I just received a copy of Cathedrals for the Curious, a wonderful new book by Geoffrey Lord, and I thought it deserved mention here. The book is an alphabetical guide to the 'curiosities' of British cathedrals, covering architectural details and oddities. If you've ever wondered what a reredos is, or found yourself bewildered by overly obtuse guidebooks, this is the book for you.
Our friends at English Heritage have just made available to us their upcoming schedule of events for the Christmas season and the first few months of 2012. Events at historic properties are an enjoyable way to spend some family time over the holidays and at the same time sneak a bit of history under the kid's radar in the guise of good-old fashioned fun.
If you have the slightest interest in British stately homes you will be familiar with the name of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. The foremost exponent of British landscape gardening, Brown had perhaps more influence on the way historic houses and grounds look than anyone in history. In recognition of the profound influence exercised by Capability Brown, English Heritage have announced that a blue plaque in his name has been erected at Wilderness House, Hampton Court Palace.
Last year I got to spend a week in London. Now that may not sound like much to those who regularly commute about the city, but for a Cotswold lad like me it was big stuff, I assure you. And being the inveterate photo-snapper that I am, I came back from my week of exploring the city with a few thousand photos. Well, they won''t do any good just sitting in my camera, so it is with no small measure of pride that I unveil the London Photo Gallery, an illustrated guide to historic places to visit in the central London area.
I've just returned from three glorious weeks exploring Sutherland and Wester Ross. There's lots to share with Britain Express readers - sheesh, I took over 6,000 photos! But one thing I couldn't wait to share is my vote for the most scenic drive in Britain. I've had the pleasure of visiting almost every corner of the country over the past few years, but the circular route around the Applecross peninsula of Wester Ross is arguably the most beautiful drive I've ever had the fun of exploring.
If you're in the area of Long Melford, Suffolk, on Friday, 19 August, you might enjoy a fun family event at Melford Hall, a superb stately home run by the National Trust. A special Teddy Bear's Picnic has been organised by volunteers at the Hall, and will run from 11.00-4.30 p.m.
Its that time of year again! The largest annual history event in Britain is set to go on the weekend of 16-17 July. English Heritage’s Festival of History returns to Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire. I've had the pleasure of visiting Kelmarsh, and its a wonderful location for the event.
I had the opporunity to visit Warwick Castle over this bank holiday weekend. A good friend was visiting from Canada and was keen to see a bit of English history. with some trepidation I suggested Warwick. Trepidation? Why? Well I supose I considered Warwick something of an acquired taste.
My last two posts dealt with places to visit in Norfolk, focussed on historic sites, so its only fair that I give equal billing to Norfolk's southern neighbour, Suffolk. I had the pleasure of spending two weeks exploring Suffolk's countryside and coast last summer, and to say I enjoyed myself is an understatement. There's probably no other county that retains so much historic architecture and traditional English countryside charm as Suffolk.
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David Ross is the editor of BritainExpress.com. By training a historian and photographer, he enjoys nothing more than exploring odd corners of Britain.
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