Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 6 i Explore History

The discovery of the wreckage of the HMS Warrior has completed the search for all 25 ships sunk in the Battle of Jutland during World War I in 1916. The ship had been badly damaged in combat with the SMS Derfflinger during the battle, resulting in 71 of its crew members losing their lives. An attempt by the HMS Engadine – the ship that took on HMS Warrior’s remaining 743 crew members after the battle – to tow the damaged ship back to England from the battle site off Denmark’s Jutland peninsula was abandoned after travelling 120 kilometres. The exact location of the wreckage was then lost, for 100 years – until now. Doctor Innes McCartney, from Bournemouth University’s marine archaeology department, was part of the team alongside Danish experts…

As the Sun sets, its light extinguished by the rising horizon, darkness descends and a looming oblivion pulls all in sight into its oppressive grip. The witching hour is close. Buildings and places that are innocuous by day assume a sinister veil, as dreams and nightmares occupy the minds of those sleeping nearby. Across Europe, some of the most haunted castles start to come to life, their corridors ringing with the shrieks of their long-dead residents, dungeons still echoing with the moans and groans of its last victims and the gardens are trampled by the memory of demonic animals. For thousands of ghost hunters across the world, the thrill of catching a glimpse of these ghostly shapes is too thrilling to resist. As the night descends and the castles unveil…

Essential information Vindolanda sits between Newcastle and Carlisle, 56 kilometres from each city, and is best reached by car. Take the A69 from either Newcastle or Carlisle and turn off at Bardon Mill or follow the more scenic B6318 from Newcastle. The site will be closed between 3 January and 3 February 2017, and it’s worth bearing in mind that during severe weather it may be inaccessible. Check the comprehensive Vindolanda website for opening times, admission prices and what there is to see. Consider adding one of the other nearby forts to your trip too. When to visit Try going midweek, between March and September, and you should be able to view the archaeological excavations in progress. Time zone UTC Currency British Pounds Where to stay Luxury Langley Castle Hotel…

Lying east of Penzance, in the bight of sea between Land’s End and the Lizard, another rocky tidal island rises from the water. Now crowned with a castle rather than an abbey, the story of how it was given and then lost by Mont-Saint-Michel is fascinatingly twisty. First, there is the question of whether the monastery on the island predated the conquest. The monks there claimed it did, citing an ancient charter in which Edward the Confessor granted Saint Michael’s Mount to the Benedictines many years before William arrived in England. The problem is that the charter is, historians now agree, almost certainly forged. But, if so, it was forged by Norman monks who came over from Mont-Saint-Michel after the conquest. So why would Norman monks want, or need, to…

“I was an ambitious soldier and I make no bones about it” PETER YOU NG Born in 1915, during the biggest conflict the world had yet known, warfare was a theme that would recur throughout Peter Young’s life. He joined the army in 1937 and, after worldwide war reignited two years later, found himself fighting in the rearguard action at Dunkirk. Young then volunteered for the Commando force, a unit raised at the request of Winston Churchill to carry out raids in occupied Europe. He stayed with the Commandos for the rest of the war, seeing action in the invasion of Sicily and on Sword Beach on D-Day. By the time peace was declared, Young had been awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross with two bars. Young…

George Gordon Byron (1788-1824), better known as Lord Byron, was one of the great Romantic poets. Born in London, he grew up in Scotland until he inherited Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire. Like many young aristocrats, he went on the Grand Tour in the early-19th century and became famous in 1812, after the first two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage were published. He embarked on a series of notorious affairs, including one with Lady Caroline Lamb who called him, “…mad, bad and dangerous to know,” and there were rumours of an affair with his half sister. He married Annabella, an heiress, and had a daughter. However, she considered him insane and left. The scandal of separation, plus the persistent rumours of incest and increasing debts, led Byron to leave for Europe,…

