British Travel By Design

02/01/2023

2023 has arrived and the world has opened up. We wish you all a happy and prosperous new year. You will be seeing some changes on our website in the coming weeks and let us know what you would like to hear/know/see more about

31/12/2021

Happy Holidays and we wish you a prosperous New Year.

Hopefully 2022 will see us travelling again but in the meantime I will be restarting Blog Posts come the beginning of the year.

Stay safe

Linda and Barry

16/11/2021

London Market Updates

Since last we reviewed London markets much has changed, so we have recently gone to back to our review sources and asked our friends to check out today’s markets once again. Below are our top 5 London markets:

At the top of almost everyone’s list is the

Columbia Road Flower Market
The market is open on Sunday’s and can best be described as a riot of color and scent. Covid has induced some changes to the layout and now the stalls only run down on sire of the street which makes it seem more open.

This little slice of London also contains lots of small shops selling everything from food to vintage clothing. Best bargains in the plant and flower department are to be found close to closing time (3 pm). Image attribution "Columbia Road Flower Market" by Lee-Anne Inglis is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Columbia Rd, London, E2 7RG

The next 4 markets could be in any order, they consistently revolve in the top 5

Camden Market
Started in the 1970s (precisely March 30th, 1974) Camden Lock Market was opened with only 16 traders selling antiques, jewelry and arts and crafts. Today the market is one of London’s most visited destinations. Today the Camden Market boasts many hundreds of market traders and small businesses generating a diverse and multicultural environment.

Camden Lock Market by the Regents canal has been home to many different and contrasting events, and has been at the intersection of trade, music and fashion for centuries. Image attribution Ilkka Harmanen

54-56 Camden Lock Place, London NW1 8AF,
camdenmarket.com/

Borough Market
The story of this market is old, there have been markets on this site since 1014 (so it is claimed) and in 1550 the market received its first Royal Charter from Edward VI. This is one of the largest and oldest food markets in London and specializes Traffic jams caused the original market to be moved to its current location where it has been since 1756.

The market is run by a charitable trust on behalf of the community. Their mission is to show that food can be made and sold in ways that are better for people, for the planet and for the sheer pleasure of eating. Image attribution "Big Cheeses, Borough Market, London SE1" by EEPaul is licensed under CC BY 2.0

8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL,
boroughmarket.org.uk/

Brick Lane Market
Brick Lane market is unusual as it began as a Sunday market where training on Sunday’s was against the law. Sunday trading in the UK is a relatively new idea and it was only made legal for stores to open in 1994. In the 1600s this market began as a Farmers Market and special dispensation was given for it to operate as the area, at that time was dominated by the Jewish Community.

This market sells everything from old electronics to food and arts and crafts. For many years had a stall selling nothing but rusty cog wheels. The market is spread over a number of areas and opens on Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm. Image attribution "Brick Lane Market by eGuide Travel" by eGuide Travel is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Brick Lane, London E1 6QR
Bricklanemarket.com/

Old Spitalfields Market
Another old market (granted a license by King Charles I in 1638) that sells almost everything you can imagine, originally the wholesale market for fresh fruit along with Covent Garden. 1991 saw the wholesale market move and the market reinvented itself and with a strong emphasis on food.
In the center of the market, you’ll find kitchens that deliver awesome freshly cooked food. To quote the website “We are proud to offer incredible quality and variety in the dishes prepared by our chefs and food traders here, many of whom have already established great reputations through deep roots in East London. We aim to support small producers and artisan businesses. East London is a melting pot of interesting, artistic and creative people and this is reflected through the traders, operators and brands you’ll find here”. Image attribution "Old Spitalfields Market (Tower Hamlets)" by JasonParis is licensed under CC BY 2.0
105a Commercial Street, London E1 6BG
Oldspitalfieldsmarket.com/

See other posts on https://britishtravelbydesign.com/blog

30/10/2021

Places Less Visited – The Line – London

I was amazed and pleased to discover ‘The Line’, it is London’s first dedicated public art walk. Connecting three boroughs (Newham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich) and following the Greenwich Meridian, it runs between the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and The O2 (one of London’s premier music venues). The Line features an evolving program of art installations (loans and commissioned works), projects and events, illuminating an inspiring landscape where everyone can explore art, nature, and heritage for free.

