England – Page 3 – STUDIA PHOTOS

LIVERPOOL 2023 – I

We’re leaving Wales and driving to our next stopover, Liverpool in Merseyside and will spend a few days there.

Conwy Bay, Llys Helig Drive, Gogarth, Denbighshire, Wales UK

Wapping Dock, Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Keel Wharf, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Hydraulic Tower, Wapping Dock, Queen’s Wharf, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Wheel of Liverpool, Keel Wharf, Dukes Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Views From Wheel of Liverpool, Duke’s Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

See each image individually:-

View 1: View 2: View 3: View 4:

Kings Parade Bridge, Keel Wharf, Duke’s Dock, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Duke’s Dock, Kings Parade, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Opening in 1773, Duke’s Dock was built privately for the Duke of Bridgewater as a Liverpool-based facility for traffic using the Bridgewater Canal from Manchester.

Holiday Inn, Gower Street, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Pan Am Restaurant & Bar, Britannia Pavilion Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Smuggler’s Cove, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Narrow Boat Moored at Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Old Barge Moored in Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool. Merseyside, England UK

Smugglers Cove Bar, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Old Warehouse Machinery, Courtyard Britannia Vaults, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Ruben’s, The Colonnades, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Royal Albert Dock is a complex of dock buildings and warehouses in Liverpool, England. Designed by Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick, it was officially opened on 30 July 1846 by Prince Albert., and was the first structure in Britain to be built from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood. As a result, it was the first non-combustible warehouse system in the world.

Today the Royal Albert Dock is a major tourist attraction in the city and the most visited multi-use attraction in the United Kingdom, outside London. The docking complex and warehouses also comprise the largest single collection of Grade I listed buildings anywhere in the UK.

The Premier Inn was the last undeveloped space on the dock opening in 2003.

The One O’Clock Gun, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Beatles Story Exhibition, Britannia Vaults, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Old Anchor, Courtyard Brittania Vaults, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Colonnade to The Tate, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Sculpture, The Tate, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Hartley Quay Bridge, The Pier Head, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

‘Liverpool Mountain’, Mermaid’s Corner, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool. Merseyside, England UK

Piermaster’s House, Albert Dock, Kings Parade, Pier Head – Seacombe, Hartley’s Quay, Liverpool. Merseyside, England UK

A Grade II Listed Building constructed for the Piermaster & his family in 1852

Canning Half Tide Dock, Hartley’s Bridge, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Rail Buffers, Hartley’s Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Merseyside Maritime Museum, Hartley’s Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Catering Vehicles, Hartley’s Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

See each image individually:-

Vehicle 1: Vehicle 2:

The Pump House, Hartley’s Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

A Grade II Listed building dates from 1870s. Now an upmarket pub.

HMS Conway Anchor, Hartley’s Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Conway Anchor at Caernarfon, Wales

First launched as the HMS Nile in 1839, it was renamed HMS Conway in 1875. The ship was brought to Bangor in 1941 and then to Plas Newydd, just north of Caernarfon, in 1949. The ship was wrecked in the Menai Strait in 1953, and this, one of 2 anchors, with the other to be seen at the above link at Victoria Dock in Caernarfon.

Internal Passageway, Premier Inn, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Our Room, Premier Inn, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The view from the window is directly down into the dock.

ENGLAND 2023 – IX – The (Last of) Cotswolds (V)

We have had our wonderful stay in The Cotswolds and now head onward….. passing through Cirencester again and on to Wales.

Doorway, Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

War Memorial, Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Tower, Church of St John the Baptist, Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Door, Church of St John the Baptist, Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Stone Cross, Church of St John the Baptist, Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

The church is a Grade I Listed Building and originates from the 12th century

The Gallery at The Crown, Black Jack Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

10 Black Jack Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Cowley House, 12 Black Jack Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

A Grade II Listed Building

Door, 15 Black Jack Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

12 Park Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

View Along Silver Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Bathurst Estate, Park Lane, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Bathurst family originate from Sussex where, in the 13th Century, they owned extensive lands and a castle. The castle was subsequently demolished, but the name lives on in Bathurst Wood, where its ruins can still be discovered.

