“Just to let you know that the next talk in our series, Nigel Rothwell and Dr. Ed Peveler, Reinterpreting Roman Roads in the Chilterns; insights from lidar data, on Thursday 26th January, is now open for booking. This follows closely the similarly themed well attended successful talk this week by Dr. Chris Smart on Devon and Cornwall that will soon be available on our catch up YouTube channel. This talk, like all we promote, has no fee and is open to all, please pass the link on to any others who may be interested in this subject or RR’s in general.
Thornton-le-Street History Group are holding a talk by the renowned Prof. Richard Hingley, The Conquest of Central Britain and the Nature of the Main Roads on Thursday 19th January that sounds very relevant. You can book your place through Eventbrite.”
Description: Re-live the horrors and extent of damage to the City of London during the London Blitz in 1940-41. We will look at contemporary bomb damage maps and discover what was rescued, revealed, restored or even rebuilt after the war making a much more spacious city.
Virtual Tour – unbuilt buildings Monday 16 January 8pm
These online tours are not free, but they are worth watching, especially if there’s nothing else that catches your fancy on TV! Go to the website for details.
Virtual Tour – Booze and the Borough
Mon, 26 Dec 2022 21:30 – 22:30 GMT
Virtual Tour – Made in London – A Tour of The British Museum
Four ‘tours’ of London from the comfort of your armchair…
Virtual Tour – Agatha Christie’s LondonWednesday 9th November 11am Murder, mystery, movies and memorials in London – follow a trail of locations associated with the life and works of this prolific writer Book Now Virtual Tour – The Power of Giles Gilbert ScottWednesday 9th November 2pm One of the 20th century’s master architects – communications, power stations, homes, halls and churches in central London Book Now
Virtual Tour – Letchworth the First Garden CityMonday 7th November 8pm An online tour about how social reformer Ebenezer Howard turned his dream into reality in Letchworth Garden City Book NowVirtual Tour – The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Daniel DefoeWednesday 9th November 4pm The author’s life and works – a fascinating story in itself Book Now
From our friends at Wiltshire Museum…
NEW ONLINE TALK: A Wealth of Knowledge: A decade of archaeological research, unlocked, Wil Partridge
Wil was previously Finds Liaison Officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme and for two and a half years between 2020 and 2022 he worked for the Museum as Research Officer. The project has provided us with detailed information on how our collections are being used, and by whom, as well as an array of exciting archaeological results.
Our Virtual Tours gave our guides a chance to talk about things all over Greater London – and it would take you a long time to visit all the London Windmills and Water Mills Rob talks about in his Virtual Tour on July 17th.
If you fancy a trip out of London we will be visiting Rochester on 30th July – home to a castle, cathedral and lots of lovely Tudor buildings.
We know that many parishes have plans for events around the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend and the extra bank holiday.
There are Jubilee picnics, fancy-dress competitions, playground fundraisers, fetes and lots more happening across the AONB! We’ll let people know about your events via our social media pages so please email us with your details or complete our online form so we can also add your event to our website – or email us atinfo@cranbornechase.org.uk
A new walk around Sixpenny Handley and Woodcutts thanks to 1st Woodcutts CubsExplore the historic village of Sixpenny Handley and surrounding countryside including the Romano-British settlement at Woodcutts and the Shire Rack, an ancient county boundary that still marks the border between Dorset and Wiltshire. Find this walk on the Explore pages of our website under ‘Long Walks’ and see what else there is on offer for you try this Spring and Summer. This walk was created thanks to the leaders at 1st Woodcutts Cubs and forms part of the Chase & Chalke Ancient Ways project. The leaders also took part in our Heritage Schools Cluster training, provided by Historic England, and used their experience to research and design this new route and guide with their young people. A perfect synergy of Chase & Chalke Landscape Partnership Scheme projects supporting community action.
Dark Sky Friendly Awards in Tisbury & Dinton
We’re pleased to announce that Wallmead Farm near Tisbury and Marshwood Farm Camping near Dinton have been awarded full 5-star accreditation and a Dark Sky Friendly Award.
