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Waterloo Station in London is the busiest rail hub in the UK, with over a quarter of a million people using the station each day. Perhaps you are stuck there now - waiting for a train, with a few hours to kill? The station itself has an interesting history, but there is also a lot to see within a ten-minute walks of the station. So rather than hanging around overpriced cafes, why not check out these 17 sights that are sure to keep anyone entertained while waiting for a train. You can avoid being one of the crowd staring endlessly at the screens and explore the local area instead HISTORY OF WATERLOO STATION Built in 1848 in the Lambeth borough of London, Waterloo Station was originally planned as a station on the line into central London, rather than a terminus. It replaced the earlier Nine Elms Station, which had seen a sizable increase in travellers from the south and south west of England. An Act of Parliament in July 1845 led to its creation, with the demolition of over 700 houses to make way for the new station, named after nearby Waterloo Bridge. The intention was to continue the lines into central London, something which was cancelled due to financial constraints in 1847. Extra tracks, platforms and ticket offices were added on in a piecemeal fashion, with the station becoming increasingly confusing for visitors. Of its 16 platforms, only 10 were numbered, some of which were duplicated. In 1898, an underground station was built, and it was accepted that Waterloo would remain as a terminus. By 1900, more land was bought and work began on the ‘Great Transformation’. Work continued throughout World War I and the new station was formally opened in 1922 by Queen Mary. The station has continued to develop over the years to meet the needs of an ever changing society and is now the largest and busiest station in the UK, with over 100 million people using it each year. If you’re worried about missing train updates while you are exploring, this  National Rail Live Departure Board  updates constantly with train times and platforms for trains from Waterloo. so you can check it from your phone whilst on the move. If you have luggage – leave it at Excess Baggage , which you will find at the SouthBank exit (6). They are open from Monday to Sunday, 7am - 11pm. THINGS TO DO AT WATERLOO STATION 1. Victory Arch Often ignored, this memorial to World War I is the main entrance to Waterloo The main entrance to Waterloo Station, known as Victory Arch, is at Exit 3 if you are already inside the station, or on Cab Road if you are outside it. Grade II listed and built of Portland Stone, it was carved by Charles Whiffen in 1919-1922, with input from staff of the London South West Railway as a memorial to the 585 staff who lost their lives in World War I. It is topped by a sculpture of Britannia holding the torch of liberty, under which is a clock in a sunburst. On either side are two sculptural groups, one dated 1914 and dedicated to Bellona, the Roman goddess of war. On the other side is a group dedicated to Peace and dated 1918. The archway is inscribed with ‘Dedicated to the employees of the Company who fell in the war’ and medallions around the arch name Belgium, Italy, Dardenelles, France, Egypt, Mesopotamia and the North Sea. Bronze plaques inside the arch list the names of the fallen employees. It is best to try to ignore everything else around this grand entrance, as the passage of time has not been kind to the area. 2. Battle of Waterloo Memorial This memorial to the Battle of Waterloo is a relatively recent addition and has a replica of the Waterloo Campaign Medal If you walk up the stairs inside the station to the balcony area, a relatively recent addition from 2012, you will find a memorial to the soldiers who died in the Battle of Waterloo. It was unveiled in 2015 to mark 200 years since the battle, in a ceremony led by the 9th Duke of Wellington and attended by descendents of those who fought and died in the battle. The memorial is an enlarged replica of the Waterloo Campaign Medal, the first such to be given to every soldier at the battle, irrespective of their rank. It was also the first campaign medal to be issued to next of kin of those who had died. It depicts Victory sitting on a plinth, with the word ‘Wellington’ inscribed above and ‘Waterloo, June 18, 1815’ below. Beneath the medal are the words of Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington; ‘My heart is broken by the terrible loss I have sustained in my old friends and companions and my poor soldiers. Believe me, nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won.’ Most people walk past the memorial without even noticing, but it is worth seeking it out. 3. Original Archway The original archway to Waterloo Station Few people notice this archway which is now hidden by the retail balcony, but which is a colourful early 20th century memory of the now defunct London South West Railway. A stained glass window of the LSWR crest is surrounded by inscribed banners to locations served by the original London and South West Railway and which include (left) Middlesex, Surrey, Bucks [Buckinghamshire], Berks[hire], Sussex, Isle-Wight; (right) Hants [Hampshire], Wilts[hire], Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall. It is interesting to note that by the time Waterloo was being built, the LSWR had actually ceased to exist, but the window and design were still incorporated into the finished building. 4. The Waterloo Clock A close up of the Waterloo Clock Striking and prominent, there are few more famous clocks in London than this one. Best viewed from the balcony, the Waterloo Clock is perhaps the most famous symbol of the station and “under the Waterloo Clock” one of the most famous meeting places in London. This four sided clock, with each side over 5 feet, has hung above the concourse since the early 1920s and was built by Gents of Leicester, a company which had began trading in 1872 and which had made electric clocks for railway stations around the world. 5. The Sunbathers This is a recent addition to Waterloo Station, just along from the Battle of Waterloo Memorial. Installed in 2020 , it was actually created for the Festival of Britain in 1951, by artist Peter Laszlo Peri. It had been assumed lost forever after the Festival, until an appeal was put out to find missing artworks, and someone recognised it as being in terrible state in the garden of the Clarendon Hotel in London. Fundraising followed to repair it, and for three years it was on display in the Royal Festival Hall. It has now been moved to Waterloo. 6. The Windrush Memorial The most recent addition to Waterloo, this memorial was unveiled in June 2022 by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Designed by Jamaican artist Basil Watson, it depicts a man, woman and child dressed in their Sunday best standing atop a pile of suitcases. Each person is looking in a different direction but they are all holding hands, and represents the arrival of that generation in the UK with their hopes for their future. The Windrush generation are those who arrived in the UK from the Caribbean between 1948 - 1971, answering the call for more labour to help out the British after World War II. You can find the monument just inside the main entrance to Waterloo Station, and read more about the monument here >> THINGS TO DO IN A 2 – 5 MINUTE WALK FROM WATERLOO STATION 7. St. Johns Church, Waterloo (2 minute walk) St. John's Church, Waterloo Currently closed for renovations until Summer 2022 although the garden is open Built in 1824 by architect Francis Octavius Bedford, this church was built in a Greek style inspired by his love of Greek scholarship. Bombed in 1940 and left exposed for ten years, the restoration was completed in 1950 and the church rededicated as the Festival of Britain church. Most of the Victorian features are long gone and the interior is now a spacious, open rectangular room with large windows and a simple balcony. The reredos is replaced by 1950s murals and the overall impression is one of light and simplicity. The church has a large graveyard which has won multiple awards as a wildlife sanctuary and green space, filled with plants to counteract the pollution which comes from Waterloo Station. With a thriving community, the church is open to visitors and the graveyard a small sanctuary of peace and nature in the busy city. Find out more >> 8. The Old Vic Theatre, Lambeth (3 minute walk) The Old Vic Founded in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre under the patronage of Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, unfortunately Charlotte died in 1817 and Leopold left England to become King of the Belgians. The lease was taken over in 1833 and a new patron sought, with the Duchess of Kent, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the mother of the future Queen Victoria approached. By 1835, the theatre was known as The Victoria Theatre. Rebuilt inside in 1871 and renamed The Royal Victoria Palace, The ‘Old Vic’ has been in use since then. The building is Grade II listed due to its architectural quality and rarity. An all day, late-night bar is in the basement and open to all, including non-ticket holders. If you know you will have time to spare in advance, you can always  book a behind the scenes tour if they are running, which will cover its 200 years of history and culture. 9. Roupell Street Conservation Area, Waterloo (5 minute walk) Roupell Street is a fine example of modest Georgian housing and one of few left in London Roupell Street and the streets around it are the best preserved area of modest Georgian housing in London, and a visit is like stepping back in time to the 19th century. Originally marsh land, the area was developed by John Palmer Roupell, a gold refiner, who developed the land for artisan workers, building modest two storey terraced housing. In 1829, a year before completion, one of the houses burnt down when the workmen’s pot used for making the pitching boiled over and set some straw and wood alight. The properties weren’t insured as they were unfinished, and the remaining properties were swiftly insured. Metal insurance plates were fixed to the outsides, many of which can still be seen today. The area was managed by a single landlord until the 1970s when the houses were sold off, but fortunately in 1976 the properties were listed and made a conservation area. It is a lovely place to visit, really pretty, and is surprisingly peaceful, something I was slightly astonished by. The King’s Arms pub is still there, and is as close to a Victorian pub as you can find today, albeit serving Thai food instead of traditional British fare. The street has featured in numerous TV series and films and is said to be one of the most filmed places in London. 10. Leake Street Arches, Waterloo (5 minute walk) Colourful, vibrant and ever changing, the Leake Street arches are also known as The Banksy Tunnel This tunnel is a fascinating place for a walk, and is actually underneath Waterloo Station. It is named after Dr. John Leake, an 18th century doctor who founded the General Lying-In Hospital (one of the country’s first maternity hospitals), nearby. The arches were created with the construction of Waterloo and for many years were used by wine and whisky merchants. Until 2008 the road was used for vehicular access as it was owned by Eurostar, but when they moved to St. Pancras Station instead, ownership of the tunnel passed to Network Rail, who made it pedestrian only. In May 2008, the elusive street artist Banksy held a Cans Festival in the tunnel, inviting graffiti artists from around the world to turn this once drab, brick space into an onslaught of colour. Draughts, the board game café Safe to explore during the day, although avoid it after dark, you can walk the length of the tunnel and see artists at work producing amazingly skilled street art. The art changes almost daily so there is always something new to see. Various bars and clubs lead off the tunnel, including one called ‘Draughts’ where you can play board games if your train is delayed for ages. THINGS TO DO IN A 7 – 11 MINUTE WALK FROM WATERLOO STATION 11. Southbank Book Market, Southbank Centre (7 minute walk) Hidden underneath Waterloo Bridge, the Southbank Book Centre Market is the only outdoor book market which is open daily whatever the weather. Selling antique and second hand books from classic to contemporary, as well as maps and prints, this is the perfect place to while away some time browsing. 12. Southbank Food Market If you are at Waterloo over a weekend, then the Southbank Centre Food Market is also on and ideal for any foodies. With a huge variety of stalls and positively buzzing with people by the evening, it is a great place to try different flavours as you wander along the River Thames, or find a shady place to sit and 'people watch' while listening to whichever street performer is playing. There are all sorts of bars, BBQ's, cuisine from every country as well as classic English fare - I particularly recommend the vegetarian hot dogs. Have your meal here whilst waiting for your train home and avoid the standard, overpriced Waterloo food for a taste of something different with a busy, joyful vibe. There's no need to get involved, just sit back and watch the world pass by as you eat. 13. London Necropolis Railway, Lambeth (8 minute walk) All that remains of the London Necropolis Railway is this impressive building now called Westminster Bridge House. By the 18th century, the population of London was growing rapidly, and the existing graveyards were filling up, with many bodies having to be exhumed to make way for new ones. The cholera epidemic of 1848 led to bodies stacked up and exhumed corpses rotting in the open air. The Burials Act of 1851 forbade the burying of the dead within central London. and a proposal was made to use land at Brockwood Cemetery in Surrey, over 20 miles away from London and unlikley to be absorbed by any urban sprawl. The London Necropolis Railway was established to transport bodies and mourners to Brookwood , but was met with some reluctance, with objections being raised about the dignity of the transporting mourners on the same train as potentially immoral corpses, and of mourners having to take a full day off to visit the graves of their loved ones. Nevertheless, it was the best solution at the time and in 1854 the London Necropolis Railway was opened, with its London station at Waterloo. It transported over 200,000 corpses to Brookwood Cemetery until 1941, when the station was destroyed in the Blitz. All that remains is the second of the Necropolis stations on the Westminster Bridge Road, which was built in 1902 and designed to be as unfunereal as possible. Unfortunately the building is privately owned; all you can do is admire the façade from the other side of the street, and peer through the railings to see the remnants of the ticket office for mourners as well as the driveway. 14. Westminster Bridge, Westminster (9 minute walk) One of the most famous sights in London – the Houses of Parliament behind Westminster Bridge The original Westminster Bridge opened in 1750 and was replaced with the one we see today in 1862. It is now an iconic sight, with the Houses of Parliament across the bridge, and it is always packed with tourists. The views down the Thames are impressive even on a grey day and if you have the time, it is well worth a visit. Allow plenty of time to walk across the bridge as you will be fighting your way through crowds of people taking selfies, listening to the bagpipe player and ambling slowly across. If you have even more time, walk across to Parliament Square where you can admire the famous statues, or visit either  St. Margaret’s Church  or the  Supreme Court ; both of which are free so it won’t matter if you have to hurry round them. 15. St. George’s Cathedral, Southwark (10 minute walk) Inside the light and spacious St George’s Cathedral. Photograph ©  Saebou The Grade II listed building of St. George’s is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark and was the first church in London to be elevated to cathedral status after the English Reformation of the 16th century. It was designed by the English architect Augustus Pugin, famous for his revival Gothic architectural style, who was also the first person to be married in the church after its completion in 1848. Badly bombed during World War II when the whole roof came off, it was rebuilt and re-opened in 1958. Now with a thriving and diverse congregation, the cathedral is open daily for casual visitors or for guided tours. With an interior of high arches, richly coloured stained glass windows and an overall feeling of simplicity, it is well worth a visit if you have the time. Find out more >> 16. Florence Nightingale Museum, Lambeth (11 minute walk) One of her famous lamps at the museum Situated in St. Thomas Hospital, the Florence Nightingale Museum explores the life of this extraordinary woman who revolutionised nursing during her time in the Crimea, as well as looking at her life before and after. Packed with original artefacts, including her uniforms, personal effects, even one of her lamps, it is a fascinating place to spend some time. There are also exhibitions about two other famous pioneers in nursing history - Edith Cavell and Florence Seacole. Bear in mind that you do have to pay an entrance fee (currently £9) so ensure you have enough time to do it justice – I would allow at least an hour.  Find out more >> 17. Imperial War Museum, Southwark (11 minute walk) The Imperial War Museum is in the old Bethlem Hospital. Photograph ©  Imperial War Museum Founded in 1917 to record the work and sacrifice of the UK and Commonwealth throughout World War I, the IWM now covers all conflicts they have been involved in since then. Located in its current building since 1936, it is a huge museum with both permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions. It is idea for visiting if you have time, as it is free, so you can dip in and out and not feel like you are wasting money by only visiting for a short time while waiting for your train. Permanent exhibitions include the First World War Galleries, Turning Points which looks at the interwar years from 1934 to World War II, and an incredibly moving Holocaust Exhibition which stays with you long after you have walked away. The museum also houses a café and shop and is open daily except for over Christmas bank holidays. Be sure to store any luggage at Waterloo Station (Excess Baggage, exit 6) as you will be unable to take it in to the galleries with you.

