Portland Bill lighthouse is quite a significant lighthouse. It’s the 7th tallest in England and the 5th tallest still in operation – although, like all its siblings, it’s automated from Trinity House’s control room in Harwich. It’s the second tallest on shore, and while at 41m, it ties for top place in the tallest that… More I climbed Portland Bill lighthouse
Last week, I finished my Dartmoor blog back at the car at Haytor, after a 10.13km round walk taking in Smallacombe Rocks, Becka Brook, Greator, Hound Tor and Saddle Tor, which is where I should have started. So let’s go back to the campsite. I mentioned that it was steep and it was basic. It… More Dartmoor: a warm, windy walking weekend (part 2)
I went to Dartmoor last weekend. I’d expected half the country to be joining me on my drive westwards on a hot September Friday but it seemed there was more traffic heading east and definitely a lot more caravans. Had Devon and Cornwall kicked out all the holidaymakers? I’d set off reasonably early in the… More Dartmoor: a warm windy walking weekend (part 1)
Two years I went to Longleat’s Sky Safari, a day of hot air balloon delight culminating in a night glow, where pilots fired their burners to illuminate the balloons coordinated to music. Actually, I went to the Sky Safari at the weekend but did the Thursday night passholders-only night glow. And it was so great… More Longleat’s Drive-In Night Glow
In front of me, right in the middle of the path was a stag, in full antler, just staring at me. I stopped and stared back. So it was true, the animals had taken Brownsea Island back. I’d gone across for a strictly timed morning of wildness and peace and walking. At the height of… More Dorset Staycation: a day on Brownsea Island
A few weeks ago, at the height of the first heatwave, I had the bright idea to go to the beach. That’s not such a bright idea in this part of the world – everyone was at the beach and as a local, I should know that. I mentioned my plans to my mum and she… More Dorset Staycation: Fossil hunting at Charmouth
One thing that a lot of people like to do on holiday is go to the pool and that’s a bit difficult at the moment. However, if you’re staycationing in Dorset or Wiltshire (the border between the two pretty much runs through the north of the town), salvation is at hand in the form of… More Dorset Staycation: Shaftesbury Oasis review
Since we can’t go abroad at the moment – well, without risking a last-minute quarantine announcement – people are staycationing and they seem to be flocking in their millions to the south-west. I live in the south-west and this is my personal guide to Swanage. Swanage is a small seaside town in Dorset. It’s been… More Dorset Staycation: a local’s guide to Swanage
There’s no travel on the horizon for the foreseeable future. It’s already been six months since I’ve been anywhere and I’m starting to worry now about how to maintain a travel & adventure blog while staying at home. I’ve got plenty of old stories never told (or never read) but is it enough to weather… More Adventures at Home: my square mile
A few weeks ago, I did a post on my DofE practice expedition and this is the real thing. The expedition is both the most dreaded and the best known of all the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award components. As a general rule, I think it’s the last thing to get done. The typical vision of… More Stay At Home Storytelling: My DofE Bronze expedition