The route is three miles as the crow flies however most of the walk is along winding waterways, so it takes around three hours to complete the entire route. You can walk The Line in one go or visit different sections on different days (one of the joys of The Line is that it’s constantly changing – different seasons, times of day and tides mean it’s always worth a return visit). The route also involves crossing the Thames River on the Emirates Air Line which is the UK’s first urban cable car.

One of the best ways to enjoy the line is to use their free dedicated app. Hear directly from exhibited artists talking in-depth about their works. Discover more about the history, nature and architecture of The Line as Bill Nighy takes you on a guided tour of the route. Take a moment for yourself with three specially commissioned mindfulness guides.

The-line.org is a great website, excellent in its simplicity and content. I have used many of their words and one image of Madge Gill’s work in this post and in no way claim any copyright for the words or images. The Hatchling is an image from Joanna Rajkowska and the Quantum Cloud was photographed by Andy Roberts from East London, England, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

See other posts on https://britishtravelbydesign.com/blog

22/10/2021

Places Less Visited – Sculpture In The Sand - 2

Created as a tribute to the composer Benjamin Britten (1913 to 1976) this giant Scallop Shell rises from the sands of Aldeburgh in Suffolk where he Britten regularly walked. The scallop was created by a local artist Maggie Hambling who herself is a fan of Britten’s music.

The sculpture depicts two, broken, interlocking scallop shells. Words from Britten’s opera Peter Grimes are cut into the rim of the upright shell and read “I hear those voices that will not be drowned”. Maggie Hambling Hambling describes Scallop as a conversation with the sea and said, "An important part of my concept is that at the center of the sculpture, where the sound of the waves and the winds are focused, a visitor may sit and contemplate the mysterious power of the sea."

As with our previous Sculpture In The Sand the scallop has attracted a considerable number of different opinions, including:
“hideous pile of rusting scrap metal on that beautifully desolate curve of shingle.”
“It’s hard to keep silent when one’s regular walk by the open sea has been so casually violated.”
“It’s seen as an act of sheer arrogance to place this in the middle of one of the only bits of untouched beach in the area, and a bit of coast which is very deeply loved by local people.”

British Travel By Design continues to develop exciting, interesting and stimulating itineraries for our clients in spite of the current public health situation.

Picture copyright belongs to Rowland Shaw, Chrissylad and Public Domain Pictures from Pixabay

19/10/2021

Places Less Visited – National Leprechaun Museum

Found in the heart of Dublin and focused on the myths of Ireland and the history of small little men with a pot of gold, this one-of-a-kind museum in Dublin brings to life many of the stories and folklore surrounding the leprechauns and other faeries native to the emerald Isle.

Irish storytelling is the key to this “museum” and there are two versions, the first is during the day when a tour guide takes you through the rooms telling different folklore stories and is fun for children and adults of all ages. The second happens at night when the mood changes and the stories become “adults only”. This museum has been compared to a haunted house tour but during the day there is little scary talk to frighten the children (Over 7 years old only) but at night it’s a different story.

The stories lead you from the first recorded sighting of a leprechaun in the 8th century through to modern times, cautionary tales about what happens if you try to catch one.
The tour takes you through rooms of incredibly over-sized furniture and an exhibit that features rainbows and pots of gold after a rain shower.

Enjoy something a little different in the place where the little people come from.

See more of our information at www.britishtravelbydesign.com

12/10/2021

Places Less Visited – Dursey Island Eire

Dursey Island hangs off the western point of Ireland with three rocks called Bull Rock, Cow Rock and Calf Rock. In the mid-1800s there were 48 people living on the island and today that has been reduced to 4 with several holiday homes for those who wish to experience a wild and windy environment, there is almost nothing between this island and North America with the full force of the Atlantic Ocean winds beating the island into submission.

Some of the unusual things about this island include:
• Rocks on the island that spell out the word EIRE designed to let German pilots in WWII know that they were over the neutral country of Eire.
• The only cable car in Eire that connects it to the mainland, and it has been used for everything including people and freight (including cows). Cattle are no longer allowed to use it for health and safety reasons.
• A signal tower that survives from the Napoleonic era (early 1800s)
• The start of the European E8 long distance footpath that goes for close to 2,900 miles and ends in Turkey.

