Tag Archives: Europe

Nottingham Castle

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Nottingham Castle

Siege, take over, destroy, take over, siege, destroy – the life of Nottingham Castle.

  • Nottingham Castle is a ruined medieval castle, now a museum, located in England’s Nottingham, in Europe, on ‘Castle Rock’.
  • The construction of the first known castle on the Nottingham Castle site, was in 1067, at the request of the Norman king, William the Conqueror, although smaller castles may have been built previously, and in the mid to late 1100s a more robust stone castle was built.
  • Nottingham Castle was built in a strategic position, in an area with cliffs reaching 40 metres (130 feet) in height, as well as near a River Trent crossing and prime hunting areas.
  • Nottingham Castle was originally used as an important vantage point during medieval times, and was taken by Prince John in 1194, as well as King Edward III in 1330, and was later destroyed at the end of the English Civil War in 1649.
  • Nottingham Castle was rebuilt as a ducal mansion in the 1670s by Newcastle’s then Duke Henry Cavendish, and was built on top of the castle’s foundations, although it was burnt down in 1832.
Nottingham Castle
Image courtesy of Arran Bee/Flickr
  • Nottingham Castle and the surrounding area has been associated with the legend of Robin Hood and the story’s Sheriff of Nottingham.
  • Nottingham Castle was restored in 1875, and opened as a museum and art gallery, that is still used for this purpose today, and tours can be taken, some venturing into rock caves and secret passageways.
  • Nottingham Castle has numerous gardens and now includes a themed playground for children.
  • Nottingham Castle is owned and cared for by the Nottingham City Council and the property covers an area of 6 acres (2.4 hectares).
  • Nottingham Castle museum and art gallery includes items such as ceramics, paintings, carvings, costumes and other collections.

Edit: The original picture featured in this post was of Wollaton Hall, not Nottingham Castle. This has since been rectified.

Bibliography:
Nottingham Castle, 2014, One Day In, http://www.experiencenottinghamshire.com/discover/nottingham-castle-p357581
Nottingham Castle, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nottingham_Castle
Visiting Nottingham Castle, 2014, Nottingham City Council, http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/Castle

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Atlantic Ocean Road

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Atlantic Ocean Road

The Atlantic Ocean Road is full of twists and turns.

  • Atlantic Ocean Road is a part of the County Road 64, that passes through one of Norway’s archipelagos in the Eide and Averøy regions, in western Norway, in Europe.
  • Atlantic Ocean Road is built on a number of islands, connected by numerous bridges and the most famous and longest is the Storseisundet Bridge.
  • Atlantic Ocean Road spans a distance of 8.3 kilometres (5.1 miles) and the road includes four rest locations and numerous tourist attractions.
  • The concept of the Atlantic Ocean Road route originated in the early 1900s, originally as a railway, although this was replaced with the idea of road in 1935, but it was not until the 1980s until the project was approved.
  • The construction of Atlantic Ocean Road began on 1 August 1983, opening on 7 July 1989, although the management of the project changed hands during the process; and 12 hurricanes occurred during the building stages.
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Part of Atlantic Ocean Road
Image courtesy of Daniele Faieta/Flickr
  • Atlantic Ocean Road originally had a toll to cover some of the costs, and although the idea was received negatively, due to the expectation that it would take longer than fifteen years to pay off, however the toll had covered the costs by 1999, after only ten years, after which it was removed.
  • Atlantic Ocean Road is a popular tourist attraction and is often said to be among one of the best road trips in the world.
  • Atlantic Ocean Road consists of many dips, curves and turns, as well as many scenic views.
  • Stormy weather at Atlantic Ocean Road can make road trips dramatic, while calm weather allows for the spotting of wildlife, including whales, and other scenery.
  • ‘Atlantic Ocean Road’ is also known as ‘Atlantic Road’, as well as ‘Atlanterhavsveien’ in Norwegian.
Bibliography:
Atlantic Ocean Road, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean_Road
Atlantic Ocean Road, n.d, dangerousroads.org, http://www.dangerousroads.org/europe/norway/164-atlantic-ocean-road-norway.html
The Atlantic Road, n.d, Visit Norway, http://www.visitnorway.com/uk/where-to-go-uk/fjord-norway/kristiansund-nordmore/what-to-do-in-kristiansund-and-nordmore/tour-suggestions-in-kristiansund-and-nordmore/the-atlantic-road/

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Worcestershire Sauce

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Worcestershire Sauce

Worcestershire sauce must be the most mysterious condiment out there!