Steve Tonkin, Dark Skies Adviser at Cranborne Chase AONB, said: “We’re delighted to give out these first awards to these very worthy recipients. They have made huge efforts to reducing artificial light at nightand installing the right lights in the right place.”If you’d like to find out how you can become one of our Dark Sky Friendly businesses, and details of how the AONB may be able to contribute to the costs through grant funding, please get in touch with Steve at stevetonkin@cranbornechase.org.uk
Director Alfred Hitchcock is an acclaimed master of suspense and still one of the most influential and recognisable personalities in cinema. Follow this virtual tour of London and discover the places and spots that were part of his life story
On 8 May, to mark VE Day, David Charnick is offering ‘Blitz and Beyond in Bethnal Green’. The tour visits sites in this East End parish connected with the privations on the Home Front, including three air raid shelters. It looks also at survivals of the London County Council’s plans – drawn up at the height of hostilities – to create a new, forward-looking London after the War. ‘Blitz and Beyond in Bethnal Green’ is being offered as a virtual tour at 8:30.
Tickets £8 for the virtual tour.
David Charnick writes: Join me to explore the traces of the impact of World War Two on Bethnal Green.
This is a virtual tour hosted live via Zoom video conferencing, where your guide will show slides and give a talk to accompany them. There will be the opportunity for questions both during and after the talk.
Virtual Tour – Arcades and AlleywaysWednesday 11th May 7pm A online wander through the sumptuous shopping streets and covered alleys of St James’s, Piccadilly and Bond Street
Virtual Tour – Transport of Delight The Big Train Stations of LondonThursday 26th May 6pm London has more main line train terminals than any other city in the world. Join Stephen to hear their fascinating story.
Virtual Tour – The Thames EstuarySunday 8th May 8pm A virtual journey following the Thames from East London to the sea, looking at the history on the way
Walking Tour – Walk Bridgerton LondonWednesday 11th June 11am Explore the Regency London world of the Bridgerton family in the popular Netflix series. Meet Queen Charlotte, learn about the London season, scandal sheets and fabulous wigs. See where our ladies shopped and took tea while their gentleman drank in exclusive clubs and had the occasional duel!
Locomotion, Shildon as experts seek to uncover the secrets of Locomotion No.1
Flying Scotsman, Mallard, Rocket; there are many iconic names in British steam locomotive history. But it is the evocatively named Locomotion No.1 that can lay claim to being the first to be used on a steam worked public railway.
On what turned out to be a momentous day in steam railway history, Locomotion No.1 became the first engine to haul a passenger carrying train along the tracks of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in September 1825.
The company had commissioned the loco from George and Robert Stephenson and it actually began its journey to Stockton near to the National Railway Museum’s current Locomotion site at Shildon, where today it is about to reveal some of its engineering secrets. Led by Dr Michael Bailey, a world expert in early railways, together with his colleague Peter Davidson, the project will seek to deepen public understanding of the historic locomotive by finding evidence to date its components and to uncover how much of the engine preserved today has survived from the original engine constructed in 1825.
One of the earliest modifications is well known and came in 1828 when Locomotion No.1’s boiler was rebuilt after it exploded at Aycliffe Lane station, resulting in the tragic death of its driver, John Cree.
Bailey and Davidson will be delving much deeper into the records to see what other modifications and repairs have been undertaken on the iconic loco, which was preserved for posterity in the mid nineteenth century when the railways were on the ascendancy but still in their infancy.
Dr Bailey has previously carried out numerous similar investigations on locomotives such as Rocket, the Hetton Lyon, and Killingworth Billy and has both proved and disproved long-standing theories and stories associated with these engines through his investigations. This is the first time a project of this type has been attempted on Locomotion No.1.
“Locomotion No.1 was the first locomotive to be preserved out of sentiment and as a result shows that there was some understanding that the railway industry had been very successful, despite it only being 1857,” says Dr Bailey.
“However, what is not clear about the engine is how much of what we look at today has survived since the day it was made and how much has been altered.
“We already have a number of theories that have formed, and this investigation provides us with the opportunity to test those theories so that we can help the National Railway Museum and Locomotion best inform their visitors about what they come to see.”
