ilchester, Crewkerne, Bath and Bridgwater Frome The Church of St John the Baptist: The River Frome: The Town: Taunton Churches: Historic Taunton: Riverside: The Town: Wellington Castle Cary Haynes Motor Museum Bristol The Cathedral: St Mary Redcliffe: Other Fine BristolContinue reading “52. Somerset”
51. Netherlands
This post features pictures of Rotterdam taken during a visit in November 2023 and Den Haag, Delft, Haarlem and Utrecht taken during a visit in December 2016 Rotterdam The Central Station: Street Scenes: Street Art: Waterside: Den Haag (The Hague) Delft Haarlem Utrecht
50. Suffolk
This post features: Felixstowe, Woodbridge, Ipswich, Clare, East Bergholt, Lavenham, Boxford, Kersey, Bury St Edmund’s, Lowestoft, Stowmarket’s museum of East Anglian Life and Hadleigh Felixstowe Woodbridge Ipswich There’s a friendly rivalry between Colchester and Ipswich that I wasn’t aware of. Colchester claims to be the oldest town in England (77ad) while Ipswich claims to beContinue reading “50. Suffolk”