Holiday Locations - United Kingdom

About the United Kindom

The UK has a temperate climate that receives its weather from across the Atlantic and from continental Europe. Prepare for surprises; bring something warm and a waterproof even if you appear to have the promise of clear skies and hot sun.

The UK has air links with every country in the world. Some 60 million passengers each year travel to or via London Heathrow alone. But there are nearly 20 other international airports in the UK, offering easy access to every region.

The Channel Tunnel is the UK's rail link with mainland Europe. It carries high-speed Eurostar passenger trains to London from France and Belgium. Or you can park your car, minibus, or coach on a rail shuttle in France and be in the UK in just 35 minutes.

There are many ports of arrival in the UK from mainland Europe and Ireland, the Channel Islands, or indirectly through visits to the Scottish Islands from Scandinavia or Iceland. Check times, availability and price as these all vary depending on the season.

The UK curency is the pound (Ł) Cash can be withdrawn easily with many foreign bank cards from automated teller machines in the UK. Standard international credit cards are widely used. As a visitor, you can make big savings by claiming back the UK's tax on purchases (VAT).

UK Land Marks

Buckingham Palace - Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of The Queen, aswell as also being the busy administrative headquarters of the monarchy. The Palace is also the venue for great Royal ceremonies, State Visits and Investitures, all of which are organised by the Royal Household. more than 50,000 people visit the Palace each year as guests to banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and the Royal Garden Parties. Buckingham Palace is furnished and decorated with priceless works of art that form part of the Royal collection, one of the major art collections in the world today. During the summer, the Changing of the Guard takes place at the front of the Palace and is a popular event for visitors to the capital from 1st April to Early July and on alternate days at other times.

Canterbury Cathedral - The first Archbishop of Canterbury was St Augustine who arrived on the coast of Kent as a missionary to England in 597 AD. He came from Rome, sent by Pope Gregory the Great. Over the years Canterbury Cathedral has attracted thousands of pilgrims. This tradition continues to this day, and a large team of Welcomers, Guides, Cathedral Assistants and Chaplains are there to give all visitors a warm welcome. Every day Morning Prayer is said and Evening Prayer is sung. The Eucharist is also offered daily. On Sundays the Sung Eucharist is at 11.00am. Canterbury Cathedral has a tradition of welcome that reaches back to the days of medieval pilgrimages. This is not only fully maintained today, but has been developed to meet the needs of modern tourists. Canterbury Cathedral lies at the centre of the historic city in Kent. access for general visiting may be restricted at regular and special service times.

Kensington Palace - Kensington Palace was once the home of some of Britain's most famous kings and queens and the setting for many great events in royal history. Parts of the palace remain a private residence for members of the Royal Family; the State Apartments and Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection are open to the public.

The Houses of Parliament & Big Ben - Edward the Confessor had the original palace built in the eleventh century. The British parliament is the seat of the Government of the United Kingdom. The Palace of Westminster consists of the House of Commons (elected) and the House of Lords(not elected- hereditary and nominated). Big Ben, one of Londons famous landmarks is found at the Houses of Parliament. Big Ben is not the clock tower but the thirteenth bell which strikes the hour. It is counterweighted with old pennies! Parliamentary government in the United Kingdom is based on a two-chamber system. The House of Lords (the upper House-not elected) and the House of Commons (the lower house-elected at least every 5 years) sit separately and are constituted on entirely different principles. The legislative process involves both Houses - the Commons and the Lords. The main functions of Parliament are to: examine proposals for new laws, provide, by voting for taxation, the means of carrying on the work of government, scrutinise government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure and to debate the major issues of the day.

Stonehenge - Stonehenge is the most important prehistoric monument in Britain if not the world. It consists of earth, timber, and stone structures. Stonehenge dates from 3100-2300 B.C. The purpose of Stonehenge has many theories - temple for sun worship (a druid temple) a burial ground, an astronomical calendar ? Some of the stones were deliberately transported there with considerable effort from a great distance away - a truly remarkable achievement. The great stone circles and horseshoe arrangements for which Stonehenge is famous are later additions to the monument.

