Places
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Anyone who’s watched The Shining late at night has probably had at least one nightmare featuring hotel ghosts. Whether you believe in paranormal encounters or not, be prepared to shiver from more than the autumnal chill in the air if you book at stay at one of these haunted hotels this Halloween. read more The…
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Hammershus, perched on the cliffs of northwest Bornholm in the Baltic, is perhaps Denmark’s best known ruin. It was excavated and renovated at the end of the 1800s up until 1940, but the ruined castle is still shrouded in a mystery with significance to the history of Denmark: who actually built Hammershus, and why? read…
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Buxton Museum and Art Gallery holds archive material relating to Sir William Boyd Dawkins and Dr. J. Wilfrid Jackson. Over the last five years Dr. Brian Goodwin has been researching the archive, looking at the correspondence, photographs, manuscripts and personalia belonging to the two men. As part of this project, Brian has written articles on…
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The list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites whc.unesco.org grew to 1,007 in 161 countries in June when 26 sites were added. For travelers, this is a veritable buffet of possibilities of great destinations.Among the cultural or natural treasures added this year: the Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex Russian Federation, the Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements With Stone…
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Rhubarb is a native plant of Mongolia and is believed to have arrived in Italy in the 15th or 16th century. Large quantities were taken to China on the Silk Road, and it has been recorded that this road could have been known as the Rhubarb Road! A Yorkshireman, Sir Matthew Lister, introduced edible garden…
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Waterfalls are some of the most beautiful natural forms that can be found in the world, their shimmering streams of water hurtling downwards. More fantastic still are waterfalls buried beneath the earth, as rivers flow between stone and rock to form underground torrents. Here are 10 of the most amazing cave waterfalls on the planet.…
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It would have pitied any heart to see what tearing up of the lead there was, and plucking up of boards, and throwing down of the rafters … and all things of price, either spoiled, plucked away or defaced to the uttermost. read more The Suppression of Roche Abbey | English Heritage.
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Most people have heard of the White Horse of Uffington, but less well known is the horse carved into the hillside near Kilburn, North Yorkshire. The figure covers about 1.6 acres and is clearly visible from miles around, especially from the East Coast Main Line railway south of Thirsk, which is where I caught my…
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Love cemeteries? You are not alone. Being a taphophile if you don’t know that’s the official term for it or a tombstone tourist is an increasingly popular hobby. While cemeteries often conjure up images from gothic fiction or hammer horror, many are exceptionally beautiful places with rich histories and unique stories. Though they may be…
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Incredible footage has been captured of Iceland’s largest volcanic system Bardarbunga erupting beneath the spectacular display of the aurora borealis. Bardarbunga erupted over the weekend after weeks of increased seismic activity. The video, uploaded to YouTube by photographer Martin Rietze, begins with a timelapse view of the northern lights, before moving closer to get shots…
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The way that we approach death and the unknown as a society changes rapidly according to technology, poverty, political stability and religious belief. Nowhere is this more evident than in the often forgotten underground crypts, catacombs and charnel houses hidden in some of the most ordinary and extraordinary places on earth. From deeply personal family…
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At first blush, it looks like your usual night sky photography, with stars gleaming off to the side above a rocky landscape. Then you see that weird alien-looking being and you wonder whether otherworldly visitors have finally made an astonishingly showy appearance. read more News – Great shot: Glow worms gleam like stars in Hollow…
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Welcome to Buddhist hell. Between ghastly, oversized concrete statues, and a number of violent scenes, you’ll quickly be asking yourself: “what’s going on here?” read more Dinosaurs and Damnation: The Horror of Buddhist Hell Temples | Atlas Obscura.
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In the 19th Century, the London Underground was created to serve the needs of London’s booming suburbs. Today, the Underground or “Tube” as it’s known colloquially covers 402 kilometres or 250 miles of track and 270 stations. Despite having so many Tube stations now, there are many that go unused, having been shut or one…
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Shopping for a new home or apartment? Worried it might once have been the scene of murder, suicide or murder-suicide? Then there’s a new real estate tool for you: DiedInHouse.com, which answers the question, “Has anybody ever died in this house?” read more Real Estate Tool Reveals Who Has Died in Home or Apartment –…
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Stunning pictures show lava shooting out of Bardarbunga volcano, as one tour operator begins to take tourists on flights over the eruption read more Bardarbunga volcano erupts in Iceland: spectacular photos taken from the sky | Travel | The Guardian.
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Set in good-sized grounds in Belgium, Château D’Ah has been abandoned for some time now after being used as business premises as well as as the family home of the businessman. It would appear the owner was a photographer and printer offering photographic print services and offset printing. Classes in photography and photographic development were…
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After a great weekend of explores around the UK we had almost made it home. The hire car had to be back by 5pm and we were already running late, Myself, Carrot in Motion, and Urbanographer were all knackered and in need of a good bath. We were on the final straight towards home when…
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A Sunday afternoon/evening stroll turned into a little urban exploration, this time in an abandoned in 300 year old mansion. Constructed between 1714 and 1716 as a little country retreat for Lord Gray, the peerage is one of the oldest in Scotland Alexander Gray was created the 1st Lord Gray around 1440. read more Urbex:…
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As Joey Essex travels to Area 51 and the Extraterrestrial Highway in America – we thought we’d investigate the best places to see a UFO around the world… read more Educating Joey Essex: Space Cadet: The 10 best places to spot a UFO around the world.
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Also known as violent houses, unlucky houses and inauspicious abodes, the deathly fear of living in a ‘xiongzhai’ has led to some callous behavior by homeowners as well as several lawsuits read more Taiwan’s ‘murder’and ‘suicide’ houses – Taipei Times.
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Abandoned thermal institute somewhere in Belgium. I wouldn’t have called this place Alla Italia, but the urbex community loves to give strange nicknames to the abandoned places, so the guy who found that place called it Alla Italia. Probably due to the beautiful painted ceillings and the columns that somehow reminded him of the italian…
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ACCORDING to some sources, August 22, 564, exactly 1,450 years ago today, was when St Columba made the first recorded sighting of the Loch Ness Monster. read more Ten things you never knew about Loch Ness | Top 10 Facts | Fun | Daily Express.
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FROM ghostly apparitions of a French girl in a white dress to scuba diving the ruins of the world’s largest ship graveyard, travellers have long been drawn to creepy destinations.Famous for ghost sightings, past horrors or unexplained mysteries, tourist operators report that these spooky spots are becoming increasingly popular with Australian travellers.Travel company Adventure World,…
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The Church of Scientology, famous for its Hollywood celebrity followers, once hailed its new home in north-east England as a centre for spiritual enlightenment. Several years on, the building lies empty and is a haven for squatters and drug users. So will it ever open? read more BBC News – Scientology Gateshead building still empty…