Beachy Head has experienced its fair share of history, from being a battle site during World War One to the location for an important radar site during the Cold War. Today, it is a popular and scenic tourist attraction.

History of Beachy Head

Beachy Head’s chalk was formed in the Late Cretaceous period some 66 to 100 million years ago, when the area was submerged. During the Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago to the present), the chalk was uplifted, and when the last ice age ended, sea levels rose and the English Channel formed which allowed chalk to form dramatic cliffs along the coastline.

The name Beachy Head has nothing to do with the word ‘beach’ – instead, it is a corruption of the word ‘Beauchef’ – meaning ‘beautiful headland’ – which was first noted in connection with the site in 1274. By 1724, it was consistently being called ‘Beachy Head’.

Beachy Head’s prominence has made it a landmark for sailors in the English Channel. It has witnessed much history – the Battle of Portland took place in 1653 off Beachy Head during the first Anglo-Dutch War, while the Battle of Beachy Head was a naval battle during in 1690 during the Nine Years’ War. The Second Battle of Beachy Head took place over a week in September 1916 during World War One.

During World War Two, the RAF established a forward relay station at Beachy Head to improve radio communications, and during the Cold War, a radar control centre was in operation between 1953 to 1957.

In 1929, the nearby town of Eastbourne bought 4,000 acres of land surrounding Beachy Head to save it from development.

Beachy Head Today

A lighthouse known as Bell Tout Lighthouse was constructed in 1831. Though it was decommissioned in 1902, it is still a scenic attraction that is home to accommodation and a teahouse. There is also a new lighthouse, known as Beachy Head Lighthouse, that was built as a replacement.

Beachy Head is also a popular TV and film location that has been used in films such as Harry Potter, James Bond, Pearl Harbour, Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves, Wimbledon and many TV series such as Luther.

Getting to Beachy Head

It’s easy to get to Beachy Head from London. Simply get the train to Eastbourne, then a bus direct to East Dean. From the west, head along the M4, and from the north, take the M23/A23. The area is well-signposted.

History of Bennelong Point

Bennelong Point is known to the local indigenous Gadigal people of the Eora nation as Tubowgule.

It was originally a small tidal island which was made up of rocks and a small beach. It is located on the tip of the eastern arm of Sydney Cove, and protrudes into Port Jackson (Sydney’s natural harbour).

For a brief time in 1788, it was known as Cattle Point because it was used to confine cattle that had been brought from Cape Town by the First Fleet.

Later, the newly-arrived convicts then burnt the piles of discarded oyster shells left behind by Aboriginal people in order to make lime for cement mortar. The island then became known as Limeburner’s point.

The most significant and famous moment of the point’s history involves its namesake, an Aboriginal man from the Eora nation called Bennelong. He was employed as a cultural interlocutor by the British, and had a brick hut built for him on the point.

In 1798 a half-moon battery was constructed at the northernmost end of Bennelong Point, and was mounted with guns from HMS Supply.

From 1818, the island was connected to the mainland via rocky rubble to provide a basis for Fort Macquarie to be built there. The existence of this rubble was largely forgotten until the late 1950s when both were rediscovered during the excavations related to the construction of Sydney Opera House.

Bennelong Point today

Today the site has become famous for being the home of the Sydney Opera House, which was formally opened in 1973, and hosts over 1,500 performances annually. The construction of the well-known building has left little trace of the earlier incarnations of the point, including Bennelong’s Hut.

Efforts are being made to raise the profile of sites that relate to the history of Australia’s Indigenous people; for instance, Bennelong’s grave, which ’til now has been marked very humbly, will soon be commemorated by a monument.

Getting to Bennelong Point

From the centre of Sydney, the point – and the opera house – are reachable in around 20 minutes via Elizabeth St. By car, it takes around 5 minutes via Macquarie St, and a regular metro service includes the ‘Circular Quay’ stop, from where the point is around a 10 minute walk.

Today, it is a popular outdoor walking spot for locals and tourists alike and is cared for by the National Trust.

History of Brimham Rocks

Brimham Rocks covers an area of around 184 hectares. The rocks have been eroded by weathering and water which have resulted in incredible shapes and forms.

The rock formations are so unusual that in the 18th and 19th centuries, antiquarians such as Major Hayman Rooke speculated that they might have even been partly carved by Druids. In this way, over the past 200 years, certain stones have had whimsical names such as Druid’s Idol, Druid’s Altar and Druid’s Writing Desk.

