The Imberbus is coming…

A classic RoutemasterOne of the Routemasters serving Imber

I read about Imberbus Day on the Londonist website a while ago and was fascinated. This year, I decided that it was time to finally make the trip, partly because I know I definitely wouldn’t be able to go next year as a good friend is getting married that day! I’m so glad I finally made the effort, as it was a brilliant day out.

About Imber

The village of Imber, on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, is what is known as a ‘lost’ village. The entire civilian population of the village was evicted in 1943 (with 47 days’ notice) so that American troops could use the area to prepare for the invasion of Europe during World War II. Despite being promised that they would be able to return to their homes once the war was over, the villagers were never allowed back, and the Ministry of Defence still controls the area.

The village existed in Saxon times, documented to have been present in 967, and is also recorded in the Domesday Book, with a population of around fifty. The church of St Giles dates back to the 12th century and has wall paintings from the 15th century. The population peaked in 1851, with 440 residents recorded in the census of that year, and had declined to around 150 by the time the remaining residents were evicted.

St Giles' ChurchSt Giles’ Church

Most of the buildings are now derelict or were demolished by the Army, with the church being the only building to remain in a decent condition. A pub called the Bell Inn, the manor house, Imber Court, some farm cottages and some ‘council house’ type blocks also survive. Many of the ‘buildings’ that stand there today are fakes created by the Army for training purposes.

I read about Imber in Neil Spring’s novel The Lost Village, featuring famous twentieth-century ghost hunter Harry Price. This book made me want to visit this historic village even more.

How did Imberbus Day come about?

In 2009, a group of bus industry professionals managed to get permission to run a vintage bus service to Imber from Warminster in Wiltshire. Imber is only open to the public on a handful of dates each year, and only one of those is approved for a bus service, so the annual Imberbus Day takes place in August. The event has become increasingly popular, and the bus service now extends to other parts of Wiltshire. Most of the buses used are traditional Routemasters, but there are a handful of newer ones plus a few more unusual single-decker buses.

On the top deck of the RoutemasterOn the top deck of the Routemaster

My day at Imber

I had originally been planning to take the train to Warminster and catch the bus from there, which seems to be the usual thing to do. However, on investigation I found a National Express coach service running directly to Imber and back from London Victoria. I decided to book myself onto this, as it was cheaper than the train, and after speaking to various people once I got to Imber I was SO glad that I did. Apparently the queue to catch the bus at Warminster was huge and people were waiting there for hours (on what was quite a hot day, too) so I definitely did the right thing.

Empty houses in ImberEmpty houses in Imber

Imber was incredibly busy but the atmosphere was lovely. The first thing I did was to queue up for a while to enter the church, which contains a display all about the history of Imber. It was quite a poignant experience, especially considering the graveyard surrounding the church, the residents of which can only receive mourners on designated days throughout the year.

I’ve recently taken up geocaching and I took the opportunity to try and tick off the two Imber-related caches listed on the app. I achieved one of them, which involved answering a question and sending a photo to prove I had made it to the location. I had less luck with the other, which involved finding clues in the church and the graveyard and calculating the coordinates based on the answers. I had trouble working out the final result and, by the time I’d finally got the answer (or thought I had) it was too late to go in search of the cache. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to come back to Imber then!

Inside St Giles' ChurchInside the church

I walked around the main street for a bit, reading the signs that stated where particular buildings used to be located. You aren’t allowed to leave the path for safety reasons, and the buildings are mostly hollowed out and fake, in any case. All in all, it’s a surreal experience.

Eventually I decided to leave Imber via one of the beautiful old Routemasters. This is where making the trip by myself came in handy, as I was able to grab the very last seat on the upper deck, buying my ticket from the conductor just like in the Olden Days. I chatted to a lovely woman on the way to Market Lavington, enjoying the views over Salisbury Plain. I disembarked at Market Lavington in order to visit the small museum there, and also enjoyed a cup of tea and a scone at the cafe.

Market Lavington MuseumMarket Lavington Museum

I got back on the bus to head back towards Imber. It was hugely busy at Gore Cross interchange (and rather surreal to see so many London buses ambling over the hills) but eventually I managed to catch the bus back to Imber and get on the coach to take me back to London.

I had a really lovely time exploring Imber and the surrounding area. I don’t think I actually managed to see all of Imber, and I certainly didn’t get to see every stop on the bus route. I guess this just means I will have to go back in the future!

Bushcraft Foundations Course

Our camp setup

Last Sunday I attended a Bushcraft Foundations Course, run by Pippin & Gile, in South London. This was very out of character for me – naturally it was a Rebel activity! I registered for the course in order to complete my Survivor badge, and thought that at least it would be something different.

