Taking in beaches, castles, historic houses and wildlife, this bus-based trip from Blyth via Ashington is a shore-fire winnerI’m swimming in the bracing sea near Blyth in Northumberland. A boat sails by, a tern flies overhead with a small silver fish i…
York City FC seeks relatives to find ashes buried under old pitch
Historic England project aims to find ashes of fans buried at football ground slated for redevelopmentThe buddleia is pushing through the concrete of the Grosvenor Road stand at Bootham Crescent. Nature has reclaimed York City FC’s once pristine pitch,…
Meat-rich diet of 14th-century monks caused digestive issues, research finds
Change in papal law in 1336 to allow twice-weekly consumption caused problems at Muchelney AbbeyIt may have seemed a good day for medieval monks when a papal decree allowed them to start eating meat including mutton, beef, pork and venison. It was not …
Unholy row erupts over Larry Landtrain taking visitors on Lindisfarne
Council scraps four-week trial of alternative to existing shuttlebus after swift and fierce oppositionFor centuries, pilgrims have walked in the footsteps of monks who once inhabited Lindisfarne, connected by a tidal causeway to the ancient kingdom of …
The Beach of Dreams trail left me dazzled by an Essex I never expected
This 500-mile walking adventure has provided revelations – and huge incongruities – in its coastal towns and villages • Follow the walk: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3I stand aside to let a tractor go past down the lane and only then notice the field of sunf…
Scottish island castle, with barrel organ and rot issues, seeks caring new owner
Nature agency needs community-minded buyer to save Kinloch Castle, on Rum in the Inner HebridesWith red sandstone battlements, a sprung-floor ballroom, and a prized orchestrion organ said to have been made for Queen Victoria, Kinloch Castle on the Inne…
My journey to Albania in search of Europe’s Muslim heritage
In this adapted extract from his new book, Minarets in the Mountains, Tharik Hussain discovers a historic centre of Islamic learning in the country’s scenic southern hillsThe silhouette of Gjirokastër began to emerge in the distance. This city is in th…
The Guardian view on fruit bowls from ancient Egypt: touching the past | Editorial
The simplest artefact can spark as much emotion as gold or grand monumentsA find of ancient fruit baskets – still with their plump doum fruits inside – attracted headlines last week. Around 2,400 years old, they were discovered off the coast of Egypt a…
Plans for 190 flats on London Latin Village site scrapped after protests
Developer abandons plan for site in Tottenham, which would have involved demolishing Seven Sisters Indoor MarketCampaigners trying to save London’s only surviving Latin market have claimed a victory after the developer behind a multimillion-pound resid…
Historic England re-lists nine sites to mark 70th anniversary of Festival of Britain
Newbury Park bus station in Ilford and Royal Festival Hall in London re-listed Not many people get wildly excited by a concrete bus shelter but Elain Harwood is, proudly and unapologetically, one of them. “It is grand, I love it … it is a simple curve …