If you are visiting Eire then this is definitely a stop to add on your itinerary.

Picture attribution: Cathy Cox / Signal Tower, Dursey Island, K. Jähne / Cable Car, Arnout Vos / Dursey Island,

05/10/2021

Places Less Visited – Sculpture In The Sand - 1

There are few items that generate more different points of view or discussion than art works or sculpture outside of a gallery and some of the most intense discussions seem to happen when an installation is created on a pristine beach where until now only the tide had disturbed the sand.

I recently came across several intriguing installations that are close to the ocean or on the beach. The first that caught my eye is known as ‘Another Place’ by the artist Antony Gormley. This installation is in Crosby, just north of Liverpool and consists of 100 figures, all of which are casts of Antony Gormley in various representations rising out of the sand. Many of these life size figures spread over 450 acres are inundated by the tide and evidence of the sea reacting with the statues can be seen. In fact a local university has been undertaking studies on the effect of marine life on the cast iron statues.

Controversy has followed this exhibit wherever if has been, originally exhibited in Cuxhaven, Germany, Stavanger in Norway and then in De Panne in Belgium before finding a permanent home in Crosby.

25/09/2021

Places Less Visited – Cotswold Canals

When we think of the Cotswolds we think of honey and butter-colored buildings in quaint settings with beautiful village greens. What we usually don’t associate with this area are the network of canals that were created during the late 1700s to deliver goods and coal as at that time there were no railways. The first modern railroad in Great Britain was opened in1825 and that operated in the north far from the Cotswolds.

The Cotswold canals originally started life in the early 1700s and at one stage during a court battle each side had poems written to try and persuade the justices.

The canals link two of England’s major rivers, the Severn and the Thames and had fallen into disuse or had been filled in. In 1996 a restoration project started and the goal of this is “'Restore the Cotswold Canals to full navigation in the interests of conservation, biodiversity and local quality of life, and to use the restoration as a catalyst for wider social, economic and environmental regeneration in areas neighboring the canals”

The canals are around 40 miles in length and there is a partial footpath for walkers with towns and villages along the way to partake of food and beverages together with a good night’s sleep.

While the Cotswolds are pretty the canal adds another dimension to the area, bringing to life the intimate and changing history in one of England’s most beautiful areas.

These beautiful images are courtesy of "Cotswold Canals in Pictures"

24/09/2021

Places Less Visited – Fountains Abbey

When compared to Tintern Abbey this is HUGE. Fountains Abbey is one of the largest monastic ruins in Britain.

In common with many abbeys Fountains Abbey lies next to a river, in this case the River Skell in North Yorkshire. At a time when wealth came from the land this abbey became one of the wealthiest in Britain based on its trading in wool and lead and they had large land holdings across the area.

See the rest of the story at https://britishtravelbydesign.com/places-less-visited-fountains-abbey/

16/09/2021

16/09/2021

I'm thinking of leading a small guided group next year to visit some of the less visited historic and beautiful places in the UK. Anyone interested let me know: [email protected].
* Interesting ruins
* Beautiful and wild countryside
* Comfortable and historic Inns and Hotels
* Bring walking shoes

16/09/2021

Places Less Visited – Tintern Abbey

I’m sharing with you one of my favorite places in the UK and Ireland. I’d like to paint a picture of a large ruined gothic church nestled next to the river Wye in a green valley. The sun has yet to break through and the mist is rising from the river, and you are watching this stately, large ruin appear in front of you. It may be fall and there is a little chill in the morning air but being here at Tintern Abbey makes it all worthwhile.

Originally built in 1131 these old stones hold a fascination for me, every time I visit, I walk the grounds and feel the history of the place, the people working in the fields, the monks in their church and a closeness with nature.

