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Know any good castles?


PeterCr

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My son is joining us next week for a couple of weeks, and he loves all things to do with castles and WW1 and 2 stuff.

 

We took him to Tamworth castle a couple of years ago and he loved it and we also found an old nuclear shelter that we could tour, right next to the canal, he got right into that too. Was on the Shropshire if I remember correctly. And he loved the Imperial War Museum.

 

So we'll take him from Nottingham down to Newark to the castle and air force museum, then back through Nottingham possibly to Fradley and Braunston way.

 

Does anyone know of any good castles or WW1 or 2 sites or museums in that area within walking distance of the canal? I know about the National Arboretum at Alrewas, coincidentally I'm in Alrewas at the moment and should go but it's raining! I think it's big enough to be an all day outing, not so nice in the rain.

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48 minutes ago, PeterCr said:

My son is joining us next week for a couple of weeks, and he loves all things to do with castles and WW1 and 2 stuff.

 

We took him to Tamworth castle a couple of years ago and he loved it and we also found an old nuclear shelter that we could tour, right next to the canal, he got right into that too. Was on the Shropshire if I remember correctly. And he loved the Imperial War Museum.

 

So we'll take him from Nottingham down to Newark to the castle and air force museum, then back through Nottingham possibly to Fradley and Braunston way.

 

Does anyone know of any good castles or WW1 or 2 sites or museums in that area within walking distance of the canal? I know about the National Arboretum at Alrewas, coincidentally I'm in Alrewas at the moment and should go but it's raining! I think it's big enough to be an all day outing, not so nice in the rain.

If you are talking about the Air Museum (its not the RAF museum) it is a good walk (3-4 miles each way) from the River. You would need to moor up at either the C&RT visitors moorings at the Kiln (C&RT offices) or at Kings Marina (£15 per night inclusive of electric)

This is a river - not a canal with only moorings in infrequent areas - wild mooring not advised.

You will be  walking alongside a VERY busy dual carriage way with no footpath - I wouldn't recommend it.

 

Newark Castle will take all of 30 minutes to tour around (we moor about 1 mile from the castle)

Have a check on the Newark tourist website - it is a 'huge' area for Civil War battles and there are often folks dressing up and doing battle. (Re-enactors)

They occasionally open up the tunnels below Newark which is how the locals used to get around town during the civil war

 

Nottingham Castle (Robin Hood and all that)Over looks the canal near Castle Marina.

 

If you have transport :

 

Wollaton Park (House and gardens) not been for many many years but had a wonderful 'zoo' of stuffed animals - but not near the canals.

The 'Major Oak' (Robin Hood's famous Tree) and visitor centre North Nottinghamshire

Southwell Minster - one of the biggest cathedrals in the country building started 1108 (between Nottingham & Newark - 6 miles from Newark)

Lincoln Cathedral - has the 2nd copy of the Magna Carta ( a charter of liberties to which the English barons forced King John to give his assent in June 1215 at Runnymede.)

RAF Coningsby - The battle of Britain Flight (Spitfire, Lancaster, Hurricane, Dakota, P38 etc etc) open to visitors - they may even be flying. They fly over us at about 100 feet most days in the Summer.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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If you're going via Braunston, and depending how far you'd like to travel, there's Berkhamsted Castle almost next to the GU canal (60 miles and 54 double locks). It's where the English submitted to William the Conqueror after the Battle of Hastings. There's lots of other history attached. 

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5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If you are talking about the Air Museum (its not the RAF museum) it is a good walk (3-4 miles each way) from the River. You would need to moor up at either the C&RT visitors moorings at the Kiln (C&RT offices) or at Kings Marina (£15 per night inclusive of electric)

This is a river - not a canal with only moorings in infrequent areas - wild mooring not advised.

You will be  walking alongside a VERY busy dual carriage way with no footpath - I wouldn't recommend it.

 

Newark Castle will take all of 30 minutes to tour around (we moor about 1 mile from the castle)

Have a check on the Newark tourist website - it is a 'huge' area for Civil War battles and there are often folks dressing up and doing battle. (Re-enactors)

They occasionally open up the tunnels below Newark which is how the locals used to get around town during the civil war

 

Nottingham Castle (Robin Hood and all that)Over looks the canal near Castle Marina.

 

If you have transport :

 

Wollaton Park (House and gardens) not been for many many years but had a wonderful 'zoo' of stuffed animals - but not near the canals.

The 'Major Oak' (Robin Hood's famous Tree) and visitor centre North Nottinghamshire

Southwell Minster - one of the biggest cathedrals in the country building started 1108 (between Nottingham & Newark - 6 miles from Newark)

Lincoln Cathedral - has the 2nd copy of the Magna Carta ( a charter of liberties to which the English barons forced King John to give his assent in June 1215 at Runnymede.)

RAF Coningsby - The battle of Britain Flight (Spitfire, Lancaster, Hurricane, Dakota, P38 etc etc) open to visitors - they may even be flying. They fly over us at about 100 feet most days in the Summer.

Thanks Alan, we've got a car courtesy of my inlaws who live in Nottingham, my wife was born in Nottingham so we've pretty much seen the sights of Nottingham. It is a nice castle and I love the old Trip to Jerusalem pub with the rooms carved out of the stone.

 

I think if we cruise down to Newark they can meet us and take us to the museum. And yes it looks from the photos like the castle is a bit of a ruin but it also looks like a nice market area next to the mooring as well, also worth a look.

 

I'll take a look at the tourist website, see if we're lucky enough to find a reenactment. Fingers crossed for the tunnels.

