At first glance, walking down Deansgate in Manchester, we thought it was a church. And once you're inside, at times you could easily make the same mistake. But no, this is John Rylands Library, and it's never been a church. Enriqueta Rylands commissioned this library in memory of her husband John Rylands in 1889, and […]

When I arrived in Manchester, England, this morning, I was expecting plenty of beautiful Victorian architecture with along with some striking modern structures. Well, they definitely have that there — a great mix of old ornate buildings with some shiny and new. But what intrigued me the most as I wandered around the city jet-lagged […]

I’ve got sheep on the brain — and for good reason. I’m taking a trip to the UK at the end of the month, and I can’t wait! I’m going to Manchester and then heading to Scotland. I’m still trying to figure out my itinerary to Scotland, but I know that I’m sure to encounter […]

When I saw Robin Hood, something about it seemed very familiar. It wasn't the plot, which I thought was a very interesting take on legend, as it left off where most of the other films have chosen to begin. It wasn't Sherwood Forest which I got to visit on my trip to Nottingham, because the […]

England has lots of haunted places — whenever you're getting a tour of an old building, just ask if there have been any ghost sightings. You'll almost always get to hear about some spooky tale. When I asked that of Parks Development Officer Linda Hardy the beautifully crumbling Rufford Abbey, a Cistercian monastery turned country […]

Rufford Abbey, a crumbling monastery-turned-country-house, ended up being one of my favorite attractions in Nottinghamshire, and possibly in all of England. It used to be within what was officially considered Sherwood Forest (home of the Major Oak), but as the forest's land has been divided up it's now its own Rufford Abbey Country Park. It's […]

Robin Hood was a master of archery — that's how he survived the Crusades, attacked the Sheriff's men and put food on the table. So after following in Robin Hood's footsteps by visiting Nottingham Castle, City of Caves and the Major Oak, we decided to go practice our archery skills at the Adrenalin Jungle in […]

Inspired by the tales of Robin Hood, most people visit Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire to see the legendary Major Oak. While the gigantic oak tree is indeed a sight to behold, there are plenty of other lovely hollow oaks, too, as well as other kinds of trees, including silver birches and pines. Based on the […]

Legend has it that the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest was a hiding spot for Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men. The Major Oak has a major reputation to live up to, and I'm pleased to report that it did. That's a good thing, because Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve's 400,000 visitors per […]

When you go to Nottingham, it’s Robin Hood this and Robin Hood that. Which begs the question: Is there a real Robin Hood? Yes, and it’s this guy.