Excalibur's Gold


Book Description

A couple's search through the historical wonders of the Welsh countryside for clues to the greatest discovery of all times: King Arthur himself. Join them as their search takes them from the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct near Llangollen to the Devil's Bridge via the shore line St. Govan's Chapel in Pembrokeshire, all because of a clue found in an old oil painting of the Britannia Bridge on Anglesey.




The Rough Guide to Wales


Book Description

Suggests lodging, food, and sightseeing highlights along with travel tips and cultural information.




World Heritage Canal


Book Description

Thomas Telford was arguably the greatest civil engineer Britain has ever produced. This book reveals his humble beginnings and then describes his self-propelled rise from journeyman stonemason to famous canal engineer. In 1793 Telford was appointed principal engineer on the Ellesmere Canal (now the Llangollen Canal) in North Wales. An 11-mile section of the canal, including his magnificent Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, has recently been granted UNESCO World Heritage status, putting it in the company of such international icons as the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty, and the Tower of London. Completed in 1805, the aqueduct represented a stupendous advance in civil engineering; but it was designed for canal boats and tucked away in a relatively unfrequented valley. Following a rapturous opening ceremony and initial commercial success, a decline of the canal system from about 1840 onwards made it look increasingly redundant. The richly-deserved UNESCO award has put the aqueduct and its canal back in the limelight.This is a personal and professional story, putting Telford's work into its historical and social context, showing him as a remarkable mix of good-natured ambition, talent and resilience. Today there is great interest in Britain's transport infrastructure. The 19th-century engineers who did so much to pioneer and improve it are rightly seen as heroes. It will be appreciated how much is owed to Telford and others for creations that have stood the test of time, built with courage and daring, in an age when major construction projects relied heavily on pickaxes, wheelbarrows, and an extraordinary amount of hard physical labour.




Wild Camping


Book Description

From getting back to nature with a tent, some matches and a few litres of bottled water, to enjoying a pub dinner and camping out in the garden afterwards, this book shows how to get stuck into wild camping in all its forms. Beautiful wildernesses; tiny budgets; environmentally-friendly... What's not to like? There's an idea that wild camping is illegal in Britain, but it isn't – you just need to know the rules and where to go. This guide will open up this amazing experience for all, covering: - what is wild camping and why bother? - different types (bivvying, tenting, hammocking, on the water) - what the law says (Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Ireland, EU, waterways) - how many of the largest landowners in the UK are actively encouraging wild camping - getting started (vital equipment, where to go, when to go, safety) - drinking water and foraging for food The majority of the book features the best places to go in England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, along with stories, tips, helpful maps and inspiring photos. The new edition includes a Foreword by Ed Stafford, as well as a completely new chapter introducing the exciting new English Coastal Path, opening 2020 after years of campaigning. This fully updated guide will give readers the knowledge and the inspiration to escape the noise, clutter and stress of day to day life and go wild.




The Iron Bridge


Book Description

The Iron Bridge that spans the River Severn at Coalbrookdale in Shropshire is the most enduring symbol of the Industrial Revolution. Built in 1779, the bridge changed forever the lives of the local people, settlement patterns, communication and the economy of the area.







Canal 250


Book Description

When a young English nobleman was thwarted in love he abandoned the court, retired to his estate near Manchester and built a canal to serve his coalmines. The Bridgewater Canal was the sensation of the age and led others to follow the example of the enterprising Duke of Bridgewater. From his starting point in 1760, over the next half-century Britain was covered by a network of waterways that became the lifeblood of the Industrial Revolution. This is the story of 250 years of history on those canals, and of the people who made and used them. The book tells of the great engineers, such as Telford, Brindley and Jessop and of the industrialists, such as Wedgwood and Arkwright who promoted the canals they built. It also tells the story of the anonymous navvies who dug the canals, the men and women who ran the boats and the workers who kept the canals running. Covering the entire history of the canal network (from the glorious early days, through the years of decline caused by rail and then road competition, up to the subsequent revival of the canals as leisure routes), this wonderfully illustrated book is a must-have for all canal enthusiasts.




The Artist and the Bridge


Book Description

First published in 1999, this book explores how, from the stone bridges of neoclassicism which soar out of wild woods to span pastoral valleys to the post-1750 engineer’s bridge with its links to the more industrial landscape, the bridge was a popular feature in painting throughout the period 1700-1920. Why did so many artists choose to portray bridges? In this lavishly illustrated and intriguing book, John Sweetman seeks to answer this question. He traces the history of the bridge in painting and printmaking through a vast range of work, some as familiar as William Etty’s The Bridge of Sighs and Claude Monet’s The Railway Bridge at Argenteuil and others less well known such as Wassily Kandinsky’s Composition IV and C.R.W. Nevinson’s Looking Through the Brooklyn Bridge. Distinctive characteristics emerge revealing the complex role of the bridge as both symbol and metaphor, and as a place of vantage, meeting and separation.




Paddling Britain


Book Description

This new, thoroughly updated second edition of Bradt’s Paddling Britain remains the definitive guide to stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and canoeing – increasingly popular waterborne activities that explore British coastlines and inland waterways. Written by Lizzie Carr (aka Lizzie Outside, Britain’s best known paddleboarder), it showcases Britain’s 50 best places to enjoy recreational paddling from Cornwall to Norfolk, Cumbria and the Cairngorms. Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), in particular, is sweeping across Britain, giving people the opportunity to explore waterways ranging from city rivers to remote and untouched areas that would otherwise be left inaccessible. Whether you’re looking for a nice day out, a weekend adventure or a more daring paddleboarding challenge, Bradt’s Paddling Britain will inspire and inform. The waters of England, Wales and Scotland are all featured, from rivers and canals to coastal strips and island circuits. Described in loving detail and with gentle humour, each location contains practical information about how to find these distinctive spots and what to expect on your journey. With Bradt’s Paddling Britain, you can paddle between two of the Scilly Isles in under 10 minutes, or kayak across the UK’s highest and longest aqueduct. Alternatively, you can paddle along Pembrokeshire’s idyllic coast, visit the Lake District’s sole inhabited island, which opens just five days a year, or paddle in self-indulgent tranquillity through the hustle and bustle of London. Alongside detailed routes for each location, plus tips on wildlife and secret spots, Paddling Britain advises on where to stay and eat, getting there, and when to go. It also provides the low-down on everything you need to know for successful and enjoyable stand-up paddleboarding, from safety tips to kit, weather watching to paddling responsibly. The author, Lizzie Carr, says: ‘this book responds to the countless questions I receive from paddleboarders looking to explore new places and get new experiences from their SUP. Whether people want to take their families for a weekend adventure or enjoy a camping getaway with friends, Paddling Britain aims to answer these questions and inspire people to get outside and explore the UK water scene both coastal and inland.’




Sounds Fascinating


Book Description

How do you pronounce biopic, synod, and Breughel? - and why? Do our cake and archaic sound the same? Where does the stress go in stalagmite? What's odd about the word epergne? Pontcysyllte is obviously Welsh, but Penge is Welsh too! How cool is Caol in the Highlands of Scotland? What can Wesley's hymns tell us about sound change in English? How do people pronounce Wrocław in Poland? How can anyone manage to say Gdynia as just two syllables? Why is the village of Frith in the island of Montserrat usually pronounced as if spelt Frits? What embarrassing faux pas in English did a Russian conglomerate make? Should I bild a cubbard instead of building a cupboard? How should we capitalize an exclamation mark, and why might we need to? What's a depressor consonant? As a finale, the author writes a letter to his 16-year-old self.