This rather unprepossessing house at 22 Fitzwilliam Street is where Charles Darwin lived from 16th December to March 1837, after he returned from his voyage on the Beagle. It was during this time that he started writing up his notes and organising his specimens.
As part of my not at all regular exploration of Nottingham’s green spaces, on Monday I headed with my Dad to Bulwell Hall Park, five miles to the north of Nottingham city centre. I hadn’t even known the place existed and my dad wanted to show me some places he went with my mum when they were first engaged. We drove there and parked in what was described as the overflow car park [free] just short of the track that leads to the car park for the golf course, which I also hadn’t realised was there. I actually worked in Bulwell many years ago but never really had time to explore the area. I spotted a bus stop for the No. 70 bus very close by to the entrance which would be the best way of getting there on public transport.
This war memorial can be found just outside the Botanic Gardens and is a rather well done figure of a marching soldier by Canadian sculptor Robert Tait McKenzie. He also designed the Scots American War Memorial in Princes Street, Edinburgh.
Long time readers will know that one of my favourite things to do is visit churches – not for any spiritual reason but architecturally and historically, and if it’s possible I take the opportunity to climb up into towers and onto roofs. Great St Mary’s is often recommended because its tower gives great views of the city, so I duly put it on my list of things I wanted to do.
To visit King’s College Chapel you must show your ticket at the Gate House and then walk around to the right and the entrance to the chapel. After you’ve finished in the Chapel though you are free to walk around some of the grounds. Note that the college buildings themselves are private but you can take photos outside and walk around the Back Lawn and down to the River Cam – basically the view you get from walking along the Backs as I had done previously, only this gives you a better close up of the exterior to the chapel.
I don’t often do audio tours when I’m travelling, I suppose because I always have a rough plan of what I want to see on any particular day and between that I enjoy wandering around the area following whatever route strikes my interest. On this occasion I had no real plan for the day I arrived in Cambridge and Booking.com was offering me a deal on this particular audio tour so after checking in at my hotel I headed out to explore the Cambridge Backs.
Eltham Palace and Gardens is an English Heritage property in London that has been on my to visit list for a very long time. Finally last October I set aside a day to visit. I travelled via train from London Bridge to Mottingham (about 20 minutes) then it was an easy 15 minute or so walk from the station to the Palace. As an English Heritage member admission was free. From the entrance with the car park (there is another entrance around the corner) you walk along a path by the side of the gardens until you’re crossing over the bridge and the moat as it was in the 14th century.
This interesting monument just outside the centre of Cambridge and not far from the Fitzwilliam Museum was named for Thomas Hobson a local entrepreneur who carried goods between London and Cambridge and he gave money towards this project, a man-made watercourse providing clean water to the city. He’s also where the expression Hobson’s choice comes from*.
I’m on the Lakeside Arts mailing list so when I saw this exhibition advertised I immediately knew that I wanted to see it, and then proceeded to not find time to do so until it was nearly over (it ended on 7th January). Contemporary artists have come together to reimagine the Victorians through modern photography, sculpture and a surprising amount of taxidermy.
When I went to visit the exhibition at the Archaeology Museum I moved through the connecting corridor from the museum to the Djanogly Gallery which takes you through the gift shop area. But just before that there is also an exhibition space and it was here that the Missing Chapters exhibition caught my eye. I hadn’t heard anything about it and nor could I see any information about it on the Lakeside Arts website.
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