The UK attracts millions of visitors to its shores every year but 90% leave with no more than the briefest glimpse of the country and with no better understanding of its psyche than with what they arrives with. So to help rectify this I herein attempt to give a brief rundown of the UK, its history and its character, and why Britton's are so fiercely proud of where they come form and why they want to protect what is left of our heritage.
England's capital London is a huge metropolis and home to many of England's most frequented tourist sites, as you might expect covering an overall area of around 36 square miles, so without going into too many details here are some of the highlights.
Buckingham Palace - take the metro to either Victoria or Green Park station
Covent Garden - take the metro to Covent Garden
Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament - take the metro to Westminster
Westminster Abbey - take the metro to Westminster
Trafalgar Square - take the metro to Trafalgar Square
St Pauls Cathedral - take the metro to St Pauls
Royal Albert Hall & Hyde Park - take the metro to Knightsbridge
HMS Belfast - take the metro to London Bridge
Imperial War Museum - take the metro to Elephant & Castle
The Cutty Sark - take the metro and district light railway ( DLR ) to the Cutty Sark station
Harrods - take the metro to Knightsbridge
Leicester Square - take the metro to Leicester Square
China Town - take the metro to Leicester Square
London Eye - take the metro to Waterloo
The Golden Hinde - take the metro to London Bridge
Madam Tussauds - take the metro to Baker Street
The House of Sherlock Holmes, 221b Baker Street - take the metro to Baker Street
Milennium Dome ( now called the O2 centre ) - take the metro to North Greenwich
Tower of London - take the metro to Tower Hill
London Dungeon - take the metro to London Bridge
London Bridge – take the metro to London Bridge
Royal Household Cavalry – take the metro to Westminster
Shakespear's Globe Theatre – take the metro to Covent Garden, Temple or Holborn
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Courts – take the metro to Wimbledon Park
Tate Modern - take the metro to Southwark or Blackfriars
The Oval Cricket Ground – take the metro to The Oval
A Cruise Up The River Thames – pickup a lift at many of the quays along the Thames Estuary
Hyde Park – take the metro to any of five tube neighbouring exits, such as Hyde Park Corner
Marble Arch – take the metro to Marble Arch
British Museum – take the metro to Holborn
Soho Red Light District – take the metro to Soho
Alexandra Palace – take the metro to Bounds Green. Equally you can take the train to Alexandra Palace Rail station
Shaftsbury Theatre – take the metro to Tottenham Court Road
The Republic of Ireland ( Eire ) and northern Ireland are a land divided by a split in religion and politics, with the larger south being a separate country and the north still ruled by the British government. The Irish are famed for their drinking ( Guiness or whisky ), their gambling, their cheery nature and not to forget the mischievous little leprechauns with their hidden pots of gold.
In the north there is without question a place of magnificent natural wonder and beauty in the Giants Causeway near Antrim.
Train: Services from Belfast or Londonderry to Coleraine. Bus: Causeway Rambler (Ulsterbus No. 376) between Bushmills and Carrick-a-Rede runs in the summer; or Ulsterbus No. 252 is a circular route via the Antrim Glens from Belfast. Both stop at the Causeway. Cycle: NCN route 93 runs past Causeway. Car: On B146, 2 miles from Bushmills.
The Republic of Ireland has many famous cities and sights of interest, notably the capital city of Dublin with its Guiness factory, Malahide Castle, museums and the Fry Model Railway, being one of the largest in the world .
Situated in the beautiful grounds surrounding Malahide Castle, right in the centre of Dublin and well signposted.
The city of Cork just off the south coast is arguably most famous for enabling people to Kiss the Blarney Stone at the nearby Castle of Blarney. Many famous politicians have done so to be granted the gift of eloquence.
Blarney Castle is situated in Blarney Village which is 8 km northwest from Cork city in the South of Ireland. Directions from Cork Airport :- From Airport follow signs for City Centre. From City Centre follow signs for Limerick (N20). Travel for 7 km; exit left (signposted Blarney)
Scotland is a rugged and mountainous country with its own share of beauty and history, and the Scots themselves are known for their firmness, their ginger and red hair, their fondness for eating oats and haggis, for wearing kilts and for playing the bagpipes – though this last item is actually of Irish origin.