Getting there was tricky as it involved a tube, a train, a bus and then a walk down a rather muddy bridleway. Still, I got there on time (and incidentally, got a lift to the railway station on the way back from two very kind fellow course participants). Luckily, despite a large amount of rain the day before, our day remained dry.

We walked to the woods via some fields and our leader, Lizzy, told us about different trees and plants we encountered on the way, pointing out helpful facts as we went. We also stopped to take a look at some badger tracks and deer markings, which I would never have noticed on my own.

The kettle boiling on the fire

We arrived into the woods, the fire was lit with a fire steel tool and the kettle set on to boil. I resolved to get a fire steel tool for myself straight away! Lizzy explained the best way to make a fire, including how to reach dry wood if the weather is wet, how to arrange twigs on the fire, and how to maintain it.

A wooden shelter

In a survival situation, the rule of three is important. Assuming you are able to breathe and are not submerged in water, the next most important thing is shelter. So we headed into an area of the woods and got to work. Our group of eight split into teams of two and I think we four made a pretty good job of our shelter. Of course, in a real situation it would take much longer to build as we would be unlikely to have cut wood ready and waiting. We’d also need a shelter for each of us, not just one!

My tent peg

We ate lunch, had another cup of tea and discussed how to navigate without a compass, both during the day and at night. We then got to try wood whittling, creating a tent peg out of a hazel stick. I was quite proud of my peg!

Finally we had a go at creating fire using friction and the bow drill method. I didn’t manage to create fire but I definitely got smoke – if we’d had more time I’m sure I would have managed it.

The day was great fun and I learned a lot – very happy I tried something a bit different.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge has been on my list of places to visit for years, and I finally got around to visiting this year. I found out that you can sign up for coach trips that take you from central London there and back, so I chose one and arrived bright and early on a Sunday morning.

Stonehenge

The early start proved worth it when we arrived at the site and there weren’t too many people around (as opposed to the huge numbers who had arrived by the time we left). The first thing I did was to hop on the shuttle bus that takes you from the visitor centre up to the Stones. In other circumstances I might have walked, but we only had a limited time at the site, and I wanted to make the most of it.

I genuinely found Stonehenge really impressive. There is something magical about a stone circle, in place for millennia on the Salisbury plain. I took my time walking around the site, taking it all in and observing the position of the stones – many have collapsed or been moved since they were originally in place, but it’s still possible to identify the layout as it corresponds to sunrise and sunset during the Solstice.

Stonehenge

I then caught the bus back down to the visitor centre and spent some time looking around the small Neolithic village that has been built outside. I then headed indoors and explored the exhibition, which looks at the life of Stonehenge over the years and how it might have been used, as well as showcasing some of the finds from the site. My favourite theory is that which suggests Stonehenge was a place for the dead, while nearby Woodhenge was a site for the living.

A temporary exhibition, Circles of Stone: Stonehenge and Prehistoric Japan, was fascinating and compared and contrasted stone circles of prehistoric Japan with Stonehenge, built around the same time.

I spent some time looking around the gift shop, but didn’t have time to visit the cafe. I’d brought my own lunch with me, however, so this was no problem.

Overall I’m so glad I got to tick this place off my list – it’s a must-visit.

Stonehenge

FACTS

Address: Near Amesbury, Wiltshire, SP4 7DE

Website: english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge

Opening Hours: Daily 9:30-5

Price: Adult £23, concession £20, child £14

Hanwell Zoo

sign at the entrance of Hanwell Zoo

At the weekend I decided to take a trip to Hanwell Zoo. Amazingly, despite having lived in Ealing for a decade, I had never been. I walked there, which took about an hour, but there are also buses available, which shorten the journey time considerably.

Hanwell Zoo is a small zoo that aims to promote education and conservation while ensuring community inclusion. It works with schools, youth and community groups to promote animal welfare as well as other skills such as English, maths and ICT.

The zoo holds a number of animals whose numbers in the wild are declining. The Bali starling, the red-crowned crane, the hazel dormouse, Azara’s agouti and the phantasmal poison arrow frog are all held at the zoo.

I booked my ticket online but I could also have bought one on the day. The entrance to the zoo is located within Brent Lodge Park. It was a cold but bright day when I visited, perfect for walking around.

Red-crowned crane

I had a lovely time seeing the different animals at the zoo. I particularly liked the flamingos and the meerkats. There were also donkeys, rabbits, a goat and several species of bird, as well as lemurs, not to mention a couple of very cute alpacas. There are two capybaras but I didn’t manage to see them until I was on my way out!

