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The Piece Hall (Halifax)
by fizzywizzy It was Halifax's Victorian era civic buildings I most interested in seeing during my visit to the town but it was a building that was completely new to me, and from a different era, that really caught my attention. The Piece Hall is a Georgian building, and the sole remaining example of its kind in England. It was built in ... 1779 as a rather grand market place for cloth merchants to display and sell their wares, a 'piece' being the name given to a 30 yard length of woollen cloth made on a handloom. Halifax was at the heart of the West Riding cloth making industry and the successful businessmen of the town wished to have a market place that reflected their standing. At this time cloth manufacture was done by hand; the 'dark satanic mills' as described William Blake were yet to come; as the weavers lived in the various villages scattered around the area, visiting them all was time consuming so the merchants wanted a central place where dealers could sell their cloths. Like so many self-made men that wished to be seen as cultured and wise, they chose a design with classical elements, opting for the neo-classical style which incorporated many elements seen in Roman architecture, and there is a sense of a Roman forum about the Piece Hall. This was a practice that carried through to the Victorian age when philanthropists, usually wealthy industrialists, spent their money providing libraries and other facilities for the working classes; they would choose architectural styles that they thought portrayed them as men of reason. The Piece Hall is a square with two arched entrances. As we entered the complex I was astonished; I really hadn't expected something so wonderful. The upper floors are is colonnaded and you can walk all the way round under cover. The ground floor also has some shelter, perfect for escaping the rain or seeking some shady on a sunnier day. The upper floor is accessed by staircases at each corner, but a small lift has been installed for wheelchair users and presumably for moving heavier items of stock for the businesses on the upper level. When the mills opened there was no need for the Piece Hall and gradually it fell out of use. Fortunately the local council saw its potential and a few years ago it was extensively renovated, providing small shops units and housing the town's tourist information office and an adjoining museum and gallery space. There are several cafes and tea shops and an independent gallery. You won't find any high street chains here; it's all independent shops, many of them specialists. There's a stamp dealer, a specialist comic shop, one selling vintage and customised clothes, and one selling handmade glass. My favourite was a sweet shop selling lots of varieties of old fashioned boiled sweets and sherbets as well as classic American candy and chocolate bars. There were lots of old favourites and a good number of local specialities such as 'voice drops' which apparently is unheard of in the south of England. Another brilliant shop is the antiquarian and second hand bookshop. There are shelves and shelves of books covering every subject, the choice is extensive. I pounced on a teeny Yugo-Slav (sic) phrasebook which I knew I would not be able to live without and managed to restrain myself from buying any more crime fiction though there was a huge selection. The Tourist Information Centre and museum occupies almost the entirety of one side on the square, on the upper floor. As well as having lots of leaflets on attractions in Halifax and the immediate area, there's lots of useful stuff on Yorkshire in general as well as a wide choice of souvenirs. We enquired about a microbrewery we'd heard about and one of the staff kindly found their website then gave us directions, including which bus to take there. The museum hosts temporary exhibitions, usually with a local theme. At the time we visited it had a display of vintage tins used in packaging from the Mackintosh chocolate factory which used to be one of the area's major employers. On Sunday we stopped for a coffee at one of the cafes; there are a couple around the Piece Hall including a very nice looking tea house on the second floor. To my disappointment, we discovered the tea house just after we'd had our coffees but I'd certainly have stopped off for a cup of speciality tea had we not just had drinks. The cafes all offer sandwiches and light meals, and the one we stopped at had lots of homemade cakes and biscuits, including some local specialities. All of the cafes have indoor and outdoor seating. A grassy square occupies the ground in the centre of the courtyard and when we visited there was a small domed stage on one side. I couldn't see what events might be imminent but I do know that the Piece Hall stage is used in July for performances that are part of the Halifax Festival. A temporary ice rink is installed around Christmas time. The Piece Hall is an important part of our industrial heritage and it is brilliant that is has been given a new lease of life. I would say that no more than half of the units are currently occupied and it would be great if more could be used. Rents are fairly low and it would be a good way of small businesses starting out. I really didn't know anything about the Piece Hall before I stumbled on it and it was a lovely surprise to find it. The shops were an added bonus; I'm not much of a shopper, but it's more pleasant to shop here than on the crowded high street. If you happen to be in Halifax or reasonably close by I would certainly recommend you stop off to take a look. There is lots of parking in Halifax. The Piece Hall is a five minute walk from both the bus station or the train station. Note - there are toilets in the Piece Hall but you have to pay to use them. Read the complete review |
