Rivers Travel

London has seen some turbulent times. It has survived plagues, the Great Fire of London and two world wars. Despite all this, the capital of the United Kingdom still has its fair share of sights for history lovers.

The Romans turned ‘Londinium’ into a civilized town. Few Roman sights remain, but the ancient Roman Wall built around the City of London and now known as the London Wall is still in evidence near Moorgate. The ruins of The Temple of Mithras are on Queen Victoria Street and there is an exhibit of the Temple at the Museum of London. The curious London Stone in Cannon Street sits behind iron grating and is said to have been the marker from which all distances were measured in London.

After Roman rule London fell into decline, but out of the following reigns grew Westminster Abbey. Edward the Confessor rebuilt the old Saxon church in the Romanesque style and William the Conqueror was crowned there. Henry III gave the Abbey its current Gothic appearance in the Middle Ages.

Mediaeval London saw the appearance of the Tower of London, originally used as a royal residence then an armory and even a zoo before it became a prison. The oldest church in the city was built in 1123 and St. Bartholomew’s Priory still stands today in West Smithfield. The basis of the Houses of Parliament began in the form of Westminster Hall, so there are plenty of sights from the Middle Ages in London.

London prospered under Tudor reign. The parks were established – Richmond Park, Hyde Park, Regent’s Park and St. James’s Park were used as Royal hunting forests. The original Globe Theatre was built but didn’t survive the Great Fire and the modern replica stands in its place.

Inigo Jones stamped his 17th century mark on London with his designs of Covent Garden Piazza and Queen’s Chapel. It is amazing that any of historical London exists after the fire of 1666 and it is thanks to Christopher Wren, who set to work to recreate what was lost, that the city boasts the beautiful St. Paul’s Cathedral and many more churches.

Georgian London is still in evidence thanks to beautiful houses such as Chiswick House and Syon House. They are well worth a visit. Buckingham Palace took on its role as royal residence for the first time.

John Nash created Regent’s Street and Piccadilly Circus and the clock tower known as Big Ben rose as Georgian gave way to Victorian.

The Victorians gave London the Victoria and Albert Museum and when the city bustle gets too much it’s a good idea to take in London’s various museums to learn more about the history of this amazing place.

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The United Kingdom has fifteen National Parks from the Cairngorms in Scotland to Dartmoor in Devon. The most visited and one of the most popular is Cumbria’s Lake District. It attracts a wide range of visitors from near and far and has a distinct character that sets it apart from the rest.

The many lakes of the Lake District are an obvious pull for tourists. Huge stretches of water support the local wildlife and the local inhabitants, with Lake Windermere being the best known. Visitors come to enjoy the water based activities and canoeing, kayaking, and boating are all available on the various lakes. There are even ways to learn how to sail. The Royal Yachting Association Training Centre at Coniston Water offers several courses to qualify for internationally recognized RYA certificates.

The Lake District is proud to have the most outdoor activity centers in the United Kingdom. These centers welcome visitors of all ages and backgrounds for weekends, school trips or longer holidays. They offer courses on horse riding, caving, abseiling, climbing and more. Accommodation is normally provided in the form of dormitories with communal areas for eating and relaxing. Access to the fells is completely unrestricted and there is a long tradition of public rights of way. Visitors can take part in a course or explore the beauty of the area independently. Whatever they choose, there is never a lack of pursuits to enjoy and stunning scenery to take in.

The landscape of the Lake District is diverse. There are ancient woodlands which provide a home for animals and plants and add texture and richness to the area. Evidence abounds of colliding continents and deep oceans thanks to the deepest lakes and highest peaks in England. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of life from as far back as the Ice Age. More modern habitation is reflected in the materials used to build local houses and bridges.

It goes without saying that the Lake District is popular and it isn’t just the lakes, outdoor activities and scenic beauty. The quaint, bustling towns are an attraction in themselves and they cater well to the visitors’ needs. Specialist shops sell local art, crafts and food, including the famous Kendall Mint Cake. Gardeners have plenty of nurseries and garden centers to visit and walkers and hikers can browse round the many outdoor equipment retailers. There are galleries and exhibitions for everyone and accommodation to cater to all tastes. Those ignorant of the Lakes District’s charms have to come and see it for themselves.

