National Trust

April 5, 2019

Complete Guide to Visiting Nostell Priory, Wakefield

Setting off early one weekend we decided to visit Nostell Priory on the outskirts of Wakefield in West Yorkshire. Approaching Wakefield we stopped off for breakfast rolls and coffee at the Union Rooms in Batley which is just around the corner from a Mill Outlet so we had a quick look in there before moving…
September 9, 2018

A Day in Andover: Visiting the Mottisfont Rose Garden & Local Attractions

I’d seen an article in a magazine about the Mottisfont Rose Garden and how beautiful it was in mid-summer so one sunny day we decided to visit. The garden is in Hampshire and on our way we stopped in Andover for an early lunch and a little look around the market town. Andover is located…
June 25, 2018

Exploring World of Wedgwood & Biddulph Grange Gardens

After a good night’s sleep, we set off after breakfast for a visit to the World of Wedgwood in nearby Barlaston. The Wedgwood group of companies is owned by Fiskars, the Finnish gardening and homeward group so it was interesting to visit as I have visited their showroom in Helsinki. The Wedgwood estate stretches for…
March 13, 2018

Visiting Wicken Fen Nature Reserve

One wintry weekend we decided to visit the Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve in East Anglia. It’s one of Britain’s oldest nature reserves and it has been owned by the National Trust since 1899. My husband is a keen ornithologist, so equipped with binoculars and hiking boots we drove to the Cambridgeshire Fens. As we approached the…
January 20, 2018

Quarry Bank Mill: Guide to England’s Historic Industrial Site

It was a sunny Saturday morning when we set off early to visit Quarry Bank Mill, one of the finest places to explore Britain’s industrial heritage. Quarry Bank is located on the Styal Estate in Wilmslow close to Manchester Airport and is now owned by the National Trust, further details can be found here. After finding…
December 11, 2017

Exploring Bath

We were up bright and early as we had planned to spend the day in neighbouring Bath, 10 miles (16km) from Bristol. Getting there was easy as trains depart frequently from Bristol Temple Meads taking just over 10 minutes to Bath Spa station, adult off-peak day return fares are £8.60. From the moment we left…
October 20, 2017

The Birmingham Back to Backs

After checking out of our hotel and leaving our luggage to collect later, we set ourselves up for the day with cooked breakfasts in a nearby pub and then made our way to Hurst Street where we had booked a tour of the Birmingham Back to Backs terraced houses which are now operated as a museum…
October 4, 2017

Exploring London’s East End

Buffet style breakfast is included in the room rate at Ibis Styles hotels and there was a good selection of both hot and cold dishes to set us up for the day in its brightly coloured restaurant. Setting off, I walked the short distance to Prince Regent DLR station and made my way via Canning…
September 26, 2017

A day in Winchester

Having read that Winchester was taking part in the National Heritage Open Days with over 70 events taking place over four days, we decided to spend a day in this Hampshire city to view a selection of its historic sights. Approaching the city from the M3 motorway, we followed signs to the St. Catherine’s Park…
August 1, 2017

Kingston Lacy Guide: What to See and Do at Dorset’s Historic Mansion

Kingston Lacy is an elegant country mansion set in attractive formal gardens and extensive parkland. The former home of the Bankes family, Sir John bought the estate in the 1630’s, Sir Ralph then built the house in the 1660’s and it was then updated and transformed by William in the 1830’s until 1981 when Ralph…
June 6, 2017

Goddards York – the home of chocolate

Located by the side of York racecourse stands a home with a chocolate heritage. The house is the former home of Noel Goddard Terry, the grandson of Sir Joseph Terry the founder of the famous chocolate factory Terry’s of York. How many of you have had the pleasure of tapping open a Terry’s Chocolate Orange,…
January 1, 2017

A winter’s day in Malham – a scenic walk and a cosy pub lunch

Boxing Day walks are popular to work off the excesses of Christmas Day but as we entertained family visitors then, our bracing walk took place the following day. Setting off from home towards the Yorkshire Dales National Park it was a bright morning but as we approached Gargrave we encountered fog which made driving difficult…
December 21, 2016

Exploring Edinburgh

Waking up to bright blue Scottish skies we started the day with full Scottish breakfasts then took a look inside ScotlandsPeople near Waverley Station on Princes Street. This beautiful building is the official Scottish government resource for genealogical research and despite not having any Scottish ancestors ourselves it’s still an interesting place to visit in the city…
December 3, 2016

Scenic Walk from Kingston-upon-Thames to Richmond: Riverside Views, Parks & Historic Sights

A 20 minute rail journey from Clapham Junction lies the south west London town of Kingston-upon-Thames and our starting point for today. The large town has some attractive Tudor buildings and a small market selling fruit and vegetables takes place in the central market square at weekends. The town has a good range of shops including…
October 19, 2016

Guide to a Day at Beningbrough Hall, York: History and Gardens

This year Beningbrough is celebrating its 300th anniversary, it’s an 18th century Italian styled country house and we thought it might be a good opportunity to visit. Located 8 miles north of York just outside the village of Beningbrough we found ample parking on the day of our visit. The inspiration for Beningbrough Hall originated…
October 27, 2015

A weekend in Belfast – Day 1

A part of the British Isles that we’d neglected to visit up to now, so a free January weekend tempted us to book flights and visit Northern Ireland. We took a 7.00 am flight from Leeds Bradford Airport over to Belfast with Flybe on one of their small Bombardier Dash aircraft and in little more…
October 26, 2015

Visiting the Giant’s Causeway and the Antrim Coast

Breakfast at the Jury’s Inn was plentiful and soon afterwards we were collected from the hotel lobby by Allen’s Tours with whom we had booked a full day excursion along the north coast. As it was January there were only 18 booked on the tour so our driver/guide Ian suggested we all sit on the right…