Arthur's Stone

The mound, about 80 feet x 60 feet, covered 9 upright stones topped by a huge capstone. This is estimated to weigh about 25 tons but is now broken. The entrance passage has a right-angled bend which meant it looked out towards Hay Bluff at the end of the Black Mountains.

This tomb, and others, along with settlements along this eastern ridge had a commanding view over the whole valley and also of the Black Mountains. There may be some sort of symbolic importance as the sun sets behind the dark, brooding shadow on the horizon. The Neolithic, latest of the three Stone Ages, was also a period of gradual change from a hunter-gathering to a farming style of life.

A Neolithic settlement has been found situated near the ridge between Arthur's Stone and the nearby Cross Lodge Barrow. Within a stone walled enclosure, which had a wooden fence on top, fragments of pottery, storage pits, flints and polished stone axe fragments have been excavated.

It has been estimated that around 250 people lived along this eastern ridge of the Golden Valley at the time Arthur's Stone was built. They seemed to have used the valley sides for settlement and burials while the fertile wooded valley floor gave them deer and boar to hunt and nuts, fruits and berries to collect. This area was gradually cleared for their allotment-type agriculture.

The Bronze Age is represented in these valleys by barrows, cupmarks and standing stones and the neighbouring hill forts were probably constructed during the Iron Age although other earlier settlements may have existed on their sites. This part of England is particularly rich in hill fort remains. About 50 sites have been recognised so far.

The area wasn't always as peaceful as it seems now of course. The Celts and Romans clashed all along the border when charismatic leaders such as Caractacus led guerrilla-type warfare against the invaders. Then the Welsh, Anglo-Saxons and Normans fought over the land for many centuries as the number of ruined castles shows. These motte and bailey fortifications are scattered all along the valley and indeed over much of the surrounding countryside.

The typical Norman stronghold consisted of a great, sometimes moated, mound (the motte) with a wooden pallisade or tower, later in stone, on top and surrounded by one or more courts or baileys.

There were two Norman castles near the source of the river. At Newton Tump (tump means mound or heap in this part of the world) a castle guarded the western end of the valley and close by, at the Bage, a steep mound 180 feet by 150 feet at the base with some stones and traces of a bailey can still be seen.

The first village on the river is Dorstone which also had a castle. Standing on the bridge and looking upstream I have the church on my right and the lane leading up to the Pandy Inn on my left. The shallow river glides by clear and pure now but, according to the local story, 350 years ago it ran red with the blood of slaughtered soldiers.

In the year of 1651 King Charles and Cromwell fought the Battle of Worcester. The King lost the battle and the war and fled to France. There were a lot of Scots soldiers in his army. Many were killed or captured but some took flight and headed for these hills. A group found their way up this valley, the story goes, and stopped to rest by the river. You can imagine them lying on the grass and perhaps soaking their aching feet in the river. Tragically, just at that moment a passing Welsh force ambushed and slaughtered them all. Where they rested and died was called Scotland Bank and is still marked as such on the map today.

In 1170 Henry II, who had fallen out with his Archbishop of Canterbury, was reported to have raged, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” . Some in his court took that as a royal order and Sir Richard de Brito was one of the four knights who set off to kill Thomas a Beckett in Canterbury Cathedral. Sir Richard came to Dorstone in the 12th century to establish a chapel as penitence for his part in the murder. His chapel was probably added on to an existing church.

The building which now houses the Pandy Inn was also built in 1185 by de Brito to house the workers who were constructing the chapel. It became an inn in the 16th century and has a room where Cromwell is reputed to have slept.

There are no remains of Dorstone castle today but it was held from the late 12th century by the de Solers family. It was re-fortified in 1403 by Sir Walter Fitzwalter against the uprising led by Owain Glyndwr.

Glyndwr was born about 1350, studied law in London and even served in the English army. Then, in his late 40s, he began to resent the way the Welsh were treated by the English. Following a dispute with his English neighbour, Lord Grey of Rhuthin, he became a rebel with a cause. Hundreds of people flocked to join his uprising and several English castles were attacked and captured.

He established a Welsh parliament at Machynlleth in 1404 and was proclaimed Prince of Wales. His wife, two daughters and a grandchild were captured and taken to London where they died but he escaped to live out his days, it is thought, with his remaining family at Monnington Court, close to this valley in Herefordshire. His final resting place is still a subject of much speculation and his ghost is said to wander through several of the border castles he attacked.

