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Basildon Park added to National Trust in South East by clinkadink on 10/09/2023

Parking & TOAL: 51.493479, -1.115587

The masterpiece of John Carr of York, this Palladian villa was built for Sir Francis Sykes between 1776 and 1783. It is a beautifully balanced building of warm Bath stone consisting of a main central block joined to individual pavilions by single-storey linkages.

Sykes was the youngest son of a Yorkshire yeoman farmer who made a fortune working for the East India Company on the great Sub-Continent. He held many important posts including Factor & Chief of Kasimbazara and resided at the Court of the Nawab of Bengal, until ill-health forced him to return to England in 1768. He bought Basildon from the estate of Viscount Fane, three years later. Sykes was a close friend of Warren Hastings, the Governor-General of India, who lived at nearby Purley Hall and, along with a number of other 'nabobs' resident in the vicinity, he helped give Berkshire its reputation of being the "English Hindoostan". He was created a baronet in 1781.

Basildon was inherited by Sir Francis' grandson and namesake in 1804, when parts of the house were still incomplete. Unfortunately, Sir Francis Junior inherited massive debts from his spendthrift father and, in 1838, the estate was sold to James Morrison MP, one of the richest of the early Victorian merchant princes. He was a famous art-lover who became instrumental in the setting up of the National Gallery. He exclaimed of Basildon, "What a casket to enclose pictorial gems!". His architect, John Papworth, undertook a number of sympathetic alterations at the house between 1837 and 1842, after which the family took up full residence in the best of Victorian traditions.

The last of the Morrisons died in 1910, after which Basildon often stood empty. It was used as a convalescent home for Berkshire regimental soldiers during the Great War, but subsequently fell into an increasing state of dilapidation. The estate was purchased by the 1st Lord Iliffe in 1928 in order to expand his Yattendon lands and the house was sold on to a George Ferdinando. This man had planned to have the place systematically demolished and re-erected in the United States! A scheme which, fortunately, never came to fruition, though many of the decorative fittings can now be seen in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Miraculously, in 1952, Basildon was repurchased by Lord Iliffe's son and his new bride who set about restoring the place to its present splendour. Many fixtures and fittings were bought from other country houses whose fate was not so fortunate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basildon_Park

View and discuss this location in more detail on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.49878, -1.121342 • what3words: ///stealthier.curated.tumble

The originator declared that this location was not inside a Flight Restriction Zone at the time of being flown on 10/09/2023. It remains the responsibility of any pilot to check for any changes before flying at the same location. Landowner permission may be required before taking off.

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St Andrew’s Church, Monmouthshire (By gasbag43)

St Andrew’s is a quintessential Welsh border church, primarily dating to the 14th and 15th centuries, though it occupies a much older sacred site. Its most famous historical treasure is a Roman funerary monument—the Julian Gaudentius stone—discovered beneath the floor, dedicated to a soldier of the Second Augustan Legion based at nearby Caerleon.

The Julian Gaudentius stone is one of the most significant Roman artifacts found in a Welsh parish church. Discovered in the late 18th century, it is a Di Manibus (dedicated to the spirits of the dead) funerary monument. The stone's presence suggests that the site of St Andrew’s may have been a Roman villa or a roadside burial ground long before the first Christian timber or stone church was erected.

Roman law forbade burials within the walls of a fortress, so soldiers were often buried along the roads leading out of Caerleon.

The architectural character of the church is defined by its sturdy, defensive-looking western tower and a traditional nave and chancel.

The image highlights the church’s secluded position within the rolling Monmouthshire landscape. The sprawling graveyard, dotted with weathered headstones, underscores its role as a focal point for the community over the centuries.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.64906, -2.897732 • what3words: ///divider.lengthen.assets

St Michaels Plumpton, Lewes (By grandad1950)

St Michaels grade 1 listed parish church is quite unusual as it is located in the middle of Plumpton Agricultural College in East Sussex. When I went the fields around the church had lamas and sheep in them. The church dates from the 11th Century

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.90506, -0.071677 • what3words: ///skater.fracture.baroness

Llandegfedd Reservoir, Torfaen (By gasbag43)

Inaugurated in 1965 by Cardiff Corporation Waterworks, Llandegfedd Reservoir was constructed to meet the burgeoning industrial and domestic water demands of Southeast Wales. Spanning 434 acres on the border of Monmouthshire and Torfaen, it was created by damming the Sor Brook, though its primary water source is pumped directly from the River Usk.

The two images i've posted capture the reservoir’s dual identity as a feat of civil engineering and a premier site for recreation -

• The Panorama: This wide shot highlights the massive earth-fill embankment dam and the surrounding 400 acres of SSSI-designated land (Site of Special Scientific Interest), emphasising its role as a vital habitat for overwintering wildfowl.

• The Intake Tower: The top-down perspective showcases the iconic concrete valve tower and access bridge. This structure is the "heart" of the operations, regulating water flow before it is pumped to the Sluvad Treatment Works.