Anglesey Abbey Standing amid gorgeous landscaped grounds, the beautifully preserved Anglesey Abbey welcomes thousands of visitors each year. With regular events for all ages, extensive gardens to explore and a stunning collection of art and furniture, it’s a highlight. EXPLORER’S ESSENTIALS ✵ www.nationaltrust.org.uk/anglesey-abbeygardens-and-lode-mill Wed-Sun: 11am-5pm Adult: £13.70 ($17), child: £7.25 ($9) Denny Abbey Denny Abbey and Farmland Museum offers visitors the chance to explore the home of three religious orders that go right back to the 12th century. There is a wide programme of activities for all of the family to enjoy, as well as a museum that is dedicated to recounting the long history of Cambridge farming. ✵ www.dennyfarmlandmuseum.org.uk Mon-Sun: 10.30am-5pm Adult: £5 ($6), child: £3 ($4), concessions available Thorney Abbey Now the Church of Saint Mary and Saint…

The A-Bomb Dome Once the Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, this building stands close to the centre of the blast, and in 1996 was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its skeletal remains still stand as a monument to the city and those who were killed. EXPLORER’S ESSENTIALS ✵Mon-Sun: 8.30am-6pm Entrance is free Accessed by trains No 2 & No 6 The Peace Flame The Peace Flame was designed by Tange Kenzo, a Tokyo university professor, and has burned continuously since August 1964. It has become a beacon for the anti-nuclear movement. Situated at the entrance to the Peace Memorial Museum, the flame will not be extinguished until all nuclear weapons have been eradicated. ✵ Mon-Sun: 8.30am-6pm Entrance is free Accessed by trains No 2 & No 6 The Children’s…

If you find yourself at the reservoir of Sant Romà de Sau when the levels are high, you might just be able to catch a glimpse of a ghostly spire emerging from the depths of the water to catch the sunlight. This is Sant Romà, a church that has spent much of the last five decades submerged beneath the surface. Yet as water shortages in the region have become more and more common, Sant Romà has emerged triumphant from its watery grave. For more than 1,000 years, the town of Sant Romà de Sau stood in a Spanish valley, yet by the 1960s, progress was marching on and the small Romanesque settlement was directly in its path. When the Catalonian government informed the inhabitants that their town was to be…

Gardens of Drummond Castle, Perthshire, Scotland The gardens of this castle as they stand today were originally formed in the 17th century, and were added to and restored in the 19th century. The castle was owned by Clemen tine Drummond, 24th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby and her husband, Peter Willoughby, and in 1842, the couple welcomed Queen Victoria on a visit, who walked about its landscape with Prince Albert. Saint Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest, Hungary Building began on this , Budapest’s largest church, in 1851 and it wasn’t completed until 1906. Emperor Franz Joseph attended the inauguration ceremony. Jozsef Hild, an architect who died before completion of the basilica, created the original design, but it was completed by Miklós Ybl, the architect of Budapest’s opera house. Ybl also died before the…

Wouldn’t it be brilliant to be taken on a tour of London’s little-known places by a mythical Norseman, who just happens to be very capable at texting you directions? With HiddenCity’s new Mind of the Maker trail, this rather absurd idea has become a reality. Until 30 November, you can sign up to experience England’s capital in a new way. The experience is led by a character called Wayland, a mythical craftsman who sends you cryptic clues via your mobile phone. In teams of about four people, you can then follow his clues around the city to a variety of exciting places – you’ll discover the elements in unusual forms, coming across, “ice empires, lyrical scents and fiery ice cream.” Each clue, delivered straight to your phone, asks you to…

✵ Scotland Set foot in the grounds of Edinburgh Castle and you might hear the soft, lilting whistle of pipes, seemingly playing from right beneath your feet. This tune is apparently the haunting memory of the Lone Piper, who disappeared on an errand hundreds of years ago. Upon discovering secret tunnels underneath the castle, a young boy was sent to investigate. Instructed to play his pipes continually, the piper stepped into the tunnels, his pipes a sign of his progress. When his music suddenly stopped, a search party was released – but there was no sign of the boy. Just one of the many ghosts to haunt Edinburgh Castle, it is no wonder the area is considered to be so haunted. The site where Edinburgh Castle stands was inhabited long…