A little way downstream from Dorstone and set on a promontory overlooking the river valley are the ruins of yet another castle. This was Snodhill castle and again was fortified against Glyndwr. Said to have been given to the Earl of Leicester by Queen Elizabeth I he wasn't impressed and it was a ruin by 1560.

St Peter and St Paul are said to have been travelling from Rome and came to the Welsh border near Hay-on-Wye. They parted at a place now known as Gospel Pass and St Peter found his way down the Golden Valley and, following the river Dore, came to a pleasant spot where he founded a church.The settlement that grew around it became Peterchurch. St Peter blessed a well at a nearby natural spring and here he baptised his converts.

      Peterchurch Church

There has probably been a church here at least since the time of King Offa. The Saxon altar with its incised crosses is still in place. The Normans built much of the present church and their skilful design makes the place look much larger inside than from the outside. A stone spire was built in the 14th century but removed for safety in the 1940's. The replacement is in fibreglass and was lifted into place in 1972. Close up it does look rather odd but from a distance, and it can be seen for miles up and down the valley, it is quite impressive.

Another odd feature is an effigy of a large fish with a gold chain round its neck which hangs over the south door inside the church. One story suggests the fish was caught in the Dore with its gold chain in place. Another legend says St Peter caught the fish, placed the golden chain round its gills and kept it in the Holy Well. The story could also just be another fisherman's tale.

During the 16th century channels were cut along the valley to improve irrigation and this is certainly a very prosperous looking area. The floor of the valley is a patchwork of fields of pasture and cereal crops while the wooded ridges on either side give shelter.

A short distance downstream from Peterchurch is a small bridge over the Dore at either end of which is a tiny village each with a church. Vowchurch and Turnastone are only about a quarter of a mile apart.

The story goes that there were two sisters living in Vowchurch who planned to build a church in their village. For some reason they quarrelled and each built a church on opposite banks. The older of the two is reported to have stated that she "vowed to build my church before you turn a stone of yours". Thus the villages were named Vowchurch and Turnastone. St Bartholomew's stands on the one river bank while a short distance over the bridge and up the lane at Turnastone is the simpler but no less peaceful St Mary Magdalene.

Another story involving Turnastone tells of a time during the medieval period when it was quite common to have rituals centered around springs, stones, hills and trees. The Bishop of Hereford in 1409 heard of the worship of a stone and well in the parish of Turnastone and issued a proclamation: “It has come to our ears, we grieve to say, from the report of many credible witnesses and the common report of the people, that many of our subjects are in large numbers visiting a certain well and stone at Turnastone in our diocese where with genuflections and offerings they without authority of the church wrongfully worship the said stone and well, whereby committing idolatry; when the water fails they take away with them the mud of the same and treat and keep it as a relic to the grave peril of their souls and a pernicious example to others. Therefore we suspend the use of the said well and stone and under pain of greater excommunication forbid our people to visit the well and stone for the purpose of worship.” This was ordered to be read in every church in his diocese.

We leave the valley floor with its pastures and the ruined motte and bailey castles for a short climb up to the ridge of its western side. Up here it is so tranquil now that you forget the fighting and killing that went on below. Here among the winding narrow lanes is one of Herefordshire's treasures. St Margaret's Church is situated in a peaceful and rather isolated spot with magnificent views all round. It appears from the outside to be a small, 12th to 13th century church, a simple, remote, low-roofed building with a wooden bell-turret at its western end. Very nice but nothing special you may think, just one like many others. Step inside and the first thing you see is the wonderful rood screen and loft.

The delicate carving is simply delicious. When made in about 1520 it would have been richly painted and gilded but it looks gorgeous as it is now, faded to a pale grey-brown with the passing of time. This was one of the poet, John Betjeman's, favourite churches but we wouldn't see it like this if someone hadn't ignored the orders sent out in 1547, after the Reformation, to destroy all such images. Fortunately someone had a love of beauty and craftmanship as powerful then as it is now.

The game of fives or handball was played against the north wall at one time. There was a painted red line on the wall about two feet off the ground and shutters covered the glass windows. Such games were popular when the church was a community meeting place rather than just for worship. Apparently the lads at Eton school think they invented the game.

Travelling back down to the river and the valley floor I came to Abbey Dore and the remains of its wonderful medieval Cistercian Abbey. There are records of religious buildings in this area since the 7th and 8th centuries. The Cistercians founded the Abbey in 1147 on land provided by Robert, Earl of Ewyas Harold. The present parish church is but the eastern end, consisting of the presbytery, crossing and transepts, of their Abbey.