An old gravestone in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral has an unusual place in history as the inspiration behind the formation of Alcoholics Anonymous. Thomas Thetcher, also known as the Hampshire Grenadier, died in 1764 after drinking a small beer, and would have remained entirely forgotten if he had not become the inspiration for the early sobriety movement. Winchester in Hampshire is a beautiful and ancient city; once one of the most important cities in England, both pre and post Roman era. It retains many of its old buildings including The Great Hall , home to an Arthurian round table which has been there for 700 years, Wolvesey Castle where the important Bishops of Winchester lived for centuries and of course Winchester Cathedral . The cathedral is the focal point of this now very upmarket town, and features on every visitor's itinerary. Most visitors walk past the few remaining graves in the the grounds of Winchester Cathedral. There are not many gravestones left outside, and most people will head inside to find the far more recognisable graves of Jane Austen or the early Saxon Kings, ignoring the tall, loquacious gravestone sitting quietly under a tree. The lengthy inscription reads: "In Memory of Thomas Thetcher a Grenadier in the North Reg. of Hants Militia, who died of a violent Fever contracted by drinking Small Beer when hot the 12th of May 1764. Aged 26 Years. In grateful remembrance of whose universal good will towards his Comrades, this Stone is placed here at their expence, as a small testimony of their regard and concern. 'Here sleeps in peace a Hampshire Grenadier, Who caught his death by drinking cold small Beer, Soldiers be wise from his untimely fall, And when ye're hot drink Strong or none at all'. This memorial being decay'd was restor'd by the Officers of the Garrison A.D. 1781. 'An Honest Soldier never is forgot, Whether he die by Musket or by Pot'. The Stone was replaced by the North Hants Militia when disembodied at Winchester, on 26 April 1802, in consequence of the original Stone being destroyed. It was again replaced by The Royal Hampshire Regiment 1966." So how did this inspire the AA movement? An American soldier serving in World War I was stationed near Winchester while waiting to be sent to the Western Front. Bill Wilson had had a troubled start in life and had recently discovered the joys of alcohol, finding it helped him with his social unease and lack of confidence. He saw the grave when visiting the cathedral and was struck by the similarity of the name Thomas Thetcher with that of a childhood friend of his, Ebby Thacher. It was soon forgotten when he returned to the States and became a businessman, whose career was often marred by his extreme drinking. After several stints in rehab, he finally managed to quit with the help of Ebby Thacher and a church group. He later published his famous book, Alchoholics Anonymous , about how to overcome alcohol addiction, writing about his visit to Winchester Cathedral and how the gravestone had caught his eye, describing it as an ‘ominous warning which I failed to heed". Ironically, the gravestone is warning not of excessive alcohol consumption but rather the reverse. At a time when drinking water was rife with all manner of disgusting effluent, people drank beer instead. It was unknown at the time, but the water was full of diseases such as typhoid and cholera, so drinking beer protected them from this as the alcohol content killed off the germs. Poor Thomas Thetcher had drunk a weak beer, too weak for the alcohol to kill off the germs, and had died as a result: "And when ye're hot drink Strong or none at all" The grave has become something of a memorial for those who have been afflicted by the same illness as Bill, and you will often see the odd flower or token in front of the gravestone. Otherwise, Thomas Thetcher goes unnoticed. You can find the grave at w3w: shaves.keys.microchip

England is a country which takes its history very seriously, so it is not surprising that there are so many history festivals on offer, to give the history buff a fully immersive vintage experience. Here we list the regular festivals which return year after year - from the huge, week long Chalke History Festival to the new We Have Ways Fest. Some are ticketed, some are free, some cover a specific time period, others encompass it all, but if you are a lover of history, there will be something here for you. Festivals are listed in chronological order. Gloucester History Festival Spring Weekend, Gloucester 25th - 27th April 2025 As well as the 2 week Autumn Festival, they are expanding in 2023 and have a new Spring Festival on 21 - 23rd April at Blackfriars Priory, which is one of the key Heritage Open Days buildings at the heart of Medieval Gloucester and with a fascinating royal story to tell. Few people realise that the only monarch with a coronation outside Westminster since 1066 is Henry III, who was crowned in Gloucester Cathedral in 1216 when the King was aged only 9. Professor Alice Roberts, Greg Jenner, Peter Frankopan, Tim Marshall and Kavita Puri are just some of the big names who have appeared at the festival. Find out more about the Spring Festival >>   Medieval Fayre, Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset 26th - 27th April 2025 The Medieval Fayre takes place every year across all of the abbey grounds, right in the heart of Glastonbury. It features re-enactments, performances, demonstrations and offers an entertaining and immersive experience for all ages. It’s best to buy tickets in advance which are reasonably priced at £12 per adult. The Fayre takes place on both days of the weekend and you can buy a ticket for just one or both if you want to take your time. Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery founded in the 7th century, although legend has it that the abbey was founded by Joseph of Arimathea in the first century. At its peak it was one of the richest and most powerful in England. It is closely associated with King Arthur as medieval monks claimed that Glastonbury was actually Avalon and that it is at Glastonbury Abbey where King Arthur and his wife Guinevere are buried. Read all about a day at the wonderful Medieval Fayre at Glastonbury Abbey >>     Southwick D-Day Revival, Nr. Portsmouth, Hampshire 7 - 8th June 2025 Southwick house played a key role in the D-Day landings of 1944 as this Georgian Manor house was the supreme headquarters of the Allied expeditionary Force and home to Allied Supreme Commander General Eisenhower, Naval Commander-in-Chief Admiral Ramsay and Army Commander-in-Chief General Montgomery. The large wall maps that were used on D-Day are still in their original positions in the main map room, showing H-Hour on D-Day. The house is now home to the Defence School of Policing and houses a military police museum. For one weekend every year around D-Day, the villagers put on a whole weekend dedicated to World War II. The centrepiece of the Southwick Revival D-Day weekend is the tours to the D-Day map room where you can take a period shuttle bus to the house, see the famous D-Day wall map, listen to talks by museum staff on the scale and detail of planning that went into within those walls for Operation Overlord and visit the Royal Military Police Museum. In the nearby village of Southwick they have both home front and military displays, 1940s school lessons in the old school house, entertainment, a street market selling wartime and military memorabilia and a twice daily motorcade of military vehicles. Visitors are encouraged to dress in 1940s attire, either civilian or military Find out more about the Southwick Revival Weekend >>   Chalke History Festival, Broad Chalke, Wiltshire 23rd-29th June 2025 The biggest history festival in the UK, the Chalke History Festival is now the main event in the UK's history festivals. What started out as a small, local festival now takes place in 70 acres of the beautiful green Chalke Valley  in Wiltshire and is attended by some of the biggest names in history, literature and politics who give talks to thousands of enthusiastic visitors. There are re-enactors from every time period, demonstrations, a history festival for schools and much more - it is the most civilised festival you will ever go to and really is something special. There are a variety of ticket options available and on-site camping for those who want to stay the whole week. Find out more about the Chalke History festival >>   Chalke Valley FAQ >>   Tewkesbury Medieval Festival 12th-13th July 2025 Tewkesbury Medieval Festival is the biggest free medieval gathering in Europe, with people travelling from across the continent for the weekend, living in full medieval style in living history camps around the site of the famous battle of Tewkesbury. There is a large Medieval market, an exhibition tent, medieval inspired crafts and shows for kids, roaming minstrels, jugglers and a varied program of events. On Sunday, the people of Tewksbury hold a parade through the town. The centrepiece of the weekend is the re-enactment of the battle of Tewksbury which was fought in May 1471 between the Lancastrian army and the Yorkist army. It was a fierce battle and one of the most decisive battles in the Wars of the Roses. Lancastrian heir Prince Edward died in the battle, paving the way for the Yorkist King Edward to claim the throne. Now over 2000 people in full battledress come together to re-enact this bloody fight. Find out more about the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival >>   We Have Ways Fest, Nr. Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire 12th - 14th Sept 2025 We Have Ways Fest is a new history festival which began in 2019 and is based on the famous We Have Ways of Making You Talk  podcast which focuses on World War II history. The podcast is hosted by comedian/military history fan Al Murray, and historian/author James Holland who started the Chalke Valley History Festival . They have produced over 900 episodes of their podcast and have developed a firm fan base of World War II buffs. They cover nearly every aspect you can think of connected to World War II and many of their episodes include veterans, authors and guest experts. The festival is two days filled with talks, re-enactors, historic military vehicles, artillery demonstrations, a modelling exhibition, a bookshop and plenty of ale, as the festival site is in the fields of a Buckinghamshire brewery. This is a place for like-minded history buffs to get together and talk all things World War II. Find out more about the We Have Ways Fest >>   Yorkshire Wartime Experience, Bradford, Yorkshire 8th - 10th August 2025 This festival is the north of England’s biggest military vehicle and living history event and it is a firm favourite in the reenactors calendar. Over 50 living history groups from the first and second world wars can be seen demonstrating everything to do with the military side of the wars, from uniforms to weapons, equipment and vehicles. The festival re-creates large scale battles with full-on displays of firepower and massive pyrotechnic explosions and gunfire. You can see the World War I trench systems in action complete with gas attacks and the use of war horses. Other lighter activities include military fashion shows, swing music, vehicle parades and several fly pasts. Fly pasts include the aircraft such as the Supermarine Spitfire and a Lancaster. There are stalls selling vintage clothing, collectables and much more on offer. Find out more about the Yorkshire Wartime Experience >>     Gloucester History Festival, Gloucester 7th - 22nd September 2025 The main event for the Gloucester History Festival takes place over 2 weeks in September and includes over 200 talks, exhibitions and events. Embracing Gloucester Day and incorporating events from partners Heritage Open Days and Voices Gloucester, the festival is back to the full nine days of talks at Blackfriars Priory. Hear from Britain’s best-known historians and broadcasters under the ancient beams of Blackfriars Priory in a Festival spearheaded by President   Janina Ramirez with the support of patrons David Olusoga, Michael Wood and Bettany Hughes. The Autumn Festival programme will be announced in July. Find out more and sign up to their mailing list here >>   Buckinghamshire History Festival, Buckinghamshire November 2025 (tbc) Taking place around the county, the Buckinghamshire History Festival is curated by the Buckinghamshire Archives. They hold events focusing on the fascinating history of the county which includes talks, plays, walks and behind the scenes visits to areas which are normally off limits to the public. You can explore the archives, go for a walk to see the area through the eyes of famous one time resident Mary Shelley, learn about the heroes of World War I, the Wars of the Roses and a whole host of other subjects. Find out more at The Buckinghamshire History Festival >>   If you know of any festivals we’ve missed, or you run a history festival and want to be included in this list, please send us an email.

