Welcome along to another expedition outside London, which in this edition takes me up to Manchester to visit the glorious RHS Bridgewater. Located in Salford, the garden opened on 18 May 2021 and is the fifth and newest garden owned by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) – alongside Wisley (Surrey), Rosemoor (Devon), Harlow Carr (Yorkshire) and Hyde Hall (Essex). Surrounded by 154 acres (62 hectares) of wonderful woodland, fabulous flowers, picturesque plants and stunning water features, RHS Bridgewater was created on the former Worsley New Hall estate. Your journey around RHS Bridgewater be ..read more

My next adventure outside London sees me explore a real gem of Kent – Hever Castle & Gardens. An historical place of real significance steeped in nostalgia and grandeur, the Castle’s history spans more than 700 years. The medieval castle, gatehouse and walled bailey were built in 1270, and in the 15th and 16th centuries one of the most powerful and influential families in the country lived there, the Boleyns – who added the Tudor dwellings around the grounds. Hever Castle Hever Castle Hever Castle Hever Castle Hever Castle Hever Castle was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, who would becom ..read more

Welcome along to another one of my trips outside London – where this time I’ll be exploring Titsey Place and Gardens in Oxted, Surrey. The quintessentially English country house is known for being the home of the Gresham and Leveson-Gower families. Today, its delightful splendour is preserved by a charitable trust.   The house originates from the 16th century and was built by Sir John Gresham who was an English merchant, courtier and financier. He also worked for King Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell – and was Lord Mayor of London as well as being the founder of Gresham’s S ..read more

All aboard! My next journey outside London takes me to East Sussex as I take a trip by steam engine from East Grinstead to Sheffield Park station on the Bluebell Railway, before heading to Sheffield Park and Garden. My adventure begins on the Bluebell Railway, which is an 11-mile (17.7 km) heritage line managed by the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society running between East Grinstead and Sheffield Park with intermediate stations at Horsted Keynes and Kingscote. Sheffield Park Station Back in 1954, before the Beeching Axe, the branch line committee at British Railway proposed closing the line ..read more

Tucked away in Westerham, Kent, the next adventure in my ‘Beyond London’ series takes me to the Georgian style Quebec House. Known for being the childhood home of General James Wolfe – who was the victor of the Battle of Quebec – the house has had a colourful history. Built in the 1500s, it has been used as a school as well as being rented to the parents of General Wolfe. Originally built between 1530 and 1550, the first building was an L-shaped timber-framed house. The 1630s saw its layout change to a ‘double pile’ house, which was in fashion at the time. Quebec House Quebec House Quebec Hous ..read more

Despite living on the outskirts of London, there are so many areas in the South East right on my doorstep that I’ve never really explored. So throughout this year, I wanted to immerse myself and discover some of the parks, historic landmarks, woodlands, views, green spaces and natural wonders outside of London in areas such as Surrey, Sussex and Kent. Since 2016, I’ve kept my walking expeditions to London – with a trip to San Francisco too – so it was fulfilling and fascinating to just take moment to cater to my eagerness to see ‘Beyond London’. The first destination in this series of blogs is ..read more

Hello and welcome to episode 14 of the London Wlogger podcast! Join me as I take a walk along the River Thames and discover three of London’s bridges – Chiswick Bridge, Kew Railway Bridge and Kew Bridge. I’ll conclude the walk in the cute, picturesque surroundings of Kew Green by watching a cricket match You can read more about this walk here http://bit.ly/ChiswickBridgeToKewGreen To see photos from the walk and hear the audio, you can watch the YouTube video below. Also, the ‘Subscribe’ button is within the video at the end and I’d be very grateful if you could please subscribe  You ca ..read more

Hello and welcome to episode 13 of the London Wlogger podcast! If you’ve ever wanted to explore more of North London’s natural wonders, this episode is for you! Beginning at the charming Gladstone Park I then discover the remains of the Dollis Hill House, before heading to the picturesque Brent Reservoir and conclude in the hidden gem of Fryent Country Park. You can read more about this walk here http://bit.ly/GladstoneParkToFryentCountryPark To see photos from the walk and hear the audio, you can watch the YouTube video below. Also, the ‘Subscribe’ button is within the video at the end a ..read more

Hello and welcome to episode 12 of the London Wlogger podcast! My walking adventure in this edition uncovers how the Great Fire of London influenced the capital’s monuments as well as discovering the financial district of London. Beginning at St Paul’s Cathedral I stroll through Paternoster Square onwards to Mansion House, The Royal Exchange and the Bank of England, before concluding in Moorgate at Finsbury Circus! You can read more about this walk here   http://bit.ly/StPaulsCathedralToMoorgate To see photos from the walk and hear the audio, you can watch the YouTube video below. Also, t ..read more

Hello and welcome to episode 11 of the London Wlogger podcast! My journey in this edition takes me from an iconic modern-day landmark to a classic structure! Beginning at The Shard I stroll past Borough Market and Southwark Cathedral, hop over London Bridge and conclude at Monument. You can read more about this walk here http://bit.ly/TheShardToMonument To see photos from the walk and hear the audio, you can watch the YouTube video below. Also, the ‘Subscribe’ button is within the video at the end and I’d be very grateful if you could please subscribe, so I can reach my target of 100 Subs ..read more