Day Trips from London: London to Bodiam Castle

Bodiam Castle

Its been a while since I've added to my Day Trips from London series but over this Easter long weekend, a friend and I finally took a trip to Bodiam Castle. I love that living in the UK I can just go and see a castle, built by a Knight, that existed almost 400 years before Australia was 'discovered' by Captain Cook, complete with moat, just like that.

The original bridge actually was from this grassy patch to the island in the middle.

Bodiam is a 14th century castle that was built during the reign of Richard II. Originally belonging to the Dalyngrigge family, it passed through several hands before it was donated to the National Trust in 1925.

Main entrance - wooden portcullis and family shields above

The exterior of the castle is intact (or has been restored) and as I approached it, it was quite the sight. I can understand why the grounds were landscaped in such a way, it would have made quite the imposing and intimidating impression. It does give the impression that it is bigger than it actually is.

Over the bridge, through the main entrance with the original wooden portcullis (quite rare) and up a side staircase to the battlements and I could see the whole interior of the castle. Only ruins remain, surrounding the green lawn of the courtyard. But with the help of a map, fireplaces and the markings of where the upper floors were, it was easy to glean life when it was a fully functioning castle.

The arched door way leads to the Great Hall

Facing the main entrance from the courtyard

The arches from the Great Hall leading to the pantry, buttery and kitchens

All the little details...

Dont forget to look up - Parts of Bodiam had 3 floors.

Looking out from the Retainers Hall to the courtyard

Possibly my favourite thing about the whole castle was the back entrance. Supposedly used for 'informal' access to friends, services and the like. I like to think of it as an early equivalent to the kitchen door used by friends today instead of the main house door. Except I'm sure that most kitchen doors don't have murder holes as a precaution.

Murder holes

Oh, did I mention its a photogenic castle? It was so easy to take good photos of it from every angle, almost no effort required ;)

Tips for visiting Bodiam Castle

 

How to get to Bodiam Castle

I think that the best way to get to Bodiam Castle from London is to drive. But due to Easter car hire opening hours my friend and I ended up taking a train to Maidstone and hiring a zipcar to drive there which worked well too.

The National Trust site does give various public transport options.

Food & drink

Bodiam Castle has a cafe near the carpark which serves a couple of hot meals, sandwiches, tea, coffee and cake. It has both indoor and outdoor seating. Across the road there is a Shepherd Neame pub Castle Inn which can serve as another option. Otherwise, if youre driving, why not take a picnic and eat there?

Nearby

There is a steam train station nearby Bodiam Castle, if you are looking for a full day out check out the Kent and East Sussex Railway website.
Why not take advantage of the beautiful countryside and take a walk along the public footpaths? I saw a couple of stiles and marked paths so with a bit of googling found this map.

Not a bad way to spend a day away from the hustle and bustle of London don't you think?

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The Loch Ness Monster has been Spotted!

Spotted! The shy Nessie, known around the world as the Loch Ness Monster was spotted by Globetrotter Postcards blogger, Sam, on a recent trip to the famous Loch Ness in Scotland. Not much has been seen of Nessie recently and it has led to rumours that the monster has died, although, a sighting in Australia has led others to believe she is simply on holiday. The Three Sisters of Glen Coe As part of a tour that took her through some beautiful Scottish Highlands, glens and castles, she boarded the Jacobite Queen boat to cruise along the silent loch when the sighting is said to have occurred. "It was amazing!" She said. "I was sitting on the upper deck listening to how John Cobb was killed trying to break water speed record on the loch and watching Urquhart Castle recede into the distance. All of a sudden, I had the overwhelming urge to have my photo taken against a particularly serene view." She grins with excitement.  Jacobite Queen on Loch Ness "I asked a particularly bored looking girl if she could take my photo and she must have not been paying attention because when I looked at it moments later I saw it! I saw her! Nessie! I couldn't believe it, I glanced up just in time to see her head dip back down into the water and her tail quickly follow! I was so shocked I couldn't speak!" Urquhart Castle Sam goes on to say that it no one else in her tour group seemed to have sighted the mysterious creature of the loch but the photographic evidence of the loch Ness monster takes pride of place on her desk. "Every time I look at it I remember that moment and how the world is full of wonder, mystery and magic." Urquhart Castle is along the banks of Loch Ness its history steeped in bloody conflict and noble families. Sam has granted us exclusive permission to print a copy of this image of Nessie for our to share the secrets of Loch Ness. So, obviously I didn't see the Loch Ness monster, but I hope you enjoyed the spoof article anyway. I visited Loch Ness as part of the Original Loch Ness Tour. It was a different company to the one I went with for the West Highland Lochs Mountains and Castles, and although the guides were informative, they weren't as great. Be warned that this tour is long so check where you actually stop off as we only did two scenic stops during the whole day! Have you ever travelled in search of myths or legends?

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Day Trip Series: London to Canterbury (Issue #1)

There are loads of places within an easy reach of London. I have done many day trips (Bath, Cotswolds, Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton to name a few) but I haven't always written about them. I'm missing London, now I'm back in Sydney, so I though it would be nice to create a "Series" of posts recounting easy day trips from London. So, if you are a curious traveller, a London expat or simply wondering what are some good day trips from London, keep an eye out for this series. Of course some of these destinations can be done as a weekend away too if you prefer. First up is, ironically, the last day trip I did while in London; Canterbury.

