England – Maldo Travels

Windsor Castle – Historic Royal Home

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 19:50:00 +0000

Known to be a popular residence of the current monarchy, Windsor Castle is a large complex that is open to the general public. By car, it takes about an hour to get there from London. There are plenty of paid car parks in the area, but it tends to get very busy in the summer so there’s more traffic and difficult to find a parking spot. Another option is to go by train which takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes. The train station is a short and pleasant 10-minute walk away from the castle.

Tickets can be booked online for a specific time slot and the booking process will note any restrictions on the day. You must book online to be able to visit and booking directly is the cheapest option. The ticket also comes with an audio guide that can be set to several different languages. As you walk throughout the site, you’ll see numbered signs that you can enter into the audio guide. This is a great way to learn about the history of the many different areas in the castle. It is also possible to book private and group tours if you prefer. The grounds are very well kept and all areas are very well signposted so it’s easy to find your way around. You can visit the different gardens and several different state apartments with many different things on display.

It’s easy to spend a full day here as there are so many places to visit. There are also activities for kids and a couple of cafes to grab something to eat. As you head towards the exit, you’ll pass by St George’s Chapel which is full of history. The Chapel is normally closed on Sundays for service, and you should check if it is open on the day you plan to visit as it’s a beautiful place. At the exit, there is also a soldier of the Queen’s Guard stationed in a booth. A small area is cordoned off and the guard will occasionally step out of his booth and march up and down the cordoned-off area. After leaving Windsor Castle, you can explore the town which has lots of restaurants and the riverside is especially popular. There are rowboats for rent and many ducks and swans floating on the river. Overall, it’s a great day trip from London to a place that’s full of history.

Botany Bay – Beautiful Sandy Beach

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 06:41:00 +0000

It’s possible to take public transport to this destination, but you need to first take a train to either Broadstairs or Margate and then take a bus to Botany Bay. From London, it’ll take around 2 hours and 30 minutes, depending on where in London you’re departing from. It’s much easier to get there by car since it’s a 1-hour 45-minute drive if there’s no traffic. However, this beach is very popular in the summer, so it’s best to leave in the early morning to get a decent parking spot near the beach.

The Botany Bay area is very residential and depending on where you’ve managed to park, you’ll likely have to walk along the cliff to one of the beach entrances. You’ll get some spectacular views of the sea and beach from this walk. There’s a free toilet and changing area at one of the main entrances, it’s not very big nor well kept though. If it’s a busy summer’s day, then there will probably be a long queue as well.

The beach itself is quite small, but it’s a sandy beach which is quite rare in the UK, hence its popularity. It’s also rather unique given the white chalk cliffs that border it. The cliffs make for great photo opportunities and are also great to walk along since they have great viewpoints of the beach. When we went in September, the weather was in the high 20s to 30s, but the water was still icy cold. Overall, it’s a great beach that’s close enough to London for a day trip.

Seven Sisters – Scenic White Cliffs

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 17:08:00 +0000

The closest towns to the cliffs are Seaford and Eastbourne. Both have train stations with services from London and the train ride is about 2 hours. We decided to go to Seaford by car and it’s also a 2-hour drive. It’s quite a popular tourist site so the car park by the seaside can get full very quickly. There are a couple of stalls at the stone beach for snacks, drinks, and ice cream. It was quite chilly when we went, so there weren’t many people in the sea since it was freezing cold. There’s a path along the stone beach lined with colorful beach huts which makes for a nice walk.

The path leads to the start of the trail at Seaford Head West that goes towards the white cliffs. The walk up the cliff is quite steep so it’s a little tiring. The rest of the trail is easier though and fairly flat. There are no barriers on the cliff edges and there are warning signs throughout the trail stating that ground on the cliff edge can be unstable. So it’s best to stay clear from it and always keep an eye on children. There are some great views along the trail though, and you can pick up some of the white chalk rocks along the way.

We walked along the trail for about an hour until we got to a viewpoint of the Seven Sisters white cliffs. From this viewpoint, you get a panoramic view of the rolling cliffs. You can continue along the trail to get to the Seven Sisters cliffs, but we decided to turn back to Seaford to have time for a quick stop in Brighton that is only a 30-minute drive away.

