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Monthly Archives: February 2011

Day trips in Southern England

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Filed under Attractions

If you’re looking for a great region to visit while you’re in the UK, check out Southern England. Southern England consists of over fifteen different counties located near or on the English Channel. These counties include Bristol, Cornwall, Greater London, Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey, Devon and Dorset. Like much of Europe, Southern England is rich in history and culture, with plenty of historically significant sites and fascinating places to visit. At its widest point, this region on the south of England is around 300 miles wide from east to west. You can drive from one side of Southern England to the other in less than seven hours, depending on your starting point and destination. The fact that you can drive anywhere in south and return home the next day makes it a great region for taking day trips. Here are a couple of suggestions for day trips in Southern England.

Winchester

The city of Winchester is located in the country of Hampshire. It is best known as the home of the Mother Church of the Diocese of Winchester, the Winchester Cathedral. Some sort of church has been located on the site of the cathedral since the 7th century, and construction on the actual cathedral seen today started in the year 1079. One of the largest cathedrals in all of England, Winchester Cathedral is also the longest Gothic cathedral in Europe. Both visitors and religious pilgrims are welcome at the cathedral. Many people visit for religious reasons, while others are more interested in the fact that Jane Austen is buried here. After you’ve finished touring the cathedral, you can also check out several other historical buildings in the area such as Wolvesey Castle and Winchester Castle.

Isle of Wight

The largest island in England, the Isle of Wight is a neighbour to nearby Hampshire. The Isle of Wight has been a popular tourist destination since the Victorian era. Many people are attracted to the island due to its wildlife and geological wonders while others come for sailing and luxurious resorts. A popular thing to do on the Isle of Wight is to walk or bicycle through the landscape on the Isle of Wight Coastal Path. This path is a 67-mile long footpath that circles the island along the coast. For those with children, check out Dinosaur Isle, a museum designed in the shape of a giant pterosaur.

Bath

The city of Bath is located in the county of Somerset. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The Romans were the first to establish Bath – in the year 43 – as a spa resort. Ancient ruins from that era of history can be found in Bath. These ruins are in excellent condition and are a major tourist attraction. There are also several great examples of Georgian architecture in Bath, such as the Circus and the Royal Crescent. For those more interested in modern day tourism, take a trip to a spa like the Thermae Bath Spa, and relax in water from the natural hot springs.

Those are just a few of the wonderful destinations that you can explore on your next trip to the south of England.

Ryan Embly is the Marketing Director at Car Rental Express.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on the UKseries.com UK Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

History and wildlife in the Forest of Dean

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The Wye Valley and Forest of Dean are not the best known of British tourist destinations but this small area is rich in natural treasures and little pieces of fascinating history.

The Forest of Dean boasts more than 100 square kilometres of forest, mostly oak and beech. What’s more, huge swathes of this broadleaved woodland is ancient. It’s not the result of a single planting for any one purpose – the stories about a whole forest being created by the Tudors to provide wood for England’s navy are untrue – and forestry in this area goes back as far as records do. The forest was certainly well used during the Roman occupation of Britain and before.

The remains of prehistoric occupations aren’t obvious to the casual visitor but evidence is there if you keep your eyes open. The Wye Valley village of Trellech (or Trelleck) is one of the best places to look. It’s home to two significant monuments. Harold’s Stones are a group of three impressive Bronze Age standing stones. The name of St Anne’s Well suggests a modern origin but it’s thought that in this case Anne is a modification of Annis, Celtic goddess of wells and springs. To this day some people believe the waters to have healing properties. The nearby Tump Turret is all that remains of an 11th Century castle.

There are better preserved castles in the Valley but the most spectacular historical remnant is without doubt Tintern Abbey. This early 12th Century Cistercian abbey is now mostly roofless but the massive Gothic arches remain intact. Outlined against the sky they’re one of the great sights of British history. Much of the beautiful sandstone detailing is still visible too.

Not all the attractions are man-made. The Wye has carved out stunning limestone cliffs over the millennia. Some of these rise 200ft or more, but the most picturesque are around the village of Symonds Yat. This is a popular destination for rock climbers and walkers who come to see the local peregrine falcons or the magnificent pinnacle of the Long Stone, or simply walk in the forest and enjoy the beech trees. You can also take a ferry across the river at this point or hire a canoe or kayak to enjoy the views from the water.

