For History Lovers Archives -

Belfast, or how to build a city out of smoke, ships and stubbornness

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 1, 2026March 24, 2026

Night view of Belfast waterfront with a curved bridge lit in purple, city buildings glowing across the water, and reflections shimmering on the river under a dark sky

Belfast is one of those cities that seems to have lived several completely different lives and kept souvenirs from all of them. It was a …

Coventry Cathedral in sunlight, showing the roofless stone ruins of the old Gothic cathedral with its tall spire beside the modern cathedral building, which has a broad brick facade, a large cross and steps leading to the entrance under a clear blue sky

Coventry, the city that refused to stay down

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026March 19, 2026

Coventry is one of those places that has had the sort of history that would have sent a lesser city quietly off for a lie …

Panoramic view of Norwich Cathedral rising above the city, with its tall stone spire, Romanesque cloisters, and surrounding green trees under a bright blue sky

City Breaks Historic Cities

Norwich and the unlikely triumph of a city doing things its own way

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026March 16, 2026

With a Norman cathedral, a crooked medieval street plan, a market that has been trading for centuries and a quietly rebellious streak, Norwich is one …

Eastgate Clock in Chester above the historic Eastgate Street, framed by black and white timber framed buildings and a sandstone arch, with people walking below on a bright sunny day.

City Breaks Historic Cities

Chester and the agreeable confusion of being almost in another country

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026March 13, 2026

With Roman walls, medieval Rows, a grand cathedral and a river that softens all that old stone, Chester is one of England’s most handsome historic …

A narrow cobbled street in York at dusk, lined with historic brick and timber-fronted buildings, with warm shop lights glowing and York Minster rising in the background.

City Breaks Historic Cities

York’s not-so-secret past lives

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026March 12, 2026

If Britain were a stage, York would be one of the few cities to keep changing costumes mid-scene. One moment you’re strolling along a Roman …

Modern waterfront scene in Leeds with colourful apartment blocks and glass-fronted offices lining a calm canal, narrowboats moored along the edges, and bright reflections mirrored in the still water under a clear blue sky

City Breaks Weekend Getaways

Leeds, where Victorian confidence meets modern caffeine dependence

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026February 19, 2026

Leeds is one of those places that people think they understand until they actually turn up. They imagine a sensible northern city that does its …

Panoramic rooftop view over Oxford, with the domed Radcliffe Camera on the left and the pale stone spires and towers of nearby colleges and chapels stretching across the city under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds

City Breaks Historic Cities

Oxford, the city where even the pubs have academic credentials

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026February 16, 2026

There are places with history, and then there is Oxford, where the buildings look as if they have been standing in judgement since the Middle …

Night view of Newcastle Quayside with the illuminated Tyne Bridge, Swing Bridge, and High Level Bridge reflecting on the River Tyne

City Breaks Weekend Getaways

Newcastle, the curious case of Britain’s friendliest show-off

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026February 10, 2026

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city that never quite does what you expect. One moment you’re standing by Roman ruins, the next you’re peering up …

anoramic view of Liverpool’s waterfront showing the Royal Liver Building and the other “Three Graces” beside the River Mersey, with the Museum of Liverpool and modern dockside buildings under a blue evening sky.

City Breaks Coastal City Breaks

Liverpool, The Beatles and beyond

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026February 9, 2026

Some cities welcome you the way a polite aunt does. A tidy high street, a respectable museum, a park with ducks that look faintly disappointed …

Traditional canal boats moored along the Grand Union Canal in Stoke Bruerne, Northamptonshire, with historic stone cottages and the Canal Shop in the background, surrounded by greenery on a partly cloudy day.

East Midlands Regional travel

Northamptonshire, grand houses, quiet towns and one very loud racetrack

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026October 3, 2025

Right in the centre of England, Northamptonshire often slips under the radar, happily letting its neighbours attract most of the attention. This suits Northamptonshire perfectly …