Essential information The subway runs to Changping Dongguan Station and the Ming Tombs Subway Station. Buses run to the Spirit Way, Changling and Dingling tombs. A bus service also runs from the Great Wall at Badaling, so it’s possible to do both in a day. Be warned – the three open tombs are far apart and are separated by several kilometres. When to visit A visit involves much walking. Spring and autumn are the most congenial. Time zone UTC+8:00 Currency Chinese Yuan Where to stay Luxury Nuo Hotel Beijing The tombs are about 50 kilometres outside of Beijing; so staying in the city is best if you’re doing other things. Inspired by the Ming dynasty era, Nuo Hotel offers rooms that balance harmony and simplicity. Starting from £120/$150 per night.…

In 2006, Kew Palace and the pagoda in its grounds reopened to the public after a decade-long restoration that cost more than £6 million. The first occasion held there to mark the opening was the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, for which the royal family attended an enormous party in Kew Palace. Bequeathed to the nation by Queen Victoria in 1899, Kew Palace had not been cared for as well as it should have been and had fallen into disrepair. When Historical Royal Palaces assumed responsibility for the building, they found a palace in desperate need of some loving attention. Happily though, they also found a palace that retained its original 18th-century flavour, albeit in a somewhat faded and tattered form. The palace closed to the public in 1996…

Founded in 1703 by Tsar Peter the Great as a “window on the West” to bring European enlightenment to backward Russia, Saint Petersburg was settled by nobles and artisans forced to move from Moscow. Later, rulers made it synonymous with hubris and bloodshed; grandiose palaces co-existing with abject poverty, described in Dostoyevsky’s Crime And Punishment. Radical ideas – and deeds – convulsed society in the 1880s, students strove to radicalise the peasantry, and Tsar Alexander II was assassinated. The regime’s tactic of using ‘puppet’ trade unions to steer workers away from socialism backfired on Bloody Sunday, when police agent Father Gapon inadvertently sparked the 1905 revolution. This made the term ‘Soviet’ (Council of Workers and Peasants) and the fiery orator Leon Trotsky world famous, but failed to topple autocracy. Tsar…

Angelokastro Overlooking the ocean, this Byzantine fortress was uniquely placed to defend the people of Corfu. The stronghold never fell to invaders and remains one of the most important architectural sites in the islands. Of particular note are its mysterious anthropomorphic graves, which to this day remain unexplained. EXPLORER’S ESSENTIALS ✵ Mon-Sat: 9am-8pm Adults: €2 (£2/$2), child: Free Sturdy footwear advised as steep steps can be slippery Gardiki Castle This 13th-century Byzantine castle, built by a ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, once sheltered locals from the pirates who threatened the island with pillage. Palaeolithic remains have also been found here and many of the exterior walls still stand today creating an atmospheric sight, though the interior is now in ruins. ✵ Always open Entrance is free. The site is…

Temple of Kom Ombo Although much of it is now in ruins, this unusual double temple is well worth a trip. Built to honour Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon god, the two temples stand by side by side. The architecture of one is mirrored in the other. EXPLORER’S ESSENTIALS ✵ Mon-Sun: 9am-5pm Adults: 25 EGP (£2/$3) Ticket also includes entry to the museum on site Karnak Perhaps the most famous temple in Egypt, even in ruins, Karnak remains one of the largest religious sites in the world. Constructed and developed over thousands of years, the enormous temple complex encompasses many different architectural styles and offers travellers a chance to really immerse themselves in history. ✵ Mon-Sun: 6am-5.30pm Adult: 60 EGP (£5/$7) Reached via Luxor, which is about…

