Photos and the City

Tag: England

Lancaster

I spent about a week in the lovely town of Lancaster, friends went to a conference at the University of Lancaster (which is huge!) and we shared a cottage (and having fun with their two toddlers – a completely new experience).

Lancaster is the perfect starting point for taking trips to the Lake District, the Peak District and Yorkshire – or just spend a day on the beach. Everything is in easy reach – and the town itself is cosy and lovely.

We stayed at this cosy cottage right under the castle – we had the best view of the castle from the garden! It was just a short walk into the city centre or to the river.

The castle was probably founded in the 11th century on the site of a former Roman fort, overlooking the river Lune. It´s been used as a prison early on but got more important during the English Civil War and was used as a prison until a few years ago.

It´s a beautiful view over the city from Castle Hill…

The city centre of Lancaster is mainly a pedestrian zone and invites to strolling around.

The omnipresent Queen Victoria in front of city hall.

Who wants to buy a church?

07/08/2018
Manchester

It really didn´t click between me and Manchester – even so I was super excited to spend a day there. I took the bus from Bakewell in the morning (it was the last day for this route, they changed it and I think there are no more direct ones) and started my day with a boat tour through the Manchester canal.

The area around the canal/rivers seems to be up and coming – a lot of building is happening. Apartment buildings and business complexes. My Airbnb host in Bakewell had already told me that a lot of companies are leaving London and are resettling in Manchester. BBC and ITV have huge studios along the canal.

Besides new buildings along the canal, there is also a lot of trash in the water – I´m not talking about that lovely gnome family but about a lot of fridges floating around.

After cruising around the canal and river for about an hour I went back to my hotel next to Picadilly train station and later on met with Theresa for her personal vintage inspired photoshoot in the Northern Quarter.

And I spent my evening at the cinema watching “Mamma Mia – Here we go again” – the songs are still playing around in my head. Not the worst soundtrack for this summer.

The morning, Sunday, I met Emma for her photoshoot in the Castlefield area – this is part of the Science Museum.

The Alan Turing memorial. right around the corner from my hotel. Turing was an early computer scientist and the mastermind behind the decoding of the German Enigma during World War II at Bletchley. In 1952 Turing was prosecuted for homosexual acts, back then a criminal offence in the UK. He accepted a chemical castration treatment instead of going to prison but died from cyanide posing just days before his 42nd birthday. His death was marked as suicide but might have been an accidental poisoning because of the medication.

This building was right next to my hotel and I saw it right from my window. It seems to have been the fire station and was opened in 1906 and also housed a police station, an ambulance station, a bank, a coroner’s court, and a gas-meter testing station and was closed down in 1986. Since then it´s been waiting for a new purpose.

02/08/2018
Edensor – from Chatsworth to Bakewell

I already had decided to walk back from Chatsworth House to Bakewell and make a stop in Edensor – Chatsworth adjoining (custom built) village. It´s just a short walk from the house to the village.

And on top of the hill one already sees the tower of St. Peters church.

Specially commissioned by the 6th Duke of Devonshire, the custom-built village of Edensor (pronounced ‘Enza’) in Chatsworth Park features a delightful hotch-potch of traditional house designs, from mock Tudor to Swiss cottage.

The 6th Duke decided to demolish the old estate village and rebuild it out of sight in the 19th century, because it spoiled his view of the estate from Chatsworth. Access then, as now, was through a white estate gate. (Edensor)

Only one house was left from the old town – see the roof on the top picture.

One house and garden on the riverside of the road, surrounded by a stone wall, still remains. Spared it is believed, because the tenant, an elderly man, did not want to move and the duke in an act of kindness allowed him to stay. Under the brow of the hill it was not visible from the House. (Edensor)

Make a stop at Edensor, enjoy a lunch or tea at the Edensor Tea Cottage and enjoy a walk through the little village – it´s like from a fairytale.

At the top of the churchyard is the grave of Kathleen Kennedy, the sister of the late President of the USA. She was the wife of the present Duke’s elder brother and heir to the Dukedom who was tragically killed in Belgium during the last war. Only four years later his wife was killed in an air crash. (Edensor)

JF Kennedy visited his sisters grave in 1963.

I found the footpath behind the church and said goodbye to Edensor and still enjoyed the view of Chatsworth House. Walking right through a lot of sheep.

First glimpse of Bakewell – crossing a golf course included.

31/07/2018