Day trip: London to Canterbury

Canterbury is the one and same mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. 

Arriving into Canterbury East station, I walked over the footbridge and was greeted by the old city walls, originally built by the Romans I just love that about the UK, ancient history is right in your face and part of the every day. Whats more, only a short walk to the left led to the Canterbury Castle ruins which were built in 1070 by William the Conqueror. Did I mention that entry was free?

Like any good coffee addict, I had made sure to look up good coffee in Canterbury. I made the Willow Cafe my  next stop for some seriously good beans that made this antipodean want to lick the insides of the empty cup when id finished. Honestly why do so many London cafes get it so horribly, traumatically wrong? But I digress.

All caffined up I began my wander around Canterbury. There was the charming and pokey Chaucer Bookshop, Canterbury Cathedral, the laneways surrounding it and the market square. I wandered as far as Canterbury College and St Augustine's Abbey before heading back to the center of town. 

The High Street was full of old buildings, restaurants, cafes and a small river running through it. The Westgate Gardens also with a river runnig alongside it were a nice place t be around sunset. Unfortunately I missed out on afternoon tea. I was planning to take tea at Tiny Tim, The Moat or Number 12 but they closed earlier than I thought. Instead I found a small pub in one of the lanes which served some very hearty pub food and worked well as a consolation prize.

After the pub, I was curious to see the cathedral lit up at night, and it was worth it. It was such a beautiful sight. There was no entry fee into the grounds (bonus!) and aside from one or two other amature photographers, the place was almost deserted. 

The only downside to the visit was that I came across a weird smell (think urine mixed with rotten egg) wafting through the streets in different places which made me gag. I could never figure out where it came from as there was no rubbish or open drains.

Highlights:

• Canterbury Castle
• Willow Cafe
• Canterbury Cathedral by night
• Minister Glass Studio (I bought myself a pair of earrings here after watching the craftsmen make all sorts of cute glass creatures.)
• St Augustine's Abbey

Travel Tips for London to Canterbury:

• Trips duration can be 56 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes depending on the type of ticket you purchase. As a rule of thumb, shorter trips will be slightly more expensive than longer ones.
• Canterbury has two train stations, East and West, both are within easy walking distance of the centre of town.
• If you want to visit the Cathedral, make sure you check it is open on the day you want to visit by checking the official website.
• Visit the lane ways first as they close earlier than the high street shops and restaurants
• In hindsight, I wish I'd taken a bit of time to explore the surrounding countryside.

Have you been to Canterbury? Have a tip or highlight to share? Just put it in the comments!

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Photo tour of Crac Des Chevaliers - Syria

Crac Des Chevaliers (can be spelt Krak Des Chevaliers) is known as Qal'at Al-Hosn in Arabic and is one of the best preserved Crusader Castles in the world. It is UNESCO world heritage listed. It is massive and you can easily spend a day there exploring. The views from its turrets and ramparts are beautiful and on a clear day you can supposedly see the Lebanon boarder.

I visited it yesterday along with Apamea (see following post) on the same day. The castle in the morning and Apamea in the afternoon as the castle closed earlier. Starting out from Hama and returning back to Damascus late last night. Its doable but tiring. Anyway i hope you enjoy some of the pics i took out there and dont forget to check out the ones of Apamea in the next post.



One of the many passageways in the castle with light filtering in from the ceiling.





A view of what is now left of the moat - where it ends is where the hammams are in an underground labyrinth.



The picture on the right is of a supporting column that runs through 2 floors and shows some detailed stonework with Arabic writing which is possibly a prayer from the Koran.



A view from one of the towers towards the center of the castle.








In most other countries the ramparts of a castle would be off limits or only certain reinforced and safe sections would open to the public - here all of it accessible.



Views from the castle.








VP

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Photo tour of Aleppo Citadel - Syria

The Aleppo Citadel lies in the heart of Aleppo. You can see it from almost anywhere in the city.



I came here once before, almost 15 years ago and at that time they had a road that wrapped around it. This has since been moved and now in front is a paved pedestrian area with cafes and the like to cater for tourists. Aside from that i think it was a wise decision, the area is a lot more clean and less congested than it was.



My favorite place has to be the throne room. Though most of it is roped off it is worth a visit. The light filters in through the various windows and glimmers across the intricate inlaid woodwork which is stunning. It is really is much more beautiful than it appears in the photos. Oh and there is a little water fountain in the middle, just for good measure.



Below are some photos from around the Citadel. In one you can see the amphitheater with white plastic chairs lined up. They still use it on occasions for concerts or special events. As the castle is located on elevated ground, you can view Aleppo city sprawled out before you from any lookout or vantage point. Unfortunately i just noticed that i dont have a suitable photo as an example to post up for you. If you want to find out more about the history of this place i suggest Googling Aleppo Citadel rather than Aleppo Castle as it will give you better results. Alternatively you can click here for Wikipedia or here for another site.





Below ive added some other random photos from around Aleppo. The 1st is of the main train station. I recommend traveling by train from Damascus to Aleppo if your schedule allows it. They have express trains which are quite nice and fast. The others include a main plaza with the statue of the late President Hafez Al Assad, the entrance to their Central Park and Saadallah al-Jabiri Square which serves as a monument to those who gave their lives in the struggle to be independent from France.




Always, VP

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