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 Herne Bay is a coastal town in Kent, it isn't as flashy as nearby Margate and Ramsgate or as picturesque as Whitstable but what it is, is a more relaxed, quieter destination somewhere to take things easy. where life seems to slow down and if that is what you are after then you could do a lot worse than spend some time in Herne Bay. One of the main attractions Herne Bay has to offer is its pier, the original pier was nothing more than a mooring platform that stretched out into the water but during the late Victorian era as holidays became more and more popular the town along with its pier were developed and expanded so much so that by 1897 Herne Bay was home to the country's second longest pier. Throughout the Edwardian era and early C20 the pier was renovated several times accumulating in a grand structure featuring a pavilion theatre. Following World War II the pier seemed to fall on harsh times and on January 11 1978 a large storm destroyed a large section of the structure l...

  Welcome back to Herne Bay and following on from my previous  post  detailing the attractive clock tower known simply as The Clock Tower, I turn my attention to another striking building, not Herne Bay Pier nor the Art Deco bandstand but to a distinctive row of Georgian houses that line the promenade, known as Central Parade. Built towards the end of the Georgian period in the 1830s as Herne Bay was experiencing an expansion a terrace of nine homes originally known as Telford Terrace was constructed. Georgian townhouses were usually tall, narrow and white or bare brick and in contrast to the incoming period, Victorian, these were simple in detail featuring large windows and panelled front doors with a fanlight  (window)  above . The most distinctive feature of our row however are their curved fronts. Gorgeous George A mixture of three and four storeys with semi basements (only partly below ground level) and three windows wide Telford Terrace has stuccoed or ren...

Tick Tock It's Herne Bay Clock When we think of the seaside towns dotted along our beautiful coastline images of grand hotels fronting a sandy beach, flashy amusement arcades with a multitude of vibrant lights beaming into the night, piers packed with tourists taking a short stroll over the waves and the distinctive smell of fish and chips filling the air come to mind but what many will miss is the usually charming, decorative and often centrally, located clock tower informing us that there are many hours of fun to come, that it's time for a rest or indeed that the hour has arrived when we should think of heading home. These handy timekeepers can be found in a long list of our seaside destinations including Margate, Morecambe, Skegness and Weymouth, many erected to commemorate Queen Victoria's jubilee, the Kent town of Herne Bay however has the granddaddy of them all and it is this clock tower that this post is all about. It's Time For Some Perfect Skies In Herne Bay Bu...

St John's Church What A Classic St John's Church in Wolverhampton is a Grade II Listed church built between 1758-1766. Due to the Industrial Revolution around 1760, Wolverhampton's population had started to grow rapidly and with an increasing Church Of England congregation in the area a new place of worship was required to ease the pressure on St Peter's Church which had become the focal point of the parish, this as well as the already expanding following of other religions across the town ( Wolverhampton became a city in 2000) and the local countryside meant that the Church Of England needed a new place of prayer to attract this widening, religious audience and so a chapel was constructed, it is this chapel that became St John's Church, such was the population growth that St John's was unable to sustain the congregation and a further two churches were built, St Paul's and St George's, St. Paul's was unfortunately demolished in 1960 to make way for a...

This post is about The Church Of St. Mary The Virgin in Shrewsbury but before I start let me give you a warning about planning a 'photography trip', the church is famous for it's stained glass windows however not researching the building I wasn't aware of this and therefore didn't take any photos of them, maybe next time, so remember, if you are about to make a photographic day out to first research what's about that way you won't miss out! The Church Of St. Mary The Virgin is the largest church in Shrewsbury and has one of the tallest spires in the country, unfortunately it is now a closed church meaning that it is no longer a place of worship but is under the care of  the Churches Conservation Trust which was established to protect historic churches at risk. Dating back to the Saxon times it is Shrewsbury's only complete Medieval church and is a Grade I Listed building. St. Mary's Church does indeed have a long history, it is believed that there ha...