In 1695, Sir Benjamin Bathurst, a kindly and generous gentleman, purchased the current estate, known then as Oakley Grove. It was a gift for his eldest son, Allen, who became the 1st Earl Bathurst.

It was under his care that Cirencester Park became one of the greatest privately-owned parks of the 18th century and the finest forest landscape in England. It is still amongst the most beautiful in the country today. Having remained in the same family, its main advantage has been continuity.

Since the 1st Earl’s time the Bathurst Estate has been carefully stewarded by many generations. Following the 8th Earl’s death in October 2011, his eldest son Allen succeeded to the title. He presently runs and oversees the estate for future generations, supported by The Countess Bathurst.

The Park sits within the town of Cirencester, screened from it by the tallest yew hedge in the world. This remarkable feature has been much recorded in local and international history, especially when it comes to its annual trim – a job that takes two men two weeks to complete. Clippings have been used to further the research of the use of ‘taxol’ to treat cancer.

See beyond the wall:-

“Dunstall House”, 27 Park Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

17th century, re-fronted in 18th century. Mishearing a suggestion by Earl Bathurst in the 1920s, that the house should be called after the Gumstool Brook which flows at the rear, a tenant called it Dunstall House, which has endured.

8-16 Park Lane, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Grade II Listed Building,which is 5 houses built in the early 1800s

The Old Grammar School Forecourt Wall & Gate, Park Lane, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Former Grammar School, now house. Late mediaeval, 1534-60, 1640s and 1760s with C20 alterations and repairs.

Rear Yard Entrance, Old Police Station & Courts, 2 Park Lane, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Old Museum, Tetbury Road, Cirencester. Gloucestershire, England UK

Henry George, the 4th Earl Bathurst (1790-1866), funded the building of Cirencester’s first museum in Tetbury Road. It was built to house the Hunting Dogs and Four Seasons Mosaics found in 1849 in Dyer Street, Cirencester, now on display in the Corinium Museum.

The museum opened in 1856 and received 1740 visitors in the first year. It was staffed by honorary curators and a resident custodian lived in the adjacent lodge. The Earl’s museum soon began to benefit from donations from other local collectors. By the 1930’s, when the Bathurst collection was given to the town, it numbered nearly 3000 objects.

Street Sign, Sheep Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Old Town Station, Sheep Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

That’s it for The Cotswolds and Cirencester. We then travelled to Hay-on-Wye in Wales where we once spent a week back in 2016. We even stayed at the same place and in the same room as back then.

The Butter Market, Market Street, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

Hay Butter Market was erected by a local entrepreneur by the name of William Enoch in 1830. It replaced a very old open market in order to provide a covered market area for the use of local traders and farmers on market days which have always been a Thursday. It is situated right in the centre of town by Hay Castle Square.

The building had been walled up since just after the second World War but was opened up and restored by Hay Warren Trustees in 1985.

The Trustees won a “Prince of Wales Award” for this restoration. It is now used again every Thursday and also by other traders and charity organisations on most Saturdays and holiday weekends.

It is a Grade II Listed Building.

A Wet Street, High Town, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

The Butter Market is on the left.

Clock Tower, Jcn Lion & Broad Streets, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

Built 1884 by J C Haddon of Hereford. It originated in a legacy by Captain Brown for a clock for the church tower. This idea was expanded by the executors to include the town clock, public hall and corn exchange but only the former was built; cost £600.

It is a Grade II Listed Building

The Rose & Crown (Centre) & The Old Electric Shop, Broad Street, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

The Rose & Crown is a 17th century building.

It is a Grade II Listed Building

“Rest For The Tired”, Laneway off Broad Street, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

Heritage Residence, Jcn Broad Street & Belmont Road, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

St Joseph’s Church, Belmont Road, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

Property Entrance, Belmont Road, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

The Blue Boar, Castle Street, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

We had dinner here as we did back in 2016.

