Author: Jake & Marsha

Three Days in Dorset – Day 1

Dorset, a beautiful county about ninety minutes’ drive west of London Heathrow Airport, includes the main towns of Dorchester, Shaftesbury, Bournemouth, Weymouth and Bridport. Dorset shares borders with Devon to the west, Somerset to the northwest, Wiltshire to the northeast and Hampshire to the East.

We have already described a lovely cottage in Shaftesbury, Updown Cottage, that we used to use when we visit Dorset. Shaftesbury is on the northern edge of the county, …

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Introduction to “Three days in…”

We recently travelled to England and had dear friends join us for a few days. Whilst driving around, our friend suggested that we should add to the website a section giving ideas for what to do in the various areas of the UK to which we had travelled. Her comment was, “What should we do if we have only three days to visit a particular place?”

That comment has become the catalyst for this new …

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We’re Stoked! About All The Pottery, That Is.

The Staffordshire city of Stoke-on-Trent was formed by the federation of six towns in 1910. Commonly known as just Stoke, the city is the home of the pottery industry in England. In fact, the residents there are known as “Potters.”

Originally a crossing point on the Roman road between Derby and Chesterton and, later, a location of a church founded in 670 AD, Stoke got its name from the Old English word stoc, which …

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Hegdale Barn

Kent, a county in southeast England, is well worth visiting. Kent is one of the “home counties” that immediately surround London.  Kent has the mildest climate in the United Kingdom, and for many years was a major farming area, particularly for hops. It used to be that London families would travel out to Kent by train to participate in the harvest of hops. To this day, you can see the hops curing barns, called oasts,…

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The Four Horseshoes Inn, Thornham Magna, Suffolk, UK

We have friends who live near the lovely village of Stanton, in Suffolk, UK, and every time we travel to England we try to fit in a visit with them.  And when we do, we four make a point of dining at the Four Horseshoes Inn, located in Thornham Magna.  The food is fantastic, the atmosphere is positively pure English and we have never been disappointed.

The Four Horseshoes is a lovely Suffolk-pink building with …

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Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

In London there are many attractions and unique offerings for a visitor. We have not personally been able to see them all, but that doesn’t mean we cannot tell you about them. Our good friend, Misty Watkins and her husband recently visited London for a few days before going on to other sites and then joining us for a cruise back to the US. They were able to experience one attraction that we have not …

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I’ll Have a Scone at Scone Palace, Please.

Just north of Edinburgh is the lovely Scottish city of Perth, and near that fair city there is a town and palace named Scone.  Never heard of it, you say? Well, dear reader, it holds a significant place in history, not just for Scotland, but for all of the United Kingdom. But first, a lesson in pronunciation—“Scone,” the name of the town and palace, is pronounced “Skoon” as a rhyme for “spoon.” There is much …

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Romans, and Vikings, and Normans, Oh, My! (Part 3)

York is the city in the middle of Yorkshire and, in fact, that’s how the Shire got its name. Like other Shires (Buckinghamshire, Worcestershire, Nottinghamshire, etc.) Yorkshire is the Shire in which York is found but Yorkshire is a very large shire and York is only part of it. It’s worth the time to visit some other areas in Yorkshire, not just York.

Yorkshire is divided into ridings—“Riding” is a word taken from Viking term …

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Romans and Vikings and Normans, Oh My! (York part 2)

In Part 1 we covered some of the history of York and so here in Part 2 we hope to entice you to explore many places that are well-worth your time, for so many reasons!

In addition to the Roman walls, medieval towers and the incredible history of the area, inside the Roman walls is a fascinating city center.  The major, and highly visible, object of interest is Yorkminster, the huge cathedral that towers …

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Romans and Vikings and Normans, Oh My! (York Part 1)

About 200 miles north of London is the city of York which, not surprisingly, is in Yorkshire. (Actually, the Shire got the name from the city, so I guess one should really say that Yorkshire is around York.) We’ve been there three times, and we plan to go again. Why, you ask? Because York is a fabulous place to explore for so many reasons, that’s why!

York was founded by the Romans in 71 A.D. …

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