 'An English man's home is his castle', is quite a true statement and for many years when it came to his home, whether it be semi detached, detached or even a bungalow,  he preferred it to be a two storey dwelling. A s a nation we seemed to turn up our noses at living in a multi storey dwelling, the idea was seen as European, those in Paris or Barcelona may have accepted the idea of people living on top of people but over here it was mostly shunned upon, there are however a few, early examples of us doing just that.  The Albert Hall Mansions in Kensington, London is one such example built in 1879 this Victorian tower block rising 10 storeys (including two attic floors) and situated in a very picturesque and exclusive location, opposite both the Royal Albert Hall and Kensington Gardens was one of the first to throw of our reservations of multi storey living. Designed in the Queen Anne style by architect Norman Shaw the building was constructed from red brick and features l...

  Art Deco is a style that became popular following the Paris World Fair of 1925, it's official French title is somewhat longer, Exposition Internationale Des Arts Decoratifs Et Industriels Modernes, translating into English as the International Exhibition Of Modern Decorative And Industrial Arts, this exhibition was designed to highlight the Style Moderne and covered architecture, interior design, furniture and jewellery, it was a big success attracting over 16 million visitors during it's 7 month run. The name Art Deco which many years later became the collective term for this style came from the title of this World Fair. Art Deco Strikes Back At George's Dock Building Liverpool The style was heavily influenced by ancient cultures and archaeology taking hints from the Egyptian, Roman and the Aztec eras and by combining these with modern craftmanship together they created elaborate geometric patterns, chevrons and zig zags and often featured abstract representations of all...

Scarborough is a town situated along the North Sea Coast in North Yorkshire, England. Following the discovery of mineral water flowing from its cliffs in the 1620s the historical town became the country's first seaside resort and with beautiful sandy beaches and picturesque cliffs Scarborough continues to be a popular destination with holidaymakers to this day.  High upon the cliff head sits Scarborough Castle which has looked out across the town and sea since the 1130s, the old town is nestled below along its harbour and marina while its town centre is found adjacent on an elevated stretch of coast. Scarborough has managed to be both an evergreen tourist spot while managing to maintain a large amount of its historic architecture and it is that which this post is dedicated to, so come with me and explore some of the interesting buildings Scarborough has to offer! Information on buildings can be difficult to find especially if they aren't well known or classed as an important si...

Leeds Town Hall is an excellent example of Victorian Architecture and the civic pride that ensured their public buildings were as grand and as decorative as they could afford. Similar to how a company's internet or website today is their public image, the architecture of towns and cities displayed not only to it's population but to the rest of the country that their town was something to be proud of. In 1850 Leeds Council decided that with their town's growing population (Leeds became a city in 1893) and success in the area that they needed and deserved a new town hall, this combined with the desire to compete with the nearby town of Bradford which was also experiencing growth meant Leeds required something grand, something lavish, something that would indicate to the rest of the country just how important the town had become. Leeds Town Hall A Pillar Of The Community In 1852 a competition was held to design this new symbol of Leeds civic pride, the winner a Mr Cuthbert Bro...

It's the most famous clock in the world, instantly recognisable and a landmark of not just London but for the whole of Great Britain, it's a very good time keeper too, I am writing about Big Ben. Big Ben as seen from Westminster Abbey The Queen Elizabeth Tower or as it is more commonly known Big Ben, is a tall, Gothic clock tower and the most recognisable feature of the Houses Of Parliament in London, the title actually refers to the bell inside the tower not the building itself but over the years has come to symbolise both. It's official title of The Queen Elizabeth Tower  was named in honour of Queen Elizabeth ll (the second) on her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, renamed from simply The Clock Tower (how inventive) it was also known as St.Stephens Tower.  Completed in 1859 in a Gothic Revival style to the designs of Augustus W.N. Pugin ,  the clock first started ticking on 31 May 1859, it's other musical attributes however were first heard in stages, it's hourly s...