Fallow deer are a fairly common sight in the forest. It was a Royal hunting ground in Norman and medieval times and the deer are still there. More recently wild boar have reappeared. While these are a rare treat for wildlife lovers, they shouldn’t be approached. Be particularly wary of mothers with piglets. They are very protective of their young and can be quite dangerous, but both deer and wild boar wildlife tours are available.

There are many reasons to visit the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley. The history and wildlife are two of the biggest drawcards, but it’s worth taking time just to enjoy the ancient forest and magnificent trees. Make sure you try a pint of local ale too!

Jess Spate is a Senior Editor at Outdoor Equipment Online.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on the UKseries.com UK Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

Useful links:
Hotels in Monmouth
Hotels in Ross-on-Wye

Treasures of Afghanistan at the British Museum

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Filed under Events

A quick reminder of the new exhibition at the British Museum which will show what a wealth of treasures Afghanistan has gathered over the past 3000 years will be opening this March.

Situated on the silk road, the country was at the crossroads for traders from China & the far East, Iran and the modern day Middle East, India and Europe ensuring that it could collect some of the finest gold and and other precious objects from as far back as 2000 BC!

From March 2011, the British Museum will open the Secret Hidden Treasures of Afghanistan exhibition with objects from the National Museum of Afghanistan. Objects on display will include spectacular opulent gold ornaments found at a burial site of a nomadic tribe and limestone sculptures of a Greek city set up by a former commander of Alexander the Great.

Judging by the sneak peak pictures released by the British Museum, the treasures are going to be something quite amazing.

We only have these treasures because of some very brave officials from the Museum of Afghanistan who hid the treasures during the civil war, and later under the rule of the Taliban who demonstrated they preferred to destroy ancient treasures rather than display them.

Exhibition runs from the 3rd March 2011.

The British Museum have a video presentation below:

Tickets for the exhibition can be booked on the British Museum web site for around £10 per adult, with accompanied children free.

Links around the British Museum:
Hotels in Bloomsbury (near the British Museum)
More tourist attractions near the British Museum

VisitEngland announces shortlist for the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2011

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Filed under Accommodation, Attractions, Eating & Drinking, Events

England’s fine and mighty have stepped forward to compete for this year’s Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, sponsored by The Caravan Club. These prestigious awards currently in their 22nd year celebrate the very best the country has to offer. Amongst the shortlisted winners for 2011 are the former home of WHSmith, a converted chapel, a café offering foraged food, lodges made of reclaimed telegraph poles, an eco pub offering carbon neutral vodka, an English royal horse racing event, a surfing food trail and some big sheep!

The shortlist finalists for VisitEngland’s Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2011 are:

Access for all Tourism Award

Hoe Grange Holidays, Derbyshire (East Midlands)
Cadbury World, Birmingham  (Heart of England)
Colston Hall, Bristol  (South West Tourism)
The Deep, Hull  (Welcome to Yorkshire)

Bed & Breakfast / Guest Accommodation of the Year

Number 43, Cumbria  (England’s North West)
St Cuthbert’s House, Northumberland (One North East)

Best Tourism Experience

Cumbrian Heavy Horses, Cumbria (England’s North West)
BBC Tours, Birmingham  (Heart of England)
Global Boarders, Cornwall  (South West Tourism)

Business Tourism Award

Highgate House, Northamptonshire (East Midlands)
Manchester Central Convention Complex, Manchester  (England’s North West)
Rockliffe Hall, Darlington  (One North East)

Caravan Holiday Park

Woodclose Park, Cumbria  (England’s North West)
Poston Mill Park Holidays, Herefordshire (Heart of England)
Faweather Grange, Yorkshire  (Welcome to Yorkshire)

Large Hotel (Over 35 bedrooms)

The Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Manchester (England’s North West)
Bovey Castle Country House Hotel, Devon  (South West Tourism)
Chewton Glen Hotel, Hampshire  (Tourism South East)
The Langham Hotel, London  (Visit London)

Large Visitor Attraction (Over 100,000 visitors)

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire  (East Midlands)
Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester  (England’s North West)
Alton Towers Resort, Staffordshire  (Heart of England)
RHS Garden Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire (Welcome to Yorkshire)

Outstanding Customer Service

The Front of House Team at East Lodge, Derbyshire  (East Midlands)
The Front of House Team at Tylney Hall Hotel, Hampshire  (Tourism South East)
Lucy McEnaney at Event Durham, Durham University, Durham  (One North East)
Sarah Lee at The BIG Sheep, Devon  (South West Tourism)