                        Dore Abbey

The Abbey accumulated more land in the Golden valley and beyond. The Dore has very productive agricultural soil but the granges linked to the Abbey tended to concentrate on producing wool. The sale of wool paid for the building work. Thomas Cantilupe, the Bishop of Hereford, consecrated the church but after the Dissolution, Dore Abbey fell into ruin and much of the structure sold off. By 1632 it was used to shelter cattle.
John Viscount Scudamore was responsible for organising and paying for the restoration. He had become convinced by a run of bad luck in his family that he had to make amends for living off the proceeds taken from the former Abbey. The new church he restored was re-consecrated on Palm Sunday 1634.

Of particular note is the oak screen made by John Abel in the 1630's. He was the royal carpenter to King Charles I. Also the original medieval altar, now in its rightful place, which was found at a nearby farm where it had been used for salting meat and making cheese.

As the river Dore leaves the Golden Valley it joins the river Monnow and goes on to meet the river Wye at Monmouth. The remains of another castle overlooks a village and guards this end of the valley. This is Ewyas Harold. Ewyas meant “sheep area” and Harold held the castle near what is now known as the village of Ewyas Harold at the time of the Domesday Survey. He was the father of Robert who founded Dore Abbey but little else is known about him.

The Domesday Survey or Book referred to the day of judgement and was named so because the facts in it were not to be disputed. In each district a Commission took evidence on oath then used a jury to verify the facts.

They had to determine:
• The name of the place, who owned it both then and prior to 1066
• The size of the holding usually given in "hides" which were an area considered suitable to support one family and depended on agricultural conditions
• The number of freemen, serfs and slaves
• The extent of woodland, meadowland and pasture
• The number of mills and fishpools
• The number of plough teams (using eight oxen per team)
• What the value of the holding was before 1066, at 1066 and after 1066
• Any other information thought relevant such as customs and local taxes

There was a castle at Ewyas Harold before the Norman Conquest. Edward the Confessor who reigned from 1042 to 1066 and whose upbringing and attitude was at least as much Norman as English had allowed several Norman settlers to come to this area. Among them Ralph who became Earl of Hereford and built the first castle in that city.

Ewyas Harold castle was built on land taken from the Welsh and held by Osbern Pentecost who passed it to his nephew Alured de Merleberge who later surrendered it to the eponymous Harold.

The castle must have been an awesome sight. It is situated on the end of a spur of land overlooking the confluence of the rivers and the southern entrance to the Golden valley. It is still impressive today, with a huge mound or motte over 200 feet in diameter at its base and 100 feet across the top. The motte is now covered with trees, bushes, brambles and nettles but there would have been a bailey defended by slopes, ditches and ramparts and possibly an outer bailey to shield the original village.

This lovely gently rolling landscape lives up to its name, the Golden Valley, whatever the season. It is a place of traditional farms, quiet lanes, paths and bridleways where you can reconnect with nature but if you dig a little deeper you can indulge your sense of history too.

These are the Kerry Hills at the edge of the Clun Forest and the border between Wales and Shropshire is not far away. All is very quiet and peaceful today. It wasn't always so as like much of the border country between Wales and England it has seen some violent and bloody action in the past.

To the north and west and so towards Newtown in Powys and the hills of Wales I am looking over the valley of the River Severn. There are lots of small streamlets draining off these hills and running down to join the Severn but I am not going to be in their company today. It will be 80 miles (130km) and a drop of about 1600 feet (490m) before I see the River Severn again.

Turning my back on Wales, which is a safer thing to do nowadays than it was in the centuries past, I will follow more small dribbles and streams which, as they reach the valley floor below, become the River Teme.

The Teme is one of our most beautiful rivers and its clean pure water has made the whole river a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This first upper section is fairly shallow and fast-flowing, bouncing over its stoney bed. Bushes line the banks and sheep drink from it while dippers and wagtails bob around hunting for food.

The young river runs down its open valley between rounded hills and past the villages of Felindre, Beguildy, Dutlas and Knucklas to cross the border into England near Knighton. This is sheep country and, with little industry along the banks of the river, agriculture and its related activities are the mainstay of the economy along with some retail and office work in the towns. It is also a place for artists, writers, walkers and a good many retired folk.

