The Quest for England
A more personal set of videos exploring England, it’s towns, villages and countryside.
I am on the trail of the poor sailor who was set upon and killed by three assailants on the old London to Portsmouth Road in 1786. The murderers were caught and their bodies hung in chains for all to see on the hillside adjacent to The Devils Punch-bowl close to Hindhead in Surrey. Kevin […]
Friday Street is a tiny hamlet deep within the Surrey Hills close to Leith Hill. Buried in delightful woodland with numerous paths and public walkways, it once thrived with charcoal burners and iron works. Hammer ponds and natural springs speak of its previous history of which today there is little trace. I am accompanied by […]
Continuing our exploration of Leith Hill and the Greensand Way. Matthew Holdsworth and I are climbing up the spiral staircase of Leith Hill Tower. We find a potted history of the remarkable edifice displayed in one the rooms and a breathtaking view from the top. If you look closes your can even see the Shard […]
Today I am with Matthew Holdsworth in search of the Greensand Way and the wonderful tower atop of Leith Hill in Surrey. The Greensand Way is a long distance path of 108 miles (174 km) in southeast England, from Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent. It follows the Greensand Ridge along the Surrey Hills […]
Time to explore another yew tree. This one is at Priors Dean Church in Hampshire. Julia Hartley and Elizabeth Housden join me on this rough and ready look at the ancient tree which surely has to be two thousand years old. The adjacent church is Saxon and only half that age, but is a charming […]
Today I am looking for a marker stone, a lump of rock dedicated to Edward Thomas, the poet, who lived and walked and wrote about the landscape around Hampshire. The lovely Julia and I are joined by Elizabeth Housden, author, actress, and Thomas enthusiast. Liz explain more about this influential poet’s life and takes us […]