Head north to Beamish for an industrial age experience never to be forgotten.

/ Beamish museum/

Take a time machine trip back to the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian times as well as World War Two, at Beamish,”the living museum of the North”. Many visitors leave Beamish with the view that they needed four days, not one to get the complete experience and vow to take advantage of the free return ticket before the year is out. A full day can involve rides on trams, trains and buses, visits to sweet shops, a bank, a grocer’s store, a pit village with miners cottages a school and a 1940’s farm to name but a few! For an extra fee, adults can enjoy extra experiences such as driving the colliery railway locomotive and blacksmithing as well as experiencing war time cookery in the 1940’s Farm Kitchen. Beamish’s “Period Food Team” state that they will “teach you everything you need to know to make a selection of delicious, traditional sweets and treats including cinder toffee, coconut delights, rum truffles and sweetmeats.”

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Bryn Celli Ddu a neolithic burial chamber that you can go inside and henge monument.

/ Bryn Celli Ddu/

Visiting Bryn Celli Ddu takes you back to the Neolithic period, 5000 years ago when farming had come to Britain . Cadw who look after this monument describe it as the best known prehistoric monument on Anglesey and one of the most evocative archaeological sites in Britain.You have a wonderful opportunity to go inside a Neolithic tomb burial chamber. Inside the mound is a narrow passage which ends in a small chamber where human bones, arrowheads and carved stones were found. If you visit Bryn Celli Ddu before sunrise on the longest day of the year, aka the summer solstice, you will see that the rising sun’s rays shine directly down the passage way to illuminate the chamber where the human remains were once placed. This is the only example of this alignment in Anglesey.

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Hampton Court; Kings, Cardinals and Queens plus the occasional ghost!

/ Hampton Court Palace/
Hampton Court; Kings, Cardinals and Queens plus the occasional ghost!

Hampton Court Palace is the most awesome Tudor palace that you will be able to see (many of Henry’s palaces have been partly or totally destroyed). The preservation of the building is remarkable. Unlike many well known places, Hampton Court Palace is not a romantic ruin! It has been described as history in colour. The Great Hall and Chapel Royal will take your breath away. There are many things stand out and are simply stunning. Hampton Court is the centre of a fantastic period of history with fascinating characters like Thomas Wolsey, Anne Boleyn and of course Henry VIII. Most people know a few things about Henry and his six wives and here is the place where a lot of it took place.There are so many badges, emblems and physical references to Henry VIII’s life story that it would take a day to search them all out!

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Castles in North Wales

/ Caernarfon Castle/

Here you will find the best 4 castles in rank order, that you should visit North Wales. A short stay in North Wales can be a castle hunter’s dream. Short car rides from a central location such as Bangor can present you with four of the best preserved medieval castles in the country.North Wales is a very special area for anyone with an interest in medieval history, and the four we’ve mentioned here were described by UNESCO as “the finest examples of late 13th and early 14th century military architecture in Europe.These castles remain in remarkable condition and they give you the opportunity to see the work of one of the greatest castle builders in history: Master James of St George. The castles here are unlike any you will see anywhere else and the Iron Ring of Castles in North Wales are the lasting legacy of Edward I - one of the greatest castle building kings in history.

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Is "The Dig" true?

/ British Museum/

Is “The Dig” true?Netflix has recently released a brilliant film called “the Dig” where a rather rich English lady hires a self taught amateur archaeologist to excavate some mounds on her land only to discover in a rather short period of time, an Anglo-Saxon ship burial together with 263 items which can only be described as “treasure”. Some archaeologists have described the discovery as Britain’s version of the discovery of Tutanhamon’s tomb! The film is set in the year 1939 just before Nazi Germany invaded Poland and the whole of Europe embarked on World War Two. Questions immediately arise, did such an event happen? How could an amateur discover such an amazing find and was it really on the eve of World War Two. Were the main characters based on real people and did they really act according to the script. The core of the story is just as it is portrayed in the film but to add interest and excitement, the story has been tweaked! How much is under the heading “dramatic license”.

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Sutton Hoo, “One of the most spectacular and important discoveries of British archaeology”', according to the British museum.

/ British Museum/

The Sutton Hoo treasure, one of the greatest hoards of treasure found in Britain. See a window into the Anglo-Saxon world after the Romans had left and before the Vikings arrived. The ship burial of a mighty warrior.

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Why did people build castles?

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Why did people build castles in England? Did the reasons for building later versions of castles change and when did they begin building castles are all key questions to be answered in this blog.The story of castles in England really begins with William the Conqueror and his victory in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Before 1066, a couple of Normans living in England and friends of the English King, Edward the Confessor had built castles but on the whole, castles were not part of the English landscape. When William won the battle, he only had about 8 000 men but unfortunately for him, there were 2.5 million Saxons who loathed him and were prepared to take him on despite him defeating Harold Godwinson, the former king of England. This conquest by a foreigner was not to be tolerated. William knew this and so the main reason for building castles was for his protection and control of the English. William was not only a foreigner, he had a terrible reputation. On arrival in England his men destroyed property in Sussex, pillaging, raping and killing as they went. His cruel reputation was created before he arrived however, with stories of “skinning people alive” and putting out men’s eyes! Protective castles were therefore needed to safeguard a man and his Norman followers from rebellious and vengeful Saxons.

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The lowdown on English castles. What to look out for in a castle?

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The lowdown on English castles. What to look out for in a castle? Many people wander around a castle and complete their visit in a matter of minutes, sadly not knowing about what they have just looked at. This guide will help you to recognise castle features and why the castle builders constructed them. Have this guide ready on your phone and have a quick look at it before you step inside these amazing buildings. You will get a lot of enjoyment out of recognising features and your visit to the castle will be far more rewarding and worth the journey. If you plan to visit a castle with your children, use the guide on your phone and make a discovery game trying to find examples of my top 19. The person who finds the most wins. You can even devise your own points competition.

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Did you know that the bombing of Pearl Harbor was repeated against Darwin in World War Two? Guest contributor Jolyon Bird of Walkmyworld.com tells us all about it.

/ Darwin military museum/
Did you know that the bombing of Pearl Harbor was repeated against Darwin in World War Two? Guest contributor Jolyon Bird of Walkmyworld.com tells us all about it.

The Second World War has several events that are widely known that made it a global conflict - the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Stalingrad, D-Day and Okinawa to name a few, but it wasn’t until I emigrated to Australia that I learned that the Second World War even touched the Land Down Under. The Bombings of Darwin are the largest attacks by a foreign power on Australia and it not only had a lasting impact on the city of Darwin, but it transformed Australian foreign policy forever. As the USA had declared war on Japan in 1941 after the bombings of Pearl Harbour, the American craft based in Darwin posed a potential threat to the Japanese empire. The bombing of Darwin was seen as a way of taking Timor, showing it’s domination to Australia and taking out America planes and ships.

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The Weald and Downland Museum; a wonderful journey back in time to get a taste medieval life.

/ Weald and Downland Living Museum/
The Weald and Downland Museum; a wonderful journey back in time to get a taste medieval life.

Seeingthepast.com gives you tons of information to help you plan a very successful visit to the Weald and Downland Living Museum. The museum is large and spread out and so planning your visit will improve your day. At the museum you can discover numerous historic buildings set in forty acres of the beautiful South Down’s National Park surroundings. Explore a collection of over 50 restored and replica buildings from a time period stretching from Anglo-Saxon to Edwardian times (approximately 950 AD to 1910 AD). Visitors can have a friendly and informative chat to numerous guides waiting to enthral you with the stories of these incredible structures. You can go inside and see the different kitchens, bedrooms and heating arrangements. Watch various demonstrations taking place and discuss with some highly skilled craftsmen and women what they are doing.

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Stokesay Castle; "The finest and best preserved fortified medieval manor house in England",-English Heritage

/ Stokesay Castle/
Stokesay Castle; "The finest and best preserved fortified medieval manor house in England",-English Heritage

English Heritage states on its website, Stokesay Castle is the finest and best preserved manor house in England and they are the experts. English Heritage also states ,” it remains a treasure by-passed by time, one of the best places to visiting England to experience what medieval life was like.” They own a huge amount of properties and so they would not make this claim lightly. There is an air of tranquility when wandering around Stokesay Castle on a summer’s day. Very little has changed over the past 700 years and it is easy to imagine life in the medieval world especially festivities in the amazing great hall.

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Beaumaris Castle; possibly the greatest British Castle if only it had been finished.

/ Beaumaris Castle/
Beaumaris Castle; possibly the greatest British Castle if only it had been finished.

Beaumaris castle is possibly the greatest British Castle if only it had been finished. It is a brilliant example of a concentric castle, ie, a castle with walls within walls , loads of round towers, a moat, barbicans and no keep. It was built by one of the greatest castle builders, Master James of St George, at a time just before cannons put an end to the first phase of castle building. He attempted to create the ultimate castle. Master James was given a clean canvas on which to design and construct there best ever castle. There is good access to both sets of wall walks and so plenty to explore. It is easy to see all the defensive features and how they added to the overall effectiveness of castles. This was Edward I’s last Welsh castle in his iron ring and initially, money was no object.

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Harlech castle; a fascinating castle with an awesome view

/ Harlech Castle/
Harlech castle; a fascinating castle with an awesome view

Harlech castle; a fascinating castle with an awesome view. Harlech is a beautiful castle and very different from castles nearby and elsewhere in Britain. Approaching the entrance with four majestic round towers in front of you creates an awesome medieval scene. You can walk nearly a whole circuit around the wall walk and get spectacular views of Snowdonia, the sea and the interior of the castle. Harlech has an amazing twin towered gatehouse and is concentric in design. Looking at Harlech from the shore, Harlech is at the top of a rocky promontory and towers over everything. It can be seen for miles. It is one of Edward I’s “Iron Ring” of castles in his quest for the English to control Wales in perpetuity.

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Caernarfon Castle: one of the best preserved medieval castles in Britain and a world heritage site.

/ Caernarfon Castle/
Caernarfon Castle: one of the best preserved medieval castles in Britain and a world heritage site.

Caernarfon Castle: one of the best preserved medieval castles in Britain and a world heritage site. The famous diarist, Dr Samuel Johnson described it as, “an edifice of stupendous majesty and strength”. Walking around the outside of the castle, you will see just how big a castle’s wall can be and how it appears, even today, to be totally impregnable. There is not a castle like it in Britain, with twelve, stunning, polygonal towers. It is described by Malcolm Hislop as Edward’s definitive castle and his most ambitious project when considering its sheer size and its elaborate town walls. There are lots of things to explore inside the castle and so many battlements to walk around and spiral staircases to climb. If you have been to other castles built in the 11th and 12th centuries you will notice how much had transformed in castle design of the 13th century. At Caernarfon there are loads of innovations. Caernarfon cost £27 000 to build which was a vast sum in the 13th century and lets you know what to expect. (By comparison, Harlech Castle, built at the same time cost £10 000, still a lot of money but small in comparison) The Treasury less than this in taxation in a whole year!

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Conwy Castle; a stunning castle with a fascinating history.

/ Conwy castle/
Conwy Castle; a stunning castle with a fascinating history.

Conwy is simply, a stunning castle with six massive round towers that dominate the area for miles around. If you are coming by road, your first sight will take your breath away. The Cadw guidebook states, “Conwy is exceptional not only for the grandeur of its high towers and curtain walls but also for its excellent state of preservation. Visitors can ascend one of the towers and then make a complete circuit of the battlements. Built by Edward I and his brilliant assistant, Master James St George, it is one of four castles that make up Edward’s “iron ring” of defence. Conwy, together with Caernarfon, Harlech and Beaumaris are on the World Heritage List, as a historic site of outstanding universal value. If you want to discover medieval castles or wish to inspire a child with medieval history, this is a good one to visit. Even better if, over the course of a few days, you visit all four mentioned above. They are all fairly close to each other. Edward’s aim was to have each one a day’s ride from the next one for mutual aid in case of attack.

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Why did Edward I build castles in North Wales?

/ Caernarfon Castle/
Why did Edward I build castles in North Wales?

Why did Edward I build so many “state of the art” castles in northern Wales? Dr Sam Willis has described Edward I as,” the greatest castle building king this country has ever seen”. He went on to say, "his castles were his Arthurian Camelot, a tool to conquer and then recolonise". Dan Jones has commented, "every Plantagenet king with exception of Richard I has come to Wales and all departed having barely left a footprint. Edward I ended that trend emphatically".

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The Battle of Britain's "National Memorial to the Few".

/ Battle of Britain Memorial /
The Battle of Britain's "National Memorial to the Few".

The Battle of Britain memorial is “dedicated to the heroic and selfless deeds of the men who fought the Battle of Britain, 10 July to 31 October, 1940. It is cited on the famous White Cliffs of Dover and offers superb views across the Channel to France. Much of the fighting took place in the skies above this very area and so its location is very apposite. The actual memorial is an evocative statue of a Battle of Britain pilot who sits in the centre of a giant propeller. There are also life size spitfire and hurricane replicas, a wall of remembrance and “The Wing” in which visitors can take part in an interactive presentation, “The Scramble Experience”. The jacket that the pilot is wearing, intentionally, has no badges to signify nationality or rank signifying that pilots from Britain were accompanied by nationals from all over the British Empire and even Europe. Of significant importance were 145 airmen from Poland, many of whom were based at RAF Northolt in London.

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Portchester Castle, a medieval castle within a Roman fort.

/ Portchester Castle/

Portchester Castle is one of history’s “must see places”. It is the best preserved example of a Roman fort north of the Alps and within its walls , is one of the best preserved examples of a medieval square keep. You get two for the price of one at Portchester! Whereas, in many square keeps, access is only available on the ground floor, at Portchester 3 floors of the keep are open to the public and covid permitting, so is the rooftop with a fine view over the harbour. Originally built to curb the activities of “Frankish Pirates” it then took on a medieval identity with many key events in English history are associated with it such as the battles of Crecy and Agincourt.

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Warwick Castle, home of the Kingmaker

/ Warwick Castle/

Warwick castle is one of the finest in the UK and a historical feast for all ages. For history geeks, there are a lot of historical features to seek out, such as its amazing barbican.It was very much at the centre of English history after William the Conqueror gained powering 1066 and played a huge part in the Wars of The Roses as the home of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, who became known as the Kingmaker. Everyone will be amazed by the huge catapult known as a trebuchet, the largest one in Europe and will be thrilled other activities like falconry displays and archery.

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What were the Wars of the Roses?

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The “Wars of the Roses” was a long civil war between two families, both claiming the throne of England. A series of battles lasted from 1455 to 1487 and was the longest period of civil war in England. In 1461, 50 00 men took part in the Battle of Towton of which 28 000 were slaughtered. This figure is worse than the horrific number who died on the first day Battle of the Somme in 1916, often cited as the worst ever casualty total in one day. Key participants in these battles were, for the Lancastrians, Henry VI, and Henry VII and for the the Yorkists, Edward IV and Richard III. The Earl of Warwick switched sides and after his death, he became known as the “Kingmaker” for helping Edward IV to gain the crown and Henry VI to reclaim it. The ultimate victor was the first Tudor, Henry VII whose aim was to die a natural death in his bed and be succeeded by his son without any hassle, the young Henry VIII.

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