Knighton stands on the Dyke built by the Mercian King Offa. The Dyke is a long earthwork consisting of rampart and ditch which effectively defined the border between Wales and England. The Saxons and Welsh had fought over the town for many years but the Welsh held it when the Normans arrived around 1075 and built a stronghold nearby. The struggle between the Welsh and English for control of the area went on however. Llewelyn the Great ruled in 1215 then the Mortimers took control on his death in 1240. They were faced by a hostile Welsh population and Llewelyn II regained power but the
Mortimers came back. The revolt led by Owain Glyndwr in 1402 led to further battles.

Nowadays Knighton is a bustling market town with some very steep narrow streets and surrounded by hills and woods. It is an attractive and very popular place to visit.

A mile or so to the northwest is another mound, Knucklas Castle which legend suggests is the site of a castle built by the father of Guinevere. She and King Arthur were married here, or so it is said.
The valley closes in downstream of Knighton where the village of Brampton Bryan and its castle sits in the gap between Coxall Knoll and the hills of the Brampton Bryan Estate. Coxall Knoll, topped with an Iron Age hillfort, is one of several places claimed to be the place where the Celtic leader Caractacus fought his last battle against the invading Romans.

Caractacus, or Caratacos to his people and sometimes Caradoc to us, was a charismatic leader who united the many small Celtic tribes or family groups to fight the Romans. He was eventually defeated and captured then taken to Rome and paraded before the Emperor.

Brampton Bryan castle in the centre of the village guarded a very important route from Ludlow up the Teme Valley past Knighton and so into central Wales. There is evidence of the occupation of this area in Roman times and several Iron Age hill forts can be found within a few miles radius. Saxons and Normans hunted in the forests and the area was also the haunt of Edric the Wild. He was a local folk-hero who fought just about anyone and everyone whenever he felt like it. Sometimes he fought with the Welsh, sometimes with the Normans and other times against both. Brampton Bryan was recorded in the Domesday Survey as belonging to Ralph de Mortimer. In 1172, Hugh de Mortimer and Bryan de Brampton founded the Abbey at Wigmore.

The River Teme near Brampton Bryan

The Mortimers were a powerful, land-grabbing family some of whom married into Welsh families. Gwladys, a daughter of Llywelyn the Great was a Mortimer bride. Some might say this was a cynical way to pacify the Welsh but it worked the other way too. Owain Glyndwr captured Edmund Mortimer and pursuaded him to marry one of his daughters before releasing him.
The family were major castle-builders in the Marches and some of them are particularly associated with Wigmore castle nearby. The visible remains at Wigmore today are largely the work of Roger de Mortimer who, created Earl of March in 1328, managed to have quite an effect on English history.

Between the years 1321 and 1331 he rebelled against Edward II, escaped from the Tower of London and went to France with his mistress, Queen Isabella, the King's wife who was known as "The She-Wolf of France". They invaded England, deposed the King and plotted his murder at Berkeley Castle. For three years after the murder of Edward II, Isabella and Mortimer ruled as Regents.
As soon as he achieved his majority in 1331, Edward III, son of Isabella and Edward II, had Mortimer arrested and, despite the pleas of the Queen, had him hung, drawn and quartered at Tyburn.
Edward spared his mother a similar fate but banished her to Castle Rising in Norfolk where she spent her last 27 years, never seeing her son again.

The 13th century castle at Brampton Bryan was built by another Bryan but then his line died out without male issue. Margaret de Brampton married Robert Harley in 1309. The Harley family which also gave its name to Harley Street in London has owned the estate and lived in the village for the 700 years since. Fighting during the English Civil War almost destroyed the castle but some remains dating from the 13th to 17th centuries have been maintained in the gardens of the present house.

Most of Herefordshire's great families were Royalists but Sir Robert Harley was an exception. He spent much of his time in London dealing with parliamentary duties leaving his wife Lady Brilliana to run the family and the village. A royalist force surrounded the castle in July 1643 and Lady Brilliana took the entire village into her home for protection. There was just one casualty among the castle's defenders but they killed about 60 of the royalist army. The royalists withdrew and Lady Brilliana's fame spread far and wide. The strain weakened her however and she died a month or so later.
The castle was finally taken in the spring of 1644, sacked, burned and left a ruin but when the royalist cause was finally lost the Harleys claimed compensation and received the then huge sum of £13,000. A few years later, during the 1660's Sir Edward Harley built a new house which was incorporated into the present home of the Harleys in Brampton Bryan.

The river used to run south from here but twenty thousand years ago the area near Wigmore was dammed at one end by ice to form a glacial lake which blocked its route. Eventually the Teme forced its way to the north-east and now flows quietly on its present course. A few miles further
downstream it is joined by the River Clun also flowing down from the Kerry Hills. Together they flow under the bridge at Leintwardine, claimed to be the site of the Roman outpost of Bravonium.

