Exploring the world, one place at a time
Nestled at the bottom of a secluded part of the Aeron Valley in Ceredigion, west Wales, you'll find Llanerchaeron, a charming country estate that's home to a little known gem – an early Palladian villa by the renowned Regency architect John Nash. In 1789, Colonal William Lewes inherited Llanerchaeron, then a small country estate made... Continue Reading →
The contemporary art gallery Casa de Serralves is tucked away in one of Porto's wealthier suburbs. A bus ride away away from the bustling city centre, it would be easy to miss if you didn't know it was there. Opened in June 1999, the museum sits within the extensive grounds of Serralves Villa, a strikingly... Continue Reading →
Earlier this month, I paid my annual visit to Dyffryn Gardens, the delightful National Trust-run property and gardens just south of Cardiff in the Vale of Glamorgan. I've been really busy the last few months with one thing or another (hence no blogging) and almost completely forgot about my annual visit. But as soon as... Continue Reading →
Last weekend I finally paid my annual visit to Dyffryn Gardens, the National Trust-run stately home and gardens just outside Cardiff in the Vale of Glamorgan. For one reason or another, I hadn't had chance to visit earlier in the year and was beginning to worry I wouldn't make it before the end of summer.... Continue Reading →
Now that the lockdown restrictions have eased here in Wales, I've tentatively begun venturing a little further afield and the bank holiday weekend a couple of weeks ago seemed the perfect time to go on my first big day trip of 2021. My destination? The National Botanic Garden of Wales (Gardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol Cymru in... Continue Reading →
With Wales out of lockdown (for the time being) and the north Wales-based I'm a Celebrity in full swing, it feels as though now may be as good a time as any to finally blog about my north Wales road trip that took place over the August bank holiday weekend in 2019. I wrote this... Continue Reading →
The banks of the River Thames to the south-west of London are dotted with stately homes and grand palaces. From Kew Palace to the Duke of Northumberland's Syon Park, to Marble Hill House and the majestic Hampton Court Palace. So when I was browsing through the National Trust's handbook and came across Ham House and... Continue Reading →
This morning I paid my annual spring/summer visit to Dyffryn Gardens. Situated in the Vale of Glamorgan, just outside Cardiff, Dyffryn Gardens is run by the National Trust and is home to a grand Edwardian manor, surrounded by some 55 acres of botanical gardens – and it's one of my favourite places for a weekend... Continue Reading →
If I was ever to write an Agatha Christie-style 1920s murder mystery, I'd set it at Tyntesfield, a gloriously Gothic manor surrounded by acres of land in the middle of the Somerset countryside. It's the sort of place where you could imagine cocktail-drenched parties full of bright young things taking place and then a dead... Continue Reading →
I was in London in the spring catching up with friends, when one of my friends suggested we spend the day at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. I love Kew Gardens and hadn't been there for years, so I was more than happy to revisit one of my favourite London haunts. Home to more... Continue Reading →
Little Old World 