Posts Tagged ‘England’

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Where To Go When Visiting Europe

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

Italy promises to have something for everyone, it boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world in the south whereas the north can offer the natural beauty of the Alps. The history offered by cities like Rome and Venice is richer and more diverse than almost anything offered by any other city in the world. If you’re looking into villas in Italy you’ll need to understand a bit about the basic culture before you leave. For example the style of driving in Italy is renowned for being more than a little aggressive and shouldn’t be under taken by the faint hearted holiday maker. When planning out clothes you might want to bear in mind the south can be quite conservative so you should avoid walking around in skimpy clothing.

Like Italy Greece also has a rich and diverse history with the Gods of Olympus favouring these thousands of tiny islands. By opting to rent villas in Greece instead of booking into a hotel you’re more likely to really get to experience the real culture of this country. By taking in a few of the many museums you’ll really be able to get a feel for the history of this beautiful country. The Olympia ruins along with the ruins of the temple of Zeus are said to be some of the most breathtaking views in the world. If you prefer to simply lie on a beach and soak in the sun you’re sure to find somewhere perfect in one of Greece’s thousands of golden beaches.

If you’re looking for something a little more quaint and traditional you should look into cottages in Cornwall. You’re going to find just as much history and legend in this south west county of England as you are in Italy and Greece. Said to the birth place of King Arthur this remote county always seems to move at a slower pace to the rest of the UK. This stunning county also boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world let alone the UK, with hundreds of stunning golden beaches.

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Vacations In Canterbury, Kent

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

The British Isles are one of the most well-liked vacation locations in the continent of Europe. One of the principal reasons for this incredible popularity is the extremely good listing containing  a huge amount of world class points of interest and interesting cities steeped in history. England’s history is highly eventful which have affected on virtually everyone as only a generation or two ago many of the world’s countries where under the rule of the British. As the British Empire expanded numerous missionaries spread the Christian faith. Religion has shaped Great Britain and one place which has played a role in this is Canterbury.

Canterbury Attractions

The city of Canterbury is a medieval settlement in Kent located on the banks of the River Stour. This intensely pretty city is England’s ecclesiastical capital and it has been for many centuries. Because of this fact the city is home to a large number of incredibly important ecclesiastical structures, the greatest of which is Canterbury Cathedral.

Canterbury Cathedral is most well-known for Becket’s murder however the building was founded in the latter years of the sixth century and has an eventful and long past. Shortly after the death of Becket many miracles were witnessed and a shrine was built which quickly became a place of pilgrimage. Sadly it is no longer possible to see the shrine as Henry VIII destroyed it however Canterbury Cathedral is still a place of pilgrimage for some.

The Canterbury Tales is the most popular museum in the town. The museum demonstrates, using medieval tableaux, the pilgrimages made during the times of Chaucer. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the wonderfully popular Canterbury Tales which describes five pilgrimages to the city. The museum brings to life the story through audiovisual aids over forty five minutes.

The Canterbury Heritage museum (now known as the Museum of Canterbury) is a further well visited museum. Set within the Poor Priest’s Hospital this excellent museum depicts the history of the town. With the use of bang up to date computers and other technology, as well as holographic images, the museum covers periods ranging from the Vikings to the Blitz.

The Roman Museum is a strange museum in that it is under the streets of the town. Using actual excavation sites this museum uses interactive computers to bring the Roman era to life. This is a chance to see a Roman house with patterned mosaics.

Of course the town has numerous other tourist attractions, simply too many to debate here. The town’s nightlife alone would merit another article. In the above article I only discuss a handful however I hope that this has created an interest with the town and possibly you would consider having a vacation there soon.

If you are thinking about taking a vacation in England and are looking for cheap bed and breakfast in Canterbury please take a look at our comprehensive list of Canterbury hotels.