Brimham Rocks today

Today, the Brimham Rocks area is cared for by the National Trust who also offer a schedule of activities. Families, climbers, walkers and those who simply enjoy the outdoors can enjoy the rocks against the beauty of the heather moorland which offers panoramic views across the Vale of York and Nidderdale.

The rocks can be incorporated into a striking 8 mile walk from Pateley Bridge along the Nidderdale way, and back via the peaceful banks of the River Nidd. Tours and other activities supported by the National Trust are also frequent.

Getting to Brimham Rocks

Brimham Rocks are free to explore. However, for non National Trust members, the car park costs £6 for 4 hours or £9 for all day parking. It is dog friendly, and there are endless picnic sites to enjoy. The closest train station is Harrogate, from where you can take a taxi or bus to the site.

As a scheduled monument, it has been associated with King Arthur‘s legendary court at Camelot.

Excavations at the site have revealed artefacts from human occupation and use from the Neolithic through to the Bronze and Iron ages.

History of Cadbury Castle

Cadbury Castle was formerly known as Camalet. It is made up of 18 acres of plateau surrounded by ramparts on the surrounding slopes of the limestone Cadbury Hill.

The reason for the emergence of hillforts has been debated. It may be that military sites were constructed in response to invasion from continental Europe. The prevailing view is that they were built in response to increasing social change and population growth and the subsequent pressure on agriculture, iron ore, tin, and copper that followed.

The earliest settlement of the site is represented by pits and holes dated with Neolithic pottery and flints. The site was also occupied regularly from the late Bronze Age onwards.

Finds have included the first Bronze Age shield from an excavation on northwest Europe, which dates to at most the 10th century BC, as well as high-quality non-British ware for wine or oil which was imported from the eastern Mediterranean.

Human occupation continued throughout the Iron Age, with excavations revealing round and rectangular house foundations, metalworking, and a possible sequence of small rectangular temples or shrines.

During the first century BC, additional lines of bank and ditch were constructed which turned it into a multivallate hillfort, or castle. Excavations on the site which have uncovered weaponry and evidence of destruction by fire reveal that the castle was violently conquered on a number of occasions.

Extensive archaeological excavation reveals that finds from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age represent one of the deepest and most complex Iron Age stratigraphic sequences excavated in southern Britain.

After the withdrawal of Roman occupation, the site was occupied by Britons and refortified. It was used as a temporary Saxon mint, and some small-scale fortification of the site may have also occurred in the 13th century.

Cadbury Castle Today

Today, visitors can enjoy walking around the ramparts of Cadbury Castle, with views towards Glastonbury Tor being a scenic accompaniment to the historical site.

Many of Cadbury Castle’s finds are displayed in the Museum of Somerset and Taunton.

Getting to Cadbury Castle

From the centre of Taunton, the castle is a 52 minute drive via the A303 road, and there is parking around the site. There are a number of connecting buses and trains which depart regularly and take around 2-2.5 hours to get to the castle.

Cheddar Gorge history

At almost 400 feet deep and three miles long, this is England’s largest gorge, and a place of spectacular natural beauty. The gorge would have begun forming about one million years ago during the last Ice Age when water from melting glaciers formed a river, which over time started to carve into the limestone rock creating the steep cliffs visible today. The Cheddar Yeo River gradually made its way underground, creating the famous Cheddar Caves.

One of these underground caves within the gorge is Gough’s Cave. Since its’ excavation, in 1890, Gough’s Cave has gained an international reputation for its historical and geological significance. The cave was the home of ‘Cheddar Man’; Britain’s oldest, complete skeleton found in 1903. It is also the site of the largest underground river system in Britain.

When he was found, there were claims that our five-foot-tall ancestor was the long-sought earliest Englishman, dating back 40,000 to 80,000 years. However, subsequent radiocarbon dating from the Seventies onwards suggests he lived around 10,000 years ago. This made the figure even more significant as The Cheddar Man was now believed to be the only existing complete skeleton of a Mesolithic human who settled in Britain when it became an island after the last Ice Age. All previous colonies of early man had been driven away or perished in the ice-ages.

Cheddar Man and all the others of his hunter-gatherer group had come from today’s mainland Europe across the land bridge known as Doggerland before rising sea levels left us as an island.

Cheddar Gorge today

During the tourist season, over 500,000 people visit this village. Attractions at Cheddar Gorge include Gough’s Cave, the multimedia Dreamhunters exhibit, The Museum of Prehistory, Rocksport activities and Escape Room Games. The area also has lots of scenic walks.