One of the most fascinating late Medieval buildings in Salisbury is the house of John Halle, a wealthy local wool merchant. Built in the 1470s and now in use as an Odeon cinema, this building is a truly unique blend of old and new. Visitors can take behind the scenes tours to explore this huge building and learn more about its Medieval origins, its heyday hosting stars of the 20th century and its current incumbency as modern multi-screen cinema. Salisbury is well known as a Medieval market town, its origins starting with the construction of both Cathedral and town in 1220 when it moved from Old Sarum . By the 1450s the town had a population of 7,000 and half of the population was engaged in the wool trade. Resident John Halle was a wool merchant and a prominent and wealthy character in the area. In 1446 he was a member of the local council, by 1448 he had become Alderman and by 1449 he was Constable of New Street Ward. In 1451 he was elected Mayor of Salisbury, an honour repeated a further three times. He was first elected Member of Parliament for Salisbury in 1453, an appointment which was also repeated a further three times. He built his house around 1470, although he died in 1479 and it was completed by his son, William Halle, some years later. He was clearly an irascible character. In 1465 when he was Mayor, he fell into a land dispute with the Bishop of Salisbury, Richard de Beauchamp and another local merchant, William Swayne. The land was in St Thomas ’s churchyard, where William Swayne wished to build a new chapel attached to the church. John Halle took forcible possession of the land and was swiftly prosecuted by the Bishop and summoned to appear before the King (Edward IV) and his Privy Council. John was apparently so truculent and difficult that the King had him committed to the Tower of London , for ‘shewing himself of a right cedicious, hasty, willful and full unwitty disposicon’. What is now called The Lady Chapel in St. Thomas’s church has an inscription asking observers to pray for the soul of William Swayne and his wife, as well as being decorated with his Swayne’s merchant's mark, so it is safe to assume that John lost his battle for the land in the end and William was able to build his chapel. The Corporation of Salisbury was instructed to appoint a new Mayor, which they refused to do, and John was in fact appointed Mayor for the fourth time while he was still in the Tower. This is probably due more to the locals dislike of the Bishop than their affection for John, they just wanted someone who would stand up to the unpopular Bishop. The ceiling of John Halle’s banqueting hall has a detailed pattern of oak beams John was released and returned to Salisbury. By 1470 he had responded to a call from the Earl of Warwick to raise an army of 40 men to help depose King Edward IV, apparently his spell in the Tower hadn’t endeared the King to John, but when Warwick was defeated and killed in battle, he swiftly returned his allegiance to the King, which was probably a sensible thing to do. Nothing more is known about John until his death in 1479. His son, William Halle, inherited his rebellious streak and took part in Buckingham’s Rebellion in 1483, an unsuccessful uprising against Richard III. The banqueting hall still has many Medieval features - here it is decorated for the premiere of No Time to Die What we do have left from him is the banqueting hall of his house, an incredible, two storey stone structure. Now the foyer of the cinema, a mock Tudor front designed by Pugin was added to the building in 1881, so you need to enter the building to see the original, Grade I listed, Medieval hall. With dark oak beams across the vaulted ceiling, a stone flagged floor, stained glass windows and a huge stone Medieval fireplace, this is not your usual cinema foyer. Huge wrought iron chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and shields and spears decorate the walls. A minstrel's gallery overlooks the area, reachable only by a wooden ladder, so sadly out of bounds for the general public. The external wall to the hall gives a glimpse of how this incredible building must have looked years ago. It is not normally accessible to the public The large stone fireplace is entirely authentic, although not in its original location, as there is no chimney flume behind it. The stained glass windows are a mixture of original and replacement, and bear John Halle’s Merchant Mark as well as an image of the man himself. A huge, thick original wooden door is in the East wall, and leads out to a small courtyard area, where you can see the exterior wall of the hall, and how it has been built upon over the centuries. The rest of the tour leads out of the Medieval hall and into the rest of the cinema, itself a Grade II listed building. The Gaumont Palace Theatre in its heyday The Gaumont Palace Theatre opened here in September 1931, showing ‘Chance of a Night Time’. The main auditorium had been built earlier that year, with seating for 1125 in the stalls and 500 in the circle. It was resplendent in full mock Tudor style, designed by William Edward Trent, who had been asked to make it different to any other Gaumont Theatre. The beams are made of fibre glass and painted a deep brown and the walls were made to look like ashler stonework, the same as Salisbury Cathedral. Over 40 tapestries with images of medieval hunting scenes were designed by interior designer Frank Barnes and hung on the walls, and more wrought iron chandeliers were hung from the ceilings. A mock Tudor restaurant with wood panelling, oak tables and chairs and inglenook fireplaces served meals to guests, back in the days when a trip to the cinema meant more than just a bucket of popcorn. How the main screen looks now, with large comfortable seating. The tapestries around the walls are nicotine stained thanks to the years of smoking being permitted in theatres and cinemas. The cinema was renamed ‘The Gaumont’ in 1936, and then the Odeon in 1964. It was host to stars such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Buddy Holly and The Bee Gees amongst others. It was converted to have three screens in 1972, putting smaller screens in the stalls under the circle of Screen 1. The cinema was threatened with closure in 1986, but a huge local campaign managed to save it and there was a grand refurbishment, with everything restored to its former glory using the original paints and plasterwork. A fourth screen was added in 1993 in what had been the restaurant, and a fifth in 1995. The cinema now is a veritable rabbit warren, with often quite a walk round wonky corridors to reach the screens. What you learn from a behind the scenes tour however, is how much of the building you don’t normally get to see when just coming to watch a film. The place is a veritable Tardis. The original entrance to the cinema is now no longer in use, a large passageway with a tiny wooden box office in the wall, where some poor soul would have to sit in cramped conditions to sell tickets. There are dark underground passageways with paint peeling off the walls with small, windowless rooms leading off. Once the dressing rooms to the stars, they are now home only to a few brooms, unwanted junk and probably plenty of insects. L: This was the original box office for guests, in the Catherine Street entrance which is no longer in use at all. The box is a tiny space and must have been very cramped for the staff working in there. R: Narrow and dark passageways which once led onto the dressing rooms of the stars. The tour gives you a look behind the curtains of some of the screens, where you can see the concrete, steel, ladders and huge air conditioning piping that tunnels around behind the glossy veneer of the public areas. Upstairs there are workshops and old offices, all mostly unused and filled with cobwebs and apparently, a ghost called Jeffrey; one of three who lives in the building. A tour group visit the projection room of Screen One. The huge reel projector is still there but no longer in use The projection room of Screen One is really interesting with a huge old-fashioned reel projector – so big that it can’t be removed from the building. The modern system of digital projectors with all its flashing lights was a lot more hi-tech but far less intriguing. L: This deserted corridor was once the main entrance for the hoi polloi. R: Top tier ticket holders used to enter through the fire doors on the left, which led past the grand external wall of the Medieval hall. The tour is fascinating and one I highly recommend, not just to learn about the Medieval hall but to learn about the early days of cinema from their glory days to the manufactured and slightly soulless experience they are now. Even if you don’t manage to take a tour, watch a film there and enjoy the unique experience of watching a great film surrounded by Medieval history. VISITING THE SALISBURY ODEON Behind the Scenes Tours take place once a month - contact Naomi on   odeon.salisbury@odeonuk.com  for details and to book a place on a tour. There is a donation of £5 per person paid on the day in cash and all money raised goes to Odeon's chosen charity which is Mind. Alternatively, watch a film there! You won’t see behind the scenes but you will still get to see the Pugin entrance, the Medieval foyer, the mock Tudor decorations in the screening rooms and you may get to exit through the original entrance and past the wooden box office.

The Museum of Brands in London's Notting Hill provides a fascinating insight into British history. A walk through their Time Tunnel shows you the development of how we have become targets of consumer culture from the genteel yet often untruthful advertising of the Victorian age to the far more blatant advertising of today where we are so bombarded with branding that it has become a central part of our society. The Museum of Brands on Lancaster Street in Notting Hill Located on Lancaster Road in Notting Hill, the Museum of Brands announces its presence as you would expect - with bold colourful advertising on its walls to draw you inside. The bright red of an Oxo tin, the vivid yellow of Colman's Mustard and intense blue of Walkers crisps leave you in no doubt what the museum is about - even though the names have been changed, the branding is instantly recognisable. The museum was started by Robert Opie, a consumer historian who collected packaging from an early age when he realised how quickly it was changing. Several incarnations later we now have the Museum of Brands which gives you an understanding not only of the rapid evolution of branding, but its context within wider British society. The main feature of the museum is the Time Tunnel, a chronological walk through objects, not just brands but some of the main consumer objects which changed society. The arrival of the stamp, the hoover, the radio, TV and fridge all led to consumer revolutions which had a dramatic impact on the brands we needed and the brands we bought - each innovation now so familiar that we don't give a second thought to just how much it changed us and the way we live. The Museum of Brands opens our eyes to what we take for granted, and just how integrated consumerism has become in our society. The Time Tunnel starts with mostly printed material before it moves to objects and packaging in later years The tunnel itself starts in the Victorian era, when goods were first mass produced. Items could be transported across the country thanks to the new railways, and promoted thanks to the new methods of communication - the earliest items on display are from Queen Victoria's Coronation and her wedding, when souvenirs were made in bulk and shipped by train to the masses. There are some early Valentine's cards too; ornate, colourful and intricate, they were the first produced images to be sent across the country after the introduction of the Penny Post. Looking through the 'telescope' of the Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of 1851, with its focus on culture and industry, led to an increased interest in consumer goods. Visitors learnt about British products and their perceived superiority - consumerism became the fashion and as well as the exhibition selling products, people could buy souvenirs such as ceramics, cards, paints and ornaments. These include the most wonderful paper telescopic views of the grand opening of the event. Though now flimsy and fragile, you can still look through a hole and see layer upon layer of miniature illustrations making up the whole scene. Over 150 years old, they still hold the power to fascinate and I loved them. An early form of advertising is a wonderful poster from 1856, detailing a day of celebration for the end of the war in Crimea, with food including a whole roasted sheep and plum pudding, with entertainments such as pony racing, 'grinning through a horse collar' and 'racing on one leg', with the day culminating with a 'general illumination' of the upper windows of the hamlet. To modern sensibilities it seems so very tame yet must have been quite something at the time. Magazines start to appear; Pen and Pencil , Life in London , The Penny Satirist , all with detailed illustrations and many covered in adverts. The aptly named Modern Society from 1889 has a front page of nothing but adverts - for Cadburys cocoa, tea, and Pears soap complete with a recommendation from Lille Langtry, socialite, actress and the first celebrity to ever endorse a commercial product. Victorian toiletries The prevalence of illnesses such as cholera led to an increased awareness of the need for sanitation and hygiene products, and the Victorian obsession with personal hygiene becomes obvious as you move through the displays. There are delightful pots of black and white toothpaste powder, dainty bottles of perfume, boxes of soap and all manner of adverts for 'cure-alls', as well as treatments for bed bugs and lice. There is a colourful display of Victorian chocolate boxes, which were introduced in 1868 by manufacturers such as Cadburys and Fry's. Customers could choose a variety of chocolates and then select the lids which were created in Bavaria where the best colour printing was done. On display are albums of the huge choice of decorative lids which shopkeepers could choose from based on what they thought their customers would like. They are beautiful, really elaborate, but as the box size increased over the years, the designs diminished and now we all just buy our chocolates in identical, simplistic and boring packaging. Post Crimean Victorian packaging and advertising By 1888 cigarettes could be produced more cheaply than previously and by World War I they replaced the pipe as the most popular method of smoking. On display are packets of early Woodbines, Bryant & May matches as well as early cigarette machines. Although predominantly a male habit, much of the advertising consists of female faces, perhaps one of the earliest times that women were objectified to sell products to men. Innovations in production and packaging led to an increased range of foodstuffs and some recognisable labels start to emerge - Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, Rose's Lime Cordial and the once famous Peak Frean biscuits. A hugely famous British brand of biscuits founded in 1857 the company was bought out by Americans who dismantled the business and they are now no longer available in the UK - although the name is used in other countries. These decorative biscuit tins were sold in the run up to Christmas yet they are a far cry from the bland tins we get our Christmas biscuits in now. Throughout the Time Tunnel and alongside the adverts and products are children's toys, more evidence of how consumer society changes through time with a a look at the interests of its youngest members. There are jigsaws, originally known as 'dissected puzzles' until the invention of the mechanical jigsaw, train sets, dolls in prams, optical illusions, building blocks and the most wonderful miniature cooking range, complete with brass saucepans, the whole thing far superior to any of the plastic pink cookers that little girls are fobbed off with these days. Victorian children's toys The Coronation of Edward VIII saw the mass production of souvenirs on a far greater scale than any seen before and the transition into the Edwardian era is accompanied by the rise of Art Nouveau as a design aesthetic. The new fascination with aviation, motoring and exploration as popular activities is reflected in the promotional material of the time. The introduction of branded petrol led to the arrival of famous Shell adverts and the new postcards were used for promotional purposes, with several Shell postcards in the display. World War I saw the rise of patriotism, tins being decorated with army generals and flags. Some goods changed their packaging to save on the raw materials and children's toys also reflect the changes with the appearance of military board games and books, toy tanks and soldiers. After the war the designs never really returned to their glory days, they became simpler; more minimalistic with blocks of colour, fewer intricate details and a less embellished font. There is a tin of sweets called Jazztime Toffees, decorated in the new style; blocky and with an illustration of an open motor car. They are called 'week-end sweets', the new phrase which had just been introduced for Friday - Sundays. Souvenirs from the British Empire Exhibition The radio arrived and in the museum they have a magnificent set on display, complete with a huge receiver and metres of cabling. The popularity of the wireless led to the arrival of the Radio Times , a publication which is still in print today Another vast exhibition, this time the British Empire Exhibition of 1924, led to manufacturers bombarding the visiting public with their goods, along with the now expected plethora of souvenirs, which included a lot of branded products. In the 1930s, Art Deco spread across the country and we see the arrival of some familiar favourites - Quality Street, Chocolate Orange, Mars Bars, Smarties and more appear in the displays. There is a replica 1930s chemist shop which has a mix of the old fashioned drawers for holding herbs as well as shelves filled with brands. By the 1930s, branded products were overtaking those made in house by pharmacists, and their way of business changed forever. We also get a glimpse inside a drinks cabinet, filled with tins of Cheeselets and cocktail canapes as well as bottles of whisky and liqueurs. A young Princess Elizabeth appears on the scene, her face on the latest batch of magazines. 