Edinburgh, its capital, is graced with a fabulous castle where each year at the end of August a military tattoo is held, a spectacle that draws a huge crowd worldwide each year.
Edinburgh Castle is situated in the centre of Edinburgh and is a short walk from Waverley train station.
The equally imposing Stirling Castle played a key role in the defence and independence of Scotland and much of the film Braveheart was both filmed and based around this fabulous keep.
The nearest major airport to Stirling is at Edinburgh, - 29 miles/47km. From Edinburgh you can get to Stirling either by bus, which runs every hour and is very slow or by train. Trains are every 30 minutes (every hour after 2000 and on Sundays) from Waverley or Haymarket. The Citylink bus costs £4 and takes about an hour, departing from the bus station at St Andrew Square. From Glasgow buses also run hourly and take about 45 minutes. Trains depart at least 3 times per hour, expresses take 27 minutes (See the First ScotRail website for timetable information). Easily reachable by car from both Glasgow(M80/A80/M9) and Edinburgh (using the M9).
The highlands of Scotland also boast one of the world's greatest golf course at Gleneagles, set against a wonderful scenic backdrop.
Gleneagles can be reached along the A9 northbound from Stirling. It also is just a short stroll from its own named rail station.
Scotland's other main sight of interest is of course the Loch Ness, the alleged home of the Loch Ness Monster ( more affectionately called Nessy). Despite millions of visitors coming with their cameras and scientific equipment no one has been able to verify her existence or whereabouts.
The A82 on the north side links Loch Ness is the main trunk route which links Loch Ness along the length of the Great Glen with nearby Inverness – the Capital of the Highlands, in the north, and Glasgow in the south. To reach Loch Ness by rail you can travel to nearby Inverness or Fort William.
In the distant past, people from England who wanted to get married in a hurry, and often without the permission of their parents, would cross the border into Scotland and head to Gretna Green.
Located just off the main motorway route into Scotland (M74). Located only 10 minutes north of Carlisle, one hour from the Lake District, one hour 30 minutes from Glasgow, Edinburgh or Newcastle and two hours 30 minutes from Manchester or Stranraer.
A guided tour of the Scottish Highlands is the other main attraction, where your will be regaled you with stories from its grim and bloody history as you are driven through its scenic hillsides.
Scotland is also home to John O'Groats, commonly mistaken as the most Northerly pinnacle of the UK ( which is actually the Shetland Islands ), whereas its actual claim to fame is that it is the northerly end of the longest distance between two points on the British mainland, Land's End being the other.
Finally in Scotland each year there is the Highland Games, which take place from Cowal to Tomintoul and all points in between, and is a unique mix of sport, culture and social gathering. They comprise a programme of events, piping and Highland dancing competitions and 'heavy events' like the tug-o-war and tossing the caber.
Similarly to Scotland, Wales is another rugged mountainous country. The Welsh are famous for their Celtic dancing, their love of Rugby, close harmonious singing, leeks, harps, sheep and coal mines.
Wales boasts the tallest mountain in the UK, Mount Snowdon, in the region of Snowdonia.
There are lots of walks up to the summit of Snowdon from villages all round the mountain, ranging from brisk walks to full climbing routes with crampons. Mind you for the less energetic, there is always the train from Llanberis to Snowdon's summit.
The Welsh capital of Cardiff is home to many top attractions and a perfect jump point for visiting places such as the Millennium Stadium, the historic castle of Caerphilly, the Brecon Beacons, the Goape adventure park and not forgetting the Big Pit. The Big Pit being both a real coal mine and one of Britain's leading mining museums.
The Big Pit in Blaenavon can be reached by taking the B4246 from Abergavenny or the A4042 from Pontypool, north of Cardiff and Newport.
In north Wales can be found the majestic Caernarfon castle, possibly the most famous of Welsh castle. Its sheer scale and commanding presence easily set it apart from the rest.
The nearest main line station is Bangor, on the North Wales Coast Line from Chester to Holyhead, approximately ten miles from Caernarfon. Caernarfon is on the A487 trunk road and from England take the A55 Expressway from Chester to beyond Bangor; turn off at the second Bangor turn (A4087, also signposted for Caernarfon) and bear left.
