About Past Remains

Past Remains was my architectural & landscape history website and I originally started this blog version in order to save my pages (over 300!), since the website builder had become unstable and virtually unusable. As it happens, while rewriting my articles it's given me the opportunity to greatly extend them with a lot more information, anecdotes and photos...as well as correct a lot of iffy grammar! And, as it's a lot more enjoyable to use, I decided to make the blog my primary site for all the new stuff too.

Sadly, after 12 years I had to let the website go this year (2021) as things went from bad to worse. So now it's just my blog, which I'm still adding pages to, both from the now defunct website as well as new locations. Also I've changed the name to Past Remains in South-West Britain to make it a bit more distinctive, even though there are some locations elsewhere in Britain. At least they're all on the West side, although not all in the South-West. ;)

Anyway, here's a copy of the website Home page with my mission statement...
 

A view of yesterday from today

Remains of our national and local history surround us. Despite the state of flux and change to the urban and rural landscape there are reminders of that history, spanning from as long ago as 5,000 years to our more recent past. The way the landscape has changed is evident in prehistoric earthworks, such as hillforts, stone circles and barrows, and can also be seen from the effects of farming, travel and industry. Quarries, mills, canals and railways, etc, have all had an impact on the landscape, leaving many interesting and delightful traces of former activities. 

This is a personal record of discovering many of these delightful remains, from the more dramatic of them - Stonehenge, castles and cathedrals, for instance - to the more prosaic and easily overlooked, such as the vernacular architecture and the connection between local buildings to the landscape. It also includes Urban Exploration of the more recent past, of derelict and abandoned buildings, military installations and defences from WW2, industrial structures, as well as evidence of earlier history. Past trade and leisure activities are seen along the way, together with various oddities still to be found in town and countryside - monuments, decaying machinery, old street furniture and other charming curiosities.

Most places visited are in and around East Devon and West Dorset, but also include some from elsewhere in Britain. The continuing quest will see further discoveries, many additions and on-going updates to this site, as well as further inclusion of previous visits from the last few years (now almost up to date but I still come across the odd old negatives or slides in my collection that I'd like to share), so please keep looking...and I hope you enjoy the journey.

COPYRIGHT: Please note that all text and photographs are the copyright of Eileen Wright, and should not be copied, downloaded or used without the owner's permission. Contact for permission may be made through the website or blog.

DISCLAIMER: I do not advocate visits to places other than those where the public are allowed. Any trespassing or visits to potentially dangerous sites are therefore at your own discretion and you are responsible for any subsequent problems encountered.