Late Georgian architecture (shown on 1847 Tithe map) with 17th century origins to rear.

A Grade II Listed Building

“Radnor House”, Oxford Road, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

A Grade II Listed Building

Heritage Residence and Adjoining Buildings, Church Street, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

Building Attached to Heritage Residence, Church Street, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

Oxford Road, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

“Rounded”, Llys Brewys (Off Church Street), Hay=On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

The Cheese Market, Market Street, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

The Cheese Market in Hay-on-Wye (Welsh: Marchnad gaws Y Gelli Gandryll), formerly Hay-on-Wye Town Hall, (Welsh: Neuadd y Dref Y Gelli Gandryll), is a municipal building in Market Street, Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales. The structure, which has been restored with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund so that the first floor can be let out for residential use, is a Grade II Listed Building. Built in 1835 and statue on the higher part of the wall is Henry VII.

Hay Castle, Castle Street, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

Probably built by Bernard de Newmarch and once surrounded by a moat. The castle is traditionally thought to have been rebuilt by Maude de St Valerie; was burnt by King John in 1216, rebuilt by Henry III in 1233, burnt by Prince Edward in 1263 and later suffered further damage under Owain Glyndwr. The double pile Castle House was begun by James Boyle ca 1660; divided up after 1702 and in 1844 sold to Sir Joseph Bailey. Major restoration by W D Caroe ca 1910; major fires in 1934 (E half) and 1977 (W half).

A Grade I Listed Building

War Memorial, Jcn Castle Lane and Castle Street, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

The memorial was unveiled in the centre of the Market Square in 1920. After 1945 it was moved to an enclosure set into the boundary wall of the castle grounds, which allowed for additional plaques to be set up commemorating the dead of World War II.

It became a Grade II Listed Building in June 2020.

Kilvert’s Country Hotel, Cnr Bull Ring & Bear Street, Hay-On-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

Grade II Listed Building described as a Late Georgian remodelling of a 17th century structure.

This was where we stayed in Hay-On-Wye.

We stopped for lunch at this lovely country pub on our way from Hay-On-Wye.

Dining, The Brigand’s Inn, Mallwyd, Machynlleth , Powys, Wales UK

This pub is also a Grade II Listed Building

Just a Few Pints

ENGLAND 2023 – VIII – The Cotswolds (IV)

I drove on to another wonderful town in the Cotswolds called Malmesbury. There were just a couple of stops along the way.

Parsons Nose, 30 High Street, Melksham, Wiltshire, England UK

Bricked In, Lowebourne, Melksham, Wiltshire, England UK

Lacock Abbey, Lacock, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Pew Hill House, Pew Hill, Chippenham , Wiltshire, England UK

The Old Bell Hotel, Abbey Row, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

Dating to 1220 and originally named The Castle Inn as it was built on the site of Malmesbury Castle.The name was changed in 1798. It served as the guest house of the Abbey located next door. It has a claim to be considered as the oldest hotel in England. The Historic England official ‘listing’ of the hotel as a Grade I building, for example, describes the hotel as having been originally the ‘Abbey Guest House’.

After the Dissolution of the Abbey in 1539 and the departure of the monks the building became an inn offering accommodation to travellers on the road from Bristol to Oxford. The claim that the Old Bell is the oldest hotel in England is based, therefore, on the strong possibility that there was more or less continuous use of the building as a place of hospitality from about 1220 to the present day.

Malmesbury Abbey, Gloucester Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

Malmesbury Abbey, at Malmesbury in Wiltshire, England, is a religious house dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul. It was one of the few English houses with a continuous history from the 7th century [c.676] through to the dissolution of the monasteries.

The abbey, which owned 23,000 acres (93 km2) in the twenty parishes that constituted the Malmesbury Hundred, was closed at the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 by Henry VIII and was sold, with all its lands, to William Stumpe, a rich merchant. He returned the abbey church to the town for continuing use as a parish church, and filled the abbey buildings with up to 20 looms for his cloth-weaving enterprise.

