Corfe Castle, Dorset

Corfe Castle, Dorset

Corfe Castle is a small village on the Isle of Purbeck located midway between Wareham to the north and Swanage to the south in the picturesque county of Dorset.  Wandering around the village with its charming buildings constructed from the local Purbeck stone we soon arrived in the village square.  Here we found a cluster …

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Edinburgh's Christmas sign

Day 1. Edinburgh at Christmas

It had been exactly three years since my last visit to Edinburgh and as it's one of my favourite cities, that was far too long. So, to remedy the situation, we managed to squeeze in a short break to the Scottish capital just before Christmas.  We travelled on a Cross-Country train that was over-crowded all …

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The Pheasant Inn, Highclere, Hampshire

Hotel Review Location This picturesque 17th century inn is located in the village of Highclere, Hampshire close to the Berkshire border. Highclere Castle, where most of the filming for Downton Abbey took place, is just up the road and the attractive market town of Newbury a fifteen minute drive away. The Pheasant has ample parking …

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Upton House, Warwickshire

Upton House and Gardens, Warwickshire

The weather forecast was good so we planned a visit to Upton House and Gardens near Banbury in Warwickshire.  Arriving around 2.00 p.m. on a glorious summer's day the main car parks were already full but we were directed to an overflow parking area in a field which was only a short walk from the …

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Historic Buildings, Northwich

Day 3. Exploring Cheshire

Our final morning in lovely Cheshire but still no signs of any sunshine.  We started the day with another visit to Northwich as on the previous day we had focussed on its key attractions rather than the town itself.  The town welcomes motorists as the first car park we came across right in the centre …

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River Arun, Littlehampton

Day 4. Littlehampton and Petworth House

The sun was streaming through the windows as we pulled back the curtains of our hotel room.  The Premier Inn Worthing had been a good choice with its seafront location and our three night stay had been very comfortable.  The Coastliner 700 bus service which we had used to get to and from Brighton continues …

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Nostell Priory, Wakefield

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 …

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Mottisfont Rose Garden arch

Andover and the Mottisfont Rose Garden

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 …

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Afternoon Tea at the World of Wedgewood, Stoke-on-Trent

Day 2. 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 estate stretches for 240 acres with ample free parking in its grounds.  The modern buildings have huge willow sculptures near the entrance in the shape of crockery.  We planned our arrival for …

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Wicken Fen entrance, National Trust, Cambridgeshire

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 …

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