Today, managed by Welsh Water, the site has evolved from a strict utility into a hub for sailing, fishing, and conservation, balancing the region's thirst with a commitment to ecological preservation.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.6861, -2.97502 • what3words: ///fallback.perfect.silks

St Peters Hamsey, Lewes (By grandad1950)

The tiny hamlet of Hamsey in the South Downs National park has a lovely ancient grade 1 listed church of St Peters and fine views over the river ouse. It is reached via a long single lane track with little parking if you drive

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.89117, 0.009614 • what3words: ///fire.consults.diet

The Bishop's Palace, Cardiff (By gasbag43)

The Bishop’s Palace at Llandaff was once the fortified residence of the Bishops of Llandaff. Constructed primarily in the late 13th century, it served as a symbol of ecclesiastical power and a necessary defence against local unrest.

The palace was largely destroyed during the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr in 1404, leaving it the ruin seen today.

The Twin-Towered Gatehouse: In Photo 1, the massive gatehouse dominates the lower right corner. Its ruined state reveals the thick stone masonry required for a fortified manor.

The Curtain Wall: Photo 2 captures the rectangular "enclosure" layout. You can see the surviving stone walls that originally protected the inner courtyard, now a peaceful green space. This space once contained a magnificent Great Hall against the far wall, where the Bishop would host guests and conduct legal business.

To the rear of the site (visible in the top-left of the photos near the modern scaffolding), there would have been private chambers, kitchens, and storehouses that supported a large medieval household.

Modern Preservation: In both photos, blue scaffolding and protective fencing are visible on the far corner, highlighting ongoing conservation efforts to stabilize the medieval masonry for future generations.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.49446, -3.217337 • what3words: ///return.asks.bits

Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff (By gasbag43)

Llandaff Cathedral stands on one of Britain's oldest Christian sites, with roots reaching back to a 6th-century community founded by St. Dyfrig. The present structure began in 1107 under Bishop Urban. Over centuries, it evolved through Gothic expansions, suffered devastation during the English Civil War, and faced near-ruin after the "Great Storm" of 1703.

The top-down view highlights the cathedral’s unique "long-church" floor plan, lacking the traditional transepts (the "arms" of a cross). You can clearly see the moss-covered central nave and the Lady Chapel extending to the east.

The side profile image showcases the striking asymmetry of its West Front with the Jasper Tudor Tower (left - a 15th-century perpendicular Gothic tower) and the Prichard Tower and Spire (right - a 19th-century Victorian addition that replaced a collapsed medieval tower).

Despite being nearly levelled by a German parachute mine in 1941, the cathedral was meticulously restored by George Pace, blending its medieval soul with modern resilience.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.49577, -3.21801 • what3words: ///spins.flips.cheek

Caerleon Roman Amphitheatre, Newport (By gasbag43)

The Caerleon Roman Amphitheatre is the most complete site of its kind in Britain, once serving as the entertainment hub for the legionary fortress of Isca Augusta. Built around AD 90, it was designed to accommodate the entire Second Augustan Legion for gladiatorial combat.

The structure is a massive elliptical earthwork - the entire structure measuring approximately 82 metres by 68 metres. The Arena Floor is roughly 56 by 42 metres, while the tiered wooden banks, which rested on the stone-walled shells seen in the image, rose high enough to seat 6,000 spectators.

The shot highlights the eight vaulted entrances. The two largest openings at the ends of the long axis were the main processional gates. The smaller side chambers, some of which still show stone steps, led to "boxes" reserved for high-ranking officers.

I’ve added as additional piece of media an AI mock up of the amphitheatre based on the photo and local archaeological exploration

It’s a CADW site, so the usual restrictions on TOAL inside the perimeter are in place

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.60782, -2.956799 • what3words: ///locate.motel.others

Southover Grange Gardens, Lewes (By grandad1950)

Home to Lewes Register Office, the beautiful Southover Grange is fine 16th-century manor house set within the picturesque Southover Grange gardens. Tucked away in a quiet area of Lewes town centre. A good spot to fly in the busy town centre but you will need to find local street parking

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.87056, 0.008437 • what3words: ///outs.aboard.straw

Stanley Turner Ground Lewes, Lewes (By grandad1950)

Sharing the same facilities Lewes Rugby Club and the cricket club sit by the river nestled under the South Downs just to the south of the town. Its a good place to fly if there are no matches on. Good views of the downs and the river

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.86431, -0.002551 • what3words: ///eggs.gent.cracks

Hickling Basin on the Grantham Canal, Rushcliffe (By bryand)

I have been trying to document the current state of the Grantham Canal as it wends its way across the Vale of Belvoir. The Canal is mostly owned by the Canal and Rivers Trust, who have an NT-like policy. However there are enough bridges over the canal to provide TOAL spots without upsetting anybody.
Hickling Basin, at the southernmost point on the Canal is now a tourist spot popular with dog walkers. Probably best seen at this time of year with no foliage to hide the landscape and before nesting season.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 52.85842, -0.975287 • what3words: ///factored.kebab.spooned


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