Malmesbury Market Cross, 1A Market Cross, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

The Old Bakehouse, 27 High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

Access to Beer Garden, The Kings Arms, High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

HM Postmaster-General Notice, 41 High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

Inscription:

H.M. POSTMASTER-GENERAL, THE OWNER OF THE LAND IN FRONT OF THIS NOTICE BOUNDED BY METAL STUDS, HAS NOT DEDICATED AND DOES NOT INTEND TO DEDICATE AS A HIGHWAY, THE SAID LAND OR ANY PART THEREOF OR ANY WAY THEREON OR THEREUNDER.

The building where this is affixed was erected in 1902.

Only Here, 41 High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

The Old Library, 44 High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

Freehold currently for sale of Offers over £400,000.

Residences, Jcn High Street & King’s Wall, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

Lotus House, 119 High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

The Rose & Crown, High Street, Burton Hill, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

St John’s Court Almshouse, High Street, Burton Hill, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

St John’s Court, a group of three almshouses, stands on the site of the medieval hospital of St John of Jerusalem. The date of the foundation of the hospital is unknown, but records attest to its existence by the C13. It is reported to have incorporated an existing chapel, the former late-Norman doorway to which remains within the southern wall of the building. The hospital was closed as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the site is recorded as having been confiscated. It was acquired by clothier John Stumpe, who transferred ownership to the Corporation in 1580, with the liability on them for the maintenance of a school and almshouses at £20 a year.

Left Column Plate Inscription:

In memory of the Malmesbury men who made the supreme sacrifice in the second worl war 1938-1945.

Right Column Plate:-

Names those men.

Dedicated in 1951.

<a href=”https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/24206″><b>Imperial War Museum Reference</b></a>

WW2 Gates, Lower High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

Through to St Johns Court Almshouse.

The Silk Mills, High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

Also known as the Avon Mills (a branch of the Avon River right alongside.). They were built in 1790 originally for wool but also used for corn and are Grade II Listed buildings. They have now been converted to apartments.

St John’s Bridge, River Avon, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

Brazier, King Althelstan’s Mead, Lower High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

Brook, King Althelstan’s Mead, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

Kings Wall Street Sign, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

The Round House, 77 High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

Cottage, 66 High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

A Grade II Listed Building dating from late 17th to early 18th century.

The Old School House, 40 Gloucester Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

ENGLAND 2023 – VII – The Cotswolds (III)

Still in the Cotswolds just driving around.

Entrance Gates, Westonbirt School, Bath Road, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Built in 1853 it became a school in 1928.

“The Street”, Westonbirt, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Residence, “The Street”, Westonbirt, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Bridge at By Brook, Germaine’s Lane, Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

By Brook also known as Bybrook River Is 12 mile long tributary of the Bristol Avon.

While driving around by myself, I stumbled into an absolutely stunning little village. The village boast 91 Listed buildings with several valued in the millions of pounds.

Elm Lodge, The Green, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Elm Lodge, The Green is a 5 bedroom freehold detached house – it is ranked as the 2nd most expensive property in the village, with a valuation of £2,439,000.

Duck Pond, Cross Keys Road, Biddestone, Wiltshire, England UK

The White Horse, The Green, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

The pub is a Grade II listed building dating from the 1700s

Willow House, The Green, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

A grade II listed building dated 1730.

The Close, The Green, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

A Grade II Listed Building dating from the 1700s and largely reconstructed in 1924.

Elm Farm House, The Green, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

A Grade II listed building – Farmhouse, now two houses, late C17 and early C18, much rebuilt c1975.

Street Sign, Church Road, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Village Water Pump, Church Road, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Church of St Nicholas, St Nicholas Circle, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Church. c880 AD, possibly then cathedral, reputed to be on site of a Roman temple, and incorporating much Roman masonry and brickwork. C11, C12, C16, altered 1829-30,1875-6 and 1888-9, restored 1904-5.