Getting to Cheddar Gorge

Cheddar Gorge can be found at the Cliffs, Cheddar, Somerset, BS27 3QE. The closest train station is Weston super Mare. Visitors can take bus 126 from Weston super Mare to Cheddar village. If driving, the site is signposted from the M5, A371 Axbridge to Wells road and A38 Burnham to Bristol road

Today, Cranborne Chase is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and boasts stunning views, rich wildlife and varied historical attractions.

Cranborne Chase history

The Neolithic and Bronze ages left multiple monuments along Cranborne Chase, including the henge at Knowlton and the remains of several Iron Age settlements along the downs. One of such settlements is the hillfort of Badbury Rigs, a territory of the Durotriges and later the site of a Roman village called Vindocladia, marked by a temple.

During the Saxon invasion, the Romano-British kept the invaders out by building Bokerley Dyke, a defensive ditch across a Roman road running across the downs. Following the Saxon invasion, the downs were sparsely populated, preserving the prehistoric remains until World War Two when the need for agricultural land outweighed historic significance.

Although the area gained its name from the village Cranborne, founded by the Saxons, housing a manor and small monastery. The name ‘chase’ came from the frequency of royal hunts by Kings John, Henry VIII and James I. Much of the land is owned by the Kingston Lacy estate.

Cranborne Chase today

Today, the varied landscape of Cranborne Chase provides a rich area for walkers and non-walkers. The viewpoints of particular interest include The Beech Avenue at Kingston Lacy, Win Green and the Fovant Badges – a cluster of military badges cut into the chalk Wiltshire hills during World War One.

Further visitor attraction highlights are the 14th century Old Wardour Castle, destroyed during the Civil War, and Stourhead House and Gardens, an 18th century landscape garden featuring a Palladian mansion, woods and grottos. Overall, the Cranborne Chase is a stunning area with opportunities to enjoy both wildlife and English heritage.

Getting to Cranborne Chase

The ‘start’ of Cranborne Chase according to the AONB website is just to the north of Cley Hill, Wiltshire. Cley Hill is just off the A362 west of Warminster, and from there the Chase traces a path east to Salisbury and down to Wimborne Minster, then around to Shaftesbury and up again.

History of Dovedale Stepping Stones

The Peak District National Park’s dramatic hills, valleys and limestone rock formations have long made it a popular site for walkers and nature-lovers. Shaped during the ice ages as glacial meltwater cut the limestone rock into different shapes, the area is known for its sites such as Reynard’s Cave and the Dove Holes.

In 1653, author Izaak Walton wrote the The Compleat Angler after his visit to Charles Cotton’s fishing cottage in Dove, which led to a rise in the popularity of the beauty spot. During the Romantic era, the area was visited by painters who wanted to capture the beauty of the landscape. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that innovations in railways and travel meant that Victorians could visit the area.

In the 1890s, the stones were laid, and donkey tours also allowed for travel across the 16 limestone-capped stones across the River Dove in Dove Valley.

The Peak District National Park has been owned by the National Trust since 1934. Due to its broad range of rock formations, plant life and diverse wildlife, Dovedale became a National Nature Reserve in 2006.

Dovedale Stepping Stones today

Today, the gorge and Dovedale Stepping Stones are visited by a staggering one million people every year. Limestone slabs were added to the top of the stepping stones in 2010 to stop people from slipping. This was highly-controversial and made headline news in the area.

Though the gorge itself is only 2-3 miles long, the area is a hugely popular walking site. It’s best to arrive early or avoid weekends if you want to avoid the busiest crowds.

Getting to Dovedale Stepping Stones

Located 4.5 miles (7 km) to the north of Ashbourne and 20 miles (32 km) to the south of Buxton. If you arrive by car, Dovedale is located to the north of Ashbourne and to the southeast of Macclesfield and Buxton. Nearby Dovedale Car Park costs £3 in cash to park in.

Dungeness has a long and varied history, and today you can visit the open flat coastal area, touring the multiple sites from nuclear power plants to the old lighthouses.

Dungeness history

The name ‘Dungeness’ is derived from Old Norse ‘nes’ meaning headland, likely connecting the area to the Denge Marsh which Dungeness shelters. The Romans marked their presence along the coastline by building sea defences at Dymchurch and Rhee Wall to prevent the encroaching Channel, continually maintained since.

