The curious background of Tombland Alley
Once known as the central marketplace of Norwich, England, the name of this historic alley, Tombland, is a bit misleading, as it has nothing to do with the burying of […]
The Lord of Misrule
In some areas of England, during the late medieval and early Tudor periods, especially through the reign of King Edward VI, a custom emerged in which the lord of a […]
The oldest candy store in the world is in England, and has been selling traditional sweets since 1827…
The oldest sweet shop in England, as its name not by chance suggests, is the oldest sweet shop in England. Of course, It’s a right claim, but also modest, as […]
Fairy Rock, the place where according to local legends fairies used to dance in the moonlight and invite handsome young men into their grottoes ~
The ancient engine house of Saltom Pit is the first large-scale mine ever sunk below sea level. It sits at the base of Fairy Rock on the coast of Whitehaven, […]
The fish dish that killed a King…
England’s King Henry I died aged 66 on this day, December 1, 1135 after eating what was described at the time as “a surfeit of lampreys”. Of course, his death […]
The Hardy Tree: the churchyard ash tree surrounded by hundreds of gravestones placed there by author Thomas Hardy
Inside an ancient churchyard in London an ash tree is encircled with hundreds of overlapping gravestones, placed there by classic novelist Thomas Hardy. The cemetery, alongside London’s St. Pancras Old […]
The stunning statue on the tomb of the legendary Maid Marian
Little Dunmow Church, St Mary, is one of the oldest buildings in Essex, England. The building was originally the chapel of the lady of an Augustinian convent of the 12th […]
Fairy Steps, the legendary stone steps that were once used to haul coffins up the rockface ~
From Beetham village, England, a path climbs to Beetham fell and leads to the so-called Fairy Steps. The second of two flights of stone steps, where the narrow passage squeezes […]
Stamford bull run: a custom demised after 700 years of cruelty
If you are lucky enough to own a castle you want to enjoy the fine views on your lands from your windows. And that, according to legend, is just what […]
Nine Ladies stone circle and their King Stone
This bronze age stone circle is situated in a woodland clearing high on Stanton Moor, Derbyshire England. The curious arrangement consists of nine upright stones purposefully set in an about […]
Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Day: what is the story behind this British observance?
Guy Fawkes Day, also called Bonfire Night, is a British observance, celebrated on this day, November 5, commemorating the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. But what is its […]
12 Ways Halloween is celebrated around the globe
In America, people associate Halloween with pumpkins, costumes, candy, and spooky stories or ghosts but, around the world, it could be a little different. The holiday might look slightly different […]
John Wimble: a lifetime at sea…
At the age of 12 John boarded a ship for the first time. And that’s when the sea became his home. John Wimble was born in 1797 in Maidstone, Kent, […]
Edith Cavell: the heroine nurse of England
Every year, two chosen nurses lay a wreath on the statue of such as Edith Cavell near Trafalgar Square in central London. Meanwhile, some 320 km north-east of the capital, […]
England’s Bolton Strid: the most dangerous stretch of water in the world
The Bolton Strid, a narrow segment of the River Wharf in North England, is a picturesque stretch of river that looks like the type of place one might find fairies […]
Hellingly Mental Hospital: the story of an asylum
We are in the village of Hellingly, in East Sussex, England. Here, on 20 July 1903, the Hellingly Mental Hospital was inaugurated: an asylum, the best in the area because, […]
Souter Lighthouse | England
We are in the village of Marsden in South Shields, Tyne&Wear, in Northern England. The story of Souter Lighthouse began in 1871, when it was constructed on Lizard Point. The […]
Whitby Abbey: the gloomy ruins that inspired Bram Stoker to bring Dracula to life.
From Mina Harker’s diary, Chapter 6, Dracula by Bram Stoker: “Right over the town is the ruin od Whitby Abbey, which was sacked by the Danes, and which is the […]
The strange story of why human urine was transported to quarries in North East Yorkshire
Since the days of the Roman empire, alum was used as a mordant or fixative that allowed textiles to be colored using vegetable dyes. Initially imported from Italy where there […]
Vicars’ Close: the oldest residential street in Europe that also features an optical illusion.
Vicars’ Close, in Wells, Somerset, England, is claimed to be the oldest purely residential street with original buildings still intact in Europe. The first houses on this attractive street, close […]
Light and air for everybody: the window tax imposed on English citizens in 1696
The Victorian era was one of enormous transformation for British industry and architecture, popular also for its weirdnesses, including funerals for pets, hospitals for dead that prevented the fear of […]
Robert the Bruce: the never-say-die king (and the spider)
Robert the Bruce, more formally known as King Robert I of Scotland, was born on this day, July 11 1274. He was a fierce warrior-king, who led the Scots in […]
The 199 steps (with benches for coffins) of Whitby, England
Thousand of people regularly climb up the 199 steps leading to St. Mary’s Church. Fortunately for them, visitors, locals, tourists or simply curious, some benches dot the stairway, providing perfect […]
May 14, 1948: the three-year-old’s brutal murder that begins an unusual investigation.
Three-year-old June Devaney, recovering from pneumonia at Queen’s Park Hospital in Blackburn, England, is kidnapped from her bed on this day, May 14 1948. Nurses discovered her missing at 1:20 […]
#May 9, 1971: Irish adventurer “Captain Blood” steals crown jewels
Thomas Blood tried to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London on this day, May 9, 1671. He failed, but remains the only would-be thief to attempt such […]
Sarah Ann Henley: the suicide girl who fluttered to safety
The beautiful England’s Clifton Suspension Bridge, originally designed by the great Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, stands 101 metres above the River Avon and spans a 400-metre wide gorge. Located […]
Pie Barm: an unconventional traditional sandwich from Wigan – England
Wigan, is an English town west of Manchester, well known for its enthusiastic pie-eating. Whether it is covered in pea-wet or served up with chips, Wiganers are renowned for their […]
#April 10, 1633: The day bananas made their debut in England
Among scientists, Thomas Johnson is known as “the father of British field botany”. But, more confidentially, he is celebrated as the first man to sell bananas in England. Born in […]
#April 7, 1832: Joseph Thompson – the man who sold his wife
Nagging wives needed to be careful in 19th Century England, for, as Joseph Thompson did, her husband might put her up for sale. That’s just what happened on this day, […]