Overall England is considered to be generally flat and green by almost everyone's standard and partly because of this and its temperate climate it has played host to a multitude of invaders right down throughout the ages.
Just south of the Scottish border is the narrowest part of the Britain and where historically the Roman Caesar Hadrian had a wall built to prevent the Scots from raiding further south.
National Express coaches run from all over the UK to Newcastle and Carlisle. By car, there are excellent motorway and trunk road links leading to Hadrian's Wall Country including the M6, M1, A1, A7, A68, A69 and A74.
Of all the famous historical sites in England the most important must surely be the monolithic circle of stones at Stonehenge.
From Amesbury, 2 miles west on the junction of A303 and A344/360. The nearest train station to Stonehenge is Salisbury about 9.5 miles away. The buses depart from Heathrow Airport and from Victoria Coach Station in the centre of London. The journey takes about 2 hours. Get off at Amesbury. From there you can either walk (about 2 miles), catch a local bus, or get a taxi.
Another site of ancient magnificence and mystery is the Long Man in Wilmington, East Sussex.
Wilmington is about 2 miles West of Polegate on Lewes Road ( A27 ), and about 5 miles North West of Eastbourne. The nearest mainline railway station is in Polegate.
Also here during the Beltaine time of the year, 1st of May, can also be seen traditional Morris Dancing and dancing round the May-pole, two folk / pagan activities still alive today.
Britain has a number of chalk-cut hill figures but the oldest by far, dating back over 3,000 years, is the White Horse of Uffington in Oxfordshire.
Road Access is the S of B4507, 7 miles West of Wantage. Bus Access is the RH Transport 67 to within 1 mile. The town of Uffington is actually midway between the two nearest mainline railway stations of Swindon and Didcot, both around 18 miles away.
Another example of Romano-British archaeology can be found in the ruins of the Roman Baths at Bath.
The Roman Baths are in the centre of Bath in the West of England. Bath is 100 miles (160km) west of London and 10 miles (16km) east of Bristol. Bath has good coach and rail connections from London and from most major cities in the UK.
In its museum in Reading there resides the Victorian period replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, chronicling the successful invasion and occupation by the Norman King, William the Conqueror, in 1066.
The Museum of Reading is only a two-minute walk from Reading Central rail and bus stations and is well signposted from both.
The historic town is Stratford-Upon-Avon, is notable because it was the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and has tried its best to keep its heritage intact and still displays many links to its most famous son. Stratford Upon Avon.
Henley Street is situated about 800 meters East of the main railway station, just off Meer Street or Wood Street.
Prior to the Norman invasion, England's capital moved home several times but one of the only place now really worth visiting for its former claim of being a capital is the historic city of York.
York is a fairly large city and has many places of interest in their own right, including castles and cathedrals, but spare a thought for the Yorvik Viking Centre, which though small is ideal for spending a few minutes as long as the queues are not too long.
Head into York on the A19 into the City centre. The nearest car park is next to Clifford's Tower. JORVIK is then a 2 minute walk away in Coppergate Square. It is also 1 mile from the main train station.
One place that claims to have been of major political importance was the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Lindisfarne is unlike any other place you are ever likely to visit and still has records and evidence of its Viking Raids.
Holy Island is linked to the mainland by a long causeway. Twice each day the tide sweeps in from the North Sea and covers the road. By road, proceed along the main A1 roadway to the crossroad at Beal which is approximately 8 miles South of Berwick-upon-Tweed and about 60 miles (halfway) between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Edinburgh. The nearest mainline station is at Berwick-upon-Tweed on the London (Kings Cross) to Edinburgh GNER line. Local bus Route 477 operates to the Island from Berwick Station on most days during Summer months but sometimes as few as once a week between September and May.
The legendary home of the famous archer and people's hero Robin Hood is believed to trace its roots to Sherwood Forest near Edwinstowe in Nottinghamshire. Today there are still three royal parks in the region that are home to many wild birds and animals such as deer as well as 1,000 year old trees.