The Bridge at Leintwardine

The Roman army had a hard time with the Silures tribe hereabouts and it is unclear whether Leintwardine was primarily a civilian or military settlement. It was certainly on Watling Street, an important Roman road, and a staging post on the route between the main Roman cities of Chester (Diva) and Caeleon (Isca) in South Wales. Some of the foundations of the Roman Town are covered by the church now but some years ago a stone believed to be from an altar to Jupiter was found.

Today Leintwardine is a lively village with a nationally famous butchers shop, one of the best unspoilt pubs you will find in Britain and a resident coracle maker. The river, sometimes slow, sometimes rattling over gravel beaches and rocks meanders on through lush farmland and woods towards Ludlow. Its waters are still pure and clear and now there are signs that otters have returned. These waters, the Leintwardine Fishery, are jealously guarded by anglers.

There have been many industries based in the woodland here. Coppicing produced wood for charcoal to fuel iron making which went on here from Elizabethan times and many oaks were felled to build ships. It took 40 to 50 acres of oak wood to produce a ship of the line in the 18th century.

Just downstream from Leintwardine the river enters the Downton gorge with more traces of Roman occupation but this area is better known for its iron-master, Richard Knight. Richard Knight was born and raised in Shropshire and having started building his fortune in the iron trade, married and moved to this corner of the Teme valley. At that time iron was produced using charcoal burnt in small furnaces having bellows worked by water power. This area with its coppice wood and the river was perfect.

The local industry had been started by the Earl of Essex in about 1595. The Harleys of Brampton Bryan were also involved. Richard Knight made a huge fortune and became one of the great names among ironmasters. He also owned two furnaces in Shropshire, one in Staffordshire and was owner or shared in almost all the ironworks in Worcestershire. His descendents went on to buy more land and estates including nearby Croft Castle and one of them, Richard Payne Knight, built a huge stone castle on the hill above Knight's original Bringewood Forge at Downton and landscaped the grounds in the picturesque fashion of the time.

Richard Knight died in 1749 and there are some wonderful cast iron tombs of the Knights which can be seen at the church in nearby Burrington. The manor of Burrington was held by Edric the Wild at the time of the Domesday Survey.

The Teme, here the scenic haunt of otters and kingfishers, sweeps calmly on. Sometimes it moves peacefully along green leaf-reflecting stretches where you can see coiling weeds and the shadows of ripples on the stoney bed. Other times it speeds up and there are small whirlpools where the water flows over underwater rocks or spills over small weirs or ledges of rock. The occasional heron surrounded by gnats and dragonflies stands watching the water .

Archaeological digs have found signs that people have been living at Bromfield for the past 5,000 years. There were beakers and pits from the Neolithic Period and a Bronze Age cemetery. The Romans had a large marching camp here around 48-75AD and an Anglo-Saxon cemetery has also been found. A Benedictine Priory was founded in the 12th century but only a gatehouse added in the 14th century remains. Nowadays the river is joined here by the River Onny and flows by some restaurants, outliers of Ludlow's food culture, and then on past one of the most magnificent sights on its whole route.

Ludlow Castle and Weir

Ludlow castle was begun by one of those Marcher Lords, Roger de Lacy, in the 11th century then enlarged during the 14th century to become a magnificent palace for one of the most powerful men in England at the time, Roger Mortimer. He's the one from Wigmore Castle mentioned previously. You can imagine the medieval pagent and ceremony that took place here. The castle came into the hands of Richard, Duke of York, in the 15th century and became embroiled in the Wars of the Roses. There was a major battle a few miles away at Mortimers Cross when in February 1461 the Yorkist army under Edward, Earl of March defeated the Lancastrians. He was soon to become Edward IV and in 1472 he imprisoned the two princes, who later became known as the "Princes in the Tower", at Ludlow castle. For many years this was also the centre of government for Wales and the Border Counties.

In 1501 Prince Arthur, brother of Henry VIII, lived here with his bride, Catherine of Aragon, before his tragically young death and later between 1525 and 1528 Queen Mary Tudor spent three winters at the castle. Ludlow castle fell into decay after all this activity until bought by the Earl of Powis in 1811 and it remains in his family.

Ludlow is one of those places that seems to have everything needed for the good life. It is a working town serving a large rural area yet is "steeped" in history and tradition. Perhaps I should say "marinated" as it has become renowned for good food and slow living. It has all the arts and heritage you could need, lots of small shops and businesses and the view from Ludford bridge upstream or down could not be bettered. There were watermills here to provide power to process local wool and overlooking the river is Whitcliffe Common where fossils show it was once part of a tropical sea in the Palaeozoic period.