 

But interested in RAF Coningsby, unless it's near the canal we'd have to convince the inlaws to do another car trip. I'll check it out. Southwell Minster sounds good too. We do like a good cathedral, every time I go to London I like to take a peek inside St Pauls. So I'll take a look at getting to the cathedral too.

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2 minutes ago, PeterCr said:

But interested in RAF Coningsby, unless it's near the canal we'd have to convince the inlaws to do another car trip.

Its about 3 miles from a mooring on the River Witham - but it would take you a couple of days (maybe 3) to get from Newark to the area around RAF Coningsby (having passed Lincoln Cathedral (walking distance) on the way).

Depending on the tide times (The River Trent is Tidal) 

Newark to Lincoln = 1 longish day - loads to do in Lincoln (Cathedral, Bomber command memorials (Lincolnshire is Bomber county) castle and 100s of years of history.) The Canal joing the Trent to the Witham is the oldest in the country and was built by the Romans to bring supplies inland to Nottingham and region from the Southern East coast / Wash area. 

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18 minutes ago, Ray T said:

Thanks Ray, we were both typing at the same time ☺️

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6 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

another vote  for  Coningsby about a mile from the River Witham.   or an hourly bus to Boston or Lincoln.  Fabulous place to visit.  

 

https://nbsg.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/summer-trip-2-witham-and-the-boston-navigable-drains/

Where would you moor ?

I was thinking Dog Dyke or Tattershall Bridge - but its a fair bit more than a mile - I'd have said nearer 3 miles to get to RAF Coningsby.

Taxi I reckon.

 

If you go - what type of cooling do you have ?

The Witham is a solid green carpet of weed at the moment.

 

 

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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Anyone been to both 

26 minutes ago, frahkn said:

Warwick castle is near the canal (a fine example but rather commercialised).

 

Kenilworth castle is nearby and is worth seeing.

 

Have you considered Bletchley Park?

We went to Warwick castle last year and I agree, nice castle but the commercialisation does get on your nerves a bit. Kenilworth we might keep for next year and Bletchley is probably a bit too far for this year too. Another time.

 

One of the best castles we've seen is on the Llangollen. We were coming back along the canal a couple of years ago and just came across it by chance, I can't even remember the name. But it was a great castle.

 

Anyone been to both the Newark air museum and Coningsby and if so which in your opinion was better?

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21 minutes ago, PeterCr said:

Anyone been to both the Newark air museum and Coningsby and if so which in your opinion was better?

Newark is a collection of 'broken' aircraft and aircraft 'bits' (Fuselage, cockpits, wings etc) it is a good collection of historical aircraft but when I went it was really more like a aircraft scrapyard/

I actually flew in and landed on one of the runways.

 

Coningsby is more interesting as the aircraft are the famous Battle Of Britain flight - been there and done it. 

When I visited (as an RAF instructor) I was actually allowed to sit in the Spitfire etc - I'm not sure that 'the public' can do that, but on open days you can get up and touch them.

The smell of sweat, glycol, fuel and whatever in the Lancaster was amazing. We live on the approach to Conningsby on what used to be a Lancaster airfield in WW2 - every time the Lanc is out (most days in the Summer) it comes and does a low, slow flypast at around a 100 feet. The sound of those Merlins, makes you think back and brings a lump to your throat.

A good book to read (about Metheringham Airfield*) is "In the Middle of Nowhere". A good story based on Lancaster crew experiences.

I was fortunate enough to have been presented with a signed copy by the Author.

 

* A lot of Aussies (467 Squadron RAAF)and Kiwi's served at Metheringham there is a memorial on the perimeter track - the airfield is still 75% still in existence.

 

 

 

https://www.raf.mod.uk/display-teams/battle-of-britain-memorial-flight/

 

https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/heritage-and-tourism/battle-of-britain-memorial-flight/guided-tours/61640.article

 

If you want to feel and smell history then the BBMF is the one to visit.

Metheringham Airfield.jpg

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Where would you moor ?

I was thinking Dog Dyke or Tattershall Bridge - but its a fair bit more than a mile - I'd have said nearer 3 miles to get to RAF Coningsby.

Taxi I reckon.

 

If you go - what type of cooling do you have ?

The Witham is a solid green carpet of weed at the moment.

 

 

1.2 miles from the pub/moorings at Dogdyke to the BBMF reception, according to Google maps. Not very hilly.

 

There is also a bus (IC5, hourly Mon-Sat) that you can hail from Dogdyke. We caught the bus from Boston which meant that I went to Denver, Boston and New York for my summer holidays that year ....

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18 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

1.2 miles from the pub/moorings at Dogdyke to the BBMF reception, according to Google maps. Not very hilly

Yes - My sat nav was taking it from Dog Dyke on the other side of the river, back up to Tattershall bridge and showed 4 miles. I should have looked at the map.

 

Mooring at the Packet Inn (on the same side of the river) brings it back to 1.3 miles.

So - not a bad stroll along a quiet(ish) country lane.

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6 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Lincoln Cathedral - has the 2nd copy of the Magna Carta ( a charter of liberties to which the English barons forced King John to give his assent in June 1215 at Runnymede.)

 

Clauses 1, 9, and 29 are still inforce today.

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15 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Where would you moor ?

I was thinking Dog Dyke or Tattershall Bridge - but its a fair bit more than a mile - I'd have said nearer 3 miles to get to RAF Coningsby.

Taxi I reckon.

 

If you go - what type of cooling do you have ?

The Witham is a solid green carpet of weed at the moment.

 

 

It's not that far from the moorings at Dog Dyke. About a ten minute walk up the road to the viewing area.

 

It's only duck weed on the Witham at the minute. Looks a lot worse then it really is.

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