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Vacations In Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

The United Kingdom of Great Britain is famed for its seaside resorts that include quirky postcards, stag and hen parties, fish and chips and kiss-me-quick hats. In the last few decades just the resorts of Blackpool and Brighton have retained their popularity as an increasing number of  British folks travel to warmer destinations to spend their yearly vacation. Nevertheless a few resorts in Great Britain appear to be trying to to regain their position in British tourism. In the following article I take a look at Scarborough an increasingly popular seaside resort in North Yorkshire.

Scarborough is definitely the oldest seaside resort in Great Britain having been mentioned in a book which was written around the 1660s, which spoke of the health advantages of a nearby spa. The spa is still in existence and is situated in South Bay. Now named the Scarborough Spa Complex it, like many other, similar, places, has reinvented itself and today gives quite a lot of entertainment facilities and also offering facilities for corporate functions and weddings.

In many ways the town has managed to show itself as a superb blend of the new and the old. Keeping a lot of its Victorian seaside charm the town currently advertises  itself as a creative arts and digital industries centre. More and more buildings are being modernised and brought into the twenty first century and, for example, an old museum is now a specifically designed space for artists. Further enhancing this modern strategy to tourism you can now have free access to a wi-fi Web connection along the harbour’s promenade.

Altogether this bold approach has created a beautiful place for a family vacation with plenty of attractions which are family friendly including a number of superb museums and galleries, parks and gardens, theme parks and a good number of historic buildings. With a gorgeous coastline and fantastic countryside it is little surprise that the seaside resort additionally presents plenty of opportunities for sports and the sport of surfing is rapidly rising in popularity.

Art galleries and museums in, or near to, Scarborough include the following galleries, Scarborough Art Gallery, South Street Gallery, Crescents Arts and Grosmont Gallery & Jazz Cafe plus the following museums, The Rotunda Museum, Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum, Millenium and Beck Isle Museum of Rural Life.

Parks, gardens and places of natural beauty well worth a visit include; Hazelhead Lake, The Walled Garden at Scampston, The Bridestones and The Crosscliff Estate plus Peasholm Park and Peasholm Island. Places of historical interest include Scampston Hall, Scarborough Castle, Peak Alum Works and Ebberston Hall. You might also find the following interesting, The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, Church of St-Martin-on-the-Hill, All Saints Church and Church of St Mary.

Probably the favourite family visitor attraction in Scarborough is the spectacular Sea Life Centre but other family tourist attractions well worth visiting include; Terror Tower, Kinderland, Atlantis and Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo but also many other animal and wildlife tourist attractions for example, Grainary Wildlife Farm, Moorland Trout Farms and Betton Farm.

Obviously the above article is only a short introduction to the countless attractions in the town but if following reading my article above you would like to take a short vacation at this super resort and you are looking for bed & breakfast in Scarborough then please think about taking a look at our comprehensive listings of discount hotels in Scarborough.

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Useful Things To Know About Vacations In Bournemouth, England

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

Bournemouth is a vibrant, thriving and amazingly exciting city, despite the unfortunate fact that it has the nickname ‘God’s waiting Room’. The reason it is called this is that many elderly people choose the place for their retirement. However, the city of Bournemouth has an incredible youth culture, with a high number of university and language students. Obviously such a place will be a superb place to visit but, there is a great deal  more to entertain you. In actual fact Bournemouth is extremely popular with people of various ages, one of the reasons why there are so many guest houses offering Bournemouth bed and breakfast to choose from.

Bournemouth is found right on the coast in the South of England, roughly a hundred miles away from of the city of London. The largest town to be found on the south coast, Bournemouth, is widely known for having seven miles of splendid golden beaches of sand and glistening blue sea. It is Bournemouth’s superb situation that has made it a popular tourist destination since the beginning of the 1800’s. It is near impossible to envisage that Bournemouth was,  in the very early 1800’s, nothing less than a remote and barren heathland being mainly common grazing excluding the estate belonging to Sir George Ivison Tapps. In 1809 a public house appeared on the heath, the Tapps Arms, a few of years after this, in 1812, the first residents moved in.