The river is very much a part of Ludlow although fishermen and canoists compete for the space. A favourite kayak trip is to launch over the bank below the castle, pass through several rapids and over weirs, under the busy A49 and railway line to finish at Ashford Carbonell where a small but dangerous weir usually means lifting out for a lunch break. With any luck at appropriate times of the year you may see salmon leaping the weirs in the opposite direction.

Ashford Carbonell was named from the Carbonel family of Normans but there has been a ford here for much longer. It is now a quiet, peaceful village but was once on the pack-horse route from Wales to the river Severn at Bewdley.

Just downstream is the tiny village of Ashford Bowdler with its church, St Andrews, perched high on the river bank. So close to the bank was it in fact that in 1906 the entire chancel collapsed into the river. The chancel was rebuilt but by 2001 it became obvious that major work was needed. A new enlarged retaining wall had to be built to encase the original one to make the church safe.

The river passes Little Hereford where St Mary Magdalene church has a marvellous Norman tower and Burford's gardens to flow under the medieval bridge, which was updated by Telford following flood damage in 1795, at the "Town in the Orchards", Tenbury Wells. As well as its fame for fruit trees the town became popular for the mineral waters discovered in the 1840's. James Cranston designed the Pump Rooms in the 1860's and Tenbury Wells thrived. The apples, pears, plums and quinces may not be harvested so much now but a fine crop of mistletoe and holly is auctioned each Christmas.

Just a little way downriver from Tenbury Wells the river runs close to the A456 and driving here just after dark one evening I glimpsed a blur of brown feathers, a Tawny Owl, and felt it skid across the roof of the car. I stopped and went back to check if it was hurt but couldn't see it on the road. Hearing a rustle of leaves in the tree overhead I looked up then dodged smartly to one side as a load of owl-poo hit the ground. I'm not sure if it was a nervous reaction from the owl or an act of revenge but he seemed ok so I left the scene quickly.

Much of the river here is claimed by one fishing organisation or another and one treads quietly and carefully along the bank when anglers descend for competions. The coarse fishing is excellent and the Teme is famed for its barbel. I have never met a fisherman who is also a canoist. The two are utterley incompatible. Neither can see the point of the existence of the other. It is a pity as a canoe would be the perfect vessel to explore this part of the river but anglers always seek to ban them.

The Shelsley Walsh area certainly isn't quiet, at least not on race days. This is the venue for the oldest motorsports-venue-still-held-on-its-original-course in the world. The noise is incredible when cars accelerate from 0 to 140mph while climbing the steep hill which they can do in 20-odd seconds. Some cars, the historic ones, do it just a little more slowly.

The river glides on through a lovely deep lush valley with high banks on each side and passes ancient churches and old houses in charming villages favoured by the retired as well as those who commute into Worcester or even Birmingham. This is a floodplain and floods are becoming more frequent. Tenbury Wells knows this to its cost having suffered flooding on many occasions. Most habitation keeps its distance, the river being overlooked by villages like Clifton on Teme, originally an Anglo-Saxon settlement on an old salt route between Droitwich and Leominster. Then Martley with its Norman church and the birthplace of Charles Hastings, founder of the British Medical Association.

These seemingly timeless rich fertile fields of pasture, cereals and hops have been farmed for centuries. Knightwick, for example, was granted to the church in Worcester in 851 by Beorhtwulf, King of Mercia and earlier still in about 786 land at Broadwas was granted to the same chuch by another King of Mercia, Offa. He of the Dyke back near Knighton. Broadwas is in a loop of the river which sometimes floods the nearby meadows. The church of St Mary Magdalene sitting in a hollow near the river has traces remaining from 1170. The villages of Upper Wick, Lower Wick and Rushwick are on the edge of the flood meadows where fertile soils supported orchards, hop fields and smallholdings. Several cider mills were in action near Broadmore Green.

The Battle of Worcester took place in 1651. The Royalists waited in this area near the Teme for the Parliamentarians to arrive. Cromwells strategy was to cross the Teme and cut off any Royalist escape to the west then force them into the city where they would be surrounded. The Parliamentarian army crossed the Teme probably at a loop in the river near Bransford Court and the Royalists were soon in retreat. This was crucial to the outcome of the battle and so to the history of the British Monarchy.