Peak District – Cycle Trail and Caves

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 21:50:00 +0000

From London, it’s about a 3-hour 30-minute drive to Peak District National Park which makes it ideal for a weekend trip. We headed out on a Friday evening to the small town of Aston just outside Sheffield. On Saturday, we planned to go cycling on a trail. There are several trails in the National Park and we chose to go on the Monsal Trail. This trail used to be a railway track that has been converted for walking and cycling. It’s mostly a dirt and pebble trail but parts of it have been paved. We first drove to Hassop Station which is 45 minutes away from Aston. On our way, we stopped at Bakewell for some brunch at a quaint B&B that had a fireplace. There’s a bike rental shop at Hassop Station and there are different types of bikes for hire starting from 2 hours. We chose to rent a standard adult bike for 2 hours which cost 12 GBP¹. We set out at 11.45 AM making stops along the way for pictures. The trail ends at Blackwell Mill and we stopped at the last bridge to turn back. When we got back, we were very muddy since the bikes didn’t have mudguards. We cleaned up a bit and then headed back to our Airbnb² in Aston.

On Sunday, we decided to check out some caves. First, we headed to Speedwell Cavern which was about an hour away from our Airbnb in Aston. We got there at around 12.30 PM and there’s plenty of parking space opposite the entrance. When buying tickets, we saw that there was a discount on a joint ticket with Peak Cavern. We bought the joint ticket for 20 GBP each and then waited about 15 minutes for the next guided tour. A guide then calls us into a room where we pick up a helmet. He goes over the schedule of the tour and begins talking about the history of the cave. We’re then taken down some steps and arrive at the underground river. The cave is very narrow with just enough space for the boat to fit. Everyone gets into the boat and the guide then uses his hands on the ceiling to navigate down the river. On the way, the guide talks about the mining operations that used to happen in the cave and how the miners and children were exploited. After about 15 minutes, we reach the end of the river and get out of the boat into a chamber. There’s a small waterfall inside and the guide says that now you can see the bottom since the miners dumped rocks from their excavations into the hole. The guide then talks about the geography of the cave and we have about 10 minutes to take pictures. We then get back on the boat and head for the exit.

Next, we drove about 5 minutes to the nearby town of Castleton. Peak Cavern is located in this town and there’s no dedicated car park at the site, so you have to find parking in the town. We found a space nearby and it’s a nice walk by the riverside to the cave entrance. We got there at 2.10 PM and a tour had just started so we joined in. The guide was talking about how the site was used to make rope and showed us some of the tools used. We then continue into the cave and the guide mentions that several movies have been filmed in the cave. He also mentions that Queen Victoria once visited the cave and they dug a new passage so she wouldn’t have to crawl. We arrive at a large chamber and the guide talks about the history and geography of the cave. We then head back to the exit. Following our visit, we went for a walk around the town and grabbed some food before making our way back to London.

Kents Cavern – Prehistoric Caves

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 23:02:00 +0000

From our Airbnb¹ in Falmouth, it took 2 hours and 30 minutes to get to the town of Torquay where the caves are located. The drive from Bristol would be around 2 hours and from London, it would be about 4 hours. There’s a car park next to the ticket office and it’s free if you buy a tour. When purchasing a ticket, just let them know you’ve parked there and they’ll ask for your number plate. A guided tour is the only way to visit the caves and it costs 13 GBP² each. We arrived at 10.30 AM and luckily, there was a tour scheduled to start in 10 minutes. Upon entering the cave, the air is quite cool and the guide says the temperature is 14 degrees Celsius all year round inside the cave. We walk into the first chamber for an introductory recorded audiovisual presentation. The tour guide then leads the group through a passageway talking about how the cave was formed and its early history along the way. We then arrive at a chamber where there are several stalactites and stalagmites. The tour guide then tells us about the geology of the cave and we learn how stalactites and stalagmites are formed. Next, the group is taken to another chamber where the tour guide takes out replicas of artifacts found in the cave. Stored in an old wooden chest, he pulls out bones, tools, and a mammoth tooth to show the group whilst giving information on them.

We then continue to another chamber where the guide talks about the ancient humans who once took refuge here. The caves are now all lit with several light bulbs, and the guide says the cave is pitch black where we are. He turns off all the lights for us to experience a complete blackout. He then lights an oyster shell and says how it is believed these were used for light inside the cave. Not much light is emitted from the burning oyster shell compared to the lights bulbs. The final stop is a chamber with an exhibition of the stone age and Victorian excavators. There is also a display of some artifacts found in the cave with information panels. The visit took about an hour and then we headed back to the car for the 2-hour drive back to Bristol.

Lizard Peninsula – Kynance Cove

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 22:44:00 +0000

Going from Bristol, it takes around 4 hours to drive to Kynance Cove. From London, it’s a long drive taking up to 6 hours if you stop for a break. We went on a Bank Holiday weekend so when we arrived at around 1.15 PM, the car park close to Kynance Cove was full, so the staff directed us to an overflow car park a little further away. From the overflow car park, it is about a 20-minute walk to Kynance Cove if you take the direct path. We took diverted route off the main path via a trail that goes by the cliff and there are great seaside views along the way. Proceed with caution and stay clear from the edges as there are no barriers and you are very high up on the cliffs.

The trail goes down the rocks and leads to the small beach area. It’s a small pebble beach and there are many large rocks. Be careful walking on the rocks as they can be very slippery. There’s a cafe by the beach with a seating area. They sell Cornish Pasties, sandwiches, and other small bites as well as drinks. After chilling by the beach for a bit, we went for a walk on one of the cliffside trails. We set out at around 3 PM and walked for around an hour. We went by a couple of people on the trail, but not many. It’s a very scenic walk of the seaside and cliffs. At some points in the trail, you need to go down some rocks and then climb back up on the other side, so it can be a little tiring. We stuck to the cliffside for the views, but on the way back, we took a more direct route to Kynance Cove which took 45 minutes. We then headed back to the parking lot and onwards to our Airbnb¹ in Falmouth which was a 40-minute drive away.

Tintagel Castle – Mythical Scenic Site

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 24 Aug 2019 22:34:01 +0000

From Bristol, it was a 2-hour 40-minute drive to the north side of the Cornish coast. From London it would be a 4-hour 30-minute drive. We arrived at 1.30 PM and found a car park next to the ticket office. Tickets can be booked in advance for entry at a specific timeslot. Pre-booked tickets cost 13 GBP or free if you’re an English Heritage Member. Walk-up tickets cost 14.50 GBP¹ but you should pre-book during peak periods as it’s a very popular site. From the ticket office, you can follow the main path or take a trail that goes up to a viewpoint and then joins back to the main path before the bridge. We took the detour route via the viewpoint and it took about 10 minutes to get to the top. From here you get an elevated view of Tintagel and the new footbridge (finished on August 9th, 2019). It then takes about 5 minutes to walk down to the bridge. On the way you pass a control point where you have to present your ticket, so make sure you keep your ticket with you. Before the footbridge, visitors had to go down some steps to the beach and then up some steps on the other side. In the 13th century, a natural land bridge connected the mainland to the headland of Tintagel. However, erosion has caused the natural land bridge to collapse and now this new footbridge restores the original route to Tintagel.

Whilst crossing the bridge, you get great views of the surrounding landscape and the previous steps to cross to the other side. After crossing, we arrived at some ruins. There are information panels throughout giving information on the buildings that would have stood here. They also give a history of how Tintagel was used as a trading port during the age of the Roman Empire. Next, we followed the path to the top of the headland and found some rocks to sit on halfway through. The view from here is amazing of the hilly shores and beach down below. We continued down the path and arrived at the Gallos Sculpture representing King Arthur at the end of the headland island. It can be quite busy since everyone is taking pictures with the statue. We then found some boulders at the end of the headland to rest on, enjoying the seaside views.

At around 3 PM, we started heading back to go down to the beach. At the bridge, there are some steps on the right-hand side that go down to the beach. It’s a small sand and pebble beach with a rock island in the middle which people were jumping off. The water is freezing so we didn’t get in. There are two caves, one on either side of the beach. Going through the caves can be tricky since there are lots of rocks and boulders. They also fill up with water so keep an eye on the tide. We stayed at the beach until around 5 PM before heading back up and on one of the trails to a viewpoint. It takes about 20 minutes to follow the trail up to the cliff opposite Tintagel Castle. There are great views of Tintagel and the seaside from here. We stayed here until about 5.45 PM before heading back to the town to get some food. It was about 6.20 PM by the time we got back to the town and quite a lot of places were closing. We managed to find a cafe selling Cornish Pasties, so we grabbed a few of those and headed back to Bristol.

Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 18 May 2019 21:50:00 +0000

Found on the Jurrasic Coast between Weymouth and Bournemouth, a day trip to Durdle Door is best done by car. I tried looking up routes by public transport from London but it involved several trains and over 4 hours of travel as opposed to a 2-hour 45-minute drive. There is plenty of parking available at the park entrance. In the parking area, there is a stall selling food and drink with several benches around. From the car park, there are several signposted trails. We set out on the one leading down to Durdle Door, and after about 5 minutes, you’ll get a view of the beach behind the arch from the cliffs. Another 10 minutes of walking down and we got to the other side with a view of the arch and the view beach.

The weather wasn’t on our side but the views were still great. Some steps lead to the beach and it took us about 5 minutes to get down. It’s a stone beach and although it’s possible to bathe in the water, the water temperature is freezing. The white cliffs have several small caves in the which have been formed by the sea. We spent about 30 minutes walking by the beach before heading back up and on the trail to Lulworth Cove.

It took us about an hour to walk there at a slow pace and making several stops. On the walk, you’ll get scenic views of the town and the coastline from the cliffs. The small town has several ice cream shops that use local dairy products to make their ice creams. We walked around the stone shores for about an hour, looking around for fossils. We then made our way back to the Durdle Door car park to head back home.

1066 Battle of Hastings

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 05 May 2019 21:35:00 +0000

Near the shores of Hastings, this historic battlefield can be visited on a short day trip from London. Only a one and a half-hour train ride from Charing Cross or about 1 hour 45 minutes by car. Entry to the site costs 13.60 GBP³ or free with an English Heritage membership. There’s an audio guide included with the ticket to listen to the history as you walk throughout the site. There’s a visitor center a short walk from the entrance which you should start with. There’s lots of info here providing background on William the Conqueror of Normandy and the Anglo-Saxon King Harold of England.

Following the visitor center, you can head to the trail of the battleground. There are two options; a trail which goes on a circuit down to the battleground and then up to the Abbey, or the trail which goes straight across to the Abbey with a panoramic view of the battleground. There are several numbered information panels on the trail which you can input into the audio guides which narrate the events of the battle. It took us about 30 minutes to walk throughout the battlefield and up to the Abbey. We then walked around the Abbey learning about its history from the information panels there. We then visited the garden next to the Abbey before heading back to the entrance. At the entrance, you can head up the tower where there is a small museum with some artifacts. You can also climb to the top of the tower which has views of the town. We completed our visit in about an hour before heading for some lunch and back home.

Walmer and Deal – Coastline Castles

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 27 Jan 2019 21:23:00 +0000

It is possible to take a train to these castles but the train times aren’t that frequent, so we rented a car for these visits. From London, it’s about a 2-hour drive here and only 15 minutes from Dover. We first drove to Walmer Castle and there is parking available at the site. Tickets cost 12.60 GBP¹ or free with an English Heritage membership. An audio guide is included with the ticket which gives you access to the castle and the gardens. There are several information panels with numbers that you input into the audio guide. This castle was part of a chain of artillery castles that King Henry VIII had built to fortify the coastline. He feared attacks from a new alliance between France, Spain, and the Pope after he broke away from the Catholic Church to create the Protestant church. Since then, the castle has been converted into a stately-home. You can see how the furnished rooms have been transformed to create a more comfortable residence. Several Lord Wardens have added improvements over time and it was once used by Duke Wellington. There’s a room with some of his history and also the room he died in has been kept the way it was on the day. You can also step outside to explore the gardens. We went in winter so the garden wasn’t as pretty as it must be in summer. It took us about two hours to complete our tour of Walmer Castle and we were done around 1 PM.

To get to Deal Castle, it’s a short 5-minute drive up the coast and there is also parking available next to the site. Tickets cost 7.90 GBP or free with an English Heritage membership. This is another artillery castle by King Henry VII but this one has been transformed into a museum. The entire castle is open for you to explore on a self-guided tour with the audio guide included with the ticket. At this castle you can learn a lot more about the 16th-century defense system. An interesting part of the castle is wandering through underground perimeter passageways below the castle. There are wellies available for you to put on as it can get muddy. You can complete the visit in about an hour so we were done at around 2.30 PM.