Self Catering Holiday of the Year

Stretton Lakes, Rutland  (East Midlands)
East View Farm Holiday Cottages, Norfolk  (East of England)
Millbrook Cottages, Devon  (South West Tourism)
The Dovecote Barns, Yorkshire  (Welcome to Yorkshire)

Small Hotel of the Year (Under 50 Bedrooms)

Langley Castle Hotel, Northumberland  (One North East)
The Bay Tree Hotel, Oxfordshire  (Tourism South East)
The Egerton House Hotel, London  (Visit London)
The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa, North Yorkshire  (Welcome to Yorkshire)

Small Visitor Attraction (Under 50,000)

The Henry Moore Foundation, Hertfordshire  (East of England)
Compton Verney, Warwickshire  (Heart of England)
Shepherd Neame Visitor Centre, Kent  (Tourism South East)
The Walled Garden at Scampston, North Yorkshire (Welcome to Yorkshire)

Sustainable Tourism Award

Clough Bottom Farm Cottages, Lancashire (England’s North West)
The Battlesteads, Northumberland  (One North East)
RED Hotels, Cornwall  (South West Tourism)
The Cavendish London (Visit London)

Taste of England Award

Hotel Maiyango & Restaurant, Leicestershire  (East Midlands)
The Cottage in the Wood, Cumbria (England’s North West)
Ludlow Food Centre, Shropshire  (Heart of England)
Porthminster Beach Café, Cornwall  (South West Tourism)

Best Tourism Event

Buxton Festival, Derbyshire  (East Midlands)
Manchester International Festival, Manchester  (England’s North West)
The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, Gloucestershire  (South West Tourism)
Royal Ascot, Berkshire (Tourism South East)

Tourist Information Service

Morecambe Visitor Information Centre, Lancashire (England’s North West)
Durham City Tourist Information Centre, Durham (One North East)
Gloucester Tourist Information Centre, Gloucestershire  (South West Tourism)
Winchester Tourist Information Centre, Hampshire  (Tourism South East)

Family breaks In Pembrokeshire

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An unspoilt corner of south west Wales, Pembrokeshire has much to offer the family with its stunning sandy beaches, fun outdoor activities and huge choice of attractions. Nearly 200 miles long, almost all of Pembrokeshire’s spectacular shoreline is included within Britain’s only coastal National Park, while the county’s offshore islands are important wildlife reserves.

No part of Pembrokeshire is more than twelve miles from the sea. Atlantic sea breezes ensure some of the UK’s best surfing beaches can be found at Newgale and Whitesands, where surf shops and tuition are available for families. There are also several multi-activity centres such as TYF Adventure, Sealyham and Preseli Venture, which offer tuition for family groups and children. Exciting water and land based activities include sea kayaking, coasteering, surfing, mountain biking and high ropes.

For building sandcastles or simply relaxing, the many golden beaches are known for their high standards and cleanliness. Thirteen have the coveted Blue Flag; 31 are holders of Seaside Awards and 39 are recommended by the Marine Conservation Society.

Youngsters will also enjoy the thrilling boat trips around the islands of Skomer, Skokholm, Grassholm, Ramsey and Caldey, which offer a chance to see some rare and unusual birds from April to October. Huge super-pods with hundreds, even thousands, of common dolphin have been spotted in Cardigan Bay during the summer, while grey seal pups can be seen on isolated beaches between September and November.

Family Attractions

Pembrokeshire also has a great choice of excellent man-made family attractions such as the Heatherton Activity Park, near Tenby, which boasts a tree top adventure trail, and Battlefield LIVE where all ages can join in combat games using infra-red technology. The Flying Boat Centre in Pembroke’s historic dockyard features the story of RAF Sunderland T9044, which sank at its moorings during a gale in November 1940 and still lies 65ft down on the sea bed.

Other popular family attractions include the Iron Age hill fort at Castell Henllys; Pembroke Castle; Oakwood Theme Park with its white-knuckle rides, Folly Farm Adventure Park and the Manor House Wildlife Park, near Tenby, which has been developed by TV celebrity Anna Ryder Richardson of ‘Changing Rooms’ fame.

Suggestions for places to stay as well as activities and things to see and do can be found in the Pembrokeshire Holiday Guide available from www.visitpembrokeshire.com

Useful links:
Hotels in South Wales
Holiday cottages in South Wales
Tourist attractions in South Wales

Cornish Pasties must now be made in Cornwall

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Filed under Eating & Drinking

Joining the ranks of Champagne, Stilton Cheese and Parma ham, the humble Cornish Pasty can now only be made in the place which bears its name.