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Brighton has always been popular with the London crowd. It was the Prince Regent who raised the city’s profile for he set up a royal court here second only to London. Thanks to his influence, Brighton is one of Britain’s top cultural destinations.

Brighton has a deep Regency heritage thanks to its architecture. Although each generation left its mark, the patronage of Prince Regent – later George IV – gave inspiration for the beautiful Royal Pavilion and the towns of Kemp and Brunswick. Regency streets and terraces are dotted around the city and bring back memories of grander times. As Queen Victoria took the throne, so the architecture changed. Many of Brighton’s churches are Victorian as are the finest sea front hotels and bandstands.

More than fifty festivals grace the streets of Brighton each year and expose its residents and eager festival goers to art, theatre, music, film and comedy. The biggest and most popular is the Brighton Festival. In 2010 Brian Eno took control of the artistic direction and raised the attendance and the bar for future directors. In 2006 a Fringe Festival split from this main event and invited anyone and everyone to put on a show in what is becoming a rapidly growing festival. Artists get a chance to showcase their work thanks to various festivals in the calendar where Brighton is full of the creative muse.

Art, nature and photography are housed all over Brighton thanks to its many museums. The Booth Museum of Natural History has hundreds of fascinating exhibits, and literature and data spanning three centuries. Brighton Museum and Art Gallery is the biggest and most modern museum and houses 20th century works. Photography is put firmly on the map thanks to the Sydney Street Gallery and North Laine Photography Gallery.

The Brighton Centre on the beach front welcomes the latest bands and the Theatre Royal Brighton is a venue for top class West End productions, sometimes even before they go to London. Brighton Dome plays host to an eclectic mix of acts and productions and it isn’t unusual to see the latest stand-up comedian one night and a Shakespearean tragedy the next.

Brighton has an illustrious reputation both behind and in front of the camera. Pioneering photographers and film makers set up studios in the city and Brighton has featured in cinema’s most popular films, including Brighton Rock and The End of the Affair. Film lovers can treat themselves to a showing at the Duke of York’s Picturehouse, the oldest working cinema in the country and the annual Cine-City film festival is a must for film buffs.

Cultural and creative, Brighton has put itself on the map.

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Lancashire, situated in the north west of England, is a county famed for its beautiful attractions. Perhaps the most famous attraction in Lancashire is the seaside resort of Blackpool. Blackpool is Britain’s number one vacation spot with over six million people a year visiting the town. Its Pleasure Beach and tower are two famous landmarks, with the Blackpool Illuminations light show attracting visitors in the Autumn. The town’s Golden Mile, may suit – a mile-long stretch of Las Vegas-style casino hotels situated along the seafront which has turned Blackpool into Britain’s home of the casino.

If you’re looking for rolling countryside, grasslands, woodlands and salt marshes to wander around and explore, look no further than the villages of Arnside and Silverdale, set back from Morecombe Bay on the coast of Lancashire. For the authentic British experience, the village of Arnside offers a selection of traditional Victorian stores and authentic British pubs serving traditional ale as well as great, authentic British food. In this area of Lancashire, you get to see the true heart of Britain.

Pendle Hill, an isolated hill situated in the north east of Lancashire, is famous throughout America as the birthplace of the Quaker movement. It was here, in 1652, that George Fox claims to have been visited by God. Perhaps its most famous claim to fame, however, is through being the site of the Pendle witch trials – a seventeenth century trial in which ten people were found guilty of the murder of ten others through witchcraft.

Hoghton Tower, the historic home of the De Hoghton family since the 12th century, is home to more than just aristocratic history. In 1617, King James I visited Hoghton. The laying of the red carpet along the half-mile private avenue leading to the house almost bankrupted the family. At the dinner that evening, it is said that King James I was particularly impressed with the steak he was served, pulling out his sword and knighting it ‘Sir Loin’, hence ‘sirloin’ steak.

If you love the great outdoors, 312 square miles designated as an Area of Outstanding Beauty may just appeal. The Forest of Bowland is a nationally protected landscape which simply cannot be replicated elsewhere. It is home to a number of rare birds and plant species and is almost unchanged since the late medieval period. 16th and 17th century stone buildings are dotted across the landscape which forms part of the Pennine hills. Whether you’re into loud and lively Blackpool or the peaceful, historic and serene Forest of Bowland, Lancashire has something for everyone.

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