Posts Tagged ‘Britain’
Vacations in Britain appear to be amazingly popular this year, most likely due to the the current economy and the low value of the pound Sterling. England has a large number of top tourist destinations including London (the English capital) and other fascinating cities plus a collection of seaside resorts such as; Blackpool, Margate, Great Yarmouth and Bognor Regis. One place commonly overlooked is Plymouth in the south of England.
At first glance Plymouth appears a little plain and primarily modern, but investigating a bit deeper and you will soon find that the city of Plymouth has a rich history and a deep relationship with the sea. As long ago as the 16th century there has been a port in Plymouth. In fifteen eighty eight Francis Drake embarked from the port at Plymouth to successfully defend the English by defeating the Spanish Armada. Another historic moment occurred in 1620 when port witnessed the embarkation of the Pilgrim Fathers.
It is possible to have cheap vacations in Plymouth by booking Plymouth bed and breakfast rather than booking rooms in a costly hotel. A quick look online will show that rooms are available from as little as £29 a night and some places offer dinners at a very reasonable cost, often equivalent to, or less expensive than local restaurants.
Places To Visit In Plymouth
There are a great many places worth visiting in Plymouth. Popular visitor attractions include; the old quay at Sutton Harbour, the Barbican district, Merchant’s House Museum and the National Marine Aquarium. A trip on a boat around the waters of the port is an interesting way to spend some time but if you discover that you have more time to spare why not take a trip to places close by Plymouth, for example; Buckland Abbey, Saltram House or Mount Edgcumbe.
Saltram House is a lovely Tudor Mansion which is found 2 miles from the town, Mount Edgcumbe is another Tudor house with landscaped gardens, coastal paths and parklands, and Buckland Abbey, roughly six miles in distance from Plymouth, is a Cistercian abbey which was once owned by Sir Francis Drake and was at a later date redesigned as a family home.
If you are currently considering spending some time in the city of Plymouth it is immensely important that you reserve your rooms at the earliest opportunity because, sadly hotels and guest houses in Plymouth tend to be alarmingly busy and are commonly fully booked well in advance. If your family is large you may find that Plymouth apartment accommodation prove to be more affordable option to bed and breakfast accommodation in Plymouth. If you are visiting Great Britain from abroad then you could consider making a reservation for a room in London hotels to take in the sights of the nations capital city also.
England is a most wonderful nation in which to spend a little time. There are a great many tourist attraction|places of interest to visit enough to satisfy all tastes. For example the historical city of York which has been inhabited since the times of the Roman Empire, Liverpool (European City of Culture 2008), and Torquay (often called the English Riviera). One place, in England that you really must spend some time is London the capital city of Great Britain
London is an amazing location to visit, maybe for just a weekend or, hopefully for a full vacation. You may be surprised at how many people residing in the U. K. who have not yet visited London, even more surprising when you ponder on the fact it is commonly top of the majority of visitors lists (of the most enjoyable places they went to).
There simply so many things to see and do in London that it is simply not possible to list them all all in one go. Surprisingly one of the newest attractions in London also happens to be one of the most popular – The London Eye. Another popular attraction nearby to the London Eye is the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. However, one place which must not be missed is Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace is England’s most well known Royal residence, being home to the Queen. The Palace is to be found right in the very center of London which makes it a natural focus for visitors. The daily pageant of ‘Changing of the Guard’ is highly interesting to see and amazingly English.
Buckingham Palace was originally named Buckingham House. It was originally a large townhouse, constructed in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. It is actually the townhouse that forms the main core of the palace as we are familiar with today.
Over the subsequent 75 years Buckingham House was enlarged with the building of 3 wings forming a central courtyard. The main architects responsible for these constructions were Edward Blore and John Nash. John Nash was also responsible for the interior design of the monumental staterooms.
The famous architect Aston Webb was responsible for the creation of the principal facade of Buckingham Palace which, in 1912, he re-designed. Webb in association with the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock were the winners of a competition to design a memorial to Queen Victoria. This memorial is still seen today.
The Queen has many other royal residences other than Buckingham Palace. Every year the Queen stays, at Sandringham House in Norfolk, during the Christmas season. Sandringham House is privately owned by the Queen (a private royal residence).
Another private residence is Balmoral Castle, situated in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Queen Elizabeth was in residence at Balmoral Castle when she was told about the tragic accident involving Diana (the ex-wife of Prince Charles).
If you would like to take a break in the U.K. you may be pleased to discover that it is possible to find cheap hotels in London without any great effort, on the other hand you may wish to reside in more luxurious accommodation and the small number of boutique hotels in London should more than satisfy.