On and around Powick Bridge, further downstream on the Teme, had been the scene of the first skirmish between Royalists and Parliamentarians on 23rd September 1642. This was also the site of the last major battle on 3rd September 1651. Cromwell had sent reinforcements over bridges of boats built near the confluence of the Teme and Severn. His greater numbers and superior tactics eventually defeated the Royalist army many of whom were from Scots regiments. These Scots were involved in the fighting at Powick Bridge and many were killed. Somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 Royalists were killed along with about 700 of Cromwell's army during the Battle of Worcester. About 10,000 Scots were taken prisoner and many transported to the New World. Some escaped and made off to the hills in the west. A group of them are said to have followed the River Dore up the Golden Valley in Herefordshire and stopped to rest by the river. You can imagine them lying on the grass and perhaps soaking their aching feet in the river. Tragically, just at that moment a passing Welsh force ambushed and slaughtered the lot of them. Where they rested and died was called Scotland Bank and is still marked as such on the map today.

The Memorial Plaque on Powick Bridge

It seems likely that apart from a few small craft and ferries the only commercial traffic on the Teme was along the short stretch between Powick and the Severn. The Bishop of Worcester owned two watermills in this area from 1086 which were involved in grinding grain to make flour.
There was a coal wharfe near Powick bridge and in the 18th century pig iron was carried up to a forge at Powick Mill. Large water-powered hammers were used to turn out bar iron much in demand for the emerging industries of the period.

By about 1760 they were producing sheets and rods of iron to supply, among others, the nail making factories. During the 19th century a mill here was used to grind materials for Worcester porcelain. A hydro-electric power station was built next which helped to light the streets and homes of Worcester from 1894 onwards. It was the largest power station of its type when opened and was later extended to include coal-fired steam turbines as well for when the water levels were too low.
This last section of the river now flows between high banks with flotsam stuck in the bushes after the floods, lots of rippling swirls and eddies and the wind ruffling its surface with catspaws.

Leaving thoughts of fighting and flooding, castles and commerce behind, I have come to sit on the bank where the Teme and Severn meet. The water simmers and whirls where their currents meet. I can hear the sound of the water flowing past, feel the wind blowing through the bushes and hear birds singing. A kingfisher just flew past, a tiny missile, a small slither of a rainbow shooting upstream. Sir Edward Elgar sat here listening to just these sounds and taking in the same sights (perhaps without the large plastic powerboat that just went by) while thinking about his latest composition. He loved this place so much that at one time he requested his body be cremated when he died and the ashes scattered at the confluence of these two rivers.

In the event he was buried next to his wife at St Wulstan's Church in nearby Malvern Wells. His birthplace at Lower Broadheath is also just a short distance away.

A large fish breaks the surface in the evening light and leaves a glittering sparkling shimmering swirl of water in its wake, just gentle bands of bright water spreading out as some swallows sweep by but such a beautiful and gentle end to my journey.

Constable Country is a mainline train journey from London, through beautiful green countryside. The artist John Constable captured its beauty on canvas and today you can still see Willy Lott's cottage in all its glory.

There are taxis at Manningtree station that will take you on the short journey into the heart of the county of Suffolk countryside bordering with Essex.

If you do not want to go further than Manningtree then take a short walk or taxi ride (approx 10 minutes by foot for able bodied) into the town, it is the smallest town in Britain, it is also famous for being the hunting ground of The Witch Finder General, Matthew Hopkins. The narrow streets and old buildings that border the river Stour makes for a refreshing break from the hub bub of the city. There are rooms available in the local eateries and pubs. There is an award winning curry house and a Chinese take away should you wish for the spicier things in life. Should you wish to self-cater there is a large supermarket next to the river walk, a great place to sit and eat a sandwich.

The author Catherine Cookson chose Manningtree as a refuge when in troubled times, walking along the linking river road towards Mistley, known as the walls, you will also find time to unwind and clear your head. There is a small animal sanctuary along the road that welcomes visitors daily and is a great treat for children. The day out should give you a little piece of the Essex and Suffolk countryside to add to your collection of memories of when you visited Great Britain, it is tour guide free leaving you independent and a little richer in the pocket, there is a public library housed in a grand building in the centre of the high street where you will find more places to visit another day.

• The world's longest coral reef that is The Great Barrier Reef in Queensland that 1,260 miles long.
• The world's largest rock that is Uluru or Ayers Rock that is 348 metres in height, 1.5 miles long and 1 mile wide.
• The World's largest sand Island that is Fraser Island that is also in Queensland and is 75 miles long.