  • Worcestershire sauce is a condiment in the form of a liquid, made primarily through the process of fermenting.
  • ‘Worcestershire sauce’ is also known as ‘Worcester sauce’ and, in Spanish, ‘salsa inglesa’, meaning ‘English sauce’.
  • Worcestershire sauce is most often used as a flavouring in beef and other meat based dishes, Caesar salad and hamburgers, as well as cocktail beverages.
  • Worcestershire sauce is typically made of anchovies, garlic, spices, molasses and onion, as well as a mixture of other ingredients that often includes vinegar.
  • Although its history is uncertain, Worcestershire sauce is said to have been first invented by English pharmacists John Lea and William Perrins, in England’s Worcester, in Worcestershire,  Europe, and it was sold commercially by them by the year 1838 under the Lea & Perrins brand, now the most popular brand in the world.

Worcestershire Sauce, Worcester Sauce, Condiment, Food, Culinary, Flavour, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

  • The initial Worcestershire sauce made by Lea and Perrins is said to have been very strong and unpleasant and therefore placed in a cellar, however, years later it was tasted and discovered it was pleasant after fermenting.
  • Worcestershire sauce is high in sodium, iron, potassium and vitamin C and it contains many other vitamins and minerals.
  • It is widely accepted that the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce recipe is derived from an Indian condiment, that the Englishmen tried to replicate for an acquaintance who had visited or lived in the country.
  • Worcestershire sauce is commonly available in supermarkets and is usually sold in bottles, under various brand names.
  • The list of ingredients, but no method, of the original Worcestershire sauce by Lea & Perrins was first uncovered in 2009 in a rubbish bin, and the document now resides in the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum.

 

Bibliography:
Docio A, History of Worcestershire Sauce, 2013, British Local Food, http://britishlocalfood.com/history-of-worcestershire-sauce/
Smallwood K, What is in Worcestershire Sauce and Why is It Called That?, 2012, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/10/worcestershire-sauce-called/
Worcestershire Sauce, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcestershire_sauce

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Dunnottar Castle

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Dunnottar Castle

Dunnottar Castle famous for its romantic spots and… constant destruction.

  • Dunnottar Castle is a ruined castle located in Scotland’s north east, in the United Kingdom in Europe, that was originally built in the medieval period.
  • Dunnottar Castle covers an area of 3.5 acres (1.4 hectares), and sits on a sea cliff that rises to 50 metres (160 feet) in height.
  • ‘Dùn Fhoithear’ is the Scottish-Gaelic for Dunnottar Castle, and means ‘fort on the shelving slope’.
  • The date the first castle was built on the Dunnottar Castle site is uncertain, although it, or a fort, was possibly erected before the 7th century, as there is reference to a siege in the area in the late 600s.
  • Dunnottar Castle was a significant administration location in the county, under the rule of King William the Lion who reigned from 1165 to 1214.
Dunnottar Castle, Brown, Ruins, Sea Cliff, All, View, Ten Random Facts, Scottish, medieval, Flickr
Dunnottar Castle
Image courtesy of Christian Kadluba/Flickr
  • Dunnottar Castle was bought in 1720 by the York Buildings Company, who removed much of the interior including the floors and roof.
  • Restoration of some parts of Dunnottar Castle began after new owner, the 1st Viscount Cowdray, Weetman Pearson from Yorkshire in England, purchased the property in 1925, and it was eventually passed down to one of his great grandsons, Charles Pearson, who was the owner in 2014.
  • Dunnottar Castle is open to the public and has become a popular tourist attraction, and was visited by approximately 52,000 tourists in 2009.
  • William Keith, a Marischal of Scotland, and his family, were the predominant owners of Dunnottar Castle from the 1300s to 1700s, and it was seized from them by the king in 1716.
  • Throughout its history, Dunnottar Castle was burnt to the ground a number of times, sometimes by the Scottish to kill the invading English.
Bibliography:
Dunnottar Castle, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunnottar_Castle
Ross D, Dunnottar Castle, n.d, Britain Express, http://www.britainexpress.com/scotland/ruins/Dunnottar-Castle.htm