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Alnwick Castle (Alnwick)
by catsholiday Alnwick Castle, Northumberland When we booked our few days up in Rothbury we had a list of several places we wanted to visit and Alnwick Castle was top of my list because I always enjoy visiting places used as locations in films I have enjoyed. Alnwick castle has been used in many films but its most recent claim to fame as a ... film location is for the Harry Potter films. We hadn't done my research that carefully and imagined that this place would be a bit like other stately homes and a morning visit would probably be all we would need. How wrong we were, the place is huge and there is so much to see that a full day visit still probably isn't really enough. Alnwick Castle is in Northumberland in the town of Alnwick just off the A1. It is sort of half way between Newcastle and Edinburgh to give you an idea. I would suggest that you would need a car to get there as public transport would involve local buses as there is no train station in the town and the nearest one is Alnmouth which is 15 minutes away by car . PRICES AND ADMISSION TIMES We were quite shocked when we saw the price of tickets. I believe we paid $14 each for the Castle and £12 each for the garden. This ticket does however allow us to go back as often as we like for one year from date of purchase however the castle is not open all year and I understand they are closing early this year for some renovation work at the end of September. This price is fine if you live locally but not quite so handy for us as we live too far away to make this a day visit so chances are we won't take advantage of this! The opening season is from the 31st March through till the 30th September when the family return to the castle to live in the winter months. My husband did get a slight reduction as he is over 60 but it was only a pound or so. I also discovered that the tickets are cheaper if you buy in line which is useful to know and once again we didn't check this before we went. The times of admission are from 10 am until 6pm but they don't let anyone actually come in to start their visit after 4.15pm THE GARDENS We weren't going to bother with the gardens but then we were told that the cherry blossoms were out so decided to go and look. The most impressive feature is an enormous cascade with comes down through several pools through the centre of the garden. It rivals the cascade at Chatsworth in that it may not be a long but all the side pools also have fountains and features. The fountains change with different parts performing at any time you look; you cannot fail to be impressed by these displays which take place every half hour. This cascade dates back to the 1850s and is quite a feat of engineering as 7260 gallons of water come down through the various pools and 21 weirs every single minute. I presume they capture this water and send it back up again rather than let it go to waste. As you enter the garden gates this is the first thing that you see. Around the entrance area is a cafe and posh restaurant and shops. You get a great view of the gardens from both the cafe and the restaurant. We didn't visit either as we went to the garden as we arrived so didn't need refreshment at that stage. Around the shop and cafe area is all tiled and in front of the cascade as you go down the steps is also all paved. In front of the cascade on this paved area were a large number of ride on toys for young children. If you lived locally this would be a lovely place to bring young children to have a good run around and play. We made our way to the right in order to see the Japanese garden with the cherry blossoms. I must admit I was a little disappointed as the trees are still very small and although there are quite a large number going up a big hill which you walk up by a very long zigzagging path the display was not that impressive. I think once the trees grow a bit more then they might look a bit more colourful but that could take a few more years. Under the trees were lots of tulips but sadly these were also not quite out and had we been a week later the display might have been better but still you can't have everything and the huge black cloud did only sprinkle us and it could have drenched us. We walked across the top of the garden to the ornamental garden which was again a bit underwhelming as the roses were not in bloom, the bulbs were not out and none of the summer plants were blooming either. We them made our way down through the sides of the cascade to the serpent garden. The serpent garden had a number of different water features which were very nice but you were firmly warned NOT to play in the water features despite the poster near the entrance which showed children playing in a water feature