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| ENGLAND |
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As the 18th-century writer Samuel Johnson said "a man who is tired of London is tired of life".
Founded by the Romans as Londinium in the 1st century AD London now spreads outwards from these origins by the River Thames to sustain a population over 7 million making it easily Europe's largest city. The city is steeped in heritage evoking various historical periods from the Romans through the various Royal Dynasties all leaving their marks on the capital. As a center for finance, politics, the media and the arts this mix gives the city an intensely cultured flavour. This is reflected in the range of activities and entertainments on offer from culinary delights from all parts of the world to the thrill and diversity of West End theatre. Its history of attracting people from all corners of the globe also lends it a distinctly cosmopolitan air. As well as the hustle and bustle of city living London also has its oasis of calm in the form of impressive parks such as Hyde Park or Hampstead Health affording stunning city views.
Possibly the most easily recognisable façade of any building in the world Buckingham Palace was a townhouse at the beginning of the eighteenth century. It is now the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837 when Queen Victoria first took up residence, just three weeks after her accession. Attractions include watching the Changing of the Guard and summer visits to the lavishly State Rooms during the Queen's annual visit to Scotland which includes the Throne Room, Ballroom, State Dining Room and Music Room
Tower
of London & Tower Bridge
Begun
in 1078 by William the Conqueror, the Tower has had many functions including
a prison, palace, treasury and most bizzarely a zoo! Today visitors can
visit the the Bloody Tower site of many notorious executions and imprisonments
and Medieval PalaceTower. Perhaps most famously it also houses the Crown
Jewels a collection of jewelled gold and silver royal regalia.
Tower Bridge was built between 1886 and 1894 by the City of London Corporation
to link the city with the then bustling docks in the southeast end. Although
the two bascules which carry the famous raisable roadway each weigh over
1,000 tons, they can be raised hydraulically in under two minutes.
St Paul's Cathedral is Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece, built in after Great Fire in 1666 of Portland stone and topped by an enormous lead-covered dome that's second in size only to St Peter's in Rome, it was completed in 1710.
The London Eye
A stunning new landmark
on the banks of the River Thames, the worlds biggest observation wheel
ever designed at 135 meters high gives passengers a unique perspective
of London, on a clear day, you can see for 25 miles - as far as Heathrow
Airport and Windsor Castle.
Westminster Abbey
The
setting for every Coronation since 1066 and for numerous other Royal occasions.
Today it is still a functioning church with regular worship as well as
the focal point for many important national events such as the marriage
of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Reflecting the development of British
history over the centuries it is a burial place of kings, statesmen, warriors,
scientists, musicians and poets.
Houses of Parliament & Big Ben
Situated
on the banks of the River Thames the British parliament is the seat of
the Government of the UK. Edward the Confessor had the original palace
built in the eleventh century. After a fire in 1834 destroyed much of
the original palace the present Gothic masterpiece was built between 1840
and 1888, to blend with nearby Westminster Abbey. Found here is another
of Londons most famous landmarks the clock tower of Big Ben. named after
the thirteenth bell which strikes the hour.
One of the oldest and largest museums in the world containing over 90 galleries housing many famous artifacts such as The Parthenon Frieze from Greece and a world-class collection of mummies from ancient Egypt.
It is important to note that the British Museum along with many other galleries and museums in London are totally free.
York
Surrounded by ancient stone walls and four impressive medieval Bars or
gates York is an extremely picturesque and compact city, suffused in history
most notably Roman, as the Romans established York as their northern headquarters,
and Viking, as York underwent Scandinavian rule for a century.
Attractions include York Minster which is the largest gothic cathedral in Northern Europe with a visit to the Central Tower affords spectacular views over the city. The Jorvik Viking Centre explores York's 10th Century Viking past with the Viking-Age city constructed according to recent archaeological evidence recreating the atmosphere, sights, sounds and smells beneath the city. It is also possible to take a boat tour of the city and see where Saxons fought Vikings in 1066, where monks entertained their guests and witches were ducked in the middle ages.
Bath
This World Heritage Site developed around the site of ancient thermal
springs which are now restored to form the popular Roman Baths and
Museum. The sheer ingenuity of Roman engineering is evidenced by the
intricate network of pipes, pools and the underground heating system.
