Venue

Affectionately referred to as the ‘Downton of the North’, Gawthorpe Hall was redesigned in the 1850s by Sir Charles Barry, designer of the Houses of Parliament and the ‘real’ Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle.

The modest Hall houses the North West’s largest collection of portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery as well as The Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, a wonderful collection of intricate lace, embroidery and needlework amassed by Miss Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth.

Frigidarium, tepidarium, caldarium and natatio. Sounds like one of Harry Potter’s spells! In fact, they describe the wide range of facilities on offer to the Second Augustan Legion and other residents at their state-of-the-art leisure complex. We are talking heated changing rooms, a series of cold and warm baths, covered exercise rooms and even an open-air swimming pool. Roman Britain wasn’t that bad at all if you were a Roman.

Explore the fascinating remnants of one of the great monastic foundations of the Middle Ages at this important site, based in the historic market town of Waltham Abbey.

With origins dating back to the early 11th century, the site adopted many religious functions over the years (including as a church and priory) before eventually becoming home to one of the most prosperous and important abbeys in the country: the final resting place of King Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, and later housing the Waltham Bible.

The Cathedral of St, Mary & St Anne, known locally as the North Cathedral is located at the top of Shandon Street, in one of the most historic areas of Cork. The Cathedral is the principal church of the diocese of Cork & Ross and is the place where major diocesan celebrations take place. The Cathedral was dedicated in 1808 and celebrated its bicentenary in 2008.