1930s products on display As we move into World War II, the focus returns to all things military, with planes, bomb shelters, and uniforms. Adverts became public announcements, exhorting people to join the Land Army or telling them that 'Careless talk costs Lives'. Women's magazines show them in dungarees or uniform and at work, rather than lounging around elegantly enjoying a life of leisure. Packaging became increasingly simplified and basic, often with just text and little colour, if any, a sign of the austerity and priorities of the time. Souvenirs were produced in abundance for VE Day, another Royal wedding, the Olympics held in London in 1948, Festival of Britain 1951 and the Queen's coronation. There is a recreation of a 1950s grocer's shop filled with tins, the shop's last hurrah before the arrival of the supermarkets which soon saw the traditional grocers eradicated. With the first TVs came the first TV commercial in 1955, and the shopper knew what she wanted before stepping foot in the shop, no longer needing a grocer to make suggestions or decisions. Brand names became larger so they could be easily found amongst their competitors by shoppers who were unfamiliar with finding what they needed. As the tunnel moves into the 1960s, we see the arrival of not just brands but also slogans and images we recognise - 'Have a break, have a Kit Kat', or the 'cup and a half of milk' being poured into Cadburys Dairy Milk. After Eights appear on the scene, which used to have red boxes for assortments as well as the green ones we are still so familiar with. New products include ready meals, slimming food and children's food with TV characters on the packaging. Pop culture begins with a vengeance and the faces of familiar celebrities look out at you from album covers as well as the products they were paid to promote. Many products from the 1960s are easily identifiable today By the 1980s it all starts to become horribly familiar. There are board games on display which I still have in my cupboard, there are magazines such as Smash Hits which I remember the covers of, and plenty of Charles & Di souvenirs. Many of the brands wouldn't look out of place on shelves today. I walked quickly through the 90s and early 21st century, it all far too close to home for me to think of it being in a museum, although I did enjoy seeing the leaflets for the 'amazing' new Millennium Dome. It was a fascinating glimpse into consumer culture and I spent about 90 minutes in there as there was just so much to look at. Its not just the products; they mix it well with information about the main events of each era, fashion, household goods, royal events, publications and more. There are other developments which stand out, an obvious one being what is considered beauty in women. In older advertising they are fresh faced, rosy cheeked rather plain women in bonnets, by the 1960s they are wearing revealing outfits with bunny ears and plastered in make up. The objects are laid out really photogenically, and I wasn't the only one taking endless photos of absolutely everything. There are also aural accompaniments to the displays, moving from the clopping of horse and carriage to the sounds of old radio shows, 60s pop and more. At various points on the display cases were QR codes to take you to the sound tracks of the era on your phone, some of which I have listened to since leaving and which give you a real sense of the atmosphere of the time. The evolution of branding and packaging After the Time Tunnel is a large exhibition room which takes a different approach to brands, focusing on just a few of them and showing their evolution over time. Products include those such as Dettol and Imperial Leather which have barely changed, to Windowlene which has had a dramatic change to enable it to stand out on the shelf. It was fascinating to see the evolution not just in design but in packaging, with manufacturers always looking to reduce costs as well as make opening and storing things much easier for the consumer. There is a also a display of 150 years of decorative biscuit tins sold in the run up to Christmas, which just left me feeling cheated by modern manufacturers who won't make an effort for us, and an exhibition of the top brands. The Grocer magazine always publishes the top brands for the year based on sales and for the year 2022 they show the changes as we recover from the pandemic, with sales of loo roll going down but on-the-go food increasing. There are further displays on brands who attach themselves to a 'woke' issue and the successes and failures thereof. A further room has an exhibition on shopping lists as well as the evolution of Johnnie Walker as a product. A visit to the museum ends in the café which has a large garden. The garden is a lovely space, filled with well established trees, plants and a few tables and chairs amongst the foliage. There is even a swinging bench and a pond. The building was once a hospice used by the Terence Higgins Trust and in the garden you can still see dedications and memorials to the people who spent their final days there. Even on a chilly November day, it was a verdant, quiet spot to enjoy. The Museum of Brands is the perfect place for those like me who are interested in social history and it is certainly the ideal place for anyone studying marketing and consumer habits. I would also anticipate that kids would enjoy it as there are so many toys from across the ages. It is definitely worth a visit and is a museum I would highly recommend. Visiting the Museum of Brands Nearest tube station: Ladbroke Grove Opening hours: 10am-5pm Ticket Prices: Adult ticket : £11.50  Child ticket (7 - 16) : £6.50  Concession ticket : £8.50 Family ticket : £30  Young person ticket : £8.50 2025 - Embark on a scavenger hunt through our Time Tunnel with our Hop, Skip, and Seek activity! From 31 March to 22 April, young adventurers are invited to discover a variety of Easter-themed treasures hidden amongst our exhibits. Use the code KIDSGOFREE when purchasing tickets to receive a free child’s ticket! Buy your ticket:

Chalke History Festival is without doubt now one of the highlights of the summer events calendar and this year it will take place from 23rd to 29th June. For one week, the world’s most passionate minds in historical investigation and debate come together in the stunning surroundings of the Chalke Valley in Wiltshire, providing fresh new perspectives to the past and bringing history alive through its sights, sounds and experiences. This annual event has all the elements of the most talked-about English summer festivals: a star-studded programme to delight all the family, mouth-watering local food and drink, a plethora of activities to keep the children busy for days, camping and glamping under the midsummer night sky, and the best party atmosphere in town. To kick-off 2025, Chalke has announce that the multi award-winning wealth management group Evelyn Partners is to be its new lead festival partner. At a time when the future financial security of literary festivals and key cultural events across the UK has been under intense scrutiny and in the media spotlight, this new major multi-year deal is both important and welcome. James Holland, Historian, Creative Director and Co-Founder of the Chalke History Festival James Holland, Creative Director and Co-Founder of the Chalke History Festival, said: “Our 2025 programme is already shaping up to be our best ever and while we all want everyone who comes to enjoy themselves and have a wonderful time, we also all very strongly believe that history is vitally important and that so too are cultural festivals such as ours. History is the surest way to unlock our futures, and the first step to securing our future is to understand our past. Making decisions about tomorrow is best done armed with the lessons of yesterday. It is extremely heartening to know Evelyn Partners will be helping us fulfil and expand our mission to bring the rich and enthralling story of our past to as many people as possible.” The exciting line-up for the festival programme this summer is already taking shape with Anthony Scaramucci confirmed as one of the headline acts and billed to take part in a number of events. Nicknamed ‘The Mooch’, he served on President Donald Trump’s Presidential Transition Team Executive Committee in 2016 and briefly as White House Communications Director in July 2017. He is currently the co-host of two hugely popular podcasts, “The Rest Is Politics US” and “Open Book,” and is also the founder and managing partner of SkyBridge, a global alternative investment firm, and founder and chairman of SALT, a global thought leadership forum and venture studio. He has authored six books, including The Little Book of Bitcoin. Other VIPs slated to appear at Chalke this June include: the author behind the major BBC TV drama SAS: Rogue Heroes Ben Macintyre, who will be talking about the 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege; social media sensation Alice Loxton, who will be discussing her latest book A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives; leading social philosopher Roman Krznaric, who will unearth fascinating insights from the last 1000 years of world history that could help us confront the most urgent challenges facing humanity in the twenty-first century; plus, Tom Parker-Bowles, who will be recounting fascinating tales of royal kitchens, chefs and culinary traditions and discussing scrumptious recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III. Also confirmed are: the UK’s top-selling true crime writer, and the bestselling author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher Kate Summerscale, who will be presenting her latest page-turner The Murders at 10 Rillington Place; one of the world’s leading historians of modern Germany Richard Evans who will be discussing Hitler’s inner circle and asking just how far individuals will go when so many normal moral constraints have disappeared; bestselling medieval historian and TV presenter Helen Castor who will be recounting the lives and reigns of Richard II and Henry IV, two cousins whose rivalry brought their nation to the brink of disintegration; and renowned author, journalist and broadcaster Max Hastings who will be telling the gripping story of how British and American troops landed on Sword Beach on D-Day. Elsewhere at the festival, ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent finalists The D-Day Darlings will return to Chalke to entertain the crowds on the Saturday night and are bound to get the audience, both young and old, up on their feet and onto the dancefloor. With their hugely popular repertoire of WW2 songs, they will be continuing their mission to keep the wartime spirit alive and inspiring the next generation. The Chalke History Festival will take place at Church Bottom, Broad Chalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP5 5DP. For more details about the festival, visit www.chalkefestival.com

Unveiled in 2009, this memorial to the SOE agents of World War II on the banks of the River Thames is a lasting tribute to the men and women of the Special Operations Executive, a secret organisation which operated behind enemy lines during World War II. Also known as ‘Churchill’s Secret Army’, the SOE was formed in 1940 and ran undercover operations until 1946, when the war was over. Its purpose was to aid local resistance groups behind enemy lines, conduct acts of sabotage and to spy on the enemy. They mainly operated in occupied Europe, but moved to Asia and Africa in the latter stages of the war. Agents were selected for their language skills and the ability to cope with ‘rough soldiering’. They came from all walks of life, from the aristocracy to the working classes. Criminals and women were used, the latter were initially used only as couriers but who were soon sent into the field fully trained in unarmed combat and weaponry to conduct full scale missions. This portrait of Violette Szabo was taken before her final mission to France It is one of the female agents who is depicted on this memorial, Violette Szabo, a French/British agent who was captured, tortured, sent to a concentration camp and then executed. Her statue gazes out over the Thames and is not far from where she lived in London. Violette was born in Paris, but moved to London as a child. When war broke out in 1940, she worked through a series of war jobs such as the Land Army, ATS and in an armament factory. She married a highly decorated Hungarian in the French Foreign Legion at the age of 19 and they had a daughter. Tragically, he was killed in action just months after her birth and he never got to see her. Violette was approached to join the SOE, probably due to her language skills, and she accepted to seek revenge on the enemy who had killed her husband. She underwent extensive training and conducted missions in occupied France. Her final mission, just two days after D-Day, saw her parachuted in to northern France, where she was to coordinate the local resistance activities against the Germans attempts to slow the advance of the Allied troops from Normandy. She was travelling in a car which was stopped at a roadblock, and she and her colleagues conducted a gun battle with the Germans. In their attempt to flee, Violette twisted her ankle and urged her colleagues to run, while she hid behind a tree and provided covering fire, killing some and keeping others at bay for 30 minutes until she ran out of ammunition. She was captured, tortured and interrogated by the SS and the Gestapo, before being sent to Ravensbrück, a concentration camp in Germany, in August 1944. Living in appalling conditions and treated brutally, she was eventually executed by a single gunshot in the back of the head in February 1945, at the age of just 23. Violette was posthumously awarded the George Cross in 1946, the Croix de Guerre in 1947 and the Médaille de la Résistance in 1973. Tania, Violette’s four-year-old daughter, collected her mother’s George Cross from King George VI in 1946. All her medals are now on display in the Imperial War Museum. The statue overlooks the Thames and the Houses of Parliament. The stone plinth on which her statue sits has a plaque to the 470 SOE agents who were sent on sabotage missions to France, where they worked with the local French Resistance. On the other side is a plaque to the SOE agents who did not survive their perilous missions: ‘In the pages of history, their names are carved with pride’. A final plaque is dedicated to the heroes of Telemark, the Norwegian Resistance fighters sponsored by the SOE who raided the Norsk Hydro plant in Telemark, Norway, sabotaging the machinery in use by the Germans which produced heavy water, thereby thwarting their attempts to manufacture the atom bomb. There is a  museum dedicated to Violette Szabo in Herefordshire , in the house where she spent some of her childhood and stayed between missions, where you can learn more about her. The National Army Museum  in nearby Chelsea has items used by S.O.E. Agents. You can also visit the SOE ‘finishing school’ in Beaulieu  where Violette received some of her training. Her daughter, Tania , has written a book about her mother's life: Young, Brave and Beautiful . Violette Szabo is commemorated on the World War II Memorial in Brookwood Military Cemetery . VISITING THE S.O.E. MONUMENT The monument can be found on Lambeth Palace Road, opposite Lambeth Palace , overlooking the Thames. what3words: shall.transmitted.volume