Under a new EU ruling, the Cornish pasty has received something called “protected geographical indication” status. In English that means as the pasty is identified strongly with Cornwall, any pasty bearing that name must be made in the county of Cornwall.

This has delighted devotees of the famous pasty who claim that inferior versions often made outside the county are ruining the reputation of their national dish.

What the ruling doesn’t specify is how the Cornish pasty should be made, although according to those in the know there are rules (albeit unofficial) about this.

The Cornish Pasty Association describes it as: “A genuine Cornish pasty has a distinctive ‘D’ shape and is crimped on one side, never on top. The texture of the filling for the pasty is chunky, made up of uncooked minced or roughly cut chunks of beef (not less than 12.5%), swede, potato and onion and a light peppery seasoning.

Now all the Cornish need to do is work out how to ship their pasties around the country overnight without making the pastry go soggy (a problem with frozen pasties).

A new gold rush has started in Scotland

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Filed under Miscellaneous

Scotland is experiencing a new “gold rush” but rather than looking for shiny metals in streams, it’s the streams themselves which could create the wealth.

For years we’ve been told to go-green and that we need new renewable ways to generate electricity, so top of this list has been wind power. However, wind turbines and the Trossachs National Park really wouldn’t fit together too well.

Driven in part by this need to go green and partly because of rising electricity prices another renewable is being tapped even in the heart of the national parks – plain simple water.

New scheme: To be precise, the new rush is to find streams with enough force and constant water supply to install very small and well hidden mini hydro electric power schemes. The purpose of the schemes is either to provide primary electricity supplies to local villages, or in the case of larger schemes, to actually sell this green electricity back into the national grid.

Why the rush now? Previously a combination of technology and costs prevented most people using hydro in this way, but with the introduction of a new feed-in tariff for green electricity, this is becoming a more viable option.

Requirements: As long as planning permission regulations are met then all that’s needed is a site with a constant and fairly fast flowing rate of water (eg: a waterfall), and a reasonably nearby place to connect to the grid.

There’s more information on current schemes on the BBC Scottish hydro electric article.

The Kate Middleton royal tours have started

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Filed under Transport

Interest in the royal wedding this April has resulted in the first Kate Middleton tours for visitors eager to find out more about the future princess.

The tours are run by Adrian Morton, and take in several locations around the village of Bucklebury, Berkshire where Kate was born and grew up. Tours include her former schools and other areas of interest.

Whether the guided “Kate Middleton Country Tour” will appeal to Brits or Americans is currently uncertain, but it will likely receive mixed responses from the populations of these quiet middle-England villages.

The tours are run by Mortons Travel.

Resources around Bucklebury:
Visitor attractions in Newbury (near Bucklebury)
Hotels in Newbury

How London will look during the Olympics

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Filed under Events

New pictures have been released showing how significant parts of London will look during the 2012 Olympics from Lords Cricket Ground to Horse Guards Parade.

Due to the slight lack of a time machine, the images had to be computer generated, but they do give a pretty good idea of how these popular venues will transform during the London Olympics.

The only venue currently completed is the Lee Valley White Water Centre in Hertfordshire although the stands shown in the images don’t currently exist.

Possibly the most spectacular will be the Horse Guards Parade with a vast temporary stadium created especially for the games and will host the volleyball competitions. Seats in this stadium are expected to be some of the most sought after of all Olympic games seats.

For the full slideshow of Olympic venues, click here.

London Links:
Horse Guards Parade by Whitehall
Lords Cricket Ground
Greenwich Park
Lee Valley White Water Centre

Spring in the New Forest is just around the corner

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Filed under Attractions, Events

Spring is just around the corner – the daffodils are beginning to peak up in the gardens and it won’t be long till the daffodil meadows at Exbury Gardens are delighting us with their golden waves of colour, swaying in the spring breeze. This is one of the magical times of year in the New Forest, and you see the New Forest foals take their first steps and prance around on their delicate legs and watch the Forest blossom into life.

Lots of the New Forest attractions are open for visits, there is still lots to do if the weather is damp (Beaulieu Motor Museum, St Barbe’s Museum, Ringwood Museum, the New Forest Visitors centre, Sammy Miller’s Motorcycle Museum to name just a few) along with some great pubs and tea rooms with roaring oak fires to warm you up after a great walk in the New Forest.

Useful links:
Tourist attractions in the New Forest
Hotels near the New Forest