which I thought was a little stupid if they didn't want people to do just that. The next garden we went into was actually a bamboo maze which looked good but we didn't feel like trying to find our way through a labyrinth so we moved on and across to the poison garden. We could have gone on to explore the rose garden but as no roses were in bloom we thought it wasn't really worth bothering with on this visit. This was very well done as it has a locked gate so you could only enter with a guide at specific times. Just outside the gate was a small hut with a log fire inside which looked a bit like Hagred's hut only far smaller. Our guide explained this was not a medicinal garden but that all plants in the garden were poisonous in some way or other. We followed her down a corridor or covered walkway of ivy which all added to the sense of darkness as you went into the garden. The guide was excellent and explained which parts of the plants were poisonous and what happened if you did eat or even touch certain parts. Many of the plants were not at their best as it was early in the season but it was a very interesting tour froma knowledgable and entertaining guide. We finished the tour by walking through a second corridor or tunnel of ivy and out through the gates. Interestingly this garden has a special license to grow both cannabis and coca behind bars in giant cages! Strangely also many of the plants with poisonous parts I have in my garden as do many others in our country, some I knew were poisonous like Laburnum but others I was not aware of and will now treat with caution. THE CASTLE This is quite a short walk from the garden and is easily accessible by wheel chair through someone with difficulty walking might find the amount of walking need to be beyond them. On the way to the castle with is on a slight hill with a dry moat around it we were greeted with a 'host of golden daffodils', crocuses and blue bells all perfectly in bloom in the forefront and then castle in the background which was a pretty stunning sight. Not only is this an impressive stately home but the family who own the place have made the most of the place by organising tours and setting up a number of displays and activities in the castle and grounds. There was plenty to do for children as well as some extremely sumptuous state rooms which in my view rivalled those we saw in Buckingham Palace. BATTLE AXE AND BROOMSTICKS - The tale of Two Harrys We chose to do the 'Battle axe and Broomsticks' tour which was a sort of fun tour of the grounds showing the main places that were used in the Harry Potter films. The guide was dressed in costume and was obviously a frustrated actor as he was really into his role, leaping around and being far too energetic and requiring us to shout out with enthusiasm as part of the tour! We learned that the gardener's store shed had had bits added to it to become Hagred's hovel and the little patch of tress near the hut became the dark forest in the films. The guide described how fog machines had filled the moat area to create the atmosphere but even so you needed a good imagination to see how they had achieved the effect in the film. It was easier to see how different parts of the main buildings had been used. The broomstick training ground and doors to Hogwarts were easy to recognise but the guide explained how the flying car had been shown to fly over the castle walls and crash into a huge tree. There was no tree there and it had in fact been CGI and a model tree stump. Apart from the Harry Potter filming element we also visited various other parts of the castle grounds ending up at Harry Hotspur's statue at the furthest end of the inner grounds. We were asked to guess how old we thought this was and it turned out to actually be moulded plastic and only a few years old but still an interesting story which the guide told with enthusiasm about how Harry Hotspur was possible the youngest person to earn his knighthood at only about 12 if I remember the story correctly. During the season Alnwick offer so many different experiences daily from this tour of the two Harrys - Potter and Hotspur through to Broomstick training, archery and a more general tour of the grounds and more specifically for children there is a Knight's quest area and finally the latest tour of the 'Lost Cellars'. They also offer more specific events such as craft days and this year they are welcoming the Olympic torch and celebrating the Queen's Jubilee as well. If you want to know more about these specific events and the days they take place then check the Alnwick Castle website. THE LOST CELLARS His was the second of the free optional tours we booked ourselves on to. This was a very clever way of using the cellars which were not actually that remarkable but were cleverly enhanced with the use of props and two very captivating actors to tell a story of those who had been locked up in the cellars. It took about twenty minutes and was quite entertaining but not necessarily something you couldn't miss experiencing when visiting Alnwick. No-one under the age of thirteen is allowed to take part in this adventure and you are warned that this is 'Not for the faint of heart or timorous souls who fear shadows of the eternal night....' THE KNIGHT'S QUEST This area had a range of activities for children to take