A Moody Visit to Minster Lovell Hall

Greetings my Fellow Adventurers! Following my wife's rather excellent post on the history of Minster Lovell Hall a few months ago, we decided it was high time for another visit - and what a atmospheric visit it was, with heavy skies, rain, wind and the occasional ray of sunshine all helping to create a very…

A Stroll around Tusmore Park

Greetings Fellow Adventurers! During this year of turmoil, there have been a few places close by that have helped keep us sane. One of those is Tusmore Park near Bicester in Oxfordshire. To give a bit of historical background - There has been a settlement at Tusmore since the Saxon period, and it was even…

We went to a CASTLE!!!!!!!!!!!

Greetings Fellow Adventurers! What a fantastic day - for the first time since January, my wife Alli and I finally had a chance to visit a Castle!!! We took a trip to Kenilworth in Warwickshire, partly just for the hell of it, and partly to scout out what 'social distancing' measures were in place. It…

Quick Stop – The Birth of Radar!

Greetings Fellow Adventurers! It always amazes me what you can find by the side of the road. Our countryside is peppered with little plaques, memorials and notice boards, all giving an insight into the rich and varied history of our country, the events big and small that helped form it and the people who created…

The Spectral Mystery of Minster Lovell Hall

Just thought I’d share this great post my wife has written about a lovely little ruin down the road to us – enjoy!

A few weeks ago, after what seemed like eternity, I finally got to visit a medieval ruin again. Not a castle, but a rare example of a courtyard manor house built in the fifteenth century by one of the wealthiest men in England. And for a sleepy ruin in a quiet Oxfordshire backwater it has a lot to offer. For a start, it’s tucked away in an idyllic location beside the River Windrush amid beautiful, rolling countryside. It also has connections with the Scottish medieval history module I’ve just completed, and it has links with two of my favourite medieval kings, one of which came to stay at the manor. Perhaps even more intriguingly, some say that its most notable owner never left, that he still lingers around the ruins of his former home.

The approach to the 15th Century hall with the porch on the left

The village of…

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Bluebells in the Wood!

Greetings Fellow Adventurers If you're lucky enough to live near some woods, the Bluebells are out in force this year! Simple stunning, although I still don't understand why they're called Bluebells, they're obviously PURPLE!!!! (My wife approves!) I think they need a better PR company. Farewell my friends and stay safe!

A Visit to Goodrich Castle

Greetings Fellow Adventurers! Back in the Autumn we found ourselves in major need of a a castle fix, so we took a trip down to Goodrich near Ross-on-Wye to visit one of our favourites. The trip was a lot of fun, the drive down through the Cotswolds is always beautiful and after the two hours…

A Brill-iant Sunday Drive

A few weeks ago, after a particularly wet and miserable weekend, we decided late on the Sunday afternoon to get out in the Ratmobile and enjoy the sudden appearance of the sun. Total distance traveled: less than 30 miles Total time at the wheel: About 4 hours Packets of square crisps eaten: 8 Escaping out…

Looking back…

You might not have noticed, but I've not been about in the blogsphere much over the past month - I hadn't intended to take a break, it just kind of happened. I'm hoping to start getting a few more posts out soon - but in the meantime I just wanted to say a thank you…

On this day – England Expects…

Ahoy there Fellow Adventurers! Welcome to another quick installment of the ‘Maddie Templeton Maritime History’ series. On this day, October the 21st in 1805, two imposing armadas fought for control of the seas - the combined French and the Spanish fleets on one side, and the Royal Navy on the other. The battle would result…