The investigation by both experts will combine a detailed in-person study of the locomotive with in-depth archival research. Dr Bailey is planning trips to the National Archives in Kew as well as archives in Newcastle, Durham and Darlington to provide as much factual information as possible.
The engine has been at its new home at Locomotion in Shildon since March 2021 after a deal was agreed between the NRM and Head of Steam in Darlington to relocate the engine. As part of the deal, the engine will return on loan to Head of Steam for the first half of 2025 as part of the bicentennial celebrations of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
Visitors to Locomotion, Shildon will still be able to see the 197-year-old locomotive during the investigation, which the museum is at pains to stress will not damage this valuable piece of railway history.
Welcome to the March edition of The Hart Find out what’s happening in Cranborne Chase AONB this month. We have our final stargazing evenings of the season coming up, news from the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, a report from this year’s Dark Skies Festival, how to apply for grants through the Prince’s Countryside Fund, and how you can get involved with Chase & Chalke projects as a volunteer. Click here for more
The Footprints of London Team have been busy working on new walks and virtual tours for March, and also a few old favourite walks returning for the first time since 2019 .
Try this?
‘Footprints’ regular Richard Watkins has a brand new virtual tour, “Radical Works, Turbulent Lives: Great Kensington Writers“. He plots a course past a number of historic writers’ residences in the area north of Kensington High Street: they produced radical epoch making books, as well as universal classics; and writers who sometimes caused scandal and were touched by tragedy. Writers include: Kenneth Grahame, G K Chesterton and James Joyce among others. Touring through a lovely area of contrasting domestic buildings, he also sets out some of the development of the area. Mon 14 Mar 6:00 pm or Wed 16 Mar 5:00 pm or Tue 22 Mar 6:00 pm Booking necessary and charges apply.
AND
The battlefields of the First World War continue to interest but any excursion is prohibited by the pandemic. Jiff Bayliss has developed two Virtual Tours of the Western Front showing where troops from Britain and the British Empire fought to save France from further German invasion and to liberate land already occupied. After a brief exposition of how the Western Front developed, you will: • understand where, when and why different battles were fought and their outcome, • hear how technology and industrialisation added new methods and weapons which added to the horrors of warfare and • see the legacy of the battlefields today. These tours are based on a three-day driving tour of the area.
On Thursday, March 10th at 18:00hrs, Jiff will be repeating his Virtual tour of the battlefields of Belgium and the battles around the towns of Ypres (“Wipers” to the British Tommy), Dixmunde and Messines. On Thursday, March 17th at 18:00hrs, Jiff will be repeating his Virtual Tour of the battles in Picardy focussing on The Somme. Suitable for anyone with an interest in the WWI, these tours can also act as a primer if visits to the Front are planned.
The National Archives is hosting a major new exhibition about the 1920s – Beyond the Roar, which explores some of the influential thinkers and personalities of the decade. The years after the First World War were dislocating for many people as old certainties had been destroyed but the modern world was just coming into existence. You can find out more on their site https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20s-people/the-1920s-beyond-the-roar/
Two great virtual tours, one is TUESDAY 2nd NOVEMBER at 8pm (see below), the other on 11th or 30th November at 7.30pm
Tuesday 2 November 8pm: Ships Built in London
A new Virtual Tour on 2nd November which looks at ships that were built in London . Rob will tell the stories of ships like HMS Thunderer the last battleship built in the Thames, the Madagascar – a ship whose crew disappeared in the Indian Ocean, and the Sovereign of the Seas, the ship built in Woolwich that helped spark the English Civil War
AND
Two dates – 11th or 30th November at 7pm. Go here to book. St Paul’s Cathedral To Westminster Abbey – a virtual walk along an ancient byway.
A ‘must’ for those who know and love, or perhaps don’t know and could love, London. These experts on London tours say:
“We continue with our Virtual Tours this month (£6 each), with the Footprints of London guides having some new ideas to intrigue you during these lockdown days.”
This mosaic is from the abandoned Underground – tomorrow, Sunday 28 February.
To come in March – shipwrecks in the Thames, Tudor London, the Kent coast, Daniel Defoe, London Theatres, subterranean London.