Roadside Stone Wall, The Butts, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Gatepost, The Old Rectory, The Butts, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

The carving of the name is still visible in the stonework

Driveway, The Old Rectory, The Butts, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Bricked Up Doorways, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Cuttle Lane, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

A Private Lane, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Access to:-
The Little House
Paddock House
Meadowside
Greenacre
Stable Cottage
Newstone House

See Street View Here!

Willowbrook, Cnr Harts Lane & The Green, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Gable Cottage (L) & Hawthorne Cottage (R), The Green, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Both are Grade II Listed Buildings

Twitten Bend, Cross Keys Road, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Grade II Listed Building from late 17th / early 18th century.

Laneway, Cross Keys Road, Biddestone, Chippenham, WIltshire, England UK

Heritage Residence, Cross Keys Road, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England UK

Door, Wickham Cottage, Cross Keys Road, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wilstshire, England UK

A Grade II Listed Building early 18th century

Door, The Malthouse, Cross Keys Road, Biddestone, Chippenham, Wilstshire, England UK

A Grade II Listed Building early 18th century that was a malthouse in the 19th century

Local Resident, Lowebourne, Melksham, Wiltshire, England UK

ENGLAND 2023 – VI – The Cotswolds (II)

While in the magnificent Cotswolds, I paid a visit to the old Roman town of Cirencester.

“Llewelyn-Bowen” – Old Police Station & Courts, 2 Park Lane, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is a noted interior designer and British TV personality

Website

Wikipedia

Bishops Walk Arcade, Cricklade Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Church of St. John the Baptist, Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

The church is a Grade I Listed Building and originates from the 12th century

View to Church of St. John the Baptist, Cotswold Avenue, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Toro Lounge, Cricklade Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Wheatsheaf, Cricklade Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Just one of many, many pubs that has closed since COVID!

The Old Post Office, Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestshire, England UK

The Old Museum, Tetbury Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Some interesting history of this building.

The Marlborough Arms, Sheep Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

This has been a pub since at least the 1850s and has stories of haunting.

The Mad Hatter Wine Bar, Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Crown, West Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Black Horse, Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Thai Emerald Restaurant, Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Somewhere Else Eating & Drinking House, Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Silver Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Seventeen Black Wine Bar, Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Residences, Ashcroft Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Private Gate to Abbey House, Gosditch Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Porters Pub & Kitchen, Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Osborne House, Cotswold Avenue, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Old Pedestrian Accessway, Castle Buildings, Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

“Dollar Ward House” – Old Georgian Residence, Gosditch Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestshire, England UK

Laneway, Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Heritage Building, 38 Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Halifax Bank, Cricklade Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Guard Dogs, The Painted Furniture Company, Gosditch Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Grade II Listed Building, 6 & 8 Gosditch Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Earthwork Remains of Site of Roman Amphitheatre, Cotswold Avenue, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Built in the early 2nd Century, was one of the largest Roman amphitheatres in Britain.

Doorway, Former Capital and Counties Bank, 15 Gosditch Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Doorway, 8 & 10 Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

WH Smith & Son, Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

ENGLAND 2023 – V – The Cotswolds

From London we headed to The Cotswolds where we spend a few days.

Worcester Lodge, Didmarton, Gloucestershire, England UK

Hare & Hounds, Bath Road, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Tetbury Market House (aka Tetbury Town Hall, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Built in 1655 and is a Grade 1 Listed Building.

Chanrty Court, Gumstool Hill, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Vintage Cars, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Snooty Fox, Market Place, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

St Mary the Virgin Church, Church Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Old Brewery Lane, Church Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Old Door, Henrietta’s House, Church Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Bay Gallery, Church Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Close Hotel, Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

16th-century manor house, built for a gentleman farmer, became a hotel in the 1970s.