The gateway to Sherwood Forest is Edwinstowe and the area is best reached by car from the M1 or A1 via the A614. The nearest mainline railway station is Newark, which has good rail links with London, Nottingham, Lincoln and Scotland. It is about 1 hour 20 minutes from London. There are also National buses that leave from Nottingham.
England still has hundreds of Castles and ruins of castles, far too many to list and detail here, but I will include a few of the more impressive ones here.
Tintagel Castle, in NW Cornwall, often inspires dreams of Camelot, King Arthur, and Merlin. In the bay below the castle is a dark dank cave said to be the haunting place of the ghost of Merlin.
The castle can be found at Tintagel Head, along a half mile of uneven track from Tintagel, however no vehicles can access it directly. Tintagel itself can be reached from the B3263 from Boscastle and via the B3314 from A39 by Camelford.
Leeds Castle is acclaimed, and in my view rightly so, as the most romantic castle in England, and is located in south-east England, built on two adjacent islands in the river Len.
Furthermore it is perhaps one of the most entertaining and spectacular ones in the country, with year round events such as jousting, falconry, hot air ballooning and its own impressive natural maze to get lost in.
7 miles east of Maidstone, Junction 8 of the M20 motorway just 1 hour from London, 30 minutes from the Channel Tunnel, Channel Ports and Dartford River Crossing. By coach from London Victoria, Coach 021 departs at 9am stopping at various pickup points in South London. Southeastern runs frequent train services to and from Bearsted and a coach shuttle service run by Spot Hire is available from the station.
Set high above the famous white cliffs of Dover, Dover Castle boasts a colourful and fascinating history. Here you can visit the labyrinth of Secret WWII Wartime tunnels built deep within the cliffs as well as the older atmospheric medieval underground tunnels. Also here is one of Europe's best-preserved Roman lighthouses.
Dover Castle is on the east side of Dover, a short walk or drive uphill from the town. It is 1.5 miles or 2.4 km from the Dover Priory railroad station; from there, you can connect to the castle on bus 90, 91, or 111 of Stagecoach East Kent.
Yet another historic town is Rochester-Upon-Medway, notably the birthplace of Charles Dickens, and because of this it has tried its best to keep its heritage intact and still displays many links to its most famous son.
Eastgate House can be found just in the middle of Rocheser High Street, just two minutes walk from the mainline train station and is clearly signposted.
Old Romney, now New Romney, was one of the five Kentish coastal towns that made up the Five Ports (in Norman French the "Cinque Ports"), before other smaller towns joined and became associated members or "Ancient Towns".
New Romney can be found on the south coast of Kent, on the A259 in between Hastings and Folkestone and is linked to London via Ashford.
The scenic Spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells is another example of Georgian beauty and architecture with its many gardens, castles and converted oast houses.
Tunbridge and Royal Tunbridge Wells can be easily reached by train or by taking the A21 off the M25 from London.
The Cotswolds - The Cotswolds are an area of England in the west midlands near the Welsh Border.
Popular with both the English themselves and visitors from all over the world, the Cotswolds are well-known for gentle hillsides ('wolds'), sleepy villages and for being so 'typically English'.
Similarly with its rustic appeal is the Lake District, another area of rolling hillsides and green fields, this time in the far north west of England. As an added lure the Lake District is also the home of The World of Beatrix Potter attraction.
The World of Beatrix Potter can be found right in the heart of the Windermere, Cumbria and is well signposted. To get to Kendal you can take the train to nearby Kendal or take the A591 also from Kendal.
However, England is more than just its history and boasts many other exciting places to visit, such as Amusement Parks, Zoo's and much more.
The Eden Project is a complex of indoor Biomes that house entire micro-environments and also house a variety of annual events.
Buses that run regularly to Eden from St Austell Railway Station are the First 101 and the Western Greyhound 527, similarly the Western Greyhound 527 runs from Newquay, which during the summer is a big attraction for surfers. It is also well signposted along the A30 from Exeter and from the A391/390 from Plymouth.
For those who like animals you can spend a thrilling day out in Kent at either Howletts Wildlife Park - a 90 acre adventure in beautiful ancient parkland, or Port Lympne Zoo.
