Castle

AN ancient town that was once the largest behind London is found in the Cotswolds.

Cirencester is often nicknamed the Capital of the Cotswolds, being its largest town.

5

5

It was founded by the Romans, and was even the second largest town behind London at the time.

Now, it remains a popular market town and a commuter spot, being less than an hour from the capital.

There is the central Cirencester Market Place, with a market every Monday and Friday, as well as seasonal ones on Saturdays.

Don’t expect to find many chain shops in town either, with the majority being independent stores.

Make sure to head to Malt and Anchor, named one of the best fish and chip shops in the UK.

The town even has its own Cirencester Castle, which dates back to the 1107.

The town is is home to its own lido as well, which opened back in 1870.

Cirencester Open Air Pool is open until next week, before closing for the season.

There are two pools, a four-lane adult pool which is always at 26C as well as a kids pool.

Our pool’s serenely beautiful setting is just a few minutes’ walk from the centre of town so come and enjoy the sessions that run from May to September.

The main pool is 27m long, has 4 lanes and is kept at an inviting 26 degrees. Originally built as a 30 yard pool, a 1 mile swim is 59 lengths.

We also have a children’s pool that’s 0.5m deep.

One of the popular places to stay is the Kings Head Hotel, which was named as the best hotel breakfast in the UK last year.

Along with that, it also has 66 rooms, as well as an underground spa and on-site deli.

5

5

Otherwise we stayed at The Fleece hotel in in Cirencester – here is what we thought.

There is also the Corinium Museum, named after Cirencester’s original name.

Otherwise there is the modern Barn Theatre if you want to catch a show.

Cirencester has its own train station with direct trains to London taking less than 50 minutes.

Here is a Cotswolds village with its own sandy beach and lagoon.

5

Aug. 15 (UPI) — Former congressman and Gov. Michael N. Castle, R-Del., has died at the age of 86, the politician’s family confirmed in a post online.

The moderate Republican served two terms as governor between 1985 and 1992 before being elected to Congress in 1993.

“Congressman Mike Castle was a founding member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a leading organization for centrist Republicans, and worked in a bipartisan manner to help move people from welfare to work, support fiscally responsible government, improve public education, and protect the community,” his family said in the statement.

“He served on the House Committee on Financial Services, Committee on Education and Workforce and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.”

Castle, who is survived by his wife of over 33 years, Jane DiSabatino, ultimately became the longest-serving member of Congress from Delaware in the state’s history.

He also served as the lieutenant governor of Delaware from 1981 to 1985 prior to being elected governor, and in the state legislature before that.

“Over the arc of the more than 40 years that I knew him – I met him when I was 16 – he repeatedly provided his knowledge and expertise to help me along my own way,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in a statement, calling Castle an “incredible man.”

“When we eventually ran against each other, I did my absolute best to run a respectful, positive, policy-based campaign. As we campaigned against each other, I only liked him more.”

Castle was known as a backer of educational and environmental reforms.

As a member of Congress, Castle was a major proponent of the 2001 “No Child Left Behind,” legislation that was an effort to improve test scores among U.S. school children.

“Governor Castle understood there is no greater legacy we leave to future generations than the quality of our environment. As Governor, his administration’s Environmental Legacy program to protect and preserve forests, wetlands, and beaches won recognition for its foresight and impact,” his family said in the statement.

In addition to DiSabatino, who he married in 1992, Castle is survived by his “many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.”

Visitation will take place August 21 at a funeral home in Wilmington, Del.

Drumnadrochit is a small village in the Scottish Highlands that is famous for being the home of the Loch Ness Monster, but it has so much more to offer than that.

Many tourists heading to Scotland aren’t chasing sunshine. They flock to these shores seeking breathtaking scenery and fascinating heritage – with some grub and tipples on the side.

There’s a tiny Highland village that manages to deliver on virtually every front for holidaymakers – yet most Scots likely couldn’t even tell you what it’s called. Drumnadrochit has earned fame as the supposed dwelling place of the Loch Ness Monster, but there’s more to it than that – it’s also home to one of the globe’s most celebrated and recognisable fortresses, provided you’re an Outlander fan.

The village itself houses barely 1,100 residents, though numbers balloon each year as monster seekers arrive hoping to spot the legendary beast, reports Scottish Daily Express.

Visit Scotland’s website hails Drumnadrochit as amongst the finest spots for discovering the Highlands. It states: “The village is surrounded by the glens, Glen Urquhart and Glenmoriston, as well as the Great Glen that reaches across from Inverness in the east to Fort William in the west.

“The area is rich in things to see and do with activities ranging from exploring Urquhart Castle, a classic romantic ruin jutting out into the loch, horse riding, cycling, cruising the length of Loch Ness and fishing trips.

“Loch Ness, the largest and most famous loch in the Great Glen, is a top UK holiday spot that draws crowds each year hoping to spot Nessie, the legendary Loch Ness monster.

“The Nessie replica might be as close as you get to the real deal, but you can also delve into the eerie history of monster hunting facts and folklore at the centre.

“Nessieland lets you watch a documentary about monster sightings over the years, and explore the Nessie caves to uncover the legends and mysteries. The attraction also boasts an adventure playground and offers cruises on Loch Ness.”

Urquhart Castle, with its stunning views and rich Highland heritage, has been the backdrop to some of Scotland’s most dramatic historical events.

It saw intense military action from the 1200s until 1692 when Edward I of England – known as the “Hammer of the Scots” – seized the castle in 1296. The fortress was later retaken by the Scots and once again fell into English hands.

Urquhart Castle has a 4.3 out of five rating on TripAdvisor with one visitor posting: “I came to Loch Ness for Urquhart Castle. The place transcends words, and inspires paintings. It’s so gothic and romantic, I loved the fact that it overlooks the deepest part of the loch and called out to Nessie from the beach next to the castle. The best views up close is definitely to be had on castle grounds.”

Another said: “The magnificent Urquhart Castle is on the shore of Loch Ness and a beautiful and short drive from Inverness. We left Inverness around 9am and had a very pleasant drive to Urquart Castle stopping once at a popular viewing point to see the Loch Ness.”

A third added: “The Urquart Castle was a great experience! We spend around an hour and a half there and we were lucky enough to get great sunny weather so we weren’t too cold and got great photos!

“We really appreciated that we didn’t need to go on an organized tour and we could just go through at our own pace and read all the information. The castle isn’t very big so you can really see everything they have there pretty quickly and see the amazing views. Our experience was probably made better our lucky weather but we would go back again for a peaceful walk.”