The Ormond, Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Old Door, Cambridge House, Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

STREET VIEW -Google

Door, Oxford House, Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

STREET VIEW -Google

Former Police Station and Courts, Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Now Tetbury Council Offices and Police Museum – built 1884-1885

Door, 7 London Road, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

STREET VIEW -Google

Emma Leschallas Antiques, 48 Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Entrance, Josephine Ryan Antiques, 44 Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK,

Crest Above Door, 25 Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

STREET VIEW -Google — George Wickes 1694

Entrance Hall, The Snooty Fox, Market Place, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Crown Inn, Old Coach Yard, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Sadly this pub is now permanently closed.

The Old Coach Yard, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Old Door, Gumstool Hill, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Door Knocker, 18 Market Place, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Doorway, Deron House, 20 Market Place, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

Street Sign, Chipping Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

ENGLAND 2023 – IV

Lunch at the wonderfully historic Waggon & Horses Pub in Marlborough then a visit to the Avebury Henge and Stone Circles (See previous post)

Waggon and Horses, Beckhampton, Marlborough, Wiltshire, England UK

Originally a 17th-century house, two storeys in stone with a thatched roof, is now the Waggon and Horses pub; additions in the late 19th century and early 20th are described as picturesque by Historic England.

Inside the Waggon and Horses

Field Gates on Pathway to Avebury Henge & Stone Circles, Avebury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, England UK

Pathway to Avebury Henge & Stone Circles, Avebury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, England UK

Old Shed, Pathway to Avebury Henge & Stone Circles, Avebury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, England UK

Raindrops, Avebury Henge & Stone Circles, Avebury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, England UK

Yard Gate, Pathway to Avebury Henge & Stone Circles, Avebury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, England UK

ENGLAND 2023 – III

On our way to the Cotswolds, we passed the famous neolithic sites of Silbury Hill and the Avebury Henge and Stone Circles

Silbury Hill, A4, West Kennet, Marlborough, Wiltshire, England UK

Composed mainly of chalk and clay excavated from the surrounding area, the mound stands 40 metres (131 ft) high and covers about 2 hectares (5 acres). The hill was constructed in several stages between c.2400–2300 BC and displays immense technical skill and prolonged control over labour and resources. Archaeologists calculate that it took 18 million person-hours, equivalent to 500 people working for 15 years to deposit and shape 248,000 cubic metres (324,000 cu yd) of earth and fill. Euan Mackie, a British archaeologist and anthropologist, asserts that no simple late Neolithic tribal structure as usually imagined could have sustained this and similar projects, and envisages an authoritarian theocratic power elite with broad-ranging control across southern Britain.

Avebury Henge & Stone Circles, Avebury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, England UK

Built and much altered during the Neolithic period, roughly between 2850 BC and 2200 BC, the henge survives as a huge circular bank and ditch, encircling an area that includes part of Avebury village. Within the henge is the largest stone circle in Britain – originally of about 100 stones – which in turn encloses two smaller stone circles.

Avebury is part of an extraordinary set of Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial sites that seemingly formed a vast sacred landscape. They include West Kennet Avenue, West Kennet Long Barrow, The Sanctuary, Windmill Hill, and the mysterious Silbury Hill.

ENGLAND 2023 – II

Signs and Posters of some of the many pubs and bars seen during the drive around UK. Sadly, I did not get experience the atmosphere in each and every one.

The Greyhound, Hampton Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Snooty Fox, Market Place, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

West Country Ales, The Crown, Gumstool Hill, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Crown, Gumstool Hill, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England UK

WH Smith & Son, Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

Not a pub but a great hanging sign…

The Crown, West Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

The White Horse, Cross Keys Road, Biddestone, Gloucestershire, England UK

Biddestone Arms, Cross Keys Road, Biddestone, Gloucestershire, England UK

Parsons Nose, High Street, Melksham, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Old Bell Hotel, Abbey Row, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

The Kings Arms, High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

The Smoking Dog, High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England UK

The Black Horse, Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Crown, Black Jack Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Golden Cross, Black Jack Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Marlborough Arms, Sheep Street, Cirencester, Gloucestshire, England UK

The Royal British Legion, Market Street, Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales UK

The Black Boy (Buoy) Inn, Stryd Pedwar a Chwech, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Prior to 1828, the pub was known as the ‘Black Boy’. Though still referred to by its traditional name, it was officially altered to the ‘King’s Arms’ and, later, the ‘Fleur de Lys’, until a change of ownership led to the restoration of the old name and the creation of the “Black Boy Inn” as it is today. The Inn signs each show a ‘black buoy’ on one side and a ‘black boy’ on the other.