This museum is an amazing experience, as much for its devoted and knowledgeable 88 year old curator as for its inspirational heroine. Two tiny rooms at the bottom of a garden with table surfaces and walls covered in a higgledy piggledy assortment of pictures, leaflets, books, photographs and artefacts would seem to be an unlikely setting for over an hour of intense immersion in the life of one of the bravest women of World War II. Yet such it is. Miss Rosemary Rigby purchased a house in the Herefordshire countryside, later to discover that it had once been owned by the aunt of Violette Szabo and where Violette had spent time in her summer holidays and between missions in wartime. Believing strongly that the story of this courageous SOE operative should be preserved and told, Miss Rigby opened the museum in 2000 with the support of significant people such as Virginia McKenna (who had played Violette in the war film Carve Her Name With Pride) and Leo Marks, SOE’s cryptographer, who had given her his poem The Life That I Have for her operational code. The brief details of Violette’s life are these - she was born Violette Bushell to an English father and French mother in Paris in 1921. After a whirlwind romance in the summer of 1940 Violette married a soldier from the French Foreign Legion, Etienne Szabo. Their daughter, Tania, was born in June 1942. Etienne’s death at El Alamein in August 1942 propelled Violette into joining SOE to take revenge for the death of her husband. On her second mission into occupied France she was captured by the German army, tortured for information and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp where she was executed in February 1945. But sitting in the small museum, there is no rigid chronological account of her life and achievements, instead Miss Rigby takes her small audience on a fascinating journey of specific events of Violette’s short but remarkable story, interspersed with accounts of visitors to the museum, including two male SOE operatives who had been parachuted into France with her, and Tania Szabo, her daughter. There are some poignant artefacts such as water from the lake at Ravensbruck where the ashes of thousands of women prisoners including over 2000 who, like Violette died through execution, were unceremoniously dumped. Her posthumous medals including the George Cross and the Croix de Guerre are replicated here - the originals are now in the Ashcroft Room of the Imperial War Museum. By the end of an hour, visitors have a much greater awareness of Violette’s life and the dangers that she faced when she undertook Churchill’s instruction to “set Europe ablaze”. There is no charge for entry but there are books and postcards for sale, and donations are encouraged. This museum is very much a creation of love and commitment ,and needs active support to keep the memory of this remarkable woman alive. You can find the museum at Violette Szabo GC Museum, Cartref, Tump Lane, Wormelow, Herefordshire, HR2 8HN Phone: 01981 540 477 See the museum website for visiting details Violette Szabo's sculpture was used for the Monument to the SOE , which is next to the Thames in London

Want to explore the darker side of social history? These 14 old prisons in the UK have opened their doors to visitors and put their grisly pasts on display. You can learn about the most notorious of criminals, the wrongfully imprisoned, the executed and the terrible conditions many of them lived and died in. Several of these prisons offer events such as ghost tours or even sleepovers in the cells. Read on to find out more. Dartmoor Prison, Princetown, Devon Photograph © Brian Henley One of England's most famous prisons, Dartmoor has been a prison for over 200 years, situated on the windswept and foggy moors. It was built to hold prisoners of the Napoleonic War, who started arriving in 1809. By 1813 they were joined by American prisoners, and the prison soon became overcrowded, leading to outbreaks of contagious diseases and thousands of deaths. In the Victorian Era it held convicts who were considered the worst criminals in the land, although it now houses only Category C prisoners - those who are preparing for release. The prison museum is not your typical modern museum with stark lighting, gleaming surfaces and sterile out-of-context exhibits. It is a quirky, slightly ramshackle place which makes it all the more appealing. Exhibits include objects made by the prisoners out of bone, prisoner and guard uniforms, cells, items with secret compartments for keeping contraband hidden, handmade weapons such as knuckle dusters, shivs and shanks made from toothbrushes. It is fascinating in a rather dark way and the fact that there is a sign informing visitors that the museum is sometimes staffed by prisoners, adds an extra frisson of interest to the whole experience. Dartmoor Prison Museum website >> Shepton Mallet Prison, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Shepton Mallet was built in 1610 when it was decided that the eastern part of Somerset should have their own House of Correction. Men, women and children were all housed together for a variety of crimes, whether debtors, vagrants or just mentally unwell. Conditions were bad, with regular outbreaks of fever, jaundice, venereal diseases and many more unpleasant illnesses, with the bodies buried in unconsecrated ground just outside the prison. Many executions were carried out in the prison whether by firing squad or hanging. Executioners included the famous Albert Pierrepoint, who executed about 600 people during his career. For World War II, the prison was used by the British and the American military, as well as safe storage for the National Archives from London, including the Magna Carta and the Domesday Book. The Kray Twins were held here in the 1950s after absconding from their national service. The museum closed in 2013 and is now a tourist attraction, hosting not just sight seeing tours, but also ghost tours after hours, an escape room, and even the opportunity to spend the night behind bars, with free rein to explore the place at night. Read about my Night Behind Bars at Shepton Mallet prison >> Bodmin Jail, Bodmin, Cornwall Photograph © Bodmin Jail Attraction Built in 1779 on the edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, the prison was ground breaking in prison reform at the time, with individual cells, separate areas for men and women and prisoners paid for their work. The prison was completely re-developed by 1861 and included a chapel and a debtors' jail, until 1869 when imprisonment for debt was abolished. From 1887, part of the jail was used by the Royal Navy, who were there until 1922. Over the years there were 55 executions on site, 8 of them being women. The last prisoner left in 1916, and the jail was decommissioned in 1927. The jail has been open as a tourist attraction for some time, but was recently overhauled and now has a lot to offer the visitor, including an immersive 'Dark Walk Experience', Ghost Tours, After Dark Tours, Scary Cinema and even a hotel being built in the site for visitors. The jail has the only original Victorian hanging pit left in the country (pictured), the Naval prison cells, an in depth look at the stories behind the administration of the prison and overall it looks like a fantastic place to visit. Bodmin Jail Website >> Shrewsbury Prison, Shrewsbury, Shropshire Photograph © Shrewsbury Prison Built in 1793, Shrewsbury Prison was built to replace the prison in the castle, which was crumbling so badly that prisonners could escape by removing bricks from the walls. Known as 'the Dana' after Rev Edmund Dana, a local vicar and magistrate, the prison was a place of execution for many years, with public hangings which attracted large crowds. The prison was decomissioned in 2013 and is now open to visitors, with a wide variety of tours and events on offer. Guided tours by ex-prison officers during the day or after dark, tours underground of the original prison, escape rooms, a 'prison break' event, nights spent in the cells, ghost hunting, live music, even axe throwing; it is all on offer here. Shrewsbury Prison website >> Clink Prison Museum, Southwark, London There has been a prison on this site in Southwark, London from 1151. Owned by the Bishops of Winchester, the prison was part of the estate, and included heretics as well as local criminals. No-one is quite sure how the Clink got its name - whether from the clinking of the chains the prisoners wore, or of the cell doors slamming shut, but it has now become a universal term for prisons. This one became the most notorious of prisons, with massive amounts of corruption and prisoner degradation. By the 16th century, the prison largely held people who disagreed with the Bishops, and after that mainly held debtors. After a decrease in numbers, the prison burnt down in a riot in 1780 and was never rebuilt. The museum is built on the original site, and contains just a single wall left from the original building. It covers over 600 years of history with a self-guided tour which looks at the assorted inmates, debauchery of the Southwark area and artefacts connected with the prison. Read about a visit to the Clink Prison Museum >> Littledean Jail, Gloucester This one is best avoided by children and those of a sensitive disposition, as the warnings on their website will attest. Describing their museum as politically insensitive and bizarre, there is a huge rage of items on display. Exhibitions look at Witchfinders, Satanism, the SS and the Holocaust, the KKK, instruments of punishment and torture, police memorabilia and a whole host of other subjects. It is not all the dark side though, as their subject matters include the bravery of the SAS and people like Violette Szabo of the S.O.E . Littledean Jail was built in 1791, and little has changed since it was first built. It has held all manner of prisoners, including children as young as 8, and is believed to be one of the most haunted prisons in the country. It was also used as a police station and a court for 20 years from 1854. Read the website before you go to make sure you want to - reviews on Trip Advisor range from 'fantastic' to 'absolutely disgusting', so make sure you know what you are getting into. Littledean Jail website >> Gloucester Prison, Gloucester Built in 1792 as a County Jail, this men's prison has been renovated and added to over the years, including the addition of a Young Offenders Wing in the 1970s. It was the site of many an execution, with the last one taking place in 1936. By the early 2000s it had a reputation as being seriously overcrowded, as well as bad conditions for the inmates and subject to repeated flooding. The prison closed in 2013 and its re-development is still under discussion. In the meantime however, it is open to the public for guided tours and a variety of events. Visitors can take guided tours which are family friendly or which included more details on the executions, paranormal activity and violence. Various paranormal groups run ghost hunts in the prison, as do Salvation-Z - a live action Zombie survival experience, or combat games. Read about a visit to Gloucester Prison >> National Justice Museum, Nottingham A Victorian Courtroom Photograph © National Justice Museum The National Justice Museum is in a Grade II listed building, on a site which has been in use as a court since 1375 and a prison since 1449. The current building was a Victorian police station, gaol, courtroom and execution site, making it a one stop shop for the judicial process. Executions were held on the front steps of the building, with the last public execution held in 1864 of a Richard Parker, who shot both of his parents after a drunken row. The building ceased use as prison in 1878, but continued as courts and the meeting place of the County Council until 1991. It opened as a museum in 1995 and objects on display include the cell door of p laywright Oscar Wilde, the bath from the Brides in the Bath murder case, gibbet irons, force feeding equipment used on Suffragettes and conscientious objectors and the dock from Bow Street Magistrates Court, which was used in notorious cases such as the trials of Oscar Wilde, Roger Casement and the Krays. T here are over 40 000 objects and archives, making it the UK’s largest collection relating to law, justice, crime and punishment. National Justice Museum website >> Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast Built in 1845, 'the Crum' in North Belfast was a County Gaol for men, women and children, who were often imprisoned for offences such as stealing food and necessities. Executions were carried out in public at the gaol until 1901, when an execution chamber was built inside. 17 executions were carried out in the prison, including the final one in all of Ireland in 1961. The prison had some well known prisoners from the Troubles, and two prisoners were killed when a IRA bomb went off in one of the wings. The prison closed in 1996. The prison is now not just a tourist attraction, but hosts concerts, live events and party nights. Tourists can do the Crumlin Road Gaol Experience, a self-guided tour around the building which includes the tunnel linking the courthouse on the other side of the Crumlin Road to the hanging cell, the historic holding cells and the graveyard. Read about visiting Crumlin Road Gaol >> York Castle Prison, York Photograph © Visit York Part of York Castle Museum, there has been a prison on the site for nearly 1000 years, with a castle built for William the Conqueror in 1068, which included a prison. The site is still in use for criminal justice, with York Crown Court held in the 18th century court and people are still held in cells here, including those accused of the most serious crimes. The prison buildings were built in the 18th century, and visitors can explore the original cells. Conditions were terrible at the prison, with 15 to a cell sleeping on bare floors and living off bread and water. Many of the Keepers of the prison were as corrupt as the inmates, and they made as much money as they could off the prisoners. The most notorious prisoner held here was the legendary highwayman Dick Turpin, who was found guilty of his crimes at York Court and sentenced to death at the gallows. The museum is part of a visit to York Castle Museum, which looks at many aspects of life in historic York. York Castle Prison Museum website >> Prison & Police Museum, Rippon Photograph © Rippon Museums There has been a prison on this site since 1684, when a Workhouse and House of Correction was established for putting the poor to work and punishing those who had broken the law. In 1816, it was incorporated into the new Liberty Prison, which is the current museum building. Prisoners were held in cells on the ground floor, with debtors on the floor above them. Inmates had to do hard labour and worked for 10 hours a day, walking the treadwheel amongst other tasks. The prison later became the police station, until it became a museum in the 1980s, one of three in the area which also include a workhouse museum and the courthouse, giving a fantastic look at poverty and justice in the region. The prison museum includes a look at policing from the Anglo-Saxons onwards, as well as an exhibition in the prison cells about life in a Victorian prison. Rippon Prison and Police Museum website >> The Old Gaol Museum, Buckingham Photograph © Buckingham Old Gaol Built in 1748, this Gothic prison provided terrible conditions for the inmates, who lived in damp cells with no heating, lights or bathrooms, and who were fed on just bread and water. The prison housed local convicts, although one in three were just poachers, often held for the smallest of crimes. Over the years, the prison has been used as a Police Station, Fire Station, ammunition store and an air-raid shelter. Faced with demolition in the 1980s, the prison was bought by a charitable organisation, and it now houses the local museum as well as the Old Gaol. The museum focuses on local history, spanning time from the Ice Age to World War I. It is also home to the Lenborough Hoard of 5,000 Anglo-Saxon silver coins as well as a permanent exhibition dedicated to Flora Thompson, author of Lark Rise to Candleford . Buckingham Old Gaol Website >> Dorchester Prison, Dorchester, Dorset A Victorian prison built in 1885 on the site of a much older prison, Dorchester was closed in 2013 and is now awaiting its fate from developers. In the meantime, you can take guided tours from Ed who is still a serving prison officer and who used to work there. He provides a fascinating insight into the life of this prison, showing you round this now crumbling site. There were several executions here, including that of Martha Brown who is said to still be haunting the prison, and whose execution was watched by Thomas Hardy, inspiring the hanging he wrote about in Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Visitors can also join paranormal nights and airsoft combat games within its walls. Read more about visiting Dorchester Prison >> Grove Prison Museum, Portland, Dorset The museum covers the entire history of HM Prison Portland, from the original 1848 adult convict establishment, the Borstal period from 1921, and its operation as a Young Offenders Institution from 1988 onwards. In 2011 the prison became an Adult/Young Offenders establishment. Why was the prison built on Portland? 64 prisoners arrived when it opened, how many were there ten years later? When did transportation to the colonies end? and how did it affect Portland? How did Winston Churchill change Portland Prison? Why is a Borstal called a Borstal? You can find the answers and much more besides at the Grove Prison Museum which tells the fascinating history of daily life for Convicts, Wardens and Youths right up to Portland still being a fully working prison today. Open 10am to 2pm Saturdays (and most Fridays) check their Facebook page for updates / opening hours Want to delve even deeper into prison history? Try the Prison History website which looks at UK prison history from 1500 - 1999.

Highclere Castle in Hampshire, now famous for being the main filming location for the series Downton Abbey, is only open to the public for about three months of the year, with tickets often selling out far in advance. If you can get one though, it is a fantastic place to visit. Unless stated otherwise, all photographs courtesy of Highclere Castle (Writers own photo) Famous not just for being the principal filming location of many of the scenes in the popular series Downton Abbey, but also for an Egyptology collection of items found by the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find Tutankhamun, the privately owned Highclere Castle is on many people’s bucket lists of places to visit. Situated near Newbury, 60 miles west of London, this vast 5,000 acre estate is an easy place to find just off the A34. On arrival, you pull off the main road and drive through abundant green fields filled with sheep as the narrow driveway takes you through the grand estate where stewards direct you to parking opposite the castle. Tickets are checked on the way in where you are handed a map of the grounds, before you head off to walk towards the castle and finally get to see it in all its glory. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF HIGHCLERE CASTLE The earliest occupation of the site for which there is evidence is an Iron Age hill fort on the southern part of the Highclere landscape, while a charter of 749AD records buildings on the site of the current castle. In the 12th century the site was home to a Medieval palace for the Bishops of Winchester, followed by a red brick Tudor house. In 1692, Highclere was bequeathed to Robert Sawyer’s daughter Margaret, who was married to the Earl of Pembroke. The estate was inherited by their son, then his nephew, who was made the first Earl of Carnarvon by King George III in 1793. In 1839, Charles Barry, who had designed the Houses of Parliament, remodelled Highclere in a similar Gothic revival style, turning it into a magnificent castle and a high level status symbol. In 1890 when the 5th Earl inherited the title, he had huge debts and knew he would be unable to run the castle. This was solved by marrying a Rothschild heiress with enough to keep the castle going as well as fund an extravagant lifestyle. Initially into the new motor cars, several accidents later and after a particularly serious one in 1903, he was advised to spend his time in warmer climes, which led him to Egypt. Developing a passion for antiquities and archaeology, he funded Howard Carter and his excavations in Thebes and the Valley of the Kings. It was in 1922 that Carter sent the Earl a telegram saying he had found a ‘magnificent tomb’, and with remarkable restraint, re-covered it and awaited the Earl’s arrival. Although the tomb was meant to be opened in the presence of the Egyptian authorities, the Earl and Carter made several secretive forays before the official opening. It was on one of these, when Carter who had made a small hole in the chamber door, was asked by Carnarvon if he could see anything, Carter replied with the now famous words, “Yes, wonderful things.” THE DOWNTON ABBEY CONNECTION Highclere has been used as a location for several films and TV series over the years, but none more popular than the fictional Downton Abbey. First aired in the UK in 2010 and the USA in 2011, the series caught the public imagination in an unprecedented way, leading to six series in total, and a film. An historical period drama telling the story of the Earl of Grantham and his family which starts in 1912 and continues through the 1920s and beyond, it is the most successful British costume drama for over 40 years. The success was warmly welcomed by the owners of Highclere, who facing massive repair bills for the upkeep of the castle, now find that with the increase in visitors, they are able to start on some of the much needed work around the castle and the wider estate. Several of the rooms on the tour are used for filming and are instantly recognisable to the show’s fans, of which there are many. Highclere doesn’t shy away from its famous connection, putting photos of the filming on display in the rooms as an aide-memoire to visitors. It helps to provide context and I should imagine is very popular with the shows fans. A SELF GUIDED TOUR OF HIGHCLERE CASTLE The self-guided tour starts in the magnificent double library. With the wood panelled ceiling and ornate wooden columns dividing the room, the library contains over 5650 books, some of which date back to the 16th century. Everything is subtly gilt edged, so the room conveys an impression of grandeur yet also looks comfortable and as if it would be easy to just pick up a book and relax in a chair. Many scenes were filmed in here, particularly between the Earl of Grantham and Mr Carson the butler, and on my visit, there were gasps of recognition from some of the visitors in the room. This wonderful room leads on to the Music room, quite a contrast as it is very bright, with walls of pale yellow and gold yet with simple oak floorboards. There is an ornate Baroque ceiling from the 1730s depicting Athene Rising, the walls are adorned with 16th century Italian embroidery from a castle in Rimini but the centre piece is definitely Napoléon Bonaparte’s desk. Surprisingly modest, the desk and chair by Jacob Frese are stamped with ‘Palais des Tuileries 1804-1814’ and were bought by the family in 1827 when Napoléon’s effects were sold off from his estate in St. Helene. The room also has antique embroidered chairs placed around the edges for visitors to actually sit on, an uncommon treat in a stately home, so visitors can take their time to appreciate the light airiness of the room, its contents and the wonderful views of rolling green hills outside. The next room is the formal pale green silk drawing room, dominated by a large 356 piece crystal chandelier from the 1890s which was a wedding gift to the 5th Earl of Carnarvon from his father in law, Alfred de Rothschild. The room contains many other treasures including a 1895 Steinway grand piano, a portrait of George Villiers, the 2nd Duke of Buckinghamshire by Joshua Reynolds, a 19th century Chinese tea chest and rather unusually, two portraits that had gilded frames made of sea shells. The very masculine smoking room follows this, with its plain white ceiling (so it is easy to keep clean), where the men of the house would retire after dinner. There is a rather lovely games chest filled with die, counters, chess pieces, cards and more on a table inlaid with games boards. The highlight is a 17th century Florentine marble table inlaid with birds, fruit and semi-precious stones, although what I really liked were the mock Canaletto’s, brought back from a Grand Tour in the 19th century, and hung high on the walls like slightly embarrassing souvenirs. The very feminine morning room, where the lady of the house would go to deal with her correspondence and think lady-like thoughts follows next, a stark contrast to the smoking room before it. Bright, sunny and very comfortable looking, this was a lovely room with sunlight streaming in and squashy sofas where it is easy to imagine escaping from the rest of the household under the guise of ‘writing letters’ when needed. One thing I had noticed in the house is that in nearly all of the rooms, the blinds and curtains are kept open, which is such a rare pleasure to be able to see the rooms as the inhabitants would, and not with blinds and window coverings protecting the furnishings from the damaging effects of sunlight. Here at Highclere, you actually get to see the rooms properly and it makes such a difference – in other stately homes you can’t help but imagine the gentry living in a perpetual state of gloom and shrouded darkness, cut off from their grounds, but here you see the rooms how they should be seen, with bright light reflecting off the ornaments and gilt, with sunshine pouring in, with magnificent views outside and with huge hot housed pot plants in every room, actually able to grow in the light. It was a wonderful surprise and something I truly savoured. The tour continues upstairs, where you don’t get the opportunity to actually go in many of the bedrooms, but rather look through the doorways, so a queue had built up on the stairs while people patiently waited for their turn. I loved the bedrooms, particularly the Mercia bedroom which is Lady Grantham’s in Downton Abbey. It was warm and inviting with a comfortable looking four poster bed, portraits on the walls and incredible views. In fact nearly all of the bedrooms were similar, grand and elegant but still relaxed and calm, most of them with piles of modern novels on the bedside tables and chest of drawers to really give them a lived in and peaceful air. One even had a cheap plastic travel alarm clock next to the bed, which highlighted how this is a lived in home, not just a sterile historic environment. The upstairs corridors of the Minstrel’s Gallery, which all overlook the saloon downstairs and which are lit by glass panes in the triple height vaulted ceiling, are lined with photographs and front pages of newspapers. I particularly liked the photograph of the opening of the Ugandan railway in 1895, with the dignitaries all dressed in their smartest suits, dresses and hats seated next to railway sleepers – it seemed to be the very epitome of colonialism in its heyday. There were photographs too of the Sultan of Zanzibar’s palace, before and after it was bombarded in 1896 in what is recorded as the shortest war in history, lasting no more than 45 minutes. After touring the upstairs rooms, you finally get to descend those famous stairs with their solid oak banisters and deep, lush red carpet. Another magnificent Joshua Reynolds hangs on the walls, the portrait of the rather racy looking Mrs Musters. We took our time to walk down the stairs, appreciating every moment of imagining we were in Downton Abbey, until we were hurried along by people behind us who clearly didn’t appreciate their significance. The stairs lead you down to the saloon which is an incredible room with a huge stone fireplace, ornate oak wood everywhere, Spanish leather wall coverings from 1631 and filled with natural light, despite not having any windows, lit from the glass ceiling two floors up. The dining room is the only room left on the tour, its walls covered in portraits, including a Van Dyke of Charles I, with a well-used but beautifully polished mahogany oval table, cut glass rose bowls and a multitude of serving sideboards. The room had several information panels about the house during the wars and its role as a hospital during World War I. In Downton Abbey, the stairs lead down to the servants’ quarters, here in Highclere they take you down to the Egyptian Exhibition. THE EGYPTIAN EXHIBITION AT HIGHCLERE The Egyptian exhibition consists of items that weren’t deemed significant enough at the time that the Earl’s Egyptian collection was sold after his death, to a museum in New York. The few bits and bobs remaining were stored away in cupboards at Highclere and their importance wasn’t realised until the 1980s when the items were re-discovered, taken out of storage and put on display for visitors. The first few rooms of the exhibition are all the genuine items; the lady at the door told us that everything after we had got to the room with the letterboxes was an accurate reproduction. We were very intrigued about the letterboxes but were soon lost in the first few rooms and their wonderful treasures. There is a huge array on offer too. A large calcite jar, 1279-1213 BC from the Tomb of Pharaoh Merneptah (son of Ramses II), found by Earl Carnarvon and Howard Carter where apparently Lady Carnarvon was present and so excited that she helped them to drag it out. There are two lovely blue faience bowls decorated with lotus flowers and hieroglyphics from 1759-1640 B.C. A painted coffin mask from 1075B.C. joins a rather wonderful canopic jar stopper of the 21st dynasty from 1000 B.C. The calcite head of Amanophis III still has black paint defining the eyes. There are mummy bandages and a limestone wall plaque inscribed with text from the Book of the Dead. The calcite head of Amanophis III, still showing paint around the eyes The centre piece is a Sarcophagus of a lady called Irtysh who died at the age of 35. The coffin is in excellent condition with an ornately decorated lid and bandages which are still intact, although the Mummy itself is not there. The inside of the coffin is painted with a full size image of the bare breasted Nut, the goddess of the sky and heavens. This was one of the items found by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon before they found King Tutankhamun. Other artefacts include make up containers used for kohl during the 12th Dynasty, silver bracelets found in 1911 by Lord Carnarvon and a rare leather archers wrist guard from 1390-1353 B.C., decorated with bound captives which symbolise the enemies of Egypt. We learn more about the 5th Earl and how he came to fund the excavations in Egypt, how close he came to not finding them as they had had little success and he had promised to fund the digs for just one last season, suggesting they dig under the workmen’s huts. There is the camera he used, the medicine box he took to Egypt each time he went, still with the original contents of quinine, bandages and hypodermic needles, as well as a small display about life at Highclere, with a gun from the many shooting parties and photographs of visits by royalty. I also really liked the oversized copies of the Earl’s passports which were covered in stamps and visas and gave me serious passport envy. Then we arrived at the mysterious letter boxes – a black wall inset with letter boxes at different heights. When you open up a letter box, you get a glimpse into how King Tutankhamun’s burial chamber would have looked to Carter and Carnarvon when they had first made a small hole in the door and peered inside. Cold air gently blows into your face and you see a jumble of items through the gloom, all haphazardly packed together with the occasional dulled glint as the light from the hole catches a once shining object. It was very cleverly done and the archaeologist in me loved it, opening up each and every letter box, even the ones at low level for children to peer through. It carried with it a small frisson of excitement that is only a fraction of how they must have felt opening the real thing. You then walk through a dark facsimile of the entrance and walk into the burial chamber, laid out as it was for them back in 1922, with the walls decorated with the same pictures and hieroglyphs. The objects here are all replicas, but they are beautifully done and were all made by Egyptian craftsmen who copied the originals exactly. The first object you see is the golden shrine which is incredible. This is followed by the death mask itself and the sarcophagus with the golden goddess statues, an alabaster chest containing the four canopic jars which held his internal organs, a mannequin of his torso that was probably used to tailor his clothes, a diadem with a vulture head and a throne of gold with arms of wings. The whole room was wonderful and the fact that they were copies seemed irrelevant, we were both really caught up in the moment. There was also the Earls razor, on which he accidentally cut the top off an insect bite on his face that led to his death. It is said that the lights went out across Cairo at the exact time this happened, the Earls dog Susie back in Highclere howled and then promptly died and that the area where the bite was, is also the only place on King Tut’s