RAF FYLINGDALES The last castle I visited was Richmond Castle in North Yorkshire, but the very next day I went to RAF Fylingdales on the Yorkshire Moors. I realised that in so many respects, Fylingdales is a castle: it’s built using the most dominating architecture you can imagine, there are secrets inside it, it’s telling people both to be scared of it and also to recognise that it offers them protection. I don’t think I have seen a building that would help better explain to children quite the relationship the Norman castles would have had with the surrounding landscape in Norman times. CORFE CASTLE My favourite castle, as it’s the castle of my childhood, is Corfe Castle in Dorset. When I was little, we used to spend all of our…

✵ Romania The truth about the history of Translyvania’s Corvin Castle can be hard to pin down. Steeped in creepy lore and lurching legend, perhaps its most famous connection is to Vlad the Impaler, Romania’s ruthless 15th-century prince of Wallachia. The prince was known for his trademark move, impaling his enemies on stakes, which was perfected while pursuing control of Wallachia. The region had been wrested from his father by nobles who later assassinated him. Meanwhile, Vlad and his younger brother were away at the court of Ottoman Sultan Murad II, as collateral to their father’s support for Ottoman policies. While many will controversially think of Bran Castle as the home of the infamous Vlad the Impaler, Corvin Castle’s link to the famous inspiration for Dracula is also a difficult…

✵ Germany If you visit the 12th-century castle at Eltz, you’ll have to pass through the guarded gates at its entrance. This guard, though not visible to all, has paced the grounds of Eltz since her brutal death many centuries ago. Owned by the same family that built the fortress 33 generations ago, the castle was once home to a young lady named Agnes Eltz. A daughter among many sons, Agnes grew up around the 16th century, pretending to be a warrior with her brothers rather than a princess. But like may girls of her age and status, Agnes was destined for an arranged marriage from a young age. Her parents’ spouse of choice was the knight of Braunsberg. The pair met several times, but the young girl dismissed him…

✵ Czech Republic About 50 kilometres away from Prague stands a castle that seemingly serves absolutely no purpose. Houska Castle was built in the 14th century by the Bohemian ruler Ottokar II. The castle changed hands several times, enjoying a Renaissance redesign in the late-16th century, before falling into disrepair in the 18th century. By the 20th century, the curious legend of Houska Castle had attracted the attention of one particular group of people: the Nazis. Unlike other fortresses of the period, it wasn’t meant to house the king. The castle wasn’t near any trading route and there was no access to water. Defences were built inside the castle rather than outside – instead of keeping people out, it seemed like the castle was meant to trap something else in.…

The ancient principles of feng shui provide rules by which the flow of energy (qi) is balanced according to the landscape, climate, compass points, stars, bodies of water and several other elements. Traditionally, understanding the feng shui of an area demanded the use of instruments, like astrolabes and compasses, which were in use in China long before they spread to Europe. The extremely complex system was – and still is – used to choose sites for the most important buildings, like palaces, tombs, and even whole cities. The practice dates back millennia. Evidence suggests that it was in use by about 4000 BCE and it seems to have been well established by 2000 BCE. Hills, mountains and rivers play crucial roles. For example, the First Emperor’s Terracotta Army near Xian,…

Since 1970, more than 6,400 people have joined the front line of Roman research by becoming a volunteer archaeologist at Vindolanda. No experience is necessary – the on-site professional archaeologists, headed by Andrew Birley, will provide all training. However, excavation can be physically demanding – you will be shovelling soil to start new trenches, and then you’ll spend hours on your knees painstakingly peeling back layers of history with a trowel. It’s hard work, but nothing beats the feeling when you uncover an artefact that was last held by a Roman soldier some 2,000 years ago. Volunteer excavators are asked to sign up online (vindolanda.com) at the start of November for the following summer season. Note that places are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and are snapped up extremely…