Flamingos

Hanwell Zoo is a really nice day out for anyone living or spending time nearby. The zoo does a lot of community, education and conservation work which are worth supporting. It’s not very big but great value for money, and there is a cafe nearby if you want to stop for refreshments.

FACTS

Address: Church Road, Hanwell, London, W7 3BP

Website: hanwellzoo.co.uk

Opening Hours: 10-4 every day except Christmas Day.

Prices: Adult £4.50, child £2.50

Whipsnade Zoo

Whipsnade Zoo sign

I’ve been to London Zoo before, but the other zoo owned by the Zoological Society of London – Whipsnade Zoo – has been on my list for a while. I thought it would be tricky to get to, and I wasn’t wrong – you have to get a train to Luton followed by two different buses. It’s much easier if you have a car.

Chameleon

Whipsnade’s rural setting means there is much more space for larger animals such as elephants and giraffes. The park is huge but I did manage to walk around it in a day with no issues. It helped that the weather was really lovely. If you do have a car, you can drive around the park.

Giraffes

There is a map at the entrance which helpfully shows you where everything is. I took an approximately clockwise route around the park which meant that I began with the Aquarium and Butterfly House before going to look at the farm animals. I got a bit lost and ended up in the Africa section looking at the giraffes, before getting my bearings and heading over to the tigers, via the otters.

Elephants

I took a trip on the railway – this was a small extra charge but was a great way to see some of the larger animals like elephants and rhinos. I also encountered them again walking around the park – the elephants were enjoying their lunch at that point. Along the way I spied sloth bears, antelope and yaks.

Rhino

After some lunch I went to see the lions, which are currently visiting from another park. I also spied zebras and hippos – the pygmy hippos were particularly cute. At this point I headed up to the lemur enclosure before the walkthrough closed for the day – these little guys were adorable.

Lemur

I had planned to visit the penguin enclosure at the end of the day, thereby leaving the best until last. In the end I found myself there in the early afternoon and had some fun watching them have their dinner. Finally I saw the boars, who recently had babies and were SO cute.

Penguins

Despite the journey there being a bit of a trek, I really did enjoy my day. Whipsnade is well worth a visit, though if you have a car, I do recommend taking it.

FACTS

Address: Whipsnade, Dunstable, LU6 2LF

Website: zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo

Opening Hours: The zoo is open every day (except Christmas Day) from 10am until 4, 5 or 6pm depending on the time of year.

Prices: Adult prices range from £24.50 to £33 depending on time of year and time of booking. Cheaper prices are available for children, students and seniors.

Northfields Allotments Halloween Trail 2021

Northfields Allotments sign

As I was browsing Facebook earlier this year, up popped an event that intrigued me – the annual Halloween Trail at Northfields Allotments. These allotments are local to me and I love Halloween, so I decided to pay the trail a visit – it was free, after all.

Skeleton in a bath

Northfields Allotments are the oldest allotments in London and apparently this event has been running for a few years (it was cancelled last year due to Covid). It seems to be hugely popular – when I arrived the queue was round the block! Luckily, I managed to find another entrance that was less crowded. Once inside, there was a one-way route round the trail.

Pumpkins in a greenhouse

The plotholders of the allotment clearly went all-out to create a brilliant spectacle. There were some fantastic displays. The event is clearly aimed at children, but that didn’t stop me enjoying myself. I didn’t stop at the refreshments area as it was rather busy, but there were plenty of drinks and food available.

Well done to the team at Northfields for a brilliant event.

Bushy House and Gardens – Open House London

Bushy House

As part of Open House London this weekend I paid a visit to Bushy House and Gardens in Teddington. The house has a long and distinguished history, is a former residence of King William IV and Queen Adelaide, and is now part of the National Physical Laboratory. It is rarely open to the public, so this was an exciting event.

It was a beautiful sunshiny day, and we enjoyed some science demonstrations with liquid nitrogen that were taking place on the lawn. We also explored the grounds, visiting a temple and some impressive trees, including one planted for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, an ancient oak, and an apple tree descended from Newton’s original.

We also found time to visit the house itself. These days the house is most often used for meetings and conferences, although it also contains some laboratories and a museum. The museum mainly contains scientific equipment and also tells the story of the house through the ages.

