by Donald Olson
With tips recommendation From The Experts at Frommer's
 |
| England for Dummies, 3rd Edition |
About the Author
Donald Olson is a novelist, playwright, and travel writer. His
newest novel, Confessions of a Pregnant Princess, was published in
2005 under the pen name Swan Adamson. An earlier Swan
Adamson novel, My Three Husbands, has been translated into
French and published in several European countries. Donald
Olson’s novel The Confessions of Aubrey Beardsley, was published
in the United Kingdom by Bantam Press, and his play, Beardsley,
was produced in London. His travel stories have appeared in the
New York Times, Travel + Leisure, Sunset, National Geographic
books, and many other publications. England For Dummies, 1st
Edition won a 2002 Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Award for best
guidebook. His other guidebooks London For Dummies, Best Day
Trips from London, Irreverent London, Germany For Dummies, and
Frommer’s Vancouver & Victoria are all published by Wiley
Publishing, Inc. London is one of Donald’s favorite cities, and
England is one of his favorite countries.
Author’s Acknowledgments
I would like to thank BritRail for helpful assistance while I was
researching this new edition of England For Dummies. Thanks also
go to Gary Larson and Stephen Brewer.
Introduction
So you’re going to England. Great! But what parts of England do you
want to visit? The country stretches from the English Channel in the
south to the Scottish border in the north, and from Wales and the Irish Sea
in the west to the North Sea in the east. England isn’t a huge country —
you can drive its length in a day — but sightseeing possibilities pack the interior.
I have a hunch that London is on your itinerary, but what other cities,
regions, or specific attractions do you want to see? The walled city of
York? Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare? Are
you interested in nightclubbing at a seaside resort, like Brighton, or
strolling through an elegant 18th-century spa town, like Bath? Are there
specific landscapes you want to see, such as the Yorkshire moors or the
cliffs of Cornwall? What castles, cathedrals, and stately homes do you
want to visit? And how about other historic sites? Do you want to visit
Roman ruins, spend all day in the Tower of London, or walk around the
field where the Normans and the Saxons fought the Battle of Hastings in
1066? England promises so much to see, do, and enjoy that you may find
planning a trip here a real challenge.
But don’t worry, lucky traveler — in this book, I help you assemble your
perfect itinerary from England’s sightseeing riches. With a bit of planning
and some useful information under your belt, you may find taking
that trip to England easy.
About This Book
This book serves as a selective guide to England. By definition, England is
the southern part of Great Britain, excluding Wales. Wales and Scotland,
although part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland, don’t appear in this book.
My goal throughout this book is to give you a good selection of the country’s
highlights, which means I exclude places that other, more exhaustive
guidebooks routinely include. Birmingham, Manchester, and Bristol
are important cities, but from the perspective of a first-time visitor to
England, they don’t have much to offer. England has so much worth
seeing that you don’t need to waste your time with the second-rate, the
overrated, or the boring.
Use this book as a reference guide. You can, of course, start at the first
page and read all the way through to the end. Or, if you’ve already been
to England and know the basics of international travel, you can easily
flip to the specific part you need or hone in on one specific chapter.
Please be advised that travel information can change at any time — this
is especially true of prices. I suggest that you write or call ahead for confirmation
when making your travel plans. The author, editors, and publisher
can’t be held responsible for readers’ experiences while traveling.
Your safety is important, however, so I encourage you to stay alert and
be aware of your surroundings. Keep a close eye on cameras, purses,
and wallets, all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets.
Conventions Used in This Book
I recently tried to extract some information from a guidebook and felt
that I needed training in hieroglyphics to interpret all the different symbols.
I’m happy to report that user-friendly England For Dummies isn’t
like that. I keep the symbols and abbreviations to a minimum.
I do use the following credit card abbreviations to indicate which cards
hotels, restaurants, and attractions accept
AE: (American Express)
DC: (Diners Club)
MC: (MasterCard)
V: (Visa)
All local, U.K. telephone numbers in this book begin with a zero, followed
by a city or area code. A slash divides the zero and city or area
code from the local number. For information about calling U.K. numbers
from either within or outside the United Kingdom, see the Appendix.
I divide the hotels into two categories: my personal favorites and those
that don’t quite make my preferred list but still get my hearty seal of
approval. Don’t be shy about considering these runner-up accommodations
if you can’t get a room at one of my favorites or if your preferences
differ from mine — the amenities that the runners-up offer and the services
they provide make all these accommodations good choices to consider
as you determine where to rest your head at night.
