England Things to Do Tips by 807Wheaton Top 5 Page for this destination

Market Day in Cambridge

Located on the Cam River, Cambridge is the seat of the University of Cambridge.
The day we strolled around this important center of learning there was a market set up in town. We enjoyed seeing the mix of colleges and normal life in a British town. It was quite crowded around the market, where lots of folks were selecting fresh veggies brought in from local rural areas. The tents are covering up Great Saint Marys on the right and in the center is King's College Chapel.
Interesting to us was the comment by a friend we visited. She was delighted we visited Cambridge rather than Oxford (sorry about that). Since then we have heard similar comments. I guess that's enough to urge us to go back and visit Oxford to decide for ourselves.

Hadrian's Wall

Stretching East to West, Hadrian's Wall was built 2000 years ago, just south of the Scottish Border to mark the Northernmost boundary of Roman Britain.
This World Heritage Site crosses the beautiful hills of Northumberland. Today parts are still visible and can easily be visited and used as a hiking and biking area.

Hampton Court

One of the most famous visitor attractions in the country, we only visited the garden at Hampton Court. There are beautiful roses here and there is also a maze.
Henry VIII's son Edward was born here, and a few days later, Jane Seymour his mother died at Hampton Court. James I, another monarch presided over the Hampton Court Conference which resulted in the instituion of the King James Bible.

Henry VIII's Residence - Hampton Court

A visit to Hampton Court is probably one of the most popular day-trips from London.
We enjoyed the rose gardens and the maze when we made a short stop here.

Visit Belvoir Castle

The name Belvoir means: "Beautiful View" and is pronounced, "Beaver". Belvoir is in Leicestershie, England and is the ancestral home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland for one thousand years. Currently it is the family home of the 11th Duke, Duchess and their young family.
Four castles have stood on these grounds and this latest one was completed late in the 19th Century.
Below the terrace of the castle, sloping lawns lead to the rose and statue gardens.

Address: About six miles from Grantham, in Leicestershire

Directions: Admission for the Castle and gardens is:
Adults 10 pounds
Seniors 9 pounds
Children 5-16 in age 5 pounds
Family 26 pounds
Free guided tours take place on weekdays at noon and 2:30 PM

Website: http://www.belvoircastle.com

The Minster dominates the city of York

The thing I remember most about our visit to York was the serendiptitous event that occurred when we were there. When we went to enter the Minster we were told it would not be opening right then because of a parade that was coming down the street in front of the church. We lined up with all the other parade spectators and saw Veterans from WWII marching proudly down the street. They were a unit that had been at Dunkirk. I never will forget the old craggy looking faces that still carried a hint of pride in their features. I got teary eyed and very choked up thinking about what these Veterans did at that time, over 50 years ago.
After the parade we marched into the Minster and enjoyed the beautiful interior and the fabulous stained glass.
VT member no1birdlady has a good narrative and nice interior picture of the stained glass in the Minster on her England page.

Directions: Admission to the Minster is free.

Website: http://www.yorkminster.org

Stow on Wold

Stow on Wold was a place that I had wanted to visit for a long time. When I was teaching school I read a book to the students that always included a mention of Stow on Wold.
It did not disappoint. The mellow stone homes are tucked into the Cotswold Hills in the north-east corner of the English county of Gloustershire. Some of the homes in the small town of Stow date back to the 16th century. It doesn't take long to stroll through the shops and the streets before moving on to the next village.

Website: http://www.stowonthewold.net/

Historic Bath - More Roman influence

There are four main features of the Roman Baths which are now below street level. There are a few remains from the mosaic floors that were in the temple. On the Terrace over- looking the Main Baths there are some statues of the Roman Governors of Britain, Emperors and military leaders. These were carved in 1894 for the grand opening of The Baths in 1897.The Roman Baths were not discovered until the late 19th Century.

There is a nice model that shows what the complex probably looked like during the times of the Romans. The Roman Baths can be toured using an audio cassette which enhances the visitation.

Website: http://www.romanbaths.co.uk/

Take a Day-trip to Windsor Castle

There are several ways to see Windsor Castle during your approach. When looking up the long drive, across the street is Eaton College. When Prince William and Prince Harry were attending the school they could visit their Grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.

Windsor Castle is an official residence of the Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. Windsor Castle, as Buckingham Palace, has an unsurpassed collection of works of art, fine tapestries and porcelain.

Website: http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=34

Inside Windsor Castle

It was a rainy, windy August day when we visited Windsor Castle. We spent most of the time inside so the weather was not a problem. The flowers are always so beautiful in the cool summer months in England, regardless and probably because of the weather.
After a visit inside there is time to stroll around and identify the different areas that were pointed out during the tour. Windsor Castle has been inhabited continuously for over 900 years. It is a working palace and official engagements may limit visits.
St. George's Chapel is the burial place of Henry VIIII and Anne Boleyn. It's very interesting to visit this part of Windsor Castle also. This is also where Queen Elizabeth's son Prince Edward, Earl of Essex married Sophie Rhys-Jones on June 19, 1999.

There is also a changing of the Guard ceremony here daily from April to June and after that on alternating days.