The Platinum Line

Category: A walk in the past

  • Walking in the sacred Stonehenge landscape

    Stonehenge is probably the most famous Neolithic landmark in Europe. Many visitors come by coach and combine a short trip to see the visitor centre and the stones with a stop in Salisbury or Bath.  I think this is a pity as it was probably one of the largest Neolithic settlements in Britain. Under the short…

  • Ashton Court Estate A walk in the park

    Ashton Court Estate A walk in the park

    The historic 850 acre Ashton Court Estate is a firm favourite with Bristolians. It is just 10 minutes from the centre of Bristol and is a marvellous place to relax or enjoy woodland walks, golf or mountain biking.  Nature lovers can watch herds of red and fallow deer, spot the large oak trees, rare beetles…

  • Who was Edward Colston?

    Who was Edward Colston?

    It has been a strange spring here in England. Halfway through March, the country was put into lockdown and we could only leave the house for essential shopping and short periods of exercise. For almost three months I have not been further than I can walk. My google timeline reads 19 miles in March, 19…

  • A house through time series 3 Guinea Street Bristol

    A house through time series 3 Guinea Street Bristol

    A house through time is a BBC 2 series that tells the story of an English city through the history of one of its houses.  Two previous series, which I very much enjoyed have focused on the northern cities of Newcastle and Liverpool.  As I belong to a history walking group and have written on…

  • Social distancing for V.E. day in Bristol

    Social distancing for V.E. day in Bristol

    It was going to be very different; our government had planned a series of events on May 8th to mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the ending of the war in Europe (V.E. day). Local groups were planning street parties, film shows and church parades. The bank holiday had been moved from Monday to Friday so…

  • Bradford on Avon a winter history walk

    Our first February walk was a four mile ramble around Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire. The town has long been a favourite of ours and we love to stroll along the towpaths of the Kennet and Avon canal which connects the river Avon in  Bath to the Thames at Reading and stop for a drink…

  • 17th Century Bristol a walk with Samuel Pepys

    Did you know Samuel Pepys, the famous London diarist visited Bristol in the 17th century? No, neither did I. However, when Pepys visited in 1668 as part of his work as a naval clerk, he was very impressed with the city calling it a second London. This week our  “walk in the past” history walking…