I also include some general pricing information to help you as you
decide where to unpack your bags or dine on the local cuisine. In addition
to giving you exact prices, I use a system of dollar signs ($) to show
a range of costs for hotels or restaurants. The dollar signs for hotels correspond
to rack rates (nondiscounted, standard rates) and reflect a
hotel’s low to high rates for a double room. For restaurants, the dollar
signs denote the average cost of dinner for one person, including appetizer,
main course, dessert, one nonalcoholic drink, tax, and tip (usually
10 percent, unless the bill already includes a service charge). The scale
for hotels goes up to five $ signs; the priciest restaurants get four $
signs. Check out the following table to decipher the dollar signs:
Cost Hotel Restaurant
$ $175 and under $25 and under
$$ $176–$275 $26–$40
$$$ $276–$375 $41–$60
$$$$ $376–$475 $61 and up
$$$$$ $476 and up
I always give prices in this book first in British pounds sterling (£), followed
by U.S. dollars ($) rounded off to the nearest dollar over $10 and
to the nearest nickel under $10. Although the exchange rate fluctuates
daily, this book uses £1 = $1.85.
For those hotels, restaurants, and attractions that I plot on a map, the
listing information gives you a page reference to the map. If a hotel,
restaurant, or attraction falls outside the city limits or in an out-of-theway
area, this book may not include it on a map.
Foolish Assumptions
As I wrote this book, I made some assumptions about you, dear reader,
and your needs as a traveler. Here’s what I assumed about you:
You may be an experienced traveler who hasn’t had much time to
explore England and wants expert advice on how to maximize your
time and enjoy a hassle-free trip.
You may be an inexperienced traveler looking for guidance when
determining whether to take a trip to England and how to plan
for it.
You’re not looking for a book that provides all the information available
about England or that lists every hotel, restaurant, or attraction.
Instead, you’re looking for a book that focuses on the places
that can give you the best or most original experience in England.
If you fit any of these criteria, England For Dummies, 3rd Edition, gives
you the information that you’re looking for!
How This Book Is Organized
I break this book down into eight parts. The first two parts deal with trip
planning and organization. They provide information, advice, and suggestions
that can help you map out a wonderful vacation. I devote the
other parts of the book to London and specific regions of the country.
For each region, I list the best towns and cities to visit, with hotel and
restaurant choices, and the top attractions, including castles, stately
homes, and gardens.
Part I: Introducing England
This first part introduces England and gives you some excellent reasons
for going there. This section gives you an overview of the best England
has to offer and helps you get the big picture. These chapters provide
background information on the history, architecture, and dining scene in
England; recommend books and movies to enhance your trip; help you
to decide when to visit and what to see; and provide sample one- and
two-week itineraries.
Part II: Planning Your Trip to England
This part helps take some of the wrinkles out of the trip-planning stage. I
give you sound advice on planning a realistic budget and talk about your
options for airlines and airfares, how package tours can save you big
bucks, and what kinds of guided tours you can join. This part helps you
to decide what form of transportation (train, bus, or rental car) to use to
get around the country, and it explains what kind of accommodations
you can expect for your money. I provide tips for England-bound travelers
with special needs and interests: families, seniors, travelers with disabilities,
and gay and lesbian travelers. I also deal with some pretrip
loose ends, from passports to medical insurance.
Part III: London and Environs
All you need to know about England’s greatest city makes up this part.
You find detailed information on London’s airports and thumbnail
descriptions of the city’s diverse neighborhoods. Also, I help you get
around like a Londoner on the Underground, on the bus, or in a taxi.
You can find a list of London’s best hotels and an appetizing survey of
London’s best restaurants. I cover the top attractions in and around this
exciting city, plus shopping and nightlife. Making side trips from London
is easy, and I provide details on several possible destinations:
Greenwich, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens, Windsor Castle,
Oxford, Blenheim Palace, and Cambridge.
Part IV: The Southeast
In this part, I outline the highlights of Kent and Sussex, counties close to
London that border the English Channel. I also recommend overnight
destinations, such as Canterbury, with its ancient cathedral; the swinging
seaside resort of Brighton; and the cobblestoned town of Rye. I devote a
chapter to Kent’s greatest castles, stately homes, and gardens — including
Knole, Hever Castle, Sassinghurst Castle Gardens, Dover Castle, and Leeds Castle.
Part V: The West Country
This part explores the West Country counties of Hampshire, Wiltshire,
Devon, and Cornwall. Winchester is Hampshire’s most historic city.
