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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Get close to space exploration

There is something about space, all those stars, all the unknown, that fascinates me. I am a traveller, an explorer at heart, a curious nosey-parker and while I cant travel to space myself, I did have the pleasure in being Mandy's plus 1 to a special treat; a private showing of the Cosmonauts exhibition by the Science Museum.

*Apologies in advance for the quality of the photos - I didn't know we were to have the privilege of taking photos inside the exhibit so had to rely on my phone camera.

Model of Sputnik I

I'm not a scientist or someone that loves to know the intricacies of getting humans into space. I do know that there are a heck of a lot of smart people who slaved away at the math, science and engineering of something believed to be impossible to make it possible.

Orlan DMA-18 extravehicular activity spacesuit and manned manoeuvring unit 21KS

And I also know that there were many brave people who took the risk of going into space with the possibility of it all going horribly wrong. To me, knowing these two things make space travel extremely impressive and utterly incredible.

LK-3 Lunar lander model

I loved walking through the exhibition, learning about the beginnings of our attempt to get into space, the secrecy, the hard work, the people behind it all, the tests, the failures and the successes.

Lunokhod 1 lunar roving vehicle model

It was brilliant to see the models of early space crafts and actual capsules (tiny!!!) that landed back to earth, bringing Cosmonauts home.

Can you believe 3 people fit in here? This is the Vokshod 1 descent module.

The successful launch of Sputnik 1 on 4th Oct 1957 started mankind's exploration in space and it wasn't long before the first man, Yuri Gagarin (27 years old), went into space on the 12th April 1961, barely 4 years later. Only a couple of years after that, on 16th June 1963, Valentina Tereshkova (26 years old) became the first woman in space.

Valentina Tereshkova's Vostok 6 descent module

It was also interesting to see all the 'daily life' displays showing everything from soup paste to waste disposal and the variety of space suits. You have to put up with a lot as an astronaut!

Mir space station dining table with pastes, dehydrated and tinned food - yum...?

No caption required here...I think you can guess or if not its in the bottom left corner.

Never complain about your shower, it cant compare to this.

Some of the different suits on display

This exhibition, 'Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age', has been carefully curated with many of the items on display never seen in public before. It is due to close in 5 weeks so if you are in any way interested in space, you need to it check out now. There are several 'lates' and other talks and events going on in the meantime too. Tickets to the exhibition are £14.

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The time portal at 18 Folgate St

A fire is crackling in the hearth, the smell of burning wood faintly tickling my nose and memory. A walnut lays half eaten on the table among pieces of its cracked shell, a bit of tea is left in a dainty teacup. Its quiet, so silent I can hear the clock on the mantelpiece ticking, creaking floorboards and faint noises coming from the other other rooms.

I go deeper into the house, creep up the stairs softly and find myself in another room. The lady of the house peers at me from her picture over the mantelpieces, but where is she? Where is everyone? I stand by the softly burning embers and look around the room. A tea set is laid out on  the table in front of me. The candles flicker in their holders casting dancing light across all the colours of the richly decorate room, the green walls, crimson drapes, blue chairs and red armchair.

I continue my search through time for the family of silk weavers only to find I've just missed them, yet again. They've left in such a rush that the bed is unmade, the thick black coffee hasn't been drunk, yet the shoes and socks are there, lying in disarray. How odd.

I climb further but there is only poverty, laundry hung in the staircase, dirty sunken beds, cobwebs and dust, crumbling ceilings and flaking walls. The King has died and I can hear the gun salute echoing through the flimsy walls. It looks like time has not been kind to the Jervis family.

Back down through the rooms, there is a letter there, an upturned chair, a spilled bottle, a filled pipe, there are smells and sounds and really, "you either see it, or you don't".

If the thought of walking up to an ordinary door, ringing the bell and then stepping through time thrills you, then you need to check out this unusual house in Shoreditch. Its part painting, part still life, part museum, part sensory experience created by artist Dennis Severs. I really haven't experienced anything like it. It was odd. At times I felt like I was really nosing around someones house. And that house had fallen through a time warp - I could look out onto modern buildings from one of the rooms while being very aware that I was 'living' in a different time.

If you could travel in time, which era would you visit?

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Royal Courts of Justice Tour, London

Beeps, clattering and quiet voices echo as people file through the security screening at the entrance and into the grand hall. It's sandstone walls and mosaic floors illuminated by the large Gothic arched windows.

A sign across from me says "This Grade 1 listed building is one of the largest wonders of Gothic revival architecture in England." 

I feel under dressed and out of place in my grey trousers and black t-shirt while everyone else around me is in suits or formal wear. Oh well, at least I don't stick out too much I think, join my tour group and hand our guide, Brian, a tenner.

I'm in the Royal Courts of Justice in London. They are open to the public to freely go in during the weekday and even sit in on hearings. Also, if you are interested, there is an exhibition of Legal Dress which includes robes, wigs and other paraphernalia. As I'm always on the hunt for different things to do in London, last week I decided to give the courts a try and found it to be such an interesting insight into the legal system.

Source

Whats interesting about the Royal Courts of Justice?

The Royal Courts of Justice were built to merge the number of smaller courts dotted around London. The location was on a site of slums housing 4250 people in only 343 houses.