mask where there is a weakness. Although I’m not one for such fanciful imagining, it was a good way to end the exhibition, with the air of mystery and reference to the curse of King Tut. The exhibition ends and ejects you out into the servant’s corridor, where a small room shows off the family silver which confidently glistens at you. Amongst the usual christening spoons and tureens are some rather more unusual items, including two silver ashtrays made from ostrich feet and an antelope horn with a silver lighter on one end. Fascinating, but also rather disagreeable. Then it’s out to the courtyard with several tea rooms to choose from, as well as a packed gift shop that was so full of people you had to fight your way round it. Selling quintessential English quality tat, it was stocked with the sort of stuff you really want to own but can’t actually justify buying. However, the foreign tourists were snapping the stuff up, all being served by staff with cut glass British accents. I bought my obligatory bookmark before we abandoned the shop and headed off for the gardens instead. THE GARDENS AT HIGHCLERE The gardens are a joy, even on the rather cloudy day we had unfortunately chosen. Remodelled by Capability Brown in 1771, the most fashionable landscape gardener of his time, he removed the earlier formal gardens and opened them up to the uncluttered landscape that is there today. We walked and walked, exploring the Wildflower Meadow, the Wood of Goodwill, the avenue of Walnut trees, the walled Monks garden, the Secret Garden and the gently undulating hills. There were surprises as we encountered statues, follies and topiary. The gardens must look incredible in the summer when everything is blooming; they were impressive enough just as the buds were starting to peep through. The gardens are green and lush; it feels like walking through an insulated bubble which no noise and no outside influence can penetrate. The grass is thick, verdant and springy, the land is enclosed by tall trees, gentle hills and fields which contain frolicking lambs and braying horses. It was possible to walk in total peace surrounded only by the many shades of green and the odd shaft of sunlight that managed to break through the grey skies. The grounds are dominated by cedar trees, my personal favourite, with massive, thick trunks and beautiful layered green canopies. The Cedar of Lebanon, beloved by the wealthy and planted in nearly every single stately home from 1740 onwards, was first planted at Highclere by the 1st Earl over 250 years ago, with seeds brought back from Lebanon by the renowned seed collector Bishop Stephen Pococke. There are 56 of them lining the driveway, as well as interspersed throughout the grounds, giving a majestic grandeur to the landscape. The journey from the car park is down the mile long driveway through the green fields, passing the huge Dunsmore lake, Diana’s Temple folly and finally driving out through the massive formal gates, which were built to celebrate the Earls official entry into the peerage in 1793. It felt like quite a privilege to be allowed to use the main exit, the same as royalty, wealthy and the family, there is no inferior servants exit for visitors here. Highclere Castle is well worth a visit and worth the wait for tickets. We had had high expectations and they were surpassed and although we would have loved to see more of the house and the servant quarters, it is understandable that some of it is in disrepair. I do hope more will open up over the coming years. I did struggle at not being allowed to take photos, as there is so much beauty there that it was hard for me not to capture it – my camera is usually surgically attached to me in such places. However, having seen the selfie brigade prancing around in the gardens and draping scarves over their shoulders to look mystically into the distance, I can quite understand why they don’t want such idiocy in their home as well. Unlike other privately owned stately homes, Highclere really seems to appreciate its visitors, you are not made to feel as if you are just there to help them pay the bills. They provide plenty of places to eat, to walk and to rest and they seem to want you to enjoy the house as much as they do. It was a fascinating and welcoming place to visit and one I highly recommend, whether you are into stately homes, Egyptians, Downton Abbey, gardens or all of the above. VISITING HIGHCLERE CASTLE Opening hours: Check website for opening days >> Monday to Sunday 10:30am – 6pm (The Castle is closed on Fridays and Saturdays of each week.) The castle also runs guided tours, afternoon teas and hosts special events which are open to the public. See the official website or sign up to their mailing list for further details. Good to Know Photography is not allowed anywhere in the house or Egyptian Exhibition, but is allowed in the grounds. Rucksacks and backpacks must either be carried or worn on the front when inside the building. Pushchairs and wheelchairs can only go as far as the smoking room. There are plenty of places to buy food and drink, including a small van in the car park selling drinks and ice creams. If you want to see Highclere without the crowds, they hold regular events including evening tours, talks and various events, which can be booked in advance. Highclere Castle Website >>

Deep in the ancient woods of Grovely are three huge beech trees, which are said to mark the burial sites of women who were killed for 'witchcraft' in the 18th century. Decorated with emblems, gifts and other assorted offerings, a visit to these trees combines local folklore with a peaceful walk in the woods. Grovely Woods is one of the largest woodlands in Wiltshire, standing on a chalk ridge near the River Wylye. It has a long history going back to the Iron Age, with both Iron Age and Roman artefacts found in the area, as well as settlements and hillforts nearby. The nearby village of Hanging Langford, still inhabited today, was originally a Roman village. A long Roman road runs through the woods, flanked by an avenue of beech trees and ferns, creating an atmospheric landscape for a peaceful walk. Unusually, the Roman road is tarmacked, and this is because the woods were used by the military in World War II, mainly as a storage place for bombs and ordinance, and there are still some concrete bunkers throughout the woods. Read about how to find two of the war bunkers >> There are several stories connected to these woods. One is that of the Burcombe Woodsman, either a poacher who was hanged from a tree as punishment for his illegal deeds, or a local artist who was accidentally shot in the woods during a deer cull. Whoever he was, paranormalists claim that he emerges from the forest with the crack of a twig. The second story is that of the witches. In 1737 there was a lethal outbreak of smallpox in the town of Wilton, killing over 130 locals. Four newcomers to the area were blamed for this contagion - the Handsel sisters who are thought to have originally come from Denmark. Accused of witchcraft without any form of trial, they were taken to the woods and bludgeoned to death, their heads caved in with farming implements. They were buried apart from each other, so that they couldn't conspire against their killers after death. Four thick, gnarly beech trees appeared over their graves, whether deliberately planted or mysteriously growing is still a matter of conjecture. One of the trees has since blown down in high winds, but there are still three remaining, and they are well worth a visit. All three really stand out against their surroundings, with huge, thick trunks, knobbled branches and dark canopies. They are very distinctive amongst the tall, thin pine trees which surround them. The trees are something of a focal point for visitors, with many leaving clouties on the trees. There is one which has far more decoration than the others, with ribbons, plastic jewellery, ornaments, plastic flowers, food wrappers, keyrings: all manner of decorations either hanging from branches, pushed into the hollows of the trunk or lying around its base. Logs are arranged around the tree in a circle, with other logs there for people to sit on, in fact one time I was there, there were people having a picnic under the tree. The other two trees have less colourful offerings, with more natural items from the forest; ferns, woven twigs and stones. One of the trees is covered with a thick green moss, surrounded by an enclosure made of branches and twigs, with a small entranceway. These log enclosures are apparently a way to keep people safe from evil spirits when they visit the trees. I far preferred the other two trees, finding them more natural and in keeping with the woodland around them. With no lurid trinkets, and away from other visitors who only seem to look at the first tree, they feel more secluded and peaceful, and a fitting memorial to the sisters who were treated so badly. All of them however are fascinating in their different ways, and it is a truly lovely place to walk. There are several blogs written by supernatural investigators who have said that they felt a presence, or touches, or heard noises, some even saying they have seen spirits there. I have never sensed such things on my many walks there and have found nothing at all creepy or sinister about the woods. Please, please don't leave non bio-degradable offerings at these trees or indeed any others. They cause great damage to the wildlife who live there. You can read more about this phenomenon in our article Lovelocks, Coins and Clouties: Tourists and their Trail of Destruction . How to get to the Witches Trees of Grovely Woods You can enter the woods through several different ways, but the quickest way to get to the Witches Trees is by The Hollows in Wilton. ( what3words: bookmark.infuses.couches ) If you are driving, do not park in the residents' spaces, you should be able to find free parking in the laybys. If using public transport, the R3 bus from Salisbury will get you the closest to The Hollows. From the Hollows, head north, walking up the wooded path until you pass a farmhouse on your left. At this point, ( what3words : rocker.inch.recorders ) the road forks. Take the right fork, which will take you through a hedge lined path amongst open fields, bringing you to the start of the beech lined Roman road. Walk some way down the Roman road - it is lovely, whatever the season. Leave the Roman road by turning left, at what3words: scouted.skippers.bonus and you will find the first tree. The other two are close by - I will leave you to explore and find them for yourself, as half the fun is looking for the trees which stand out from the rest. Visiting Salisbury? Our Salisbury City Guide has plenty of information on places to visit, locally owned places to stay, eat and shop, day trips you can take, sporting activities on offer and plenty more. The Witches' Trees are amongst several unusual, historical or famous trees across the UK. You can read about some of the others here >>

Salisbury may have more than its fair share of chain restaurants and fast food places, but fortunately it has some fantastic locally-owned restaurants which will give you a lot of choice of cuisines and price brackets. Restaurants/Gastro Pubs Lalahan is my favourite restaurant in Salisbury. Locally owned serving authentic Turkish food, there is a good range of dishes which are always excellently cooked, with vegetarian options as well as the traditional meat dishes you would expect. The fun interior has a ceiling of clouds and Turkish landmarks around the walls, but it is the large garden which makes it so special, with covered seating and plenty of flowers and bamboo interspersed with colourful Turkish lamps. They also do takeaway and delivery. Website >> The Haunch of Venison is a medieval pub right in the centre of Salisbury. Filled with oak beans, uneven flooring, a ghost and 700 years of history, there is a bar downstairs and restaurant upstairs. Food is based on traditional English pub fare with an upmarket twist, and include meals such as wild venison steak, beetroot risotto and fish of the day. Find out more >> The Pheasant Inn is in the centre of Salisbury in Salt Lane. A medieval building with a beer garden, this pub has a small menu of British classics, as well as several vegan options. With a separate lunch and Sunday menu, this is a great place to eat for good quality, straightforward food. Website >> Tinga is an immersive Mexican dining experience, locally owned and centrally located. The décor is amazing; so vibrant and atmospheric and you don't know what to look at first. The extensive menu is equally as good, with plenty of vegan and vegetarian options and degrees of chili heat. Tinga is very popular with locals so book ahead. Website >> Baroushka is a locally owned Middle Eastern restaurant with an excellent menu and delicious food. They serve sharing platters, including vegan ones, as well as meze dishes, tagines and salads. The restaurant is near the train station, and they also do home delivery and takeaways. They run a loyalty scheme for regular customers. The food is excellent and highly recommended. Website >> Grillado is an Italian restaurant on Castle Street in the centre of town. It has an A La Carte menu but also offers takeaway, including pizzas. The food is authentically Italian and the owners pride themselves on using the best quality sourced ingredients. Dishes include options such as lamb, pork and fish dishes, as well as vegetarian options. Website >> Anokaa is very popular with the locals. It provides a modern take on Indian and Persian cuisine, in a restaurant of colour changing lights and water features. The food is excellent and varied, with dishes such as green spiced lobster thermidor or organic vegetable melange. They also do a takeaway service, which you can order online. Website >> Thai Sarocha is centrally located in New Street, where it has been since 2008. Adapting Thai food for western taste, there is a wide variety of dishes on offer such as Jungle Curry, stir frys, fish and noodle dishes. There are also set menus on offer, as well as a takeaway service which can be booked online. Website >> Cafes for light lunches, snacks and afternoon tea Salisbury Museum has a lovely little café directly opposite the cathedral. They serve coffee, cakes, daily specials and cream teas and are open every lunchtime. You do not need to pay to enter the museum to use the café. There is outdoor seating in the beautiful garden which has cathedral views. Website >> Charlie's Café is a relatively new, but very welcome, addition to Catherine Street. Light and airy, it serves the basics you want from a café with all day breakfasts, lunch essentials, smoothies and cakes. Service is really quick and friendly - you pay up front so there is no hanging around waiting for the bill either. The food is generous and tasty, you can't go wrong eating here. Takeaways in Salisbury Popeyes provides a variety of kebabs, pizzas, burgers, pizzas and jacket potatoes. You can order online or over the phone and get delivery or collect from their shop in Estcourt Road. Website >> Manis provides kebabs, wraps, burgers, chicken, jacket potatoes and meal deals which can be delivered or collected from their shop in Catherine Street. Website >> Britz Fish & Chips on Wilton Road has an eat in diner, click and collect as well as a delivery service. They also serve burgers, chicken, jacket potatoes as well as traditional British breakfasts. Website >> Visiting Salisbury? Our Salisbury City Guide has lots of information on locally owned places to stay and shop, places to visit and day trips.