part in with mini problems to solve, clothes for dressing up in and finally a sort of 'Chamber of Horrors' type of experience called the 'Dragon Quest' with a hall of mirrors and skeletons dropping on you and so forth which again was well done and pretty darn scary for young children I would think. A BIT ABOUT THIS CASTLE This is not your usual Stately home with an air of dust and unlivedness about it, this is a family home and the Percy family live here from October through to the end of March each year. I am not sure where they go in the 'open season' of Alnwick but as you walk around inside the castle there are family photos of the children sitting on the piano and other places so it feels like somewhere lived in. Personally I am not sure I would put photos of my children around as there are so many odd bods around it might jeopardise their safety. This place has been the home of the Percy family, The Duke of Northumberland, for around 700 years and by cleverly creating a place where people want to visit and keeping up with the times hopefully they should manage to keep it in the family for several hundred more years. Inside the State rooms you will find opulence in the extreme with fabulous antique furniture, paintings by Canaletto, Titian and Van Dyck amongst others. The crockery display was something that had to be seen to be believed with Crown Derby, Meissen and Paris porcelain in such quantity beautifully displayed. I am not sure if any of the pieces are ever used!! WHERE TO SPEND YOUR MONEY AND EAT There are a number of options from a small cafe, a restaurant, a number of medieval tents which open in busier times selling ice creams and other snacks. A shop selling souvenirs, lots of Harry Potter souvenirs, castle souvenirs and books as well as china, and smaller novelty items. WOULD I RECOMMEND? Indeed this is a wonderful place to visit. There is so much to see and do and every age group is catered for. You can just walk around the grounds designed by the famous Capability Brown, climb the ramparts and view these from above. You might meet falconers, actors in costume, explore further by taking part in one of the tours or just explore the State rooms and imagine you are one of the wealthy guests of the Percy family. Although the castle is closed during the winter months but the garden stays open daily from November 1st through till 8th January and various events are organised from lantern making workshops through to Christmas Wreath making and Christmas Carols. I really hope we can go back and visit this wonderful family home within the year our ticket is valid for. This is a beautiful castle and so much has been done to make your visit both interesting and enjoyable for all age groups. Thanks for reading and I trust this has been useful and interesting for you. This review may be posted on other sites under my same username. İCatsholiday Read the complete review |
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Lindisfarne Castle (Holy Island)
by catsholiday Lindisfarne or Holy Island, Northumberland This little island off the Northumberland coast can only be accessed when the tides are low and the causeway is above water level. Any visit to the island therefore needs to be carefully planned around tide times as you do not want to risk getting stranded on the island or worse ... getting washed away into the North Sea. There are 150 permanent residents on the island as well as a small primary school, post office cafes, hotels, guest houses, holiday homes, a couple of shops and of course the Castle, Priory and some local wildlife. Once you arrive on the island you have to park your car in the car park which is pay and display and then you have to walk where ever you want to go. At certain times there is a shuttle mini bus to the castle but it didn't operate on the day we visited. If you are staying on the island or live there I believe you can drive and park outside you house or on the driveway. LINDISFARNE CASTLE This was originally an Elizabethan fort and on days when the shuttle bus is not running this is quite a long walk although until you get to the actual castle the road is pretty flat and accessible and follows the coast so you have lovely views across to the mainland and back to the island harbour, Priory and just generally of the village. The castle is open 12 March until 30th October from Tuesday to Sunday except bank holidays. It is also open every day in August. The opening times are dependent on the tides and will either be 10 am till 3pm or 12pm till 5 pm. You know when it is open as the National Trust will be flying. It is a NT property do members get in free otherwise you pay £6.95 for adults, children are £3.50 and a family ticket for two adults and two children under 18 is £17.40. I have to warn anyone with mobility problems that it is very steep to climb up to the castle and it is cobbled and can be slippery too when wet. Once inside the castle the steps are not the easiest to negotiate and it is not wheel chair or pushchair friendly at all. No dogs are allowed unless guide dogs, there are very low doorways and there is an emergency only toilet so go somewhere else before you visit the castle . The castle was bought in 1902 by Edward Hudson who was the founder of Country Life magazine. There is obviously more money in magazines