Exploring the world, one place at a time
When I heard Hay Castle was opening its doors to the public for the first time in its history last May, it went straight to the top of my 'must visit' list. So while planning my annual new year's pilgrimmage to Hay-on-Wye to stock up on books, I made sure to add a private tour... Continue Reading →
I first heard about The Wallace Collection years ago when I was writing a secret guide to Marylebone for a magazine I was working on at the time. As part of the feature, I was interviewing locals to find out their favourite spots in the area and one woman I talked to mentioned The Wallace... Continue Reading →
When I lived in London, I used to try to get out for a long walk most weekends. One of my favourite walks was from Belsize Park to Marylebone or Regent's Street in central London, via Primrose Hill and Regent's Park. If I was feeling particularly energetic and had the time, I'd sometimes start the... Continue Reading →
On my second day in London, I headed into town bright and early to start the day with a little touristing. My destination? Westminster. Situated on the banks of the River Thames in the heart of London, the historic district is home to a slew of the capital and the country's most iconic landmarks, including... Continue Reading →
I didn't have much of a plan when I went to London, I had lots of vague ideas about different places I'd like to visit, but nothing set in stone and I found myself changing my plans on a whim during the trip. One of the places I'd thought about visiting was St Paul's Cathedral.... Continue Reading →
At the end of November I had a week off work and decided to head to London for an impromptu day trip that, thanks to various family and friends, turned into a three-day stay. It wasn't my first trip to the capital of 2022 as earlier in the year, I'd circumnavigated the M25 on a... Continue Reading →
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 →
Over the summer I was working at the National Eisteddfod, the annual Welsh cultural festival that this year took place near Tregaron in west Wales. Deciding to make something of a weekend of it before I started work, I stopped off at Llandeilo in the neighbouring county of Carmarthenshire so I could spend a couple... Continue Reading →
If you've been reading my blog a while, you'll know I'm a sucker for an old ruin – be it a castle, an abbey or even a burial mound. So when I was driving through Carmarthenshire in west Wales earlier this summer and saw a sign for Talley Abbey, I made an immediate detour. I'd... Continue Reading →
Tucked away amid some farmers' fields in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales you'll find Old Beaupre Castle, a medieval/Elizabethan manor house that's in remarkably good nick considering it's been largely abandoned for the past 300 years. Unbelievably difficult to find, it's well worth the effort to seek out as it's the epitome of... Continue Reading →
Little Old World 