Saturday 11th June – St Albans Cathedral

St Albans Cathedral (formerly St Albans Abbey, officially The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban) is a Church of England at St Albans. At 84 metres (276 ft) its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England.

With much of its present architecture dating from Norman times, it became a cathedral in 1877 and is the second longest cathedral in the UK (after Winchester). Local residents often call it "the abbey", although the present cathedral represents only the church of the old Benedictine abbey.

The abbey church, although legally a cathedral church, differs in certain particulars from most of the other cathedrals in England: it is also used as a parish church, of which the dean is rector. He has the same powers, responsibilities and duties as the rector of any other parish.

Highgate House hotel – 29th May 2011

Hotel Address: Grooms Lane, Creaton, Northampton, NN6 8NN

Web: http://www.sundialgroup.com/highgatehouse

A ground (6/10) – Highgate House is a country mansion in the picturesque Northamptonshire village of Creaton. Originally a coaching inn, it has evolved over the years into a venue for conferences and wedding events.

Reception (6/10) – fast and efficient service checking with friendly staff throughout the site

Bedroom (6/10) – not all the accommodation is located in the original building, but we were lucky to have a side building with a nice modern room yet with features true to the old manor house. The room come with a nice size bathroom with nice big bath; one down point was that we did run out of hot water at some points. Check out is 10:30 am on Saturday and Sunday.

Hotel facilities (6/10) – The Terrace Restaurant is open every evening to serve dinner between 7pm – 9:30pm, it is recommended to pre-book dinner at time of reservation. Fit to serve large amounts of people for functions such as wedding and conferences. However the food service was rather rushed with food that seemed to be the extras from the wedding party present at the time rather than main to suit, in fact the menu for dinner was quiet limited.  A full English breakfast was available with continental style additions, however the staff was limited at we did not get Tea and Coffee along with our breakfast.  

At Highgate House, guests will find a range of leisure facilities including an indoor swimming pool (06:30 – 20:30), sauna, fitness room, floodlit all-weather tennis court and extensive gardens and grounds. The layout is a bit funny thou, with changing rooms located next to the gym and sauna, then the pool available few minutes’ walk away meaning you had to walk outside in your swim wear.  

Value for money (6/10) – £65 pound for bed and breakfast was a bargain for the facilities present, however it should be noted that this was the price on a Sunday night.

Overall 30/50 = 60%

Late may bank holiday weekend – 1: Blenheim Palace

http://www.blenheimpalace.com/

Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire and is the residence of the duke of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between 1705 and circa 1724. UNESCO recognised the palace as a World Heritage site in 1987. 

Its construction was originally intended to be a gift to John Churchill, 1^st Duke of Marlborough from a grateful nation in return for military triumph against the French and Bavarians at the Battle of Blenheim. However, it soon became the subject of political infighting, which led to Marlborough's exile, the fall from power of his duchess, and irreparable damage to the reputation of the architect Sir John Vanbrugh.

Designed in the rare, and short-lived, English Baroque style, architectural appreciation of the palace is as divided today as it was in the 1720s. It is unique in its combined usage as a family home, mausoleum and national monument. The palace is also notable as the birthplace and ancestral home of Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.

Following the palace's completion, it became the home of the Churchill family for the following 300 years, and various members of the family have in that period wrought various changes, in the interiors, park and gardens. At the end of the 19th century, the palace and the Churchill’s were saved from ruin by an American marriage. Thus, the exterior of the palace remains in good repair and exactly as completed.