Doggerland: Part Two – What the Sea has Given Back

The First Catch It was a wet and windy September’s day in 1931 – a few of those hardy souls that brave the angry seas were hard at work aboard the Colinda. THE COLINDA – was a British fishing trawler, one which was about to make a groundbreaking discovery. The ship was approximately 25 miles off the Norfolk coast in …

Doggerland: Part One – Understanding the Land Below the Waves

Picture the scene, you are out walking the Norfolk coast. The ground beneath you is firm, grassy, rivers and streams surround you. To the east, the land stretches on—no shoreline, no horizon broken by waves. You walk for days, following thick wooded valleys and mammoth tracks, crossing wetlands and climbing sloping hills. Eventually, without ever needing a boat, you set …

The Church in the Valley: Cwm-yr-Eglwys

Cwm-yr-Eglwys meaning ‘Valley of the Church’ is a hamlet in a stunning cove on the eastern side of the Dinas Island Peninsula, so called because a stream separates it from the mainland. It features a sandy cove, with a stream running through the centre, providing tens of rock pools teeming with life. On the eastern side of the bay is …

Longshanks’ Coastal Castle: Aberystwyth

The poignant ruins of Aberystwyth Castle sit proudly on a promontory overlooking the harbour. These fragments are all that remains of a late 13th century castle constructed on the orders of Edward I of England in his efforts to conquer Wales. Throughout its history Aberystwyth was often at the centre of the conflict between the native Welsh and the invading …

The Last Invasion of Britain: The Battle of Fishguard

The peaceful town of Fishguard can be found on the coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales. With a population of approximately 3,500, Fishguard as it appears today has two main areas: Lower Fishguard and the “Main Town’. Lower Fishguard is recorded as the site of the medieval hamlet from which the region has grown out of in the centuries since. It sits …

The Angus Coastal Route and Places of Interest

Stretching all the way from Dundee to Aberdeen the Angus Coastal Route is a beautifully scenic route which follows Scotland’s east coast through glittering beaches and by many historic sites. Covering a distance of 68 miles (103km) there are very many places of interest, too many to cover adequately here. Nevertheless, I have selected an assortment of better known, and …

From Fortress to Flame: The Tale of Kinnaird Head

Upon the exposed promontory of Fraserburgh, a domineering symbol of grandeur and status was transformed into a beacon of hope for those traversing the dangerous waters of the North Sea. This is the story of a late medieval castle which became home to Scotland’s legacy of light keeping and way finding. Kinnaird Head Castle was begun in the spring of …

Tresaith Beach: “The Place of Seven”

The gorgeous seaside village of Tresaith is a gem on the Ceredigion coast of Wales, with something to offer for everyone and only eight miles from the bustling markets of Cardigan. Tresaith boasts a blue flag beach, the wonderful Ceredigion Coastal Path which winds through the village and it hosts summer sailing events too! All this makes it a very …