A guide to some of the most beautiful spots of the South of England, beginning with Kent, Surrey and Sussex and ending with Devon and Cornwall.noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Sat, 31 Aug 2024 07:10:48 -0700Blogger http://www.blogger.com45125http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/en-usnoA guide to some of the most beautiful spots of the South of England, beginning with Kent, Surrey and Sussex and ending with Devon and Cornwall.noreply@blogger.comhttp://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/07/hampton-court-palace-favourite.htmlhenry VIIIstately homesnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:02:00 -0800tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-5560040082005710705 Although this monumental russet building is vastly associated with Henry VIII initially it was not meant for him but for his ambitious chief minister Thomas Wolsey. By 1514 on the site of Hampton Court Palace was situated an unprepossessing manor that had been occupied by the Order of St John Jerusalem since the 12th century. Hampton Court Palace by Patrick Gruban Having had acquired 5http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2012/02/tear-jerking-ghost-story-from-st-ives.htmlcornwallnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:36:00 -0800tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-3912407382397236228The streets, clustered with quaint cottages, are tortuous and cobbled. The breeze, gently stroking the face, is salty and brisk. And the smell of fish and chips wafting around is ubiquitous. Plus a streak of perfect sandy beach, rewarded for its cleanness. This is what St Ives is about. Serene and picturesque, like many other Cornish resorts, but still with its own style and uniqueness. No wonder6http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2012/02/smallest-pub-in-england.htmldorsetnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:13:00 -0800tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-7351078851720549612If you happen to be near the tiny Dorset hamlet of Godmanstone, 4 miles north of Dorchester, have a look at the local pub. 20 by 10 feet (6 by 3 meter), it claims to be the smallest in England. It is also quite old, and dates at least from the 15th century. Called “The Smith Arms”, it once was a village blacksmith shop. The local yarn relates that the merry monarch Charles II occurred to pass 3http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2012/02/ride-cock-horse-to-wiltshire.htmlwiltshirenoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Sat, 25 Feb 2012 14:06:00 -0800tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-1102897642862674957“Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,To see a fine lady upon a white horse...” Actually to see a white horse, you better go not to Banbury, but to Wiltshire. This English county, infamous for Stonehenge, has about 14 chalk carved stallions on its grassy slopes, which is far more than in any other county. Some of them weren’t spared by the time and weather, but the others are quite conspicuous. 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2011/04/lacock-abbey-in-wiltshire-nannery.htmlstately homeswiltshirenoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:10:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-3235018328442850830Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire (photo by Derek Harper)After the death of her husband, Lady Ela, Countess of Salisbury, didn’t marry again. With the grant of Henry III, allowing her the free widowhood, a rather exceptional favour at that time, she could brush aside the officious wooers and concentrate on her motherhood, and later on devotion to God. Lady Ela founded Lacock Abbey that was thriving as a 6http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/11/nymans-gardens-elegant-garden-set-in.htmlenglish gardensenglish naturestately homeswest sussexnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Wed, 24 Nov 2010 06:16:00 -0800tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-4998210004550621502Tudor Manor House at Nymans Gardens (Photograph by Pamm Goodey)Nymans Gardens in West Sussex, concentrated around an old semi-ruined manor house, looks like a perfect set for a period drama, with a romantic twist, probably. The imagination easily draws a languorous Tudor lady, strolling in rustling puff dresses along Nyman’s Rose garden, accompanied by her gallant suitors, attired in hoses and 5http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/11/claremont-gardens-and-house-thatjohn.htmlenglish gardenssurreynoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:34:00 -0800tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-3810419644793874201Belvedere Tower at Claremont Gardens (photograph by James Long)Sir John Vanbrugh (1664-1726) was a colourful figure of his time. Until his late thirties, he’s been known as a quite popular playwright. His plays were accepted by public with enthusiasm, although not without caustic criticism from some people, who blamed his writing in frivolity and lack of virtue. But then, he suddenly found 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/10/top-5-places-for-enjoying-autumnal.htmleast sussexenglish gardenskentwest sussexnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Tue, 26 Oct 2010 03:37:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-2530293510546799833 Every season has its strongest and weakest features. Like probably most of us, I dislike autumn for its dank weather, and swiftly shortening daylight, and heavy showers, bringing loads of mud, and… And simply for that it’s not summer anymore. But I’m prepared to accept all this grey doom and gloom, only for that extravaganza of colours, having given inspiration to such many artists, for that 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/08/lyme-regis-dorset-town-of-french.htmldorsetsouth coast of englandnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:17:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-7216150770456697021Lyme Regis in Dorset (Photograph by Eugene Birchall) The South Coast of England does not suffer from the lack of lovely seaside towns, with ubiquitous smell of fish and chips, long promenades, winding steep streets, breathtaking views and that special unhurried atmosphere of provincial resort towns. Lyme Regis that is in Dorset, almost on the border with Devon, is one these charming spots. 1http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/08/gatcombe-mysterious-spot-of-isle-of.htmlIsle of Wightnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:50:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-5971265770168289404St Olave's Church at Gatcombe, Isle of Wight (Photograph by David Oxtbay)Whether you’ve visited the Isle of Wight or not, when you hear or read its name, it is more likely that in your mind automatically emerge the images of the sugar-alike Needles, Queen Victoria’s cherished Osborne House or Carisbrooke Castle, infamous for once having been the place of imprisonment of Charles I. But in the 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/08/ightham-mote-in-centre-of-gunpowder.htmlkentstately homesnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:51:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-5170673655369729221Ightham Mote,6 miles east of Sevenoaks (Photograph by Brian Snelson) Although this splendidly preserved 14th century manor house is surrounded by water, Ightham Mote has nothing to do with any moat. In fact, its name takes its origin from the Old English word “moot” for “meetings”. Having been enclosed by the dense wall of trees, Ightham Mote pops up unexpectedly in front of the visitors 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/08/corfe-castle-and-curse-of-treachery.htmlcastlesdorsetnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:08:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-2821129021256148803 Photograph by Peter Langsdale The Middle Ages left after themselves a wide heritage of miscellaneous castles and strongholds scattered all around Britain. Some of them have been keeping the stories about valiant victories or shattering defeats, the others have been enveloped into romantic tales about audacious knights and dames of their hearts, but there are also those whose walls witnessed 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/08/kingston-lacy-and-story-of-its-exiled.htmldorsetstately homesnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:27:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-2327530075436432581Kingston Lacy in Dorset (photograph by Chris Downer)Twenty years after their ancestral nest in Corfe castle had been destroyed by the Parliamentarian forces and the monarchy came back to the throne, the royalist family of Bankes instead of resurrecting their badly damaged former residence moved 19 miles to the north of Corfe castle into just having had built for them Kingston Lacy (Kingston Hall 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/07/cockington-village-secluded-corner.htmldevonnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:09:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-1742490960206546468Cockington village (photograph by David Dixon)Cockington village with its toy-looking thatched cottages, looking more like the set for a period dramas than real settlement, is only 1 mile from Devon’s most popular resort of Torquay, but miraculously managed to elude the influence of the town with its erratic life style and encroachment of modern buildings. The horse-drawn carriages plying from 1http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/07/haunted-ghosts-of-hampton-court-palace.htmlhenry VIIIstately homesnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Fri, 23 Jul 2010 03:48:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-1616343032732511507 Ghost stories have always been exiting people minds, giving rise to numerous speculations regarding the nature of wraiths. In the past centuries they were automatically associated with something diabolical and cursed, nowadays we are more inclined to take it as a fun, pragmatically trying to find more reasonable explanation for this phenomenon. One of the theories says that the phantom is 12http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/07/sheffield-park-sanctuary-of-harmony-and.htmlcountry parkenglish gardensenglish naturenoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:41:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-8278206167689433392Although this 120-acre oasis of sheer serenity was laid out in the 18th century by Capability Brown, the chief developer of “natural” landscape gardens in England, and afterwards completed by his talented follower Humphry Repton (the creator of Antony House, Woburn Abbey gardens etc), Sheffield park had already existed long before that, most probably as deer park. Once it was owned by Thomas 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/07/scotney-castle-kent-secret-place-of.htmlcastleskentnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Fri, 9 Jul 2010 14:31:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-4808275532149179679Scotney Castle in Kent. Photograph by Brian SnelsonAlthough this one of the most picturesque sites of National Trust (according to some guide books) is proudly called “the castle”, it certainly bears relation to manors than castles. In the 14th century, when the castle was built, the local landholders, seized with panic of potential French raids during the Hundred Year War, by all mean tried to 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/07/sudeley-castle-gloucestershire-last.htmlcastleselizabeth IGloucestershirehenry VIIInoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Mon, 5 Jul 2010 02:10:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-4770164802442380982Sudeley castle in GloucestershireIf you are going to visit Sudeley castle from London, it will take about 2.5 hours drive, but it is unlikely that you will be left indifferent by the place, because it is well worth a journey even if only for enjoying the idyllic pastorals of the Cotswolds. The castle itself was built in the middle of the 15th century by Ralph Boteler, the military commander and 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/07/hatfield-house-hertfordshire-home-sweet.htmlelizabeth Ihertfordshirestately homesnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Fri, 2 Jul 2010 06:13:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-2152028379710330760Hatfield House in Hertfordshire It is always quite fascinating to visit someone’s childhood home, to see the items that surrounded this person, to feel the whole aura of the house, the place where this someone’s character had shaped. It is especially intriguing if the individual is as legendary as Queen Elizabeth I, who spent pretty much of her turbulent younger years at the Hatfield estate. Not 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/06/cornish-wonderland-or-down-rabbit-hole.htmlcornwallnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:38:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-8943092749194640455 Antony House in Cornwall. Photograph by Mark Coleman Having been settled on a miniature peninsula about 5 miles from Plymouth, and surrounded by 75 acres of woodland and landscaped garden, Antony house presents itself to being a lovely secluded spot, turning into the paradise in spring time owing to the exuberance of azaleas, magnolias, rhododendrons and huge array of camellias having over 4001http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/06/windsor-castle-berkshire-residence-of.htmlanne boleynberkshirecastleshenry VIIIqueen victoria and prince albertnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:08:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-7925678657972006301 It is hard to believe that back to the Tudors time Windsor, this flourishing and well-cared-for town, priding itself on the neighbourhood with the Royal Family, fell in somewhat of decay and oblivion. Nowadays Windsor is one of the most visited places in England, and probably only a rare tourist has not visited the town with its sumptuous Windsor castle, having been extremely popular not only 2http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/06/port-lympne-and-howletts-exotic-wild.htmlkentwild animal parkzoonoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:55:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-7426286608277221616 The brief history of zoos.According to some archaeological excavations of menageries, the ancestors of contemporary zoos, had already existed in Egypt by 3500 BC. During the Middle Ages it was also quite popular with the monarchs, competing with each other in generosity, to present each other with exotic animals. We all know the Tower of London as the ancient prison, but from the 13th century 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/06/some-interesting-facts-about-oxford.htmloxfordoxfordshirenoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Fri, 11 Jun 2010 01:35:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-7962000497992218644For many years Oxford has remained the position of one of the most attractive tourist places in England. It is quite understanding with Oxford’s architectural sophistication and unspoiltness, the fame of the 3rd honourable place in the midst of the oldest universities in the world (the 1st place belongs to the University of Bologna and the 2nd is after the University of Paris) as well as the 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/06/saint-nectans-glen-in-cornwall-unspoilt.htmlcornwallnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Fri, 4 Jun 2010 23:13:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-8127848347207630611St Nectan's Glen in CornwallSaint Nectan’s Glen, situated in the immediate vicinity of popular Cornish village of Tintagel, is a secluded woodland area that stretches along the cheerfully babbling Trevillet River, looking more like a brook than a river. For centuries it has been known as somewhat of a sacred place, like a magnet attracting the pilgrims from various corners of Britain. According 0http://thesouthofengland.blogspot.com/2010/06/tintagel-cornwall-place-where-rigorous.htmlcastlescornwallnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Thu, 3 Jun 2010 22:53:00 -0700tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693880630724942700.post-1675892860797774788Tintagel in CornwallThis lovely Cornish village, exposed to strong Atlantic winds, has been popularized mainly for Tintagel castle’s ruins, to be more precise for its connection to the legendary King Arthur. Although the castle was built in the middle of 13th century, there are enough people who believe that infamous Camelot had already existed there long before Tintagel castle was built. On 3