Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

The Knowlton Church ruins and earthworks in Dorset

Posted: 09 Jul 2011 02:00 AM PDT

On a lonely stretch of road in Dorset, in the southwestern coast of England, the intrepid traveler will come upon a peculiar and intriguing site: the lovely ruins of an ancient stone church, surrounded by an even more ancient fixture: An earthwork ring, called a henge, wrapped protectively around the church. This is Knowlton Church.

A visit to Knowlton Church offers a fascinating glimpse of two societies long gone. The henge itself was probably created around 2,500 B.C., and may have been intended for ceremonial use. It's one of a series of earthworks and barrows (burial mounds) in the immediate region and calls to mind the more famous henge, made of standing stones, a bit to the north near Salisbury. Both these ancient monuments call to mind the neolithic inhabitants of this region. You'll swear you can almost sense their presence as you scramble to the top of them to check out the surrounding farm land.

The church itself is a Norman ruin, built in the 12th century. You'll want to wander through the well-maintained , roofless, interior, where you'll marvel at the quality of the stonework that has held up for hundreds of years. The church and the surrounding site offer numerous possibilities for the photographer.

This is a very worthwhile diversion for anyone who happens to find themselves in the south of England. The site is maintained by English Heritage, which, delightfully, lists the times of operation for the site as "any reasonable time" on their website.

Knowlton Church location and hours

Knowlton Church and earthworks
SW of Cranborne on B3078

The church ruins are open to visit at reasonable hours.

Admission is free, and you may find yourself the only visitors at this out-of-the-way but enchanting site.

Photo by trekker308 on flickr

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/knowlton-church-ruins-and-earthworks-dorset/

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Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 02:00 AM PDT

Tokyo is the home of The Tsukiji Fish Market which is the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and it is also the largest wholesale food market of any kind. The market is located in Tsukiji in Central Tokyo and has become a major visitor attraction.

The market is divided into sections. The “inner market” is the wholesale market section where the auctions and most of the fish processing takes place. It also is the area where licensed wholesale dealers operate their small stalls, which there are about 900 stalls.

The market is open daily except Sundays and holidays at 3 am . This is the time the truck arrives with the day’s supply of fresh seafood from all over the world. The unloading of tons of frozen tuna is especially impressive to see. The fish is prepared for the auctions that start around 5:30AM. Only licensed wholesalers and buyers who are agents for food processing companies, restaurants and large retailers are allowed to bid. Visitors to the tuna auction are limited to140 people a day.

Visitors are encouraged to visit Tsukiji’s outer market which caters to the public with small retail shops and restaurants. You can even have fresh sushi for breakfast if you like. You can buy Japanese kitchen tool, fruits, vegetable and restaurant supplies.

There are several strict rules to follow so as not to interfere with the serious busy dealings going on. The rules include the banning of high heel shoes and sandals, no small children or pets, no large bags to be brought in, and also no smoking.