Journal

An interview with Visitor Ambassador, Helen, at Donaghadee Moat and Camera Obscura; one of the most unusual heritage attractions in Northern Ireland. It combines medieval earthwork, a 19th-century gunpowder store, and a rare working optical device that projects live views of the town. 

On clear days Scotland and the Isle of Man can be seen in the distance as well as the town and , harbour walls.  We visited in June 2026 and could indeed see Scotland and the Isle of Man!  

High above the Avon Gorge in Bristol, the Clifton Observatory stands as both a monument to 18th‑century ingenuity and a working portal into the optical past. Obscura Legacies sat down with Alice Hammond, one of the keepers of the site’s celebrated Camera Obscura, to talk about daily life inside one of the few working examples left in Britain.