Bushy House

The house was originally built in 1663 by William Samwell for Edward Proger, but was rebuilt by the Earl of Halifax from 1714 to 1715. In 1797, King George III made his son, the Duke of Clarence, ranger of Bushy Park, and Clarence lived there with his mistress Dorothea Jordan and their ten children. Their relationship ended in 1811 and Clarence’s wife Princess Adelaide moved in after their marriage in 1818. Clarence was at Bushy House in 1830 when a messenger arrived from London to inform him that King George IV was dead and he was now King William IV. After William’s death in 1837, Adelaide continued to reside at the house as ranger until her own death in 1849.

Later in Queen Victoria’s reign, the house was used by members of the exiled French royal family, but became empty after the death of the last of the line. The National Physical Laboratory chose Bushy House for its headquarters, and the Prince of Wales (later King George V) officially opened it in 1902.

It was great to get the chance to visit and everyone had a lovely day.

Bunhill Fields

Entrance to Bunhill Fields

I can’t believe I’ve been living in London for nearly a decade and still haven’t visited Bunhill Fields burial ground. This piece of land in the borough of Islington was a burial place for mainly Nonconformists from 1665 until 1854, and is now a pleasant garden for Londoners to walk through and even sit and eat their lunch on a sunny day.

Bunhill Fields

I visited on one of my days off as I was in central London. It was a cold November day, but it was dry, and the orange leaves made the burial ground look delightfully autumnal. A tree on which numerous birds settled made me feel slightly uneasy, but it added to the atmosphere.

Tree of birds

The name ‘Bunhill’ derives from “Bone hill”: the area experienced occasional burials from at least Saxon times, but was used as a mass deposit for human bones (over 1,000 cartloads) brought from St Paul’s charnel house in 1549. These bones, covered with a thin layer of soil, built up a hill across the otherwise flat area.

In 1665, it seemed a natural decision for the City of London Corporation to use some of this land as a common burial ground for those who had died of plague and could not be buried in the churchyards. The ground was never consecrated or used by the Church of England, so when a Mr Tindal took over the lease, and allowed burials, it was popular with nonconformists: Protestant Christians such as Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists. It was known as ‘Tindal’s Burying Ground’. After closure in the mid-nineteenth century, there was doubt over its future, but it was eventually opened as a public park, and survives as such today, despite extensive damage during World War II.

Bunhill Fields

Bunhill is probably best known as the burial place of three of Britain’s most significant literary figures: John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe and William Blake. All three have monuments which were erected after the closure of the cemetery; as Blake’s isn’t actually on his grave, another was erected on the actual site of his burial in 2018. The monuments are very different: Bunyan has a tomb decorated with pictures of his famous Pilgrim, Defoe has an obelisk, and Blake has a simple headstone. Other notable burials include Susanna Wesley (mother of John and Charles) and Isaac Watts (hymn writer).

Obelisk to Daniel Defoe
Obelisk to Daniel Defoe

Bunhill Fields can be found at 38 City Road, London, EC1Y 2BG, and is open daily until 7pm. It is very close to Old Street underground station, and a short walk from Liverpool Street mainline station.

Kew Gardens

I paid a visit to Kew Gardens on my day off recently. I fancied visiting during the autumn, to experience the changing colours, and it was a weekday too, so much less busy. I spent plenty of time wandering round the grounds.

Autumnal tree

I also got to finally visit the Temperate House: this was closed for refurbishment on my last visit, and didn’t reopen until 2018. There were several interesting plants in this huge space. I also popped into the neighbouring Evolution House.

Temperate House
Inside the Temperate House

I then headed towards the Bamboo Garden and Minka House. The house originally belonged to the Yonezu family and was donated to Kew after their deaths. ‘Minka’ means ‘houses of the people’ and these houses were lived in by rural Japanese people until the mid-20th century.

I spent a good bit of time in the natural woodland towards the far end of the gardens, trying to identify different trees. I’m not sure how successful I was at this, but at least I tried.

holly

Postman’s Park

Postmans Park

Postman’s Park is located just up from St Paul’s Cathedral, not far from the Museum of London. The Park got its name from the postal workers from the nearby General Post Office who used to frequent it at lunchtime. It is a peaceful place to sit, observe nature, perhaps read a book or drink coffee – but that’s not all.

Postmans Park

The Watts Memorial, found within the park, contains 54 plaques, each dedicated to a person who gave their life trying to save someone else. It was designed by artist George Frederic Watts, and was first unveiled in 1900. The penultimate tile was added in 1931, with the final tile added 78 years later in 2009, commemorating Leigh Pitt. There is still space for further plaques – perhaps more will be added in the future?

Watts Memorial

I don’t mind admitting that looking at the plaques made me cry a little bit – particularly the ones involving children.

G. F. Watt's Memorial To Heroic Self-Sacrifice
Henry James Bristow
Alice Ayres
Leigh Pitt