Beyond the City: Windsor, Eynesford, and a 5AM Walk Through London
November turned out to be a month of contrasts — quiet historic villages, royal grandeur, and an early morning wander through a still-sleeping London.
The month started with a trip southeast to Eynesford in Kent, a village I'd not visited before. It's small but punches well above its weight historically — a Roman fort, a crumbling medieval castle, an unexpectedly beautiful world-inspired garden, and a nature reserve along the river. Just further south, the Shoreham WWII Museum adds a more sobering layer to the day. It's the kind of place that rewards a slow wander rather than a quick visit.
A few weeks later I headed west to Windsor. The castle needs no introduction, but it was the Long Walk that made the day — five kilometres of open parkland leading up to the Copper Horse statue, with the castle gradually shrinking behind you. On a clear autumn day, the combination of space, light, and history felt genuinely cinematic.
The month ended with the second 5AM Photo Club walk — Oxford Circus at dawn, then through Carnaby Street and Regent Street to Trafalgar Square. There's something almost unreal about standing on Regent Street before the buses and taxis arrive. The light at that hour is worth the alarm call every time.
A month of contrasts, then — and a good reminder of how much is within easy reach of London if you're willing to look for it.