Neighboring Wiltshire is the home of Salisbury, with its towering
cathedral, and that great prehistoric monument Stonehenge. In Devon,
you find the unique moorland landscape of Dartmoor National Park;
Torquay, a laid-back seaside resort; and Plymouth, where the Pilgrims
set sail for the New World. Vacationers often flock to mysterious
Cornwall, which includes Land’s End in England’s southwesternmost
corner, with its colorful seaside towns, such as Penzance and St. Ives.
Part VI: England’s Heartland
I devote this part to central England. You may know Stratford-upon-Avon
in Warwickshire as the home of William Shakespeare, and nearby Warwick
Castle is one of the country’s most popular attractions. Such an amazing
collection of 18th-century buildings fills beautiful Bath that UNESCO
(United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) designated
the city a World Heritage Site. The Cotswolds region, with its
picture-perfect villages built of honey-colored stone, is one of England’s
premier touring destinations. Cheltenham and Cirencester make good
bases for exploring the Cotswolds.
Part VII: Way Up North
Yorkshire and the Lake District are highly scenic areas close to England’s
northern border with Scotland. York is one of the most beautiful and historic
cities in the North; Scarborough is a Yorkshire resort town on the
North Sea; and amazing Castle Howard lies between them. North York
Moors National Park and the Yorkshire Dales National Park protect
Yorkshire’s distinctive landscape of heather-covered moors, gentle
dales, and rugged coastline. The Lake District, in Cumbria, is a spectacularly
beautiful region of mountains and lakes, all within Lake District
National Park. You can stay on Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake,
or in nearby Grasmere or Keswick.
Part VIII: The Part of Tens
The Part of Tens allows me to focus a little more attention on the extraspecial
places and sights I want you to know about. My “tens” include
ten famous writers and how you can visit where they lived and worked,
ten great English gardens, ten magnificent churches and cathedrals, and
ten famous royals and the events that characterized their reign.
You can also find two other elements in this book. Near the back, I
include an A-to-Z appendix — your Quick Concierge — containing plenty
of handy information, such as how the telephone system works and
what numbers to call in an emergency. You also find a list of toll-free telephone
numbers and Web sites for airlines, car-rental agencies, and hotel
chains serving England, plus Web sites where you can find additional
information on specific cities or areas. Finally, I include a tear-out Cheat
Sheet that can help you with unfamiliar British words.
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Product details
Price
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File Size
| 19,400 KB |
Pages
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483 p |
File Type
|
PDF format |
ISBN-13
ISBN-10 | 978-0-471-74871-7 0-471-74871-4 |
Copyright
| 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc |
Contents at a Glance
Introduction
Part I: Introducing England
Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of England
Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into England
Chapter 3: Deciding When and Where to Go
Chapter 4: Following an Itinerary: Five Great Options
Part II: Planning Your Trip to England
Chapter 5: Managing Your Money
Chapter 6: Getting to England
Chapter 7: Getting Around England
Chapter 8: Booking Your Accommodations
Chapter 9: Catering to Special Needs or Interests
Chapter 10: Taking Care of the Remaining Details
Part III: London and Environs
Chapter 11: Settling Into London
Chapter 12: Exploring London
Chapter 13: Day-tripping from London
Part IV: The Southeast
Chapter 14: Kent and Sussex
Chapter 15: Kent’s Best Castles, Stately Homes, and Gardens
Part V: The West Country
Chapter 16: Hampshire and Wiltshire: Old Wessex and New Sarum
Chapter 17: Devon: Moors, Tors, and Sandy Shores
Chapter 18: Cornwall: Saints, Salts, Sea, and Sun
Part VI: England’s Heartland
Chapter 19: Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle
Chapter 20: Bath and the Best of the Cotswolds
Part VII: Way Up North
Chapter 21: Yorkshire
Chapter 22: The Lake District
Part VIII: The Part of Tens
Chapter 23: Ten Writers and the Places They Lived
Chapter 24: Ten Great English Gardens
Chapter 25: Ten (Or So) Great English Churches
Chapter 26: Ten Important Royals — Past and Present
Appendix: Quick Concierge
Index
Maps at a Glance
The Regions in Brief ...........................................25
London’s Neighborhoods ....................................122
London’s Top Hotels ..............................................132
London’s Top Restaurants............................144
London’s Top Attractions .......................................160
British Museum.............................................163
St. Paul’s Cathedral....................................171
Tower of London.........................................173
Westminster Abbey ...........................................175
West End Shopping..........................................186
London’s Clubs, Pubs, and Bars ...............................194
Day Trips from London ..............................202
Cambridge .................................................203
Oxford .....................................................215
The Southeast ......................................224
Canterbury .......................................................231
Brighton ....................................................239
Kent’s Castles, Stately Homes, and Gardens...........................248
Hampshire and Wiltshire ...............................262
Winchester ...................................................264
Salisbury .........................................................269
Devon .............................................................275
Exeter ............................................................276
Dartmoor National Park...........................282
Cornwall...........................................................293
England’s Heartland ....................................312
Stratford-upon-Avon........................................314
Bath ......................................................327
Yorkshire ..................................................352
York .........................................................353
York Minster ...........................................363
The Lake District ..........................................378
Keswick ..........................................................393
Table of Contents
Introduction .............