The Inn’s name has caused controversy and there are at least three theories to explain its name. One is believed to come from a ‘black buoy’ which existed in the harbour in the early days of the Inn. Another refers to the nickname given to Charles II by his mother Henrietta Maria of France because of the darkness of his skin and eyes, as well as the fact that Royalists met at the Inn secretly at that time. Later, the place became the local fishermen’s favourite drinking place and the name of ‘black boy’ may come from this period.

In Caernarfon’s heyday as a port-town, Northgate Street – on which the Black Boy Inn is situated – was the heart of the red-light district. Northgate Street’s Welsh name Stryd Pedwar a Chwech translates to “Four [shillings] and Six [pence] Street”: what the sailors are reputed to have paid for a room, a bottle of gin, and the services of a woman for the night.

The ‘North Gate’ archway found at the end of Northgate Street was added in or about the 1820s. It was designed to help facilitate the flow of traffic in and out of the old town, and is not part of the original town wall design. Prior to the ‘North Gate’ archway, a census carried out in 1794 revealed this street was commonly referred to as ‘Black Boy’ street. The earliest reference to the “Black Boy” can be found in Caernarfon’s archives dated 1717, a Deed of Sale of a house in “Street Y Black Boy” between Thomas Wynne, Glynllifon and a Henry Robyns.

The ghost of a nun is said to pass through the inn on her way to a nunnery that was once situated at the rear.

The pub is a listed building.

The Palace Vaults, Stryd Pedwar a Chwech, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Stryd Pedwar a Chwech is Welsh for Fourth & Sixth Street

The Crown, High Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Y Goron is Welsh for The Crown

Tŷ Dre, High Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Tŷ Dre is Welsh for Town House – Our accommodation for a couple of days in Caernarfon

Welsh Brewers The Black Boy, Tŷ Dre, High Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Y Twll yn y Wal, Hole in the Wall Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Y Twll yn y Wal is Welsh for The Hole in The Wall

Tafarn Y Porth, Greengate Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Tafarn Y Porth is Welsh for Porth Pub

Morgan Lloyd, Castle Square, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Guinness Sign, Bar Bach, Tan y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynned, Wales UK

Happy Hour Sign, Bar Bach, Tan y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynned, Wales UK

Tafarn Lleiaf Cymru – The Smallest Pub in Wales

The Smugglers Cove, Royal Albert Dock, Gower Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The One O’Clock Gun, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Gower Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Turncoat Bar, Salthouse Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Revolution, Royal Albert Dock, Salthouse Quay, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

White Lion, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Built in 1657 the pub is reputed to be the oldest building in town. We spent a few days here.

The White Swan, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Crown Inn, Crown Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

The Albert, Albert Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Shoulder of Mutton, Cnr St George’s Street & Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Old Gate, Old Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

The Railway, New Road, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Marshall’s Bar, Carlton Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Elephant & Castle, Hollowgate, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

General Havelock Inn, Ratcliffe Road, Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, England UK

The Railway Hotel, Church Street, Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, England UK

We stayed here for a few days in Haydon Bridge

Anchor Hotel, John Martin Street, Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, England UK

The Kings Head, Market Place, Allendale Town, Hexham, Northumberland, England UK

The Hawes Inn, Newhalls Road, South Queensferry, West Lothian, Scotland UK

This is where we stayed for a few days in South Queensferry – right beneath the famous Firth of Forth Rail Bridge

