Category Archives: Journeys through the British Isles

A three-hour video documentary that explores England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Emerald Isle with fascinating stories of kings, castles, cities, authors and intriguing characters, all back-dropped by the scenic beauty of the British Isles. (Photo: Pulteney Bridge, VisitBath.co.uk)

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British Isles – The Royal Warrant

Posted on November 19, 2013 by On Top Of The World


The Royal Warrant is a much coveted designation. On our travels in Britain we found makers of cheese, shirts, kilts and chocolates some of whom have held the coveted recognition since the days of Charles 1st. How to get it, how to keep it, and what you are allowed to say about it, is revealed in this feature. For more information visit www.ontopoftheworld.net and check out episode #19 in the Journeys through the British Isles category.

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Wales: The Ancient Land

Posted on November 13, 2013 by On Top Of The World


This short overview of Wales highlights the magnificent mountains of Snowdonia, the stunning scenery along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and introduces us to the country’s history rich with the legends of Camelot, Iron Age Celts and Irish Chieftains. It is a hidden treasure with Roman forts and Norman castles, rolling countryside and beautiful gardens. Our travels take us around the capital, Cardiff, to the ruins of Tintern Abbey in the Wye Valley, and out into the country where narrow-gauge railways once carried slate from the quarries. For more information check out episode #18 in Journeys through the British Isles. See also episode #6: Pembrokeshire, Wales: Castles on the coast.

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The Hidden Highway – Ludlow to Hereford:

Posted on November 12, 2013 by On Top Of The World


Our journey along the Hidden Highway continues from Ludlow to Hereford drifting along the unmarked border between Wales and England. Ludlow’s fortunes were made on the cloth trade but much of its reputation now comes from its fine Tudor architecture and local cuisine. At Leominster we visited Hampton Court Gardens with its intriguing maze and then on to the Bulmer’s Cider Museum at King Offa’s distillery. Our last stop was the cathedral city of Hereford situated on the River Wye where its garrison protected the Saxons from Welsh tribes. For more information check out episode #17 in the Journeys across the British Isles category.

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The Hidden Highway – Shrewsbury to Ludlow:

Posted on November 12, 2013 by On Top Of The World


The Hidden Highway lies along the unmarked border between Wales and England. We join it the medieval town of Shrewsbury, the most important market town in Shropshire. After exploring the Benedictine monastery and meeting up with local gardeners we travel on to Powys Castle, built in the 14th century as a fortress for Welsh Princes, stop at the tiny village of Clun on the site of an Iron Age Fort, and then to Ludlow, a castle town which eventually became the seat of government for the Council of Marches. For more information check out episode #16 in the Journeys across the British Isles category.

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Northern Ireland: Cruising the Shannon-Erne Waterway

Posted on June 20, 2013 by On Top Of The World


It’s what they call “seeing Ireland from the inside out” – a tour on the longest waterway in Europe. A cabin cruiser is your home as you meander along 560 kilometers of water through rivers, canals and lakes in the Emerald Isle from Limerick in the south to Ballyshannon in the north. History, wildlife and culture is revealed as you cruise the waters and take time to stop and explore the islands, towns and cities along the way. You might even get to play a round of golf. For more information check out episode #15 in the Journeys through the British Isles category.

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Journeys: Tales & Trails of Northern Ireland

Posted on May 2, 2013 by On Top Of The World


Walking or cycling provides a diversity of open-air experiences as we travel between Londonderry and Belfast in Northern Ireland. Sturdy legs took us up mountains, through forests and down into glens. We explored the Causeway Coast, home to the Giant’s Causeway a natural wonder where legends abound, stepped lightly across the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge 30 metres above the sea and descended into the nine Glens of Antrim. Discovery walks in the towns and cities opened our eyes to great architecture and the intriguing history behind some unusual street names. And our travels coincided with an annual sea-bird migration. For more information check out episode #14 in the Journeys through the British Isles category.

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England: Scotney Castle Gardens & Bayham Abbey

Posted on March 19, 2013 by On Top Of The World


Scotney Castle Gardens is situated in the Weald of Kent in South East England and has an amazing collection of azaleas. The gardens are exceptional in this National Trust property and have been allowed to grow naturally with lots of native trees and flowers. Equally picturesque are the ruins of Bayham Abbey built on the River Teise in 1208. Many abbeys were located in remote regions where monks could find privacy and seclusion but over time some became corrupt and you could buy your way into heaven. Bayham Abbey was destroyed during the Reformation. For more information check out the category, Journeys through the British Isles, episode 13.

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England: The Counties

Posted on March 19, 2013 by On Top Of The World


England has 47 counties, each one laden with history ancient and modern. In this round-up of major features and attractions we include Hadrian’s wall in Northumberland, Bamburgh & Warwick Castles, the Yorkshire Dales, Manchester’s Old Trafford stadium, Liverpool, the inland canals, the Lake District, Wordsworth country, the Cotswolds, the Whitbread Hop Farm, the British spa town of Tunbridge Wells and the Sussex Downs. We also find time to learn about Devonshire teas and Cornish pasties and visit a vineyard at Penshurst which is also a wildlife sanctuary for rare breed sheep, exotic waterfowl and a mob of wallabies. For more information check out Journeys through the British Isles, episode #12.

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England: Smugglers, Spies and Soldiers

Posted on March 11, 2013 by On Top Of The World


Before the Norman conquest of 1066, Sandwich was one of five towns that provided the King with ships and men in exchange for special trading privileges. Although Sandwich became the chief harbor for the export of wool it didn’t stop the town from participating in smuggling. Many caves along the south coast led to the cellars of taverns and homes of local politicians. In Deal the whole community was involved in tax evasion. Smugglers engaged in two-way espionage delivering their knowledge to both the French and British. When Napoleon declared his intention to invade England, the Royal Military Canal was dug, Martello Towers erected along the coast, and tunnels were dug into the cliffs at Dover. These tunnels, and the little coastal port of Newhaven, were to play a major role during WW2. For more information check out Journeys through the British Isles, episode #11.

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England: Tales of Canterbury, Becket and Chaucer.

Posted on March 11, 2013 by On Top Of The World


The Cathedral City of Canterbury is the backdrop for the conflict between King Henry ll and Archbishop Thomas Becket. Becket’s murder in the 12th century sparked pilgrimages to his shrine in Canterbury from all over Europe, but getting there wasn’t easy. Life in the 14th century was dangerous and a thriving travel business developed offering safe pilgrimage tours. Pilgrims, such as Chaucer’s colourful characters, travelled in large numbers and would have passed over the oldest river crossing in England, where the strategic placement of a ducking stool kept traders honest and flushed out witches. For more information check out Journeys through the British Isles, episode #10.

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