Edinburgh Castle & Holyrood House- Edinburgh Castle overlooks the City and dates from the 12th Century. Delightful views of Edinburgh from the castle ramparts on to the hills of the Lothian countryside and to the Firth of Forth. Home to the Scottish Crown Jewels and recently the Stone of Destiny. Leading down from the castle is the Royal Mile, dating from the 16th Centuryto the Place of Holyrood House, a Royal Palace. On St Andrews Day, 30th November 1996, Scotland's coronation stone, the Stone of Destiny, was installed in Edinburgh Castle. The Palace of Holyrood House dates from 1498 when it was built by James IV, and it has been closely linked with royalty ever since.The Palace is located on the site of Holyrood Abbey, an Augustine monastery dating from 1128. The Palace is closely associated with Mary Queen of Scots. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is now the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II when she is in Scotland, and she is usually in residence for a few weeks in May and July each year. When the Queen is not there parts of the palace are sometimes open to visitors with guided tours available. You can see several rooms in the State Apartments. The palace is surrounded by the Holyrood Park.

Warwick Castle - Warwick Castle is over a thousand years old and has been well maintained with magnificent towers and ramparts. The splendid grounds are an ideal venue for a picnic. There are many attractions at Warwick Castle from dungeons to the Great Hall, State Rooms and the Royal Weekend Party of 1898. Visitors can climb some of the towers and visit the well laid out exhibitions, many have wax figures. Kingmaker's Feasts can be arranged for corporate and groups. Many forms of medieval entertainment are staged at the castle throughout the year.

Westminster Abbey - Westminster Abbey is the place of the coronation, marriage and burial of British monarchs, except Edward V and Edward VIII since 1066. Visitors can see the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Royal Tombs and Shrine of Edward the Confessor, the Coronation Chair, Lady Chapel and Poets' Corner, the Royal Chapels etc. The current building dates largely from the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries.

Hampton Court Palace- With over 500 years of royal history, Hampton Court Palace has something to offer visitors, from the magnificent State Apartments to the domestic reality of the Tudor Kitchens. Costumed guides and audio tours bring the palace to life and provide an insight into how life in the palace would have been in the time of Henry VIII and William III. The Palace also has a programme of special events throughout the year. Hampton Court Palace contains an important part of the largest private collection of art in the world, the Royal Collection, the property of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

This collection, which covers 500 years, is complete and Hampton Court contains much of the most important material from the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries. The Maze at Hampton Court, the royal palace on the Thames to the west of London, is probably the most famous hedge maze in the world. It was planted as part of the gardens laid out for William of Orange between 1689 and 1695 by George London and Henry Wise. It was described with great wit in Jerome K. Jerome's novel 'Three Men in a Boat.' Hampton Court Maze continues to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

St Pauls Cathedral - Situated on the north bank of the River Thames St Paul`s distinctive dome was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1710 after the great fire of 1666 destroyed the original church. The cathedral consists of the Crypt, Ambulatory and Whispering Gallery. The entrance price also includes a visit to the Crypt and Ambulatory.

Osborne House - In 1845 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought Osborne House and its 1000 acres. Osborne House was a retreat for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. They greatly enjoyed the Isle of Wight, far from the pressures court life at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. Queen Victoria, after Albert died, spent most of her time at Osborne House and she died there in 1901. The longest reigning english monarch (1837 to 1901). Since her death little has changed at Osborne and many of the royal couple's possessions, photographs and paintings are still at Osborne.