About This Book................
Conventions Used in This Book ................
Foolish Assumptions .......................
How This Book Is Organized.....
Part I: Introducing England...................
Part II: Planning Your Trip to England..........
Part III: London and Environs.........
Part IV: The Southeast..................
Part V: The West Country .......
Part VI: England’s Heartland .....................
Part VII: Way Up North .................
Part VIII: The Part of Tens................
Icons Used in This Book.....................
Where to Go from Here...........
Part I: Introducing England ................................7
Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of England..................9
The Best of Legendary London .............................................9
The Best Cities, Towns, and Villages ..................................10
The Best Castles, Palaces, and Stately Homes ..................11
The Best Cathedrals and Churches ....................................11
The Best Historic Places ......................................................12
The Best Gardens..................................................................13
The Best Romantic Landscapes ..........................................13
The Best Shopping................................................................14
Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into England......................15
The Main Events: A Brief History of England ....................15
Building Blocks: An Overview of English Architecture ....18
Dining English Style from Traditional to Modern .............20
Visiting the Local Pub...........................................................20
Background Check: Finding England
in Books and Movies.........................................................21
Books............................................................................22
Movies ..........................................................................23
Chapter 3: Deciding When and Where to Go ..............24
Going Everywhere You Want to Be .....................................24
Looking at London: from Buckingham Palace
to the British Museum............................................24
Exploring Southeast England: Canterbury,
castles, and historic towns....................................26
Sightseeing at Stonehenge and in
the West Country: Hampshire,
Wiltshire, Devon, and Cornwall.............................27
Discovering England’s heartland: Stratfordupon-
Avon, the Cotswolds, and Bath ...................28
Heading north: Yorkshire and the Lake District .....28
Scheduling Your Time...........................................................29
Revealing the Secrets of the Seasons .................................30
Traveling during high and low seasons ...................30
Watching those unpredictable skies ........................31
Blooming in spring......................................................32
Shining (and raining) in summer ..............................32
Glowing in autumn......................................................33
Welcoming in winter...................................................34
Perusing a Calendar of Events.............................................35
January.........................................................................35
February.......................................................................35
March ...........................................................................36
April ..............................................................................36
May ...............................................................................36
June...............................................................................37
July................................................................................38
August ..........................................................................38
September....................................................................39
October ........................................................................39
November ....................................................................39
December.....................................................................40
Chapter 4: Following an Itinerary: Five Great Options......41
Seeing England’s Highlights in One Week ..........................42
Touring the Best of England in Two Weeks........................45
Discovering England with Kids............................................47
Strolling through England’s Greenery:
An Itinerary for Garden Lovers .......................................49
Visiting England’s Past: An Itinerary for History Buffs ....51
Part II: Planning Your Trip to England...............55
Chapter 5: Managing Your Money.................................57
Planning Your Budget ...........................................................57
Lodging.........................................................................57
Transportation ............................................................58
Dining ...........................................................................59
Sightseeing...................................................................59
Shopping and nightlife ...............................................60
Cutting Costs — But Not the Fun........................................62
Handling Money ....................................................................63
Using ATMs and carrying cash..................................64
Charging ahead with credit cards.............................64
Toting traveler’s checks.............................................65
Dealing with a lost or stolen wallet ..........................66
Taking Taxes into Account...................................................67
Tipping Like You Mean It......................................................68
Chapter 6: Getting to England.........................................69
Finding Out Who Flies Where ..............................................69
Getting the Best Deal on Your Airfare ................................70
Working with Consolidators......................................71
Booking your flight online .........................................71
Arriving by Other Means......................................................72
Taking the train ...........................................................72
Riding a ferry or hovercraft.......................................73
Joining an Escorted Tour .....................................................73
Choosing a Package Tour.....................................................75
Locating package tours..............................................75
Checking out airline and hotel packages.................76
Chapter 7: Getting Around England...............................77
Weighing the Options: Train or Car? ..................................77
Riding the Rails......................................................................77
Buying your train ticket .............................................78
Negotiating the rail system........................................78
