The Rollright stones consist of the Kings Men stone circle, the King Stone, and the Whispering Knights dolmen. The complex spans nearly 2000 years of Neolithic and Bronze age development and each site dates from a different period. The oldest, the Whispering Knights dolmen, is early Neolithic, circa 3,800-3,500 BC, the King's Men stone circle is late Neolithic, circa 2,500 BC; and the King Stone is early to…
As the Royal Navy's main base in the 19th century, Portsmouth was seen to need heavy defences when threatened by French aggression and advances in their ships designs in the mid-1850s. The Royal Commission instructed numerous defences be constructed to supplement the old, now ineffective, fortifications. Portsmouth was to be protected by a line of forts and gun batteries along the coast from Fort Gilkicker to…
A quick stopover on our way along the coast, the Merry Maidens are one of the few ‘true’ stone circles in Cornwall. Their name has inspired folk tales of dancing maidens turned to stone for merrymaking on the Sabbath. This could reflect long preserved memories of rituals carried out at the site, or more recent attempts by the church to impose a particular morality on the…
Corfe Castle stands at the gateway to the Isle of Purbeck, overlooking the village of the same name. The walk to it has been made into a nature trail. Just south-west are ‘the rings’, the earthwork remains of a ‘ring-and-bailey’ castle. To visit, park in the National Trust car park (50°38'31.2"N 2°03'32.1"W) and walk the nature trail to the castle or barrows:
St Michael’s mount is small tidal island in Mount’s Bay. Originally the site of a Benedictine Chapel, the castle on the rock dates from the 14th Century. Access is on foot across the causeway at low tide. Gardens and pathways wind up from to the main entrance of the mount and feature many sub-tropical species. There is ample (paid) parking in the seafront car park (50°07'27.1"N…
A clapper bridge across the River Barle in Exmoor National Park. Legend has it that the devil built the bridge at Tarr Steps. Anyone who tried to cross the bridge, it was said, did so at the risk that they would be killed by the devil who swore an oath to crush anyone who passed from one side to the other. The terrified locals got the…
Coldrum Longbarrow is the least-damaged megalithic long-barrow in Kent. As with most of these structures, it’s lost its original form, but the entrance is plainly visible strutting out from the mound. Tree decorating is on the rise here, a practice stemming from pagans and druids which I happen to really enjoy. I have been lucky to spend a beautiful solstice here, where I met a group…
Perched high in the Kyrenia mountain range, overlooking the Mediterranean and the surrounding areas of the North Cyprus landscape, stands the castle of St Hilarion. It is the best-preserved ruin of the three former strongholds in the Kyrenia mountain range. Contrary to the belief, the castle is not named after the Saint active in Palestine and Cyprus in the 4th century, but after a hermit monk…
In 1974, Turkish troops invaded and occupied Northern Cyprus. This resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of Greek Cypriots, who were forced to flee their homes. Hundreds of people were killed, including tourists. The resort town of Varosha became a ghost town overnight. The buildings were left abandoned and fell into disrepair.
Just north of Famagusta at the base of the Karpaz Peninsula lies the remains of the city of Salamis. The capital of Cyprus as far back as 1100 BC, Salamis survived the successive occupations of the Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, and Romans but eventually succumbed to the forces of nature when a severe earthquake destroyed the city in 76 AD,
A little exploration of an old brick furnace, just a stone's throw from where we were visiting family.
Kymlinge is sometimes called a “ghost station” or an “abandoned station”, but the fact is that the project has simply been put off indefinitely. The station is said to be haunted by the Silverpilen ghost train.