The leadership of the order said that “none of our houses is to be built in cities, in castles or villages; but in places remote from the conversation of men. Let there be no towers of stone for bells, nor of wood of an immoderate height, which are unsuited to the simplicity of the order" and in all the Cistercian sites that I have visited they have been true to this mandate.
In my next post I will speak to another of these ruins that was very close to where I used to live.
Image attribution - Saffron Blaze, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
https://britishtravelbydesign.com/places-less-visited-tintern-abbey/

08/09/2021

Sitting close to the border between England and Wales Shrewsbury represents one of the UK’s hidden delights. A city that was founded in Saxon times (around the 7th Century) with a small settlement possibly based on an earlier Roman settlement from a couple of hundred years earlier.

Nestled in a bend on the River Severn the town occupies a strategic place at the junction of trade routes and some easy river crossings and in the 10th century a Saxon king ordered the town to be fortified and so the first castle was built. The current castle was originally founded in 1067.

You can imagine with such a heritage this is a city that incorporates old and new, with something to explore at almost every turn. Some highlights of Shrewsbury include

* Explore the early life of Charles Darwin, yes he was born here.
* Shrewsbury Folk Festival (End of August 2022)
* Shrewsbury Castle, including a museum and art gallery
* Shrewsbury Prison, and they have an escape room
A fine, contemporary theater, and
Many wonderful old cobbled streets and buildings to explore.

A day spent in Shrewsbury is not one that you will forget if you enjoy history and art.

Here are a couple of 5 star hotels in the area:
* Darwin’s Townhouse
* Prince Rupert Hotel
We also have the link to our blog post below

Nestled in a bend on the River Severn the town occupies a strategic place at the junction of trade routes and some easy river crossings and in the 10th century a Saxon king ordered the town to be fortified and so the first castle was built. The current castle was originally founded in 1067.

06/11/2020

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06/08/2020

Living in the UK as a young man one of my favourite activities, along with my friend Pete, was to leave Manchester on a Friday night as soon as we finished work and head north to hike in the Lake District.

Never being short of places to camp one of our haunts included Troutbeck, just north of England’s largest lake Windermere and we would begin evening at the Queens Head, usually after pitching our tents. Still standing today the Queens Head provided us with many weekends of fun and warmth.

Hiking in the UK is not for those who are scared of melting in the rain, the cold and bitter winds that scream across the fells can find any gap in your clothing to get inside and make you miserable. On the other hand, a warm sunny day standing at the top of Stony Cove Pike and looking down Troutbeck Tounge or taking a break at the Kirkstone Pass Inn cannot be beaten.

The countryside is wild, with stone walls and very few trees. Slate bridges cross mountain streams which run crystal clear across stones that have been there since time immemorial. The sight of storm clouds obscuring the sun, rushing across the fells leaving a sprinkling of rain and then exposing us to the sun again is magical and majestic.

The Lake District is an area of the UK that has always had a special place in my heart and imagine my surprise when looking through my ancestry.com tree I found that one side of my family has it’s roots in an area close to Troutbeck.

Scafell Pike, Helvellyn, The Wainwrights, Pooley Bridge, and Grasmere are names and places that will ever reverberate in my memories and I look forward to updating this post sometime in the future with more recent pictures to go with the names.

28/05/2020

Picture the Scottish Highlands, when mind-traveling!
The Scottish Highlands is a journey not to be missed especially by those who love to adventure and bask in the glory of nature. Majestic mountains green valleys and glistening lochs may beckon to travelers to write poetry, or paint when visiting the western and northern areas of Scotland, the Highlands. It feels as if you have been transported in time especially when visiting less spoken about areas, so please explore and drink in this unspoiled land.
One of the most memorable places in the Highlands includes Cairngorms National Park which is the largest National Park in the UK. You can spend up to a week in this Park simply exploring picturesque overviews of lakes, mountains and unusual rock clusters. You can camp out and hike in the park should you wish to. However, if this is not your leaning, the Park includes Museums, several historic sites, castles (Balmoral and Ballindalloch Castle), and the Highland Folk Museum which recounts history and chronicles a past way of life.
You shouldn’t miss enjoying a “dram” (Glass of Scotch Whisky) at the Glenlivet Distillery if you love Scotch! (Tasting tours should be booked in advance!)

09/05/2020

17/02/2020

We are Linda and Barry, and we created British Travel by Design to help YOU design and book the perfect trip. Consider us your personal travel concierge. So, where do you want to go?

17/02/2020