The Staghead Hotel, High Street, South Queensferry, West Lothian, Scotland UK

The Ferry Tap, High Street, South Queensferry, West Lothian, Scotland UK

Orocco Pier, High Street, South Queensferry, West Lothian, Scotland UK

No. 12, Quality Street, North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland UK

The Eagle Inn, High Street, Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland UK

The Bear & Bull, High Street, Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland UK

The Ship Inn, Front Street, Lindisfarne, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

The George, Bondgate Within, Alnwick, Northumberland, England UK

Ye Olde Reine Deer Inn, Parsons Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England UK

The Old Auctioneer, Parsons Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England UK

Horse & Jockey, West Bar Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England UK

The Cromwell Lodge, North Bar Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England UK

Dog & Gun, North Bar Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England UK

The Coach & Horses, Butcher’s Row, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England UK

Banbury Cross, Butcher’s Row, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England UK

The Bell, Junction Oddington Road, Lower Park Street, Park Street, Maugersbury Road, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, England UK

The Lamb & Lion, Lower Borough Walls, Bath, Somerset, England UK

The Black Fox, Junction of Lower Borough Walls, Saint James’s Parade & Hot Bath Street, Bath, Somerset, England UK

Our pub stay while in Bath

ENGLAND 2023 – I

HAMPTON COURT PALACE

Our first day in England and we re-visited Hampton Court Palace having previously done so on our first UK visit in 2013.

Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, 12 miles (19 kilometres) south-west and upstream of central London on the River Thames.

The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chief minister of Henry VIII. In 1529, as Wolsey fell from favour, the cardinal gave the palace to the king to check his disgrace. The palace went on to become one of Henry’s most favoured residences; soon after acquiring the property, he arranged for it to be enlarged so it could accommodate his sizeable retinue of courtiers. The palace is in the possession of King Charles III and the Crown.

Hampton Court Palace Across The Thames, Hampton Court Bridge, Molesey, London, England UK

River Thames & Hampton Court Palace, Hampton Court Bridge, Molesey, London, England UK

Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Light Standards, Hampton Court Bridge, Molesey, London, England UK

Palace Entrance, Hampton Court Palace, Hampton Court Way, Molesey, London, England UK

Moat, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

A decorative feature but it has flooded in years gone by depending on weather.

A Side Gate, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Base Court Entry, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Sculpture at Base Court Entry, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Inside of Base Court Entry, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Lead Lined Window, Base Court, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Decorative Ceiling, Anne Boelyn’s Gateway, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Hammerbeam Ceiling, The Great Hall, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Interior Staircase, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Fountain Court, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Light Standard, Fountain Court, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Cloister off Chapel Court Garden, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Passageway Staircase, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Royal Crest, Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Chapel Court Garden, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Wine Cellar, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Astronomical Clock, Anne Boleyn’s Gatehouse, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

The clock was installed in 1540 on the gatehouse to the inner court at Hampton Court Palace. This pre-Copernican and pre-Galilean astronomical clock is still functioning.

Alley, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

The Great Vine, Wilderness Cottage, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

The Great Vine, Vitis vinifera ‘Schiava Grossa’ (synonym: Black Hamburg), is now 250 years old and is the largest grape vine in the world. It was planted in 1768 while Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was in charge of the gardens at Hampton Court.

Garden Avenue, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

The Pond Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Misshapen Tree, The Pond Garden, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Arbor, The Privy Garden, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Roman Soldier Statue, The Privy Garden, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Sundials, The Privy Garden, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Brick Alcove, The Privy Garden, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Entrance/Exit Gates, The Privy Garden, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Gate Handle, The Privy Garden, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Shire Horse Drawn Tourist Ride, The Board Walk, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

The Great Fountain Garden, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Long Water, Hampton Court Park, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

The Three Graces, The Great Fountain Garden, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Drinking Fountain, Tilt Yard, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Jousting Knights Sculptures, Tilt Yard, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Garden Hedges, Tilt Yard, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Daffodils, The Tilt Yard, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Gnarley Tree, The Wilderness, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK

Gateway, Tennis Court Lane, Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, London, England UK