John Giffard constructed Boscobel House in the 17th century, sometime before 1624. Giffard intended Boscobel to be a hunting lodge. It was built in the middle of dense woodland and was considered a great place to hide. Gifford was a Catholic in a time of great persecution. He installed two priest holes in case he…
Moseley Old Hall was built around 1600, in the late Elizabethan era. At the time of its construction, it was surrounded by dense woodland, making it an excellent hiding place. It was built for a catholic gentleman called Henry Pitt. As part of the construction, he had a priest hole built. After Pitt’s death, it…
Old Sarum: thousands of years of history on a huge raised earthworks. Positioned on a hill close to Salisbury, Wiltshire, Old Sarum has a royal castle, palace and cathedral, all contained inside a massive fortification dating back to the Iron Age. It is possibly one of the most unappreciated historic sites in the United Kingdom….
Worcester Cathedral on the banks of the River Seven has stood in various forms since the year 680. There was a monastery on the site, and the ruins can still be seen. St Wulfstan is the major ecclesiastical figure associated with the Cathedral. He became bishop in the year 1062 and was the only Anglo-Saxon…
The ancient Westminster Hall in London is part of the Palace of Westminster and remains the oldest building in the UK Parliament to survive almost in its original form. It has been the location of numerous significant events, including the coronation banquet of Henry VIII and the trials of William Wallace, Thomas More, Guy Fawkes,…
Holyrood House, Author – XtoF https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Holyroodhouse,_front_view.jpg Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 4.0 International The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the King’s official residence in Scotland. It is situated at one end of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Essentially, it can be compared to Buckingham Palace in London. Sometimes, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is simply referred to…
Lichfield Cathedral is dedicated to St Chad and Saint Mary, built from locally quarried sandstone, and consecrated in 700AD. This is the only English medieval cathedral to have three spires, endearing and referred to by the locals as the ‘Ladies of the Vale’. St Mary’s church stood in the cathedral’s place before, built presumably in…
Lincoln Cathedral is truly a magnificent sight. Built on top of the hill across the square from Lincoln Castle, it dominates the city skyline. Tourists flock to it from across the world. Those who brave the climb up Steep Hill are rewarded with a wondrous sight. Forget the fact that Lincoln Cathedral was once the…
Standing in a 3,000-acre (1,200 ha) park is the ruined fortification of Ashby de la Zouch Castle in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England. Originally constructed on the site of an older manor house by William, Lord Hastings between 1472 and 1483, the castle was joined by two large towers and some smaller buildings over that time. Lord…
Somerset featured in a pronounced way during King Henry’s dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s. The lands of the monasteries that were dissolved were bought by certain important families in Somerset from the king. Somerset is well respected for its cider and cheddar cheese. Somerset was once the cider capital of the UK thanks…