Croxden Abbey, Staffordshire

At its peak in the 13th century, Croxden Abbey, which is also known as the Abbey of the Vale of St. Mary of Croxden quietly lies in Staffordshire, England and was once home to 70 monks. After its suppression in 1538, the abbey complex was converted into a farm. The church roof was removed, leaving... Continue Reading →

Mount Grace Priory, North Yorkshire

In this explore, were taking you on a trip to Mount Grace Priory, a late 14th-century Carthusian monastery on the western borders of the North Yorkshire Moors. The priory was the last monastery to be founded and one of the few that was founded in Britain during the period of the Black Death. It not... Continue Reading →

Bowes Castle, County Durham

Located in County Durham in England, this castle has quite a rich history dating back to the 12th century, it originally was built as a defensive structure by King Henry II around 1170 and the castle had strategic importance, because of guarding the important Stainmore pass route through the Pennine Mountains, so it came to... Continue Reading →

Pevensey Castle, East Sussex

Built within the walls of a former roman Saxon shore fort. It was initially a series of earthworks that supplement the existing roman walls but it was later on rebuilt as a substantial medieval fortress. It endured many sieges through its long history and was also used to imprison King James I of Scotland, the... Continue Reading →

Bramber Castle, West Sussex

This time we’re at Bramber Castle, situated in West Sussex, located in the village of the same name and what was once a Norman motte-and-bailey castle, the barebone remains of Bramber might give you a small uninspiring picture of what once stood here, but what there is here is an abundance of interesting history and... Continue Reading →

Gainsborough Old Hall, Lincolnshire 

Today, we get to explore a complete Tudor time capsule, going back in time to the 15th century, our story with Gainsborough Old Hall starts with a powerful charismatic character named Thomas Burgh. Starting off as a soldier as a Yorkist in the soon to be King Edward’s army, Thomas was knighted when Edward was... Continue Reading →

Roche Abbey, South Yorkshire

The wonderful yet eerie remains Roche Abbey, a Monastery that lies in the wooded valley of the Maltby Beck, about 9 miles from Doncaster and close to Sheffield in South Yorkshire. Now only a small part of the eastern end of the abbey church remains standing to any height. But this was once a splendid... Continue Reading →

Old Wardour Castle, Wiltshire

Near the village of Tisbury and west of Salisbury towards one of the Nadder Valley’s best kept secrets – the magnificent Old Wardour Castle. Today the unusual hexagonal ruins of Old Wardour stand serenely in their lakeside setting, protected by acres of wood. This was not always the case and the ruin testifies to bitter... Continue Reading →

Netley Abbey, Hampshire

Today we drove to the outskirts of Southampton, in Netley, a small village south in the UK, where we spent an afternoon at the stunning Netley Abbey. There is an abundance of beauty and history connected with the Abbey, which makes for such an interesting visit, and one you would hate to miss out on,... Continue Reading →

Newark Castle, Nottinghamshire

Standing proudly on the banks of the River Trent, the Castle has weathered many historic storms since it was built nearly 900 years ago and is the site where notoriously famed ‘Bad King John' took his last breath. Although partially destroyed during the Civil War, the remains still boast the largest gateway of any Castle... Continue Reading →

Cleeve Abbey, Somerset

This wonderful location occupies a unique status among British medieval monasteries. Nowhere else can you find so many of the original monastic buildings relatively unaltered and complete. These ruins are steeped in a rich, fascinating history, going back nearly a thousand years. Situated in the east of Exmoor, just outside of Washford, it’s a must-see... Continue Reading →

Bodiam Castle, East Sussex

On the border of Sussex and Kent near to the village of Robertsbridge, Bodiam has been a brooding symbol of power for over 700 years and possesses all of the key ingredients you can imagine in a castle – spiral staircases, battlements, windows for loosing arrows and ruins where knights once roamed and a surrounding... Continue Reading →

Norham Castle, Northumberland

Today, we explore the remains of a Stronghold caught up in the border wars and set in a strategic position; settled above the banks of the River Tweed are the ruins of an commanding, important and striking Norman fortress. The walls echo the stories of the bloody battles, invasions and are scarred with over nine... Continue Reading →

Lilleshall Abbey, Shropshire

The Augustine abbey at Lilleshall is around 6 miles north of Telford and founded sometime between the years of 1145 and 1148 by the Arrouaisian Order from Dorchester Abbey in Oxfordshire. The extensive sandstone still remains and is now kept by the English heritage who let people explore these ruins for free, set within a... Continue Reading →

Muchelney Abbey, Somerset

The tiny settlement of Muchelney in south-central Somerset is built on a slight hill, one of many 'islands' in the Somerset Levels, surrounded by flat farmland that is often partially flooded in the winter. This relatively remote place has a surprisingly long history, since a church is believed to have been built here as far... Continue Reading →

Etal Castle, Northumberland

This ruinous stronghold is now a fine example of a small castle close to the border between England and Scotland. It lies in what was formerly a wild and dangerous region, where raiding and warfare were common during the middle Ages. Captured by the Scots in 1513 during James IV’s attempted invasion of England, but... Continue Reading →

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