Getting to know London’s train stations .................79
Saving with BritRail passes........................................80
Hopping a Coach: Bus Travel ..............................................81
Driving on the Left, Passing on the Right: Car Travel ......81
Renting a car in London — or not ............................82
Renting a car in England ............................................83
Hitting the road: Motorways, dual carriageways,
and roundabouts.....................................................84
Following the rules of the road .................................85
Coping with emergencies on the road .....................85
Filling up the tank .......................................................86
Chapter 8: Booking Your Accommodations.................87
Finding the Right Place for You...........................................88
Understanding the pros and cons of B&Bs .............88
Exploring hotel choices .............................................89
Finding the Best Room at the Best Rate.............................92
Surfing the Web for Hotel Deals ..........................................93
Reserving the Best Room.....................................................94
Chapter 9: Catering to Special Needs or Interests.....95
Traveling with the Brood: Advice for Families..................95
Locating family-friendly accommodations
and restaurants .......................................................96
Hiring a baby-sitter in England..................................97
Making Age Work for You: Tips for Seniors .......................97
Accessing England: Information for
Travelers with Disabilities ...............................................98
Considering the benefits of escorted tours...........100
Dealing with access issues ......................................100
Following the Rainbow: Resources for
Gay and Lesbian Travelers.............................................101
Chapter 10: Taking Care of the Remaining Details...103
Getting a Passport...............................................................103
Applying for a U.S. passport....................................103
Applying for other passports ..................................104
Entering England with your passport ....................105
Dealing with a (gulp) lost passport ........................105
Playing It Safe with Travel and Medical Insurance .........105
Staying Healthy When You Travel.....................................106
Staying Connected by Cellphone ......................................107
Accessing the Internet Away From Home........................109
Keeping Up with Airline Security ......................................111
Part III: London and Environs .........................113
Chapter 11: Settling into London..................................115
Getting There.......................................................................115
Flying to London .......................................................115
Taking the train .........................................................119
Orienting Yourself in London ............................................119
Introducing the Neighborhoods........................................120
The City of London ...................................................120
West End ....................................................................121
West London..............................................................124
The South Bank.........................................................126
Finding Information After You Arrive ...............................126
Getting Around London......................................................127
By Underground (subway) ......................................127
By bus.........................................................................129
By taxi.........................................................................130
On foot........................................................................130
Staying in Style ....................................................................131
The top hotels ...........................................................134
Runner-up accommodations ...................................141
Dining Out ............................................................................143
Neighborhoods for ethnic eats ...............................143
Strategies for budget dining ....................................143
The top restaurants..................................................146
Treating Yourself to a Tea ..................................................155
Casual tearooms and patisseries............................155
Elegant spots for high tea ........................................156
Chapter 12: Exploring London ......................................158
Discovering the Top Attractions.......................................158
Finding More Cool Things to See and Do.........................175
Seeing London by Guided Tour.........................................181
Bus tours....................................................................181
Boat tours ..................................................................182
An amphibious tour..................................................183
Walking tours.............................................................183
Following an Itinerary.........................................................184
Shopping in London............................................................184
When to shop and how to find deals......................184
Where to shop and what to buy..............................185
Living It Up After Dark ........................................................190
Finding out what’s happening .................................190
Getting tickets ...........................................................190
Raising the curtain on performing arts
and music...............................................................190
Checking out the club and bar scenes...................192
Fast Facts: London ..............................................................197
Chapter 13: Day-tripping from London........................201
Cambridge: Medieval Colleges on the River Cam ...........201
Getting to Cambridge ...............................................201
Finding information and taking a tour ...................204
Getting around Cambridge ......................................204
Exploring the best of Cambridge ............................204
Finding more to see and do in Cambridge.............207
Dining in Cambridge.................................................208
Greenwich: The Center of Time and Space......................209
Getting to Greenwich................................................209
Finding information and taking a tour ...................209
Exploring Greenwich ................................................210
Dining in Greenwich .................................................211
Hampton Court Palace: Henry VIII’s Riverside Estate....211
Getting to Hampton Court .......................................211
Exploring Hampton Court........................................212
Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew Gardens):
Royal Pleasure Grounds .................................................212
Getting to Kew Gardens ...........................................213
Exploring Kew Gardens............................................213
Oxford: Town and Gown.....................................................213
Getting to Oxford ......................................................214
Finding information and taking a tour ...................214
Exploring the best of Oxford ...................................214
Finding more to see and do in Oxford....................216
Dining in Oxford........................................................217
Blenheim Palace: Ancestral Home of the Churchills ......218
Getting to Blenheim Palace .....................................218
Exploring Blenheim Palace......................................218
Windsor Castle: Official Royal Residence ........................219
Getting to Windsor Castle........................................220
Exploring Windsor Castle ........................................220
Part IV: The Southeast ...................................221
Chapter 14: Kent and Sussex........................................223
Canterbury: Tales from the Great Cathedral ...................224
Getting to Canterbury ..............................................225
Finding information and taking a tour ...................225
Staying in or near Canterbury.................................225
Dining in or near Canterbury ..................................226
Exploring Canterbury...............................................228
Rye: Smugglers, Mermaids, and Writers ..........................229
Getting to Rye............................................................230
Finding information ..................................................230
Taking a tour of Rye..................................................231
Staying in Rye............................................................232
Dining in Rye .............................................................233
Exploring Rye ............................................................234
Battle: 1066 and All That ....................................................236
Getting to Battle ........................................................236
Finding information ..................................................236
Dining in Battle..........................................................237
Exploring the Battle of Hastings Abbey
and Battlefield .......................................................238
Brighton: Fun Beside the Seaside .....................................238
Getting to Brighton ...................................................239
Finding information ..................................................240
Getting around Brighton ..........................................240
Staying in or near Brighton......................................240
Dining in Brighton.....................................................242
xvi England For Dummies, 3rd Edition
Exploring Brighton....................................................243
Shopping in Brighton................................................245
Stepping out in Brighton, night or day...................245
Chapter 15: Kent’s Best Castles, Stately Homes, and Gardens...247
Knole: A Room for Every Day of the Year ........................248
Getting to Knole ........................................................249
Exploring Knole.........................................................249
Hever Castle: Anne Boleyn Slept Here..............................250
Getting to Hever Castle ............................................250
Exploring Hever Castle.............................................251
Chartwell: The Private Life of a
Famous Prime Minister...................................................252
Getting to Chartwell .................................................252
Exploring Chartwell House......................................252
Leeds Castle: Castle of Queens, Queen of Castles ..........253
Getting to Leeds Castle ............................................253
Exploring Leeds Castle.............................................253
Sissinghurst Castle Garden: Romance
amongst the Roses..........................................................254
Getting to Sissinghurst Castle Garden ...................255
Exploring Sissinghurst Castle Garden....................255
Dover Castle: Towers and Tunnels ...................................256
Getting to Dover Castle ............................................256
Exploring Dover Castle.............................................256
Part V: The West Country ...............................259
Chapter 16: Hampshire and Wiltshire: Old Wessex and New Sarum....261
Winchester: King Alfred Meets Jane Austen....................263
Getting to Winchester ..............................................263
Finding information and taking
a tour of Winchester .............................................263
Staying in Winchester...............................................264
Finding lunch or a spot of tea .................................264
Exploring Winchester and
the surrounding area ............................................265
Salisbury: High-Spire Act....................................................268
Getting to Salisbury..................................................268
Finding information on Salisbury ...........................268
Staying in or near Salisbury ....................................269
Dining in Salisbury....................................................270
Exploring Salisbury and the surrounding area .....271
Stonehenge: Visiting the Standing Stones........................272
Getting to Stonehenge..............................................272
Exploring Stonehenge ..............................................273
Chapter 17: Devon: Moors, Tors, and Sandy Shores .......274
Exeter: Sea Captains and Silversmiths .............................275
Getting to Exeter .......................................................276
Finding information and taking a tour ...................277
Staying in Exeter .......................................................277
Dining in Exeter.........................................................278
Exploring Exeter........................................................279
Shopping for Exeter silver .......................................280
Dartmoor National Park: Back to Nature .........................281
Getting to the park....................................................281
Finding information ..................................................281
Taking a tour of the park..........................................283
Staying in Dartmoor National Park.........................283
Dining in Dartmoor National Park ..........................284
Exploring in and around Dartmoor
National Park .........................................................285
Torquay: Relaxing on the English Riviera ........................286
Getting to Torquay....................................................287
Getting around and touring Torquay .....................287
