Broadway Tower - highest castle in the Cotswolds
The Broadway Tower is familiar to walkers on the Cotswold Way. The folly stands at an impressive viewpoint and has associations with Capability Brown, William Morris, and the Cold War.
Six Things on
Bank Holidays - thanks to Sir John Lubbock
It was not until 1871 that British Bank Holidays came into being. They were the result of efforts to give people more leisure time by banker-turned-politician Sir John Lubbock, the first Lord Avebury, who introduced the Bank Holidays Act in parliament. But the British concept has fallen behind a global trend, and now only one country in the world has fewer Bank Holidays than the UK.
The Chee Dale stepping stones in the Peak District National Park
A walk through Chee Dale is one of the best hikes in the southern part of Derbyshire’s Peak District National Park, not least because of the fun of navigating some large stepping stones along the side of a river en route.
Great Crested Newt - scourge of housebuilders!
Great Crested Newts are one of three newt species in the UK and are also the biggest. These interesting amphibians have become the legendary foe of builders, as they are heavily protected by UK and European law and their discovery on the site is notorious for delaying or disrupting development plans.
Nasty, brutish and short
Though the phrase is often quoted as a description of the life of our ancestors, especially in the Stone Age, 'Nasty, brutish and short' is actually taken from Thomas Hobbes' book Leviathan, published in 1651, and a reference to contemporary events.
Blackthorn and Hawthorn - bringers of British blossom time
Blackthorn and Hawthorn, also known as May, are prolific British tree and hedgerow bushes that burst into blossom as a sign of spring turning to summer. Blackthorn comes first and is predominantly a cream colour, and then Hawthorn, with a pretty white/pale-pink blossom.
Six things to delight and entertain you every day.