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Isaac Newton

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Isaac Newton

“We build too many walls and not enough bridges.” – Isaac Newton

  • Isaac Newton was a scientist and mathematician who was an important contributor to the field of physics and its discoveries.
  • Isaac Newton was born on Christmas day, the 25th of December, in 1642 (on the Julian calendar) in Woolsthorpe, in England’s Lincolnshire county in Europe, and he did not meet his father, who had died three months earlier.
  • Isaac Newton spent a number of years at The King’s School in Grantham, England, and was discharged by his mother, who wanted Newton to become a farmer, much against the juvenile’s wishes, although he did later return to school.
  • In 1661, Isaac Newton extended his education at Trinity College in Cambridge, England, and earned himself a scholarship in 1664 that continued until the completion of his degree, that was awarded to him in 1669.
  • Isaac Newton was quite knowledgeable on the subject of mathematics, producing many papers, and among many other things, he discovered the visible spectrum through a prism, defined the laws of motion and gravity and created the concept of Newtonian fluid.

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Portrait of Sir Isaac Newton
Image courtesy of Paukrus/Flickr
  • Isaac Newton died at age 84 on 20 March 1726/7, in the capital of England, London, and was laid to rest at Westminster Abbey, and his death may have been caused by mercury poisoning.
  • Isaac Newton is commemorated by a number of statues, including one at Oxford University Museum and one at Westminster Abbey, and he is known officially as ‘Sir Isaac Newton’, as he was knighted in April 1705 by Queen Anne.
  • A tooth that is believed to have been that of Isaac Newton’s, was sold in 1816 for £730 and in 2001 was said to be worth £25,000 or US$35,7000.
  • It is commonly believed and accepted, that Isaac Newton decided to look into gravity after watching an apple fall from an apple tree.
  • Isaac Newton became ‘Master’ of the Royal Mint in the late 1600s, and he calculated that approximately 20% of coins received where fake, and he caught many offenders.
Bibliography:
Isaac Newton, 2014, Biography, http://www.biography.com/people/isaac-newton-9422656
Isaac Newton, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton
Isaac Newton’s Life, 1998, Isaac Newton Institute, https://www.newton.ac.uk/about/isaac-newton/life

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Beachy Head

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Beachy Head

There is no beach at Beachy Head.

  • Beachy Head is a stunning white sedimentary sea cliff surrounded by water, made primarily of chalk, located in Eastbourne of East Sussex, in England, Europe.
  • Beachy Head reaches heights of 162 metres (531 feet), and is therefore the tallest chalk sea cliff in the United Kingdom.
  • A prominent formation of Beachy Head, named the Devils’ Chimney, broke off the cliff in 2001 due to water in the cracks expanding because of freezing.
  • ‘Beachy Head’ is said to have had two other names, ‘Beauchef’ in the late 1200s and ‘Beaucheif’ in the early 1300s, and all the names are derived from the French words ‘beau chef’, meaning ‘beautiful head’.
  • Beachy Head is the home to two lighthouses, one named ‘Belle Trout’ located on the cliff, built in the 1830s, and the second was later built in the sea in the early 1900s, as mist easily obscured the original light.
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Beachy Head
Image courtesy of Herry Lawford/Flickr
  • Beachy Head is popularly visited by tourists, particularly due to the nearby attractions of the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, and Birling Gap, a National Trust owned small settlement situated on the coast.
  • Beachy Head is the home to much wildlife, including gulls and many other species of birds, snakes, rabbits, badgers and foxes.
  • Approximately 20 people commit a fatal suicidal act on Beachy Head every year, even though chaplains and others patrol the area on a regular basis.
  • Beachy Head has been featured in several films and television shows, including a Harry Potter film and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and it has also featured in literature and music.
  • Before the first Beachy Head lighthouse was built, numerous ships were wrecked in the waters below, and smuggling of goods to avoid taxes is also said to have occurred there.
Bibliography:
Beachy Head, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beachy_Head
Flora and Fauna, n.d, Beachy Head, http://www.beachyhead.org.uk/education/flora_and_fauna/
History, n.d, Beachy Head, http://www.beachyhead.org.uk/education/history/

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