HMS Belfast, launched in 1938, is the only British ship remaining from the bombardment fleet of D-day, and one of only three left in the world. She was active for much of the war, capturing enemy vessels and patrolling the Atlantic, taking part in several battles. She now floats on the Thames in central London as part of the Imperial War Museum. Visitors can go onboard, explore the ship and learn all about this fascinating vessel. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF HMS BELFAST Work began on the construction of the Belfast in 1936, she was launched in 1938 and was officially commissioned in August 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II. Initially, she was part of the naval blockade of Germany, but in November she struck a German mine, and spent two years having to be repaired. She return to action in 1942, escorting Arctic convoys and acting as the flagship in the battle of the North Cape. L: The visit of HM King George VI, 15 May 1944: Ship's company of HMS Belfast cheering King George VI as he leaves the ship in a drifter. Photograph © IWM R: HMS Belfast 's 4-inch guns bombarding German positions in Normandy at night For D-Day, HMS Belfast was made the HQ ship for Bombardment Force E supporting the British and Canadian forces at Gold and Juno beaches. Her first target was the German gun battery at La Marefontaine, rendering it useless against the invasion. She spent a month off the Normandy coast, firing over 4,000 6-inch and 1,000 4-inch shells. When the fighting moved inland beyond the range of her guns, she returned to England. In 1945 she headed to the Far East a nd took part in campaigns there including the Korean War until she was decommissioned in the 1960s. By early 1971, the Belfast was awaiting the scrapheap, until a trust was formed to save it. It opened to the public later that year, and became part of the Imperial War Museum in 1978. Permanently moored in the Thames just down from Tower Bridge , it is a popular tourist attraction. Easy to walk to from the London Bridge underground station, you don’t always need to pre-book tickets unless it’s peak season. The walk from the ticket office to the ship is down a gangway with lovely views over Tower Bridge that deposits you on the deck of HMS Belfast, where audio guides are available, and then you are free to explore the ship as you wish. You can go pretty much anywhere, from the gun turret on the very top to the engine rooms right in the bowels of the ship. Getting around for kids is great fun, as you scramble up and down steep ship's ladders and just explore where you fancy. Each room has a little information panel telling you the basics and some pertinent facts, and then the audio guide gives you much more comprehensive information. The ship has been restored to show how it looked in the 1940s and 1950s, with mannequins illustrating how the sailors lived on board; you can visit the galley, the laundry, the tobacco store, punishment cells, sick bay, the provision issue room, heads and so much more. There are all sorts of fascinating facts on display, such as how each sailor was given a daily ration (a 'tot') of rum at 11 a.m. each day, meaning that the ship got through 32,000 litres of rum during the Korean War. This tradition was phased out in the 1970s for health and safety reasons, probably much to the disappointment of the sailors at the time. Other fascinating facts include how soap and tobacco supplies were kept apart from everything else due to their strong scent, and how cats were kept on board to kill the rats. There was a fully equipped dentist's surgery as well as an operating room, and a sick bay which used 35 miles of bandages and 600 pounds of cotton wool during a two year period. You can sit in the Captain’s chair, use the interactive displays in the Operations Room and experience battle in the gun turret, with smoke and cordite wafting around you as you watch the action of the men firing the guns on screens. You can also stand in the spot where HMS Belfast received significant damage from a German mine in 1939, leaving her out of action until 1942. . It is a great museum experience, there is so much to see and it is all really well presented. It is great for adults but I would also highly recommend taking kids there as it is such a good combination of education and fun. It gives a different perspective of London with the views from the middle of the Thames and is a highly enjoyable and entertaining place to visit. Visiting HMS Belfast Opening Hours: Every day from 10am - 6pm Closed 24th - 26th December Ticket Prices Buy online to save 10% on the door price Adults £25.45 Children £12.70 Other concessions and family tickets available How to get there:  The nearest tube stop is London Bridge which is 4 minutes walk away. HMS Belfast website

The name of Fabian Ware is well known to many who regularly visit the war graves of the Commonwealth dead in both the First and Second World Wars. It is largely due to his vision and determination that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (originally called the Imperial War Graves Commission) took on the principles, characteristics and appearance that it retains today. Fabian Ware was born in 1869 and in the early years of his career was Assistant Director and then Director of Education in the Transvaal. From 1905 – 1911 he edited the Morning Post. Aged 44 on the outbreak of war in 1914 he was considered too old to enlist but by September had managed to get to France as head of a mobile Red Cross unit. As casualties began to mount, he was shocked by the absence of any system for recording the graves of the soldiers who had given their lives. He was also conscious of the effect on morale – men were having to leave their comrades behind in unmarked plots, never to be found or remembered again. Ware formed the idea of a Grave Registration Commission to find and record the places where men had fallen and to be able to communicate information to grieving families. From the beginning he was insistent that this work should be multinational – that the graves of men from the then Empire should be located and recorded in the same way as the British armed forces. He also worked to get the cooperation of the Central Powers, particularly Turkey where so many Allied soldiers met their deaths in Gallipoli. In May 1917 an International Imperial War Conference established the Imperial (renamed Commonwealth in 1960) War Graves Commission. Fabian Ware took the role of Vice Chairman, with the Prince of Wales acting as President. He stayed in this role until 1948, the year before his death. Fabian Ware did not just want the location of graves to be recorded: he was determined that the dead should lie in fitting locations with all due honour and respect that could be accorded to them. It soon became apparent that the dead could not be repatriated – the numbers were too vast and the men themselves had largely expressed the wish to lie beside their comrades. Ware worked alongside, and gave due praise, to the French and Belgian authorities for their generous donation of land for the Allied war dead. A standard curved headstone of Portland marble was ordered for every grave with, where known, the unit, age and date of death of the man or woman commemorated. Yet these headstones were also permitted to become intensely personal as families were able to choose their own inscriptions. Ware approached artists, architects and poets to devise appropriate ways of designing war memorials and cemeteries. Sir Edward Lutyens was responsible for the design of the Cenotaph in London and the Thiepval Memorial in France, but also for the Stone of Remembrance which stands in all the larger cemeteries. Each stone is 3.5 metres in length and 1.5 metres high, sitting on three shallow steps and designed with curves rather than straight lines to make it more pleasing to the eye. Sir Reginald Blomfield designed the Cross of Sacrifice which also stands in all the larger cemeteries, and the Menin Gate, the memorial to the missing in Ypres where the Last Post is still sounded at 8.00pm every evening. Rudyard Kipling chose the words “Known Unto God” for all those buried in an unknown grave, as well as the words from the King James Bible, “Their name liveth for evermore” which is inscribed on every Stone of Remembrance. Smaller battlefield cemeteries are all carefully designed with low walls, the headstones standing together irrespective of the rank of the soldier, sailor, airman or nurse in ground that is planted with flowers and shrubs and meticulously maintained. Fabian Ware's grave in Holy Trinity Church, Amberley Photographs © David Earle Fabian Ware’s “memorial” is really every Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery that exists across the world, including the many churchyards scattered across the British Isles where just one or two graves may lie – usually of those who died from wounds once back at home in Blighty. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission currently cares for over 1.1 million graves at more than 23,000 locations across 150 countries and territories and his legacy can be seen in each and every one. But for the interested Slow Traveller it is also possible to find tributes to his life and work in four locations – his gravestone at Holy Trinity Church, Amberley, in Gloucestershire, a memorial stone in St George’s Chapel in Westminster Abbey, a memorial stone in Gloucester Cathedral and a plaque outside his former home at 14 Wyndham Place, Marylebone, London. Plaque photographs © Spudgun67 Gloucester Cathedral Memorial photograph © Andrew Abbott You can learn more about the work of the CWGC at their visitor centre in Arras >> Y ou can find CWGC cemeteries across the world. The largest in the UK is Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey but you will often find graves in some of the smallest churchyards in the country. There is a full list of all locations on the CWGC site >>

East Knoyle is a small Wiltshire village which sits just inside the border of the Cranborne Chase Area of Natural Beauty. Only 3 miles south of the A303, that artery to the South west which is filled with traffic jams of holiday makers heading to the beaches of Devon and Cornwall, the village is an ideal place to stop for a break where you can walk through woods, admire sweeping valley views, absorb some history and enjoy some excellent local food. This quiet village is a place for those who are ‘in the know’. While others speed relentlessly by, or stop for a quick break at the dismal concrete services owned by a billionaire, just five minutes down the road is a peaceful, rural sanctuary, home to some beautiful old buildings, a splendid pub and the birthplace of one of Britain’s greatest architects, Sir Christopher Wren. East Knoyle is a parish of several small hamlets all intermingled by a network of narrow, tree-lined roads which twist and turn up and down the steep sides of the valley. Driving here is not for the faint hearted as each new bend brings with it a horror of meeting someone coming in the opposite direction and the inevitable ensuant reversing. It is well worth the journey though, for you end up in an attractive and peaceful village, flourishing and well cared for, a mixture of old cottages with wisps of smoke drifting out of chimneys, thatched houses, expansive bungalows sheltering behind cobblestone walls, and greenery everywhere; wild plants growing out of every cracked wall, ivy and climbers over every building, lanes lined with banks of colourful wild flowers and towering cow parsley. The centre of the village is the crossroads of Church Road and Wise Lane. A large grassy green next to the road is home to the war memorial, a memorial to Christopher Wren, a thriving community shop and a large children’s playground, which is barely visible behind sculpted hedges. Just a few yards up Church Lane is the church of St. Mary’s, a Grade I listed building which has been the focal point of the community for over 1000 years. It is a traditional church of weathered grey stone with a squat little tower which sports a blue clock charmingly askew. Part of the church is Saxon, with later additions of a 13th century nave and a 15th century tower. The church is fronted by a prodigious yew tree with a thick, peeling trunk, its soft green needles falling on the cracked chest tomb underneath. You can walk amongst the lichen clad gravestones around the back of the church and up a steep hill to get a wonderful view, with church, trees and rooftops blending into a backdrop of hills, valleys and endless sky. The church is usually open and is well worth a visit. It is simple inside with white walls, parabolic arches and a timbered roof with little in the way of interior decoration. There are some vibrant stained glass windows and interesting memorials but the highlight is the plasterwork in the chancel, which was actually created by a 17th century rector, Dr Christopher Wren, who designed some scenes from the Bible and inscriptions. Dr Wren was Rector of East Knoyle for 20 years and it was while living in the village that his son was born, the man who would grow up to be one of England’s true Renaissance men, Sir Christopher Wren. Christopher Wren was an astronomer, geometrician, physicist, mathematician and founder of the Royal Society amongst his other achievements, but he is remembered mainly for his architecture. After the Great Fire of London he was King’s Surveyor, tasked with rebuilding over 50 churches in the capital, including what is widely considered to be the pinnacle of his accomplishments, St Paul’s Cathedral . His Baroque style of architecture graces many of the most important buildings in England’s history. Behind the war memorial is Wren’s Shop, a true community enterprise staffed mostly by volunteers, which is open every day. Like all good village shops, it seems to sell everything, most of which is locally sourced. Groceries are on display in wicker baskets, bread is baked daily, there are pastries, coffee, freshly made sandwiches and wines selected by the village sommelier. The noticeboard outside is covered in fluttering handwritten signs advertising local clubs and events, and the red telephone box has been converted to hold a defibrillator. The church may once have been the hub of the community, but I strongly suspect that it is now this delightful shop. Opposite the shop is the monument to Christopher Wren, a low stone monument with the sides barely visible between the ivy climbing down from the top and the moss creeping up from the base. In a house near this spot was born on 20th October 1632 Sir Christopher Wren Architect Mathematician Patriot The Son of the Rector of this Parish The house no longer exists, apparently knocked down in the 1800s to allow for the road to be widened, which seems something of a tragedy. L: This is thought to be the house Christopher Wren was born in R: The house which replaced it which was demolished in the 1950s Less than a mile up Wise Lane, another impossibly narrow road flanked by thick woodland, you find the East Knoyle Windmill, standing alone on a small hill overlooking a deep valley. This was once a barley meal mill, built in the 17th century and used until 1896. Built from rubble as a functional building with very little ornamentation, it lost its sails in 1911 when a firework was released during the celebrations for the Coronation of George V and set the wooden sails aflame. The mill was converted to an artist’s studio in the 1920s, but seems to no longer be in use. It does still looked cared for and is apparently entirely unchanged. You can walk all around the mill, to admire the views over the valley, full of green fields and gentle hills. Just opposite the mill are the grounds of Clouds House, a once stately home which is now a famous treatment centre, where rich celebrities go to be cured of their addictions. Some very famous people have wandered through these woods, not that you are likely to see any of them. Another 5 minute walk through the winding lanes leads to a large glade with views over the valley on one side and the Fox & Hounds, a 15th century country pub, on the other. With wood-burning fires, flagstone floors and a small but blossoming garden, this is no manicured village pub curated for visitors, this is the real thing where the locals gather. The food is excellent, with far more vegetarian options than you get in most rural locations, and I still remember with fondness the truly fantastic homemade Eton Mess I had there a few years ago. In less than 5 minutes you can be back on the A303 and back in the eternal queues to get to the West country. As you re-join the road at Willoughby Hedge Service Station, you can reflect with some relief that you avoided the soulless concrete car park with its giant Starbucks, or eating warm sandwiches wrapped in plastic triangles with cars screeching past you; instead you wandered through a beautiful village with valley views, ate locally sourced food and saw the birthplace of one of England’s greatest men. How to get to East Knoyle Turn of the A303 at Willoughby Hedge Service Station on to the B3089. Turn right at the crossroads onto the A350 which will take you straight into the centre of the village. This route avoids the narrow roads. There is free parking near the village shop or by the church. The village shop is open 7 days a week from 8am. The church is open 10am - 4pm. If you want to stay a while longer, there is a beautiful glamping site in open meadows overlooking the valley which is just a ten minute walk away from the village. It has shepherds huts and bell tents, a wood fired hot tub and home cooked, locally sourced food delivered to your fire pit. Find out more >>