that I ever thought especially way back in the early part of the last century. In 1903 Sir Edwin Lutyens was employed to convert the castle into a family holiday home and later Gertrude Jekyll created a walled garden across a field from the castle which was completed in 1911. I have to say I was pretty underwhelmed by the walled garden and certainly wouldn't have paid extra to go in there. We looked at it from the iron gates and decided it was fairly unspectacular and not worth paying extra to go into. Maybe it looks better in summer but it looked a bit like a walled allotment to me. The castle had some pretty important visitors over the years but some were not so thrilled by the accommodation. One who was less than impressed was Lytton Strachey who was famous for a biography of Queen Victoria, describes the castle as " very dark, with nowhere to sit, and nothing but stone under, over and around you, which produces a distressing effect - especially when one's hurrying downstairs late for dinner - to slip would be instant death." The castle was obviously expensive to maintain and by 1944 it was given to the NT. The main garden is actually pretty natural and you can walk right down to the shore where the seabirds called fulmers are usually seen and if you are lucky you might see a grey seal, we didn't. In summer puffins and guillemots also pass the shore. It was VERY windy and not that warm when we were there so we didn't hang around too long and returned to the more sheltered castle. Inside the castle is far more like a home that a castle and Lutyens was very clever in his ability to keep the originality of the castle building while making it into a pretty amazing and unique holiday home. Huge fires warmed the ship room which had curved ceilings like an up turned boat or a tunnel but I imagine nowhere would be that warm and cosy and maybe the family used it more in Summer. Parts of the building joined to bits of the original fort and yet from inside it was impossible to tell which parts were original and which were 'new' built additions. In one part of the castle there was a model. The guide asked us to point out on the model where we thought we were. We were so wrong. He also took the model apart to show us the huge middle section which was added to the original fort and that was where we actually were standing. The bedrooms al had great views out to sea and the original turn of the century beds, hand wash bowls and chamber pots so it was pretty basic where plumbing was concerned. It wasn't until the NT took over that mains electricity and an artesian well provided water. Prior to this it was collected rain water stored in underground tanks and pumped up that provided water to the castle. As you enter the castle the entrance is very castle like with a huge fire place and above that is a decorative sort of barometer which displayed the wind direction on a huge ornate design. It was controlled somehow by workings on the roof and down into the bedroom just above where the fireplace was. It was very clever and also pretty amazing as a picture too. The kitchen was large and set up as an early 20th century kitchen with a large range and huge wooden cabinets with china and cooking equipment that would have been used to create feast for the family and their guests. Each room had a few laminated information sheets pointing out things of interest in that particular room. This is such a great idea as you can quickly see anything of interest but huge piles of waste paper is not created as every visitor doesn't need an individual information sheet. There were also NT volunteers in each room to tell you a bit of an interesting story or to answer any questions you might have. They were all really lovely and obviously felt a great deal of pride in the castle and wanted to share their knowledge with you so that you might get the most from your visit too. They pointed out tings you may not have noticed, explained what some of the strange things were in the kitchen and pointed you in the right direction to get out onto the viewing roof section and so on. IS IT WORTH VISITING? Yes I would say so. This castle is only one of a number of places worth visiting so there is more than enough to fill a day and should you choose to stay on the island then it is a perfect place to explore the natural scenery and wildlife, ride bikes, walk or just relax in some of the beautiful places like the Gospel Garden or on the beaches. It has enough to keep a day visitor busy whilst also offering a place of peace and tranquillity should you choose to stay longer. There are a number of different cafes and restaurants as well as outside eating places with tea/beer gardens which looked amazingly uninviting the day we visited but I am sure it is had been a lovely sunny day would have been much more of a draw to people. This is a unique island with a fascinating history and I would certainly recommend a visit of at least a day but if I had known how special this place is I would probably have booked a night in the hotel there so we could have explored further into the island. Thanks for reading. This review may be posted in part or as a whole on other sites under my same user name. İCatsholiday Read the complete review |
England Sightseeing National |
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