In 1615 a wooden lighthouse was built at Dungeness to replace a warning beacon for sailors. The lighthouse was 35 feet tall, but was in turn replaced by a new lighthouse closer to the water in 1635, known as ‘Lamplough’s Tower’ reaching 110 feet.

Samuel Wyatt built a more modern lighthouse in 172 which was painted black with a white stripe so it was visible during the day. While this lighthouse was demolished in 1904, the accommodation remained, built in a circle at the base of the tower.

During the D-Day landings in Normandy during World War Two, Dungeness was the site of PLUTO: Pipe Line Under The Ocean, supplying fuel through high pressure hoses. The operation was a success, and the pipeline could supply 1 million gallons of fuel per day.

In the later 20th century, 2 nuclear power stations were built in Dungeness: the first in 1965 and second in 1983. While the old station closed in 2006, the newer power station was bought by EDF Energy and provides tours for the public – temporarily paused after the September 11 2001 attacks.

As the second power station was being built, the film director and artist Derek Jarman bought a small Victorian fisherman’s hut along the Dungeness coast. From 1986 until his death in 1994, the small hut was Jarman’s home along with his partner Keith Collins, painted in black with contrasting yellow windowpanes, Jarman decorated the walls with lines from John Donne’s poem, ‘The Sun Rising’.

Dungeness today

Today, Dungeness is one of the largest areas of shingle in Europe and has a rich and unique plant and bird ecology. For that reason, the area is a fantastic place to go walking and spot the local wildlife. The tall black lighthouse is also open to climb with spectacular Channel views over to France on a clear day from the top!

If you take the Coast Drive towards Greatstone Beach, you will see some of the buildings used for the PLUTO operation such as the Pluto B&B House (now a private dwelling). At the south end of the area you will also find a number of ‘shacks’ built during the 1920s for workers on the Southern Railway who had come from Ashford, a southern railway hub.

Getting to Dungeness

From London, by car Dungeness is reached un 2 and a half hours via the M20, exiting at Ashford and taking the A2070 to the coast. There is a small car park at Dungeness with toilets.

History of The Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands, also know as the Malvinas Islands or Spanish Islas Malvinas, are an internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the South Atlantic Ocean. The population is around 2,500 people over an area of 4,700 square miles. Around 4/5ths of the population live in the capital, Stanley, with the rest living in small, isolated sheep-farming communities.

From 2 April until 14 June 1982, Argentine troops occupied the Falkland Islands, claiming them as their own territory, Las Malvinas. The British Task Force was sent to recover the Islands from the Argentine troops. Their landing on 21 May 1982 is now commemorated each year as “Landing Day”.

Argentine Forces, after the battles in the lands around Port Stanley, surrendered to Major General Jeremy Moore of the British Forces. The surrender document was signed at the Secretariat Building, in the room now named the “Liberation Room”. Liberation Day is commemorated by a public holiday on 14 June with services in Christchurch Cathedral and at the Liberation Monument.

The Falkland Islands today

Other, smaller memorials are situated at locations around the Islands relevant to battles that took place. The site of the major battle, Goose Green is accessible, with its stone memorial to those who died there, and other battlefields can also be visited.

There are memorials to the conflict in Argentina, notably one in Ushaia, which reads: “The people of Ushuaia who, with their blood, irrigated the roots of our sovereignty over the Malvinas (Falklands) … We will return!!!”

Other cultural monuments include the Falkland Islands Museum and National Trust, which is dedicated to the history of the islands.

Getting to The Falkland Islands

History of Fingal’s Cave

Fingal’s Cave was created around 60 million years ago by the ancient lava flow that also created the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland, directly across the sea. Since both are made from the same basalt columns, legend has it that they were the end pieces of an epic road built by the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill so he could travel to Scotland where he could duel with Fingal, his rival.

The cave is formed entirely from hexagonal columns of basalt which are so uniform that they look man-made. The roof is naturally arched, and the echo created by the ocean waves are similar to harmonies created in a cathedral. They are so spectacular that they inspired Mendelssohn to compose his Hebrides Overture.

Fingal’s Cave today

Both Queen Victoria and Sir Walter Scott visited Fingal’s Cave, and today it is still possible to take a cruise boat to Staffa between April and September to visit the cave. In calm conditions, visitors can land on the island and walk some way into the cave.

Puffin spotting is also popular, as is walking and enjoying the views from the island which include the island of Iona.

Getting to Fingal’s Cave

Tours to Staffa depart from Iona or Fionnphort and last around 3 hours. It is also possible to book tours for puffin spotting and other destinations in the area.