Finding information ..................................................287
Staying and dining in Torquay ................................287
Exploring Torquay ....................................................288
Plymouth: Where the Pilgrims Set Sail .............................289
Getting to Plymouth .................................................289
Taking a cruise in Plymouth ....................................289
Finding information ..................................................289
Locating a spot for lunch or tea..............................290
Exploring Plymouth..................................................290
Chapter 18: Cornwall: Saints, Salts, Sea, and Sun...292
Penzance: As in “The Pirates of . . .” .................................294
Getting to Penzance..................................................294
Finding information and taking a tour
of Penzance............................................................295
Staying in Penzance..................................................295
Dining in Penzance ...................................................296
Exploring in and around Penzance.........................298
The Penwith Peninsula: A Driving Tour
from Penzance to Land’s End ........................................300
Stop #1: Newlyn.........................................................300
Stop #2: Mousehole ..................................................301
Stop #3: The Minack Theatre ..................................301
Stop #4: Land’s End ..................................................302
St. Ives: Artists’ Haven by the Sea.....................................302
Getting to St. Ives......................................................302
Finding information about St. Ives..........................303
Staying in St. Ives ......................................................303
Dining in St. Ives........................................................304
Exploring St. Ives ......................................................304
Finding more to see near St. Ives............................305
Fowey and the Saint’s Way: River Town
and Holy Track ................................................................306
Cotehele, Eden Project, and Lanhydrock:
Three Great Cornish Gardens........................................307
Cotehele .....................................................................307
Eden Project ..............................................................308
Lanhydrock................................................................308
Part VI: England’s Heartland ..........................309
Chapter 19: Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle...........311
Stratford-upon-Avon: In the Bard’s Footsteps .................311
Getting to Stratford-upon-Avon...............................312
Finding information about
Stratford-upon-Avon .............................................313
Getting around and touring
Stratford-upon-Avon .............................................313
Staying in Stratford-upon-Avon...............................313
Dining in Stratford-upon-Avon.................................315
Exploring the best of Stratford-upon-Avon............317
Finding more to see and do in
Stratford-upon-Avon .............................................320
Seeing a play in Stratford-upon-Avon.....................321
Shopping in Stratford-upon-Avon ...........................321
Warwick Castle: Warlords and Ladies ..............................321
Getting to Warwick ...................................................322
Dining at Warwick Castle .........................................322
Exploring Warwick Castle ........................................322
Finding more to see and do in Warwick.................324
Chapter 20: Bath and the Best of the Cotswolds ......325
Bath: Hot Mineral Springs and
Cool Georgian Splendor..................................................326
Getting to Bath ..........................................................326
Finding information and taking a tour of Bath......328
Exchanging money and locating ATMs ..................328
Staying in and around Bath .....................................329
Dining in Bath............................................................330
Exploring Bath...........................................................332
Cheltenham: A Little Bath ..................................................334
Getting to Cheltenham .............................................335
Traveling among the local villages .........................335
Finding information and taking a tour
of Cheltenham .......................................................335
Staying in Cheltenham .............................................335
Dining in Cheltenham...............................................336
Exploring Cheltenham..............................................337
Shopping in Cheltenham..........................................338
Bourton-on-the-Water: Bridges on the Windrush ...........338
Getting to Bourton-on-the-Water ............................338
Stopping for a spot of tea in
Bourton-on-the-Water...........................................339
Exploring Bourton-on-the-Water .............................339
Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter:
Quiet and Atmospheric ..................................................340
Broadway: Village Shopping ..............................................340
Getting to Broadway.................................................340
Finding information about Broadway ....................341
Staying in Broadway.................................................341
Stopping for a spot of tea in Broadway..................341
Exploring Broadway and vicinity............................341
Chipping Campden: Picture Perfect .................................342
Getting to Chipping Campden.................................342
Staying and dining in Chipping Campden..............342
Exploring Chipping Campden .................................344
Cirencester: Market Town with a Roman Past ................344
Getting to Cirencester ..............................................344
Finding information about Cirencester..................344
Staying in Cirencester ..............................................344
Dining in Cirencester................................................345
Exploring Cirencester...............................................346
Shopping in Cirencester...........................................347
Part VII: Way Up North .................................349
Chapter 21: Yorkshire.....................................................351
York: Ancient Walls and Snickelways ...............................352
Getting to York ..........................................................353
Renting a car or calling a taxi..................................354
Finding information about York ..............................354
Exchanging money and locating ATMs ..................354
Taking a tour in York ................................................355
Staying in York...........................................................356
