Cutty Sark, - Greenwich

Cutty Sark 

I have always wanted to visit this boat, but for some reason, I never got around to it. So, during our annual trip to London before school started, my daughter and I decided to hit up Greenwich and check out a few different places, and this boat was one of them. Once we were on the boat, we spent a good hour or so exploring it. However, it was quite busy since we went on a weekend, but we were still able to see everything. The boat itself is really interesting.

This lovely boat was built in Scotland in 1869, but London became its home. In 1870, the boat traveled to China with over 1.3 million pounds of tea on board. It is said to have cost just a little over £16,150 to build. The boat was also opened twice by Queen Elizabeth II, in 1957 and again in 2012 after it was restored.

St Alfege Church - Greenwich

  St Alfege church

While in Greenwich, I came across this church. The first time I walked past, it was closed since it opened at noon. I decided to stroll back into town and visited this lovely little church later. The staff there were really friendly and informative. Walking around the church was delightful and so peaceful.

This charming church has been rebuilt several times. It was originally constructed in 1290, and Henry VIII was baptized here around 1491. Unfortunately, in a storm in 1710, the church collapsed, leading to its reconstruction between 1712 and 1714. This church dates back to medieval times and is also Grade I listed, so it's definitely worth checking out if you're in the Greenwich area.

St John the Evangelist, Ickham Kent

St John The Evangelist

This was one of the first places on my list that I wanted to visit that day. The drive there wasn’t bad, and the weather was really nice. However, I felt a bit out of place because the town is small, and it seems like everyone knows one another. I did get some odd looks when I parked and walked to the church, but honestly, that kind of stuff doesn’t bother me at all.

Once inside the church, I didn’t spend much time looking around, as most churches tend to look similar. However, some have unique features, and while some are well-kept, others are left run-down.

This church was really pretty inside, even though it was small, and it had some really cool features.

This stunning church dates back to Norman times, with 13th and 14th century additions. It is located 5 miles east of Canterbury and was constructed mainly of flint.

Hythe Sound mirror - kent

 Hythe Sound Mirror 

The Hythe Sound Mirror has been on my to-do list for over two years. I tried to visit it once before, but I couldn't figure out how to get to the mirrors. This time, I discovered a footpath leading right up to them. I'm not sure how I missed this before, but it doesn’t matter now. Somehow, the weather was on our side, although it did become quite moody as we were heading back down. I really thought it was going to rain on us. On our way down, we encountered a group of locals walking up to the sound mirrors, so it seems to be a hangout spot for residents. The sound mirror itself was much larger than I expected, I won’t lie. It’s a shame that it hasn’t been restored or that anyone seems interested in saving it, as it's slowly crumbling and becoming overgrown. However, it was a really cool experience to see this abandoned sound mirror. The Hythe Sound Mirror is located on the roughs. In fact, there was a smaller 20-foot mirror built in 1923, alongside this larger 30-foot one, which was also constructed around the same time. These two mirrors were experimental ones, following trials conducted elsewhere in 1922. Unfortunately, the smaller 20-foot mirror collapsed, while the 30-foot one has survived but has since been fenced off due to its deterioration.