Howletts Wild Animal Park is located in Bekesbourne, Kent in the South East of England, just three miles south of Canterbury. Port Lympne Wild Animal & Safari Park is located in the South East of England near Hythe in Kent.
England has many tailor made holiday villages, but the CentreParcs is considered by many to be the biggest and the best, with its 4 tranquil resorts each set in 400 acres of natural woodland. Each park has a wide variety of sporting and outdoor pursuits to enjoy and is specially set up for families with young children.
There are four sites to chose from throughout the UK, being Longleat in Wiltshire, Whinfell in Cumbria, Sherwood in Nottingham and Elvenden in suffolk.
The caves at Wookey hole offer a whole host of attractions from witches covens to bold pirate caves in addition to its very own Amusement Park.
Wookey Hole is 2 miles from the beautiful medieval city of wells, and 20 miles from bath(A39), Bristol(A37) and Weston Super Mare (A371). From the M5 Exit junction 22 from north or south and follow brown tourist signs.
The Devils Arse is Britains largest cave and can be found in the Peak District just West of Sheffield.
Peak Cavern, Castleton, Hope Valley, Derbyshire. The nearest railway line is at Hope station, run by Devonshire Rail. Drivers can reach it by heading West on the A57 from Sheffield and then taking the A6013 at Ashopton before taking the A6187.
For anyone feeling a littler more energetic and feels like monkeying around then why not go along to one of the 25 GoApe outdoor leisure centres around the country and discover your own high wire jungle adventure.
Although the UK does not have its own Disneyland, it does have plenty of medium and large size Amusement Parks right throughout the country.
The largest amusement in the UK is Alton Towers in the midlands.
The Alton Towers Resort is very easy to find, with exceptional links for both road and rail. The train stations nearest to the Resort are Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and Uttoxeter and if you are travelling by road, the resort is between the M1 and the M6.
Closer to London is Chessington World of Adventures & Zoo in Surrey.
Chessington is situated 12 miles from London on the A243, just 2 miles from the A3 and M25 (junction 9 or 10). Car parking is free. Chessington is served by a regular bus service. Take the 465 bus from Kingston to Chessington, or the 467 bus from Epsom to Chessington. Regular South West Train services run from Waterloo, Clapham Junction and Wimbledon. Take the train to Chessington South Station. The park is approximately 10 minutes walk from the station.
Another of the UK's top parks also in Surrey is Thorpe Park Amusement Park and Zoo.
Just 20 miles from central London. Thorpe Park is situated between junctions 11 and 13* of the M25. (*Note: Access from Junction 12 of the M25 is not possible). Regular South West Trains run from Waterloo direct to Staines. The 950 shuttle link operates from Staines station to the Park running every half hour. Trains also run regularly from Reading and Guildford to Staines Station. Staines Bus station is a 5 minute walk from the railway station. Buses for Thorpe Park depart from Stand 2, however, the 950 Thorpe Park Express departs directly from Staines Railway Station.
Just outside Birmingham near Tamworth can be found Drayton Manor Theme Park & Zoo.
Drayton Manor Park is near Tamworth, Staffordshire on the A4091, just off the A38 / A446, J9 M42 & Exit T2 M6 Toll. Summer CrossCountry trains run a bus service direct from Tamworth station into the theme park. For details of bus services to Drayton Manor, visit Arriva or Travel West Midlands.
Windsor's very own Legoland is a world of lego based adventure and fun for all the family.
Legoland Windsor is situated in the south of the UK within the county of Berkshire and just 2 miles from the centre of Windsor and offers free parking. From London, M25 take the turning off at Junction 13.
Being an Island, Britain has a number of beaches and seaside towns that are great for a weekend break or a day trip, each with their own identity and charm.
Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, is the ideal destination for many with its pleasure beach and caravan parks, and is only narrowly pipped by Lowestoft as being Britains most Easterly town.
Great Yarmouth can be reached Eastwards along the A47 or North on the A12, and can equally be easily reached by train from either Norwich or Ipswich.
Norfolk is also famous for its Broads, a winding complex of narrow waterways that altogether span hundreds of miles right across the country and annually attract tourists who enjoy the experience of a holiday on a floating longboat or barge.
Although the Kