Stone Temple, Royal Pavilion, Ruined Castle

Tuesday 22 November

A very foggy morning but not too cold as we pack up and set off towards Brighton, about 3 hours away, stopping at Stonehenge along the way.

Our GPS initially takes us along the back roads which is great for saving time but usually means narrow roads with hedges on either side which make it difficult to see what's coming around the corner.

The fog stays with us but seems to lift as we arrive at Stonehenge and there is even a bit of sunshine breaking through. Even though this is the low season, the car park is pretty full and there are several tour and school buses.

We gain free admittance being National Trust members and everyone gets free audio guides.

The stones are set in a large field now enclosed with a high fence, however, those not wishing to pay the entry fee simply stand outside this fence and try to take photos over it. There are plans to change the entry point and close the road which passes right in front to prevent this and also preserve the area further.

You cannot get too close to the stones as they are behind a roped area, but hundreds of years ago souvenir hunters would chip away pieces of the stones. Even more of a shame is that some of the stones were carted away and used in construction.

It is a very impressive sight anyway and the audio guide explains how some of the stones came from Wales which would have meant a sea journey as well as carting them across vast expanse of land. The shear size of them – the largest weighs 42 tonnes – makes the thought of this inconceivable.

The construction which is here is apparently the third which occurred on this site. The first consisted of wooden poles, the second were stones and the third involved moving and adding to those stones.

No-one really knows why they were placed here between 3000 and 2000BC but the best guess is for religious and burial purposes. There is a very large burial mound located not far and more of them scattered in nearby fields.

This was a great visit which we thoroughly recommend.  The rest of our photos of Stonehenge are here.

Taking the M4 we find ourselves heading for Gatwick and London but we've not got a rendezvous there just yet so deviate and head for Brighton and Hove, coastal towns to the south.

The fog and grey skies have stayed with us most of the day and some rain starts as we pull into our camp site, Sheepcote Valley Caravan Club Site, but there should be brighter weather tomorrow for us to explore.

Wednesday 23 November

Happy birthday to our girlfriend Delly. It's a beautiful, clear morning and a chilly 5 degrees to begin. Top temp should reach around 10 degrees. What happened to warmer weather down south?!

The town is around a 45 minute walk away so we head off and get to the seaside within 10 minutes. The Marina is to our left but we head towards town on the right.

This time there is no sand at the beach, it's all quite large pebbles. Lovely to look at but walking and lying on them must be quite uncomfortable. Probably in summer you can hire deck chairs or you would bring a rubber mat to lie on.

Much to our amusement, they have built up one section of pebbles into a privacy screen for the naturalists. Who would have thought the British would want to get all their kit off in public! Today though we see some very keen people (must be locals or from Norway) going for a swim with bikinis and budgie smugglers on. Brrrr. We're wearing thermals :)

As we get closer to the Brighton Pier with all the amusement rides, reminding us of Blackpool, we see a huge fog bank moving towards it and across the ocean.

The Brighton Eye is probably the size of the Wheel of Brisbane at Southbank and has a few takers enjoying the lovely day. Normally it's 8 pounds for a ride but you can get the VIP pod which fits 4 people for 55 pounds or 75 pounds with ½ a bottle of champers.

We head into the city for a coffee and come upon St Paul's church which looks like it's made of the same pebbles as on the beach. It is under repair at the moment and we can only have a look at the inside from a distance. Apparently repairs would have been finished last Christmas but some oily rags left behind by workers caught fire so the work is ongoing. What we saw was very beautiful anyway.

Tomorrow's weather should be a little less sunny so we'll leave our visit to the Royal Pavilion and Museum for then. We go and have a look anyway to take photos while the weather is good.

The Pavilion is a totally crazy looking place and would have looked even more so when it was commissioned by the Prince of Wales in 1787 as his place to meet up with his mistress on week-ends. It's a combination of Oriental palace and Indian Taj Mahal and is really very striking in an over the top way. The columns with large water lily features at the base are stunning. We can't wait to have a look inside tomorrow.

We head back down towards the pier to enjoy a fish and chip lunch by the seaside and are watched eagerly by a very large seagull.

There is another pier, the West Pier but it was basically destroyed in 1974 by a fire or two. Unfortunately they've left the wrecked skeleton of the pier standing there which looks rather sad. There are apparently plans to rebuild, but that seems highly unlikely.

On the Brighton Pier however, all the rides and amusement arcades are open but due to it being the low season, it's not really bustling. It's great anyway.

We walk back to have a look at the Marina which doesn't look much as you approach with buildings and the overpass covered in graffiti. 

But once we arrive at the shops, restaurants and apartments, you can see the investment made here. Everything is here for the residents – supermarket, cinemas, gymnasium, restaurants and the marina filled with beautiful yachts and fishing vessels.

It's been a big walking day even though all on the flat, but we'll do it all again tomorrow.

Thursday 24 November

A little overcast this morning so only 11 degrees. We walk back into town to check out the Royal Pavilion which we find out later Queen Victoria sold to the Brighton & Hove council in 1850 for 53 000 pounds.

George, the Prince of Wales was the original owner and he loved coming to Brighton for it's “medicinal waters” and to entertain. His love continued when he became Prince Regent (1788) when his father went mad and then King (1820) when his father died.

We thought the outside of the Pavilion was loud and showy, but the inside is 100 times more so with it's continued Chinese theme. The entrance is unassuming but then the drama begins in the Long Gallery filled with Chinese artwork and faux bamboo carved from wood.  Unfortunately they do not allow you to take any photos, so the following are sourced from the web.  The photos just don't do it justice - you will have to see it for yourself one day.

A trip upstairs sees us in the Banqueting Hall which is so incredible that we literally stood there with our mouths agape trying to take everything in. Absolutely nothing we've seen in any other Castle, Palace or Residence comes close to this splendour.

The central chandelier weighing a tonne is clutched by an enormous bronze dragon and four phoenix hold the corner chandeliers. Lotus flowers are a predominant feature. It's almost like walking into a Chinese theatre. The dining table can seat 30 (George liked to sit in the middle rather then at the head) and the other decorative features of vases, golden platters, crystal glasses and large buffets with lion feet bases are magnificent.

There is a large, very modern (for the time) kitchen in the next room complete with four palm tree columns holding up the ceiling and five automated rotisseries in the oven. Ventilation windows were added later in the ceiling to prevent cooking fumes reaching the guests.

The drawing room, where guests would have come after dinner is more subtle but still very elegant, but the music room is once again magnificently loud.

Again here there are dragons and snakes holding lights, curtains, columns and the ceiling is covered with hundreds of golden scallops. Resplendid as it is today, sadly this room suffered major damage in 1975 when an arsonist set fire to it. And just as the restoration work was being concluded 11 years later, a hurricane caused an exterior minaret to crash down into the room thus obliterating all the hard work. Some said the combination of dragons and snakes (unlucky according to the Chinese) was the reason for the bad luck.

Normally this is where a castle tour would end but we were able to continue to see some of the guest bedrooms – that of the King's two brothers – Queen Victoria's bedroom once she reigned and the ground floor bedroom King George used in his later years when he was infirmed. A room not open for viewing was his bathroom which sounded as large as a public swimming bath with several bath tubs to accommodate fresh or sea water.

During Word War I the Pavilion was used as a hospital for injured Indian soldiers with the Banqueting and Music Rooms turned into hospital wards.

Queen Victoria with her large family of 9 children didn't like the Pavilion so basically took out all the furnishings and closed it up. It was Queen Mary (wife of George V) who returned many of them.

One amazing piece of artwork was a bust portrait of King George IV done entirely in minuscule mosaic tiles as a gift from the Pope of the day. From a distance it just looks like a painting.

We just didn't want to leave the place, it was so amazingly beautiful and because it's the low season, we didn't feel rushed. Totally loved it and highly recommend as a must see.

After lunch we attempted the Museum but couldn't get into it after being blown away by the Pavilion so decided to head home via the back streets to see what was happening locally.

And there certainly was a lot happening with many small shops, boutiques, antique dealers and cafes bustling with local trade and plenty of apartment buildings, all just a couple of streets from the beach.

Tonight we walked back to the Marina for dinner which was fabulous but it was too cold to walk home so we caught a taxi.

This is our last adventure on the coast as tomorrow we head towards London. Apart from the wind in certain places, the weather has been kind to us and we've thoroughly enjoyed the southern coast and would certainly return.

The rest of our photos of Brighton are here.

Friday 25 November

A few early morning showers cleared to a beautiful day, perfect for our travels towards London.  But first we head along the coast to take in the White Cliffs of ... Brighton!

Along the way we stopped to visit National Trust administered Bodiam Castle, 9 miles north of Hastings. The Parliamentarians destroyed its enterior but the outside is pristine and looks like what a medieval castle should look like, complete with moat.

It was built in 1385 by Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, but was obviously very modern for its day as each bedroom had it's own toilet.

Very steep spiral staircases take us to these bedrooms and to the upper battlements for a great 360 degree view of the surrounding valley.

John Fuller bought the ruined castle in 1829 and partially restored it as did the final owner, Lord Curzon before he bequeathed it to the National Trust upon his death in 1925.

During World War II a bunker was built on the grounds in front of the castle to protect it from an enemy invasion but luckily none eventuated.

It was an absolute pleasure to visit this building and though a lot of it is destroyed, you still get the feel for how grand it would have once been.

Back on the road towards London, we encounter some heavy after work traffic and finally arrive at our camp site, Crystal Palace Caravan Club Site after nightfall (4:45pm).

There are more photos of Bodiam Castle here.

And so our return to London completes our travels around the UK.  We are going to take it easy for the next few days, visit some family and friends, ahead of our flight home, which departs Heathrow on Wednesday night.  We should be back in OZ early Friday morning.  Although there is a strike by public servants across the UK on Wednesday, including Border Control staff, that may well disrupt us, although the impact is supposed to be on arriving passengers - not departing passengers - we will see!


We have had such an amazing time during our 6 month adventure and feel so blessed to have been able to do it at this time in our life.  The history lesson we've had and the beautiful things we've seen has opened our eyes.  But we're still glad to call Brisbane, Australia home and very much looking forward to our return.  Thanks to everyone who followed our adventure and for your words of encouragement and appreciation along the way.


Bill and Sylvi xo
(no longer Motorhome Virgins)