Some very interesting and public trials have taken place here. For example, Pal McCartney and Heather Mills divorce case was heard here, the Spice Girls were sued for breach of contract. The halls and courts have also seen David Beckham, Jude Law, Sienna Miller, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and JK Rowling. And some very serious judicial reviews take place here like Euthanasia and the right to die.

What to see

The Great Hall
Costume Gallery
Painted Room
Bear Garden (not actually a garden)

Other information about the courts

To find the architect, a competition was held and, a then unknown architect named George Street won but died a year before its completion. His son completed the building. The site is now home to 100 court rooms, 150 judges and over 100 staff. Of the 100 court rooms there are 19 that are original and designed differently to each other. Court room 4 is the largest and the best and where the Lord Chief Justice presides.

Visiting the Royal Courts of Justice

The courts are located on the Strand in central London. Closest tube stations are Temple, Blackfriars, Holborn, Chancery Lane. Opening hours are 9am to 4.30pm. The courts generally sit from 10.30am till 4.30pm with a short adjournment between 1pm and 2pm for lunch on weekdays. You can visit on your own or do a tour. Tours are £10/£12, run at 11am or 2pm and can be booked by emailing Brian on rcjtours@talktalk.net. You will undergo a security check so be prepared. Also note that photography inside is not permitted.

What do you think about seeing something like this when travelling?

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Photos of Palmyra and the Temple of Bel - Syria

Palmyra. Pick up any tourist brochure about Syria and undoubtedly you will see a picture of this ancient city somewhere on it, if not on the cover.



This is the place that people usually come to see. It is impressive to say the least and the grounds cover such a vast area. Several places (such as museums, the Temple of Bel, the tombs) charge entry fees but you can visit and wander the grounds for free. Unfortunately i only had time to visit the Temple of Bel and wander the grounds.

Let me make a few suggestions. If you want to visit this place I highly recommend doing it over 2 days and staying at the Zenobia Hotel if you can afford it because it is right at the site. I didn't spend the night but i ate lunch there and it was great being able to just sit there and take in the view of Palmyra. Also after all the day tourists (like me) have gone, you have the place to yourself. I was there till sunset and it really is something spectacular. If you want to travel around Syria, do it towards the end of summer (so around this time or even later is best) because it is still hot but not so much that its unbearable and there is no shelter at many of the historical sites. Take a hat, sunblock and plenty of water!

OK on to the photos.

First up Palmyra's Monumental Arc taken as i was walking towards the Temple of Bel. The next is taken from the steps of the Temple of Bel looking out at the Monumental Arc and the Porticoed Way which leads down past the Tetrapylon (third photo) to the Funerary Temple and other sites.



The Temple of Bel. The photo is taken from within the grounds as the Temple is walled all the way around. The next one is of the "Entrance" to the site which houses the ticket office.



On the left is the actual main entrance into the Temple. The right is a random photo taken from the grounds looking out to the ruined Castle that is part of Palmyra.



Below is the passage which is believed to have been used to bring in sacrificial animals into the temple. And an artsy shot of the columns of the passage from the temples windows.



Lastly Palmyra at sunset, I don't think the photos do it justice though.



Hope you enjoyed this little photo tour. I really had a great time at Palmyra and would love to go there again and see more of it, maybe even spend the night. Its such a breath taking place. To stand there among the amazing ruins and to try to imagine what that city would have been like, the people who lived there and how their lives were cant help but leave an impression.

Wishing you all happy travels and explorations.

VP

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Photo tour of Apamea - Syria

Apamea, amazing.



Also known as Afamia, it is home to the longest roman colonnaded road in the world. Apeama is named after the wife of a former general to Alexander the Great. It used to be a great city, very prosperous, wealthy and fertile. I'll spare you the history lesson and just get on with the photos but i do recommend finding out more, it really is very interesting.



On the way to Apamea, the first thing you see is the Citadel. It is still inhabited and has grown so much it has extended beyond its original walls. Unfortunately I didn't see it. Being such a full day already we didn't have much time. At the site of the ruins you can see clearly how the citadel stands.



Apamea is one of those places which is not very touristy at all...yes you get the odd person trying to sell you something but mostly it was deserted. Other than one other tour bus group there was hardly anyone there. There has been some excavation work and some attempts at restoring certain aspects of the old city. It really is an incredible sight, the sheer scale of the city, the grooves in the roads made from chariots makes your spine tingle.



You can walk around anywhere and touch everything - you could probably pick up a piece of the city and take it home and no one would notice! Of course I'm kidding about that, aside from Syria being very strict about its artifacts, no one should take something from a historical site. Take a look at this photo...it really broke my heart. This piece is beautiful, it could have been the top most piece of a column or something similar but it lies in the sand partially eroded and broken...and theres lots more like that...carry on luggage anyone??

Where was I? Right, Apamea was ruined by earthquakes several times and was rebuilt but finally after the last one that shook the region and devastated the city, it was never rebuilt. But it is beautiful still.

On to the photos...

1) A facade of what is believed to be shopfronts

2) A view of the 2km long road

3 and 4) The Portico

5) the Portico and the Votive column which marks a major intersection







VP

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