Lewis Tregonwell and his wife acquired a little land upon which they built a few villas looking out across the sea with the idea of letting them in the summer for vacations. Tregonwell also built a summerhouse for themselves. and also set about planting countless pine trees, making a fantastic sheltered walkway down to the beach, , which later gained the name of the Invalid’s walk.

Since those days Bournemouth’s popularity, as a resort by the sea, has continuously increased, and today, the city of Bournemouth has gained a reputation for being a tourist haven for entertainment, leisure, fun, culture and recreation. Places which prove very popular to visit include; Bournemouth Pier, the graveyard of St. Peters Church, the award winning Central Gardens and the Russel-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum.

If you and your family are currently thinking about spending a few days in Bournemouth it is crucial that you book your  room at your first opportunity because, unfortunately Bournemouth guest houses and hotels tend to be alarmingly busy and are frequently fully booked for weeks or even months in advance. If you are travelling in a group you might find that serviced apartments in Bournemouth are a cheaper alternative to Bournemouth bed and breakfast accommodation.

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Things To See And Do In Cambridgeshire

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Cambridgeshire is a county in the east midlands part of England landlocked by the counties of Northamptonshire, Rutland, Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire and Bedfordshire. Cambridgeshire might not have a coastline but there is a diverse range of places to visit which make this an amazing place to take a vacation.  In the article below I  explain why tourists should consider a trip to this most beautiful part of the British Isles.

The English county of Cambridgeshire has exciting waterways, prestigious stately homes, breathtaking countryside, outstanding cathedrals, busy market towns and the fascinating city of Cambridge. The city of Cambridge is a highly popular Cambridgeshire attraction which is highly suitable for vacations throughout the year.

Attractions in this intensely photogenic university town include The Backs, The Folk Museum, The Round Church, The Fitzwilliam Museum, The Orchard Tea Garden and Denny Abbey, but the majority of tourists arrive in Cambridge to look at the sights associated with some of the thirty one colleges such as King’s College & King’s College Chapel and Cambridge University Botanic Garden. It can take a very long time to take in all of the university colleges however the finest buildings to meander around are those belonging to Corpus Christi, Magdalene College, Trinity College and St John’s College.

The Cambridgeshire Fens

The Cambridgeshire Fenlands are an extremely marshy district almost at the level of the sea. There have been many attempts at draining the ground some dating back to the Romans. It wasn’t until the 17th Century that sustained efforts were made. Sadly these attempts were a failure and it wasn’t until the Eighteenth Century that the land was drained successfully and the land was turned over to farming.

In modern times the intriguing landscape of fresh and salt water marshes provide an excellent environment for leisure and wildlife. Cambridgeshire features some of the least congested waterways in the British Isles, ideal for narrow boat vacations.

If you want to discover more about the fascinating Fenlands then you will find that the towns of March, Whittlesey, Wisbech and Chatteris are home to an excellent local museum.

The Historic Market Towns

Across the district are sited picturesque little market towns, which, long ago were virtually islands. March grew up as a port in the Tudor era and has a fascinating history. Other island communities included Whittlesey, Chatteris, Littleport and Ramsey. These market towns feature quaint architecture spanning several centuries such as Whittlesey’s 17th century Butter Cross. Many hours can be pleasantly passed searching the many shops, stalls and independent businesses.

Other Tourist Attractions In Cambridgeshire

The list of local visitor attractions is huge. Heritage railways include the Wisbech and March Bramley Line and the Nene Valley Railway and there a handful of fascinating buildings to visit including Lode Watermill, Houghton Mill, Great Gransden Post Mill and Down Field Windmill.

The county has a small selection of historic religious buildings such as the abbeys of Denny, Anglesey, Spinney and Ramsey, Ely Cathedral and Peterborough Cathedral as well as Duxford Chapel and the Old Vicarage at Grantchester. The list of castles, stately homes and historic houses is simply so  large that there is insufficient space to add it here, it is the same with the list of museums and art galleries.

If you are currently thinking about a Cambridgeshire vacation and are booking hotel accommodation in Cambridge please take a look at our comprehensive bed & breakfast accommodation in Cambridge

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