Physically Australia is closest to countries of South East Asia, however, culturally, Australia belongs to the Western part of the world due to its colonisation 200 years ago by the Great Empire then Great Britain.

Although Australia is Down Under on its own, borders no other land but the Pacific ocean, yet on its soil live people from all around the world. People like myself and others that have chosen to make Australia their home.

To me Australia is the home that has given peace and security at a time my own home country was in the midst of a civil war. It has given me education that of which my onw country could not have given me. It is now giving my children a future and a place to pursue their dreams and potentials. I am forever grateful to this wonderful country.

Although, some may still view people like myself and other migrants as strangers or "wogs", even after 30 years, I feel that I am so much part of this land. The best years of my life were lived and outlived in Australia. My hopes and dreams of a good fertile future were also realised and pursued in Australia with the help of Australia's fair Education system and the facilities that are accessible to all with no discrimination whatsoever.

I mostly feel Australian when I am far away from Australia. I realise then how much I have acquired from the Australian way of life. The way I like openness and despise formalities was all a result of my long living in Australia. In a working place almost everybody is on first name terms whether a person is in a managerial position or at the bottom of the ladder.
I believe this has emanated from Australia's humble beginnings, far away from the motherland Great Britain, which meant far away from royalty, protocols, etiquettes and the ascending and descending social classes.

Early Australians were all equal and of the same social class except for the governors and their families who were a minority. This trend seems to have continued along the decades and from generation to another until this modern day Australia.

As a result, the simple way of life is what is mostly desired in Australia that of which in turn have made Australia a unique and a special coutnry to live in. No wonder that anyone who visits Australia would like to return or remain to make it home including myself.

1. Muck, in the Inner Hebrides

   We’re cheating on this one a bit, as Muck derives from the Gaelic name Eilean nam Muc. It’s so small that if you moved there you’d barely push the population up over thirty people. Appropriately, it’s one of the Small Isles, and is only 2.5 miles from one side of the island to the other. One earlier owner of the place tried to persuade the famous Samuel Johnson that it was actually called the Isle of Monk - but failed.

2. Maggots End, in Essex

   In the Hertsfordshire.com listing of villages in the county, there’s no entry for this place. However, we know there’s a farm there, as anyone taking a walk from Manuden to Furneux Pelham needs to turn right at Maggot’s End farm. Maybe the maggots have finished the place off.

3. Pratt’s Bottom, in Kent

   Of course, any place with Bottom in the title is likely to get a laugh, even though bottom may mean nothing more amusing than a valley. Back in 1773 this place was known as Spratt’s Bottom, but less than 20 years later it had lost the initial S, and Mr Spratt had turned into a Pratt.

4. Nether Wallop, in Hampshire

   Before your imagination starts to boggle, consider this: fields in Nether Wallop are identified, by one Dr. Guest, with the Gualoppum of Nennius, one of the last battlefields of Vortigern the warlord with the Saxons. And Danebury hill is crowned with an ancient camp. So even though we may scoff at the name, it has history.

5. Nasty, in Hertfordshire

   This is definitely a place that causes difficulty. From one ad on the Net we have this line: Nasty Jobs, a local guide to recruitment agencies and vacancies Another talks about Nasty web sites and information.

6. Thong, in Kent

   To say, ‘I live in Thong,’ might easily be misconstrued, especially by someone who’s a little hard of hearing. Even worse, some people live in Netherthong, up in West Yorkshire. Now that’s really stretching it!

7. Mid Yell, in the Shetland Isles

   Again, telling someone you’re in Mid Yell might make them look strangely at you. What is a mid yell, anyway? And how do you define it? Nevertheless, Mid Yell is thriving, with a school, two fish processing plants, medical services, shops and the smallest petrol station you’re likely to see.

8. Rest and Be Thankful, in Strathclyde

   This is the highest point on the A83 between the northern end of Loch Fyne and Loch Long. It’s obviously a bit windy up there as in 2002 a lorry was blown off the road. Maybe not so restful after all.

9. Dykehead, in Strathclyde

   This ambiguously-named town seems always to be hear of in conjunction with a place called Shotts. The Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band is one of the best known features of the area. In fact, the Band has won the World Pipe Band Championships no less than fifteen times.

10. North Piddle, in Worcestershire

    What can we say about this, except that another Piddling place, Wyre Piddle, has a brewery which produces ales with names such as Piddle in the Hole, Piddle in the Wind, Piddle in the Dark and Piddle in the Snow.