Additional attractions include the Jane Austen Centre dedicated
to the famous author who lived and worked here and Bath Abbey.
Begun in 1499, Bath Abbey is the last of the great medieval churches of
England. Over the last twelve and a half centuries, three different churches
have occupied this site. The present Abbey church founded in 1499, was
ruined after the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 by order of Henry
VIII and subsequently restored by successive generations.
Visitors will once again be able to enjoy the spas
with the opening in the Spring of 2003 of the Bath Spa Project.
Lake
District National Park
Consisting
of most of the peninsula county of Cumbria on the west coast just south
of Scotland this area is perhaps
most famous for its literary associations. It
was here that many Romantic poets found inspiration. The most famous probably
being William Wordsworth though Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Tennyson,
John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley also have a strong association with
the area. The area contains 16 stunning lakes as well as mountains, wooded
valleys and plentiful waterfalls. The mixture of towns and remote quietude
give something for everyone.
Located between Manchester and Sheffield, this area is famous as the setting for Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights'. It was the first of the designated National Parks in 1951. The more dramatic scenery of peaks and dark moors exist mostly in the north. The area also contains rolling hills as well as stunning valleys.
These peaks are also the start of the walking trai,l the Pennine Way which ends at the border with Scotland 250 milesto the north.
Cambridge
North of London, Cambridge along with Oxford is world famous for its university.
Indeed legend has it that in 1209 it was disgruntled scholars from Oxford
who came to Cambridge to establish a new university setting up the first
college Peterhouse about 75 years later. Over the centuries colleges were
added culminating in the last to make a total of 31 in 1977. The stunning
architecture of the colleges reflects the gamut of British heritage as
they were often the result of Kings and other wealthy patrons. One of
the favourite activities for tourists is‘punting' or boating with
long poles on the river that winds its way past the colleges. Other attractions
include one of a few British round chapels built in the 1100s as well
as a Bridge of Sighs based on the one in Venice.
Famous of course for being the birthplace of the Bard, William Shakespeare in 1564.Indeed the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust manages 5 local 'Shakespeare houses' with one admission ticket allowing entrance to them all.
It should be remembered that as well as their association with Shakespeare these buildings also allow a rare insight into middle-class Elizabethan life.
Mary Arden's House is the house in which Shakespeare's mother lived as a young girl and which she inherited when her father died. Additionally the accompanying museum represents many of the daily activities of the day many of which are mentioned in Shakespeare's plays. Shakespeare's Birthplace is remains true to how it would have been at the time, annexed to this is the Shakespeare Centre containing a library and study center. Anne Hathaway's Cottage is the thatched cottage where Shakespeare's wife Anne lived until she married him. The cottage itself affords an educational glimpse of what life was like in the 1500s. Hall's Croft was the home of Shakespeare's daughter Susanna and her husband, Dr. John Hall and is a prime example of the Tudor style. New Place & Nash's House are where Shakespeare retired . New Place was demolished long ago leaving behind a garden in which one can contemplate the Bard's contribution to the Western canon. Shakespeare's final resting place is within Holy Trinity Church. The Parish contains records of his baptism and burial but perhaps most famously also houses the playwright's bust sculpted soon after his death.
Windsor
Windsor
Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied
castle in the world. The Castle has been a royal palace and fortress for
over 900 years, William the Conqueror chose the site, and remains a working
palace today. Visitors can walk around the State Apartments, extensive
suites of rooms at the heart of the working palace; for part of the year
visitors can also see the Semi State rooms, which are some of the most
splendid interiors in the castle. They are furnished with treasures from
the Royal Collection including paintings by Holbein, Rubens, Van Dyck
and Lawrence, fine tapestries and porcelain, sculpture and armour.
Stonehenge
This pre-historic
megalithic monument stands shrouded in myth and mystery. Speculation is
rife as to the purpose of this Neolithic site. The manner in which the
sun's says enter the central area at dawn on midsummers day has lended
credibility to the theories that the site was intended as a place for
sun worship or built to calculate the annual calendar and seasons.