Arts & Museums

The British Museum - Key Exhibits of the british museum include the Rosetta Stone, the Lindisfarne Gospels, Egyptian Hall, the Tomb of Payava, the Elgin Marbles & the Sutton Hoo treasure (British Museum). The Magna Carta (British Library). The British Museum is one of the worlds finest museums. The Museum is within easy walking distance of many underground stations and bus routes. Admission to the British Museum is free to all visitors. For more info visit the official British Museum website http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/

Ironbridge Gorge Museums - Ironbridge covers six square miles of the Ironbridge Gorge near Telford The first iron rails, wheels, steam train, and boats and site of the first cast-iron bridge often linked to the start of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust has 8 museums covering a total of 80 acres. The Iron Bridge and Tollhouse, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Museum of iron and Darby Furnace, the Darby Houses, Museum of the Gorge, Coalport china museum, Jackfield Tile Museum, Broseley Pipeworks, Clay tobacco pipe museum and the teddy bear shop. The Which? Guide listed the Ironbridge Gorge Museums amongst the UK's best Outdoor Attractions. Ironbridge is on the River Severn, 5 miles (8 km) south of Telford in Shropshire.
http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/

Natural History Museum - One of the worlds finest and largest museums of natural history with hundreds of exhibits, many interactive, ranging from the volcano experience to the dinosaurs exhibition. Creepy-Crawlies exhibition, blue whale, earths treasury,dinosaurs etc. You can join highlight and themed guided tours of the Museum, which start near the Life Galleries entrance. free map/information leaflet on admission The Central Hall, with its Victorian architecture and Dinosaur skeleton.

Imperial War Museum London - The wars of the twentieth century have affected each and every one of us in some way, and the Imperial War Museum is here to tell all our stories, covering all aspects of life in wartime. The Museum is not only at its main London location but also at its three further branches: the Cabinet War Rooms in Whitehall, the historic ship HMS Belfast, moored in London, and Duxford Airfield near Cambridge in Cambridgeshire. For more info visit the official Imperial War Museum London website http://www.iwm.org.uk/

Victoria and Albert Museum- Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone of the Museum on 17th May 1899. The V&A has a collection of more than 4 million objects. The Victoria & Albert Museum in London is the world's largest museum of the decorative arts and has 146 galleries, including national collections of sculpture, furniture, fashion and photographs. It also houses the National Art Library. The V&A also manages the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, the Wellington Museum at Apsley House and the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden.

UK Theme Parks & Zoos

Blackpool Tower & Pleasure Beach - Blackpool Tower is 518 ft 9 ins tall, weighs 2586 tons, was completed in 1894 and the lift makes over 50,000 trips a year. Full of indoor entertainment, playground, aquarium and lots more. The listed Ballroom with its Wurlitzer organ and several shows daily. The Pleasure Beach has five roller coasters including the pepsi max which has the biffest drop of all the roller coasters in the UK! Set in 42 acres a host of attractions are available from traveling to the times of the dinosaurs, Alice in Wonderland, the Greatest Show on Earth, the Log Flume and Funshineland.The famous five miles of spectacular lights of the Blackpool Illuminations are from early September to early November.

Alton Towers - Alton Towers is the United Kingdoms number one theme park, with rides and attractions aimed at every member of the family. Alton Towers offer entertainment for all ages and home of some of the UK's largest and fastest roller coasters these include the Nemesis and the Oblivion. Alton Towers have numerous rides aimed at the younger members of the family. As well as white knuckle rides Alton Towers have large well kept gardens that you are able to walk round or see from the extensive cable car network.

Alton Towers is based in the center of the UK in Staffordshire and is easy to locate. For more info visit the official Alton Towers website

http://www.altontowers.com/

Chester Zoo - the United Kingdom's largest zoological gardens, where 5,000 animals live in spacious near-natural surroundings, set in 80 acres of award-winning gardens. Chester is regarded as one of Europe's top zoos. Many rare and endangered creatures breed freely in large, open, near-natural enclosures. Chester is proud to be playing a part in a world-wide conservation programme. Some of the major features of the Zoo include: Tropical House Penguin Pool with under-water viewing Chimpanzee House and island Aquarium Asian Elephant House and island Children's Farm One of the UK's largest bird collections Black Rhinos Award winning gardens Zoofari Overhead Monorail Waterbus Europe On The Edge and Condor Cliffs Aviaries For more info visit the official Chester Zoo website http://www.chesterzoo.org