Dining in York ............................................................357
Exploring York...........................................................359
Shopping in York.......................................................364
Stepping out at night in York...................................364
Day-tripping from York: Castle Howard
and Eden Camp .....................................................365
Scarborough: Cliffs and Arcades.......................................366
Getting to Scarborough............................................367
Getting around Scarborough...................................367
Finding information and taking a tour of
Scarborough ..........................................................367
Staying in Scarborough ............................................367
Dining in Scarborough..............................................369
Exploring Scarborough ............................................369
Seeing the performing arts in Scarborough ..........372
Yorkshire’s Two National Parks: Moors and Dales .........372
North York Moors National Park ............................372
Yorkshire Dales National Park.................................374
Haworth: On the Trail of the Brontës...............................375
Getting to Haworth ...................................................375
Finding information and taking a tour
of Haworth .............................................................375
Dining in Haworth.....................................................376
Exploring Haworth....................................................376
Chapter 22: The Lake District .......................................377
The Lake District: Natural Beauty
and Literary Treasures ...................................................379
Getting to the Lake District .....................................379
Getting around the Lake District.............................380
Taking a tour of the Lake District ...........................380
Lake Windermere: The Largest Lake in England .............381
Finding information and exchanging money
near Lake Windermere .........................................381
Touring by boat or foot............................................381
Staying near Lake Windermere ...............................382
Dining near Lake Windermere.................................383
Exploring around Lake Windermere.......................385
Grasmere: Wordsworth Territory .....................................387
Finding information about Grasmere .....................387
Touring on foot..........................................................387
Staying in and around Grasmere.............................388
Dining in Grasmere ...................................................389
Exploring in and around Grasmere.........................390
Keswick: Lakeland Central.................................................392
Getting to Keswick....................................................392
Finding information and exchanging money
at Keswick ..............................................................392
Staying in or near Keswick ......................................392
Dining in Keswick......................................................394
Exploring in and around Keswick ...........................395
Shopping in Keswick ................................................397
Discovering Keswick’s performing arts .................397
Part VIII: The Part of Tens..............................399
Chapter 23: Ten Writers and the Places They Lived ...........401
Jane Austen..........................................................................401
Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë....................................402
Charles Dickens...................................................................402
Henry James (and E. F. Benson)........................................403
Beatrix Potter ......................................................................403
Vita Sackville-West ..............................................................403
William Shakespeare...........................................................404
William Wordsworth ...........................................................404
Chapter 24: Ten Great English Gardens ......................405
Castle Howard .....................................................................405
Chelsea Physic Garden.......................................................406
Eden Project.........................................................................406
Hever Castle.........................................................................406
Hidcote Manor.....................................................................407
Kew Gardens........................................................................407
Lanhydrock ..........................................................................407
Sissinghurst Castle Garden................................................407
Stourhead.............................................................................408
Warwick Castle ....................................................................408
Chapter 25: Ten (Or So) Great English Churches.......409
Canterbury Cathedral: Pilgrim Central ............................409
Exeter Cathedral: A Medieval Sculpture Gallery.............410
King’s College Chapel: Unparalleled Lightness ...............410
St. Martin-in-the-Fields: West End Landmark...................410
St. Paul’s Cathedral: Wren’s Crowning Achievement......411
Salisbury Cathedral: High in the Sky ................................411
Westminster Abbey: England’s Crowning Glory .............411
Winchester Cathedral: Saxon Power Base.......................412
York Minster: England’s Largest Gothic Church .............412
Chapter 26: Ten Important Royals — Past and Present ........413
Queen Boudicca (A.D. 30?–60):
Braveheart of the Britons...............................................413
Alfred the Great (849–899): A Warrior and a Scholar .....414
William the Conqueror (1028–1087): Winner Takes All ...415
Henry II (1133–1189): Family Plots....................................416
Henry VIII (1491–1547): Take My Wife — Please! ............416
Elizabeth I (1533–1603): Heart and Stomach of a King...417
George III (1738–1820): “My Lords and Peacocks . . .”....418
George IV (1762–1830): A Dandy King for the Regency...419
Queen Victoria (1819–1901): Mother of Monarchs .........420
Queen Elizabeth II (1926– ): Monarchy Amid Media......421
Appendix: Quick Concierge .............................422
Toll-Free Numbers and Web Sites .....................................427
Major airlines serving England ...............................427
Major car-rental agencies operating in England ...428
Major hotel chains in England.................................428
Where to Get More Information ........................................429
Locating tourist offices ............................................429
Surfing the Net...........................................................430
Index ............................................................433
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