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Quote: Originally posted by johnshelly2 on 30/1/2012

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Does anyone else do what I do, GB has a well documented national history but whenever I book a new site/area, I love to look up the local history and oddities etc, of the surrounding village's and towns, It seams every village in these wonderfull Isles of ours has something odd or fascinating to see or hear, and this 'research' also makes the build up to our outing far more interesting and our break more eventful, Our main holiday of course tends to be more 'horizontal', chilling or 'sleeping it off' Of course you may do something else, over to you?   Regards John.

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Always. Particularly check the OS maps of the area to see where we can walk from the site. Check out the history, see what may be worth a visit, particularly on rainy days (National Trust/English Heritage helps there). Helps to make the visit even more worth while to find out about an area.If we don't do that we miss things like the winking man and Lud's Church. Now who has been to the Roaches and never seen either, or even heard, of them? The former you see as you drive and the latter is a bit of hike to find it

Phil

As you travel from Leek to Buxton  (A53) you approach the Winking Man pub. Just down the road from there are a series of rocks on your left. (Ramshaw Rocks). One has the face of a man (in outline). Where his eye is there is a hole. As you drive along looking at the eye, and your angle of view changes, first you see the sky through the "eye" and then rock and then sky. It looks as though he is winking as the background changes from light to dark to light.

Is a bit of an accident spot so just the passengers look out for him!!!!!!

Phil

Leek CC site. Very very well laid out in three sections such that each section looks like a small site all on its own rather than the large site that it really is. Quite posh loos. Have to admit that there is nothing much to the south of the site to commend to readers.

Phil 

Thanks will have a look

Phil

Some years ago I took up Genealogy and by tracing our ancestors to various parts of the UK, then visiting these birthplaces, it gave us "a reason" for exploring these areas other than as the usual tourist.

By going to that area's Registry Office and finding out what the parents of our ancestors were actually doing there and then visiting the local Heritage Museums, it gave us a fasinating insight into not only the our own family, but usually the whole industrial or rural history of that part of the country.

Old photographs, paintings and town plans put meat on the bones of long dead names on bits of paper and give you a better understanding of where you came from.

I am truly astounded by the diversity of jobs of my ancestors and how far travelled they were in search of work, even in times when travel was difficult.

Quote: Originally posted by cwdc56768 on 30/1/2012

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Thanks will have a look

Phil

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Hi Phil,

When you get to Oakamoor on the Cheadle side of the bridge, take a drive down the Red Road towards Alton (of Alton Towers fame) it follows the Churnet river along the valley side. Stop and park at the Rambler's Retreat, there are a few nice walks from and back to there with a nice brew and home made cakes as a reward.

Dave