The Platinum Line

Category: England

  • 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…

  • Clevedon A Broadchurch walk

    Clevedon A Broadchurch walk

    2020 is the Chinese year of the rat. Unfortunately, this may not be a good omen. To paraphrase Robbie Burns, the plans of rodents and men often go wrong.  We had planned a walk to try to take a photograph of the last sunset of the decade as it set over Clevedon pier. However, when…

  • Castle Combe Wiltshire a winter walk

    Castle Combe in Wiltshire is the sort of English village that appears on jigsaws, calendars and Christmas cards. After being chosen as England’s prettiest village it was used as the setting for Dr Doolitle starring Rex Harrison.  More recently it was used as a location by Spielberg in his film Warhorse and in the film…

  • A walking tour of historic Southwark

    Every district of London has its own identity. From upmarket Chelsea to the more working class areas of the East End. Southwark which as its name suggests is on the South bank of the River Thames was long seen as a rather disreputable area, home to theatres such as Shakespeare’s globe, the clink a notorious…

  • A visit to Savernake forest

    Savernake forest lies just south of Marlborough in Wiltshire. It is the largest privately owned forest in England and has belonged to the same family for 32 generations since the Norman conquest. The first mention of a Safernoc woodland was made in 934 in the written records of King Athelstan, grandson of Alfred the great.…

  • Arnos vale cemetery, a walk to remember

    Arnos vale a ghostly walk for Halloween