Michael Smith discusses the Gawain-poet's castle Hautdesert, showing how its place in the landscape reflected the zeitgeist of his time.

The poet in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight calls the Green Chapel 'nobot an olde cave' with huge understatement. It was a house of horror.

A description of the magnificent alabaster monument to Sir Hugh de Calveley and the church of St Boniface near Chester, Cheshire.

A review of Christopher Hadley's fascinating new book about a forgotten Roman Road, RR21b, and the traces it has left behind.

A book review of Field Notes by Maxim Peter Griffin. A feast of art and words describing the landscape, mood and people of Lincolnshire.

A history and description of Sueno's Stone, an astonishing Pictish monument to battle still in its original location at Forres in Scotland.

A description of the fascinating early mediaeval motte and bailey, fishponds, village earthworks and church at Lilbourne, Northamptonshire

A few years ago, pre lockdown, I took the opportunity to turn off the M4 and track down an astonishing mediaeval sheela na gig sculpture...

I have been working for some time on a new translation of William of Palerne , which Madden in the nineteenth century called the “romance of William and the Werewolf ”. It is a fascinating story in that it translates a long French romance into a shorter, alliterative telling. William , and a number of other poems from this period form part of a canon of works written in the alliterative style, as opposed to stanzaic tail-end rhymes. This group of romances is now defined as fo

A brief history and description of the evocative and dramatically-sited castle at Dryslwyn. Much remains to impress the visitor today.

A detailed look at two magnificent Norman motte-and-bailey castles in Essex: Great Canfield and Pleshey. Both are well worth the trip to see

A history of Castell Dinas Bran, Llangollen, Denbighshire, Wales, including a detailed site description and photogrpahs.

A detailed look at the magnificent tomb of Sir Randal and Lady Eleanor Brereton at Malpas, Cheshire. A fine example of Chellaston work.

A description, history and site interpretation of Holt Castle, Denbighshire with photography and links to other information sources.

A brief history of Degannwy (Deganwy) castle in North Wales, with a description, photographs and useful links.

Hollow Places is a fascinating examination of how legends grow through time and yet have a basis in truth. A stunning examination of the leg

A review of Dr Debbie Cannon's magnificent play about Lady Bertilak and her love for Sir Gawain - as seen from the point of view of The

The landscape of the Thames valley between Windsor and Maidenhead has an extraordinary and spiritual atmosphere if you clear your head of th

Bolingbroke Castle is a special castle with a history fundamentally linked to the history of England. Built on an hexagonal plan, the castle

Dr Dan Spencer's book on the Medieval castles is a valuable and accessible guide to castles - not what they are but where they appear in