Already a spiritual stronghold during the Hundred Years’ War, Mont-Saint-Michel became a military fortress too Being kings of England and dukes of Normandy, the Plantagenets had an obvious strategic advantage during the long struggle for the French crown: a base just across the Channel. After Henry V’s victory at Agincourt, the whole of northern France came into English hands. So hopeless did the French cause seem that the abbot of Mont-Saint-Michel, Robert Jollivet, offered his submission to the English king. But while the abbot submitted, his monks did not. Safe on their rock, under the protection of Saint Michael, and with the tides washing away any investing army twice a day, Mont-Saint-Michel remained the sole stronghold of the French crown on the northern coast of France. As such, Mont-Saint-Michel became…

Essential information Where Mont-Saint-Michel is at the base of the Cotentin Peninsula, on the boundary of Normandy and Brittany. Getting there is not so easy. One option is to take the ferry from Portsmouth to Saint Malo from where a bus connects, in summer, direct to Mont-Saint-Michel. At other seasons, change at Dol-de-Bretagne. From Paris, catch the TGV from Montparnasse Station to Rennes, and a bus from there. There is a car park but it is located about 2.5 kilometres away from the mount, on the land side of the new bridge. There is a bus shuttle service, but if you are able to, why not take the walk there? When to visit It’s heaving in summer; best time to get there is either early or late. Our favourite time…

The origins of Queen Charlotte’s Cottage are mysterious, though it appears that the quaint unassuming residence was initially constructed as a home for the keeper of the royal menagerie in 1754. George III gave the cottage to Charlotte when they married in 1761 and it was soon a favoured place for the family to take afternoon tea or spend a few hours relaxing during long summer days. The thatched roof and rustic construction would have been familiar to Charlotte from the farms of her homeland and she adored it. Under her ownership, the single-storey building was given an extra floor, doubling its size. The cottage was Charlotte’s sanctuary and she filled it with her favourite prints and artwork, while her daughter, Elizabeth, decorated the upstairs picnic room. Here, Charlotte undertook…

Essential information The Royal Botanic Gardens at Richmond, Surrey, are open all year round, while Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage are open to visitors between June-October. Visitors to the gardens can see the palace at no extra charge. The site is accessible and offers a range of education programmes, social events and catering facilities. Entry is £15 for adults and £3.50 for children, with concessions available. Kew is easily accessible by public transport and offers parking for visitors at a cost of £7. The postcode for satnav is TW9 3AB. When to visit The entire site is open over summer, with the palace and cottage closed at all other times. Time zone UTC Currency GBP Where to stay Luxury The Coach and Horses Situated in Kew village, this 19th-century…

Despite abandoning the once-sacred Communist anniversary celebrations of the October Revolution, Victory Day (9 May) over Nazi Germany, and the Siege of Leningrad Day (9 September) when the Nazi blockade was broken, remain patriotically charged events. Elderly war veterans and their descendants parade along Nevsky Prospekt behind columns of sailors and soldiers, with brass bands playing revolutionary songs and ballads from the wartime Siege of Leningrad. Every year the number of Blokad survivors diminishes, but their surviving kinfolk remain steadfast in their commemoration of the terrible ‘900 Days’ when the city was besieged by the Nazis, and 670,000 citizens died from starvation, cold or shelling. Some 400,000 were buried in mass graves in the Piskarov Memorial Cemetery on the Vyborg Side, a grim memorial to the city’s sacrifices during WWII.…

Essential information Where Located slightly further north than Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, at the far end of the Gulf of Finland, Saint Petersburg is accessible by train or coach from Finland and the Baltic States, but easiest to reach by air. Flying into Pulkovo-2 airport, 17 kilometres south of the city centre, exchange some cash or make an ATM withdrawal before leaving the terminal, so you have enough roubles to take a bus (#113, #213) or minibus (#3, #13) to Moskovskaya metro, from where you can continue your journey. Alternatively, there’s the costlier 24-hour Pulkovo Express bus, terminating at Pushkinskaya metro, nearer the centre. When to visit Snow-clad over New Year and January, spring is enlivened by the candlelit processions of Easter and ice floes grinding down the Neva, before Saint…