upper and lower slaughter.

[This article is one of several hundred I have written for Pocket Places, a UK web-based tourism information company. Their brief was to refrain from offering opinions, and to instead focus on presenting the facts about each place in as readable and entertaining a way as possible.

http://www.pocketplaces.co.uk/ ]




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Upper and Lower Slaughter are two neighbouring villages in the Cotswolds. You'll be happy to hear that very little slaughtering actually goes on here. The settlements' unnerving names actually come from an old English word meaning "muddy place". This too is misleading, as neither of them are particularly dirty. Instead, they're bright and clean, full of green grass and yellow stone.

The villages exude an antique charm. They feel like the England of a bygone age. This is unsurprising when you find out that not a single building project has been carried out here since 1906.

Upper Slaughter is the smaller of the two. It contains barely more than a few houses, making it one of the quietest places in a county that's famous for its quiet places. The prettiest building is arguably the Lord of the Manor Hotel, which was converted from a 17th century mansion. However, St. Peter's Church gives it a run for its money. Both properties offer views of the surrounding meadows and the nearby waterway.

The water in question is the River Eye, which might more accurately be called a stream. It runs just a few hundred metres to the south, connecting the village of Upper Slaughter to its Lower sibling.

Towards the end of the river is a restored 19th century flour mill. It hasn't been used commercially since 1958, but the huge waterwheel still turns. The building is owned by a former singer called Gerald Harris. It's therefore no surprise to hear his favourite old songs floating through the air. You can buy jazz CDs from the 30s and 40s at the gift shop, which also sells all manner of locally-produced arts and crafts. Elsewhere, the site includes a small museum and an ice cream parlour.

You can easily spot the Old Mill by looking for its red chimney. It's the only building in the entire village to use brick. All the others are made exclusively from stone, giving Lower Slaughter that traditionally quaint Cotswolds appearance.

Tourist attractions like the Mill mean that Lower Slaughter is the more popular of the two villages but, in truth, their real appeal isn't related to any specific place. It's the overall atmosphere that's special, and that's something which is shared by both settlements.

northumberland's museums.

[This article is one of several hundred I have written for Pocket Places, a UK web-based tourism information company. Their brief was to sum up the facts and attractions about each place in a single paragraph, while making it as readable and entertaining as possible.

http://www.pocketplaces.co.uk/ ]



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Woodhorn Museum

For most of the 20th century this was a busy coal mine. Nearly 2000 men worked to extract 600,000 tons per year. A recent redevelopment transformed the place into a museum. One of the new additions was the breathtaking Cutter Building, designed and named after the monstrous coal cutting machines that were used deep underground. Inside, a series of exhibitions look at the area's history and heritage. Next door, the old engine houses are kept in antique condition. The long, thin workshops, meanwhile, have been converted into more functional spaces. The site has hosted a variety of guest exhibitions, from celebrity cars to Wallace and Gromit memorabilia. However, the main focus is always on the miners. Woodhorn uses the latest technology to recreate the confined, sweaty conditions they had to endure.



Grace Darling Museum

In 1838, a young 22-year-old called Grace Darling risked her life in a frail row boat to rescue a shipwreck's desperate survivors. This museum, set up a century later, pays tribute to her courageous deed. As well as telling the tale of that fateful day, there are collections of Grace's clothes, letters and photographs. The centrepieces of the exhibit are a 2.5 metre replica of the Darling family's lighthouse, and the actual boat the rescue was conducted in. The museum is run by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, for whom Grace is something of a hero.



Bellingham Heritage Centre

The creators of this museum are fascinated with the area they live in. Their heritage centre looks at its entire history, from old conflicts to new railways. Along the way it shows how Northumberland's residents lived and worked, whether it was on a farm or inside a coal mine. A collection of 2600 photographs documents the area's transformation since the early 20th century. The museum has even asked the locals themselves to recount wistful tales of life as it once was.



Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum

Through much of the 20th century, a clock-maker called William Alfred Cocks amassed a huge collection of old and rare bagpipes. His hobby became the foundation of this unusual museum in Morpeth, which focuses entirely on the traditional Scottish instrument. There are examples from places as far away as India. Visitors can listen to the bagpipes' distinctive music through sets of personal headphones. The 13th century church building provides an appropriately elegant setting for this unique exhibition.



Roman Vindolanda

Vindolanda was an important Roman fort near the Scottish border. In recent years the site turned into a huge archaeological dig. Over many decades, these excavations have unearthed thousands of items, teaching us a lot about how the Romans lived. This on-site museum displays these valuable finds, including tools, textiles and pottery. The collection of leather is the largest in the world. The most precious artefacts are the 2000-year-old writing tablets. Most are military documents, although others seem to be shopping lists or party invitations! Some are on display, but the majority are now housed at the British Museum. Elsewhere at Vindolanda are recreations of a Roman temple, a shop and a home. Meanwhile, the archaeological digs still happen every year, so more treasures may yet be found!



Cherryburn

In 1753, the delightfully-named Cherryburn cottage was the birthplace of Thomas Bewick. He grew up to become a wood engraver, a naturalist and arguably Northumberland's greatest artist. The building is owned by the National Trust, who display it to the public. A nearby farmhouse, which was also inhabited by the Bewick family, showcases his life and work. The engraving demonstrations show how Thomas created his pieces, and the shop sells replicas of the finished products. Outside, there's a farmyard full of friendly animals. The River Tyne passes nearby, before winding its way on through the pretty countryside that the Bewicks loved so much.

national railway museum.

[This article is one of several hundred I have written for Pocket Places, a UK web-based tourism information company. Their brief was to refrain from offering opinions, and to instead focus on presenting the facts about each place in as readable and entertaining a way as possible.]




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The National Railway Museum is the largest of its type in the world, and lays claim to more than 700,000 visitors a year. This makes it more popular than any other museum in the country, outside of London.

It has existed in some form since the 1800s, but the present site was opened by Prince Philip in 1975 - appropriately enough, right next door to York Railway Station. There is actually a rail link connecting the two places, allowing the museum to continually change the models on display. This means there's always something new to see.

However, the most popular exhibits are permanent, and they begin with several ancient-looking vehicles, from as early as 1815. These include a bright yellow replica of “The Rocket”, one of the first steam locomotives to come into commercial use. This signified the beginning of widespread train transport, but it didn't have the best start. The Rocket only travelled at 12 miles an hour, but on its first day, it accidentally ran over a government MP!

Of course, rail travel has changed a lot since then, and nothing is a better example than the “Palaces on Wheels” area, which displays royal trains unmatched in opulence. Queen Victoria was the first monarch to be a rail passenger, in 1842, and now Queen Elizabeth is continuing the tradition. In fact, she reportedly prefers trains to any other form of travel! Carriages used by both queens are available for viewing, but these still aren't the pinnacle of train technology.

That accolade probably goes to the Japanese bullet train. With its streamlined body and rocked-shaped nose, it looks more like a spaceship than public transport. Even with a top-speed of 220 miles per hour, it is one of the safest trains ever made. York is the only place in the world to see one, outside of Japan.

Other models in the collection range far and wide, from the “Mallard”, the fastest steam train ever built, to the “Flying Scotsman”, which is perhaps the most famous. Even Harry Potter's favourite vehicle, the Hogwarts Express, visited in 2004. But that's not everything. The museum also displays a huge range of rail-related items, from tickets and posters, all the way to a section of the Channel Tunnel. Visitors can ride on mini-trains, or watch real rail engineers carry out their work.

In fact, the National Rail Museum has been praised for its new ideas. It recently implemented a modern search system, for easy access to its vast archives. It also staged a theatrical production of “The Railway Children”, which was very well received by critics. There's always something interesting going on, which led to its crowning as the European Museum of the Year in 2001. So, for any visitor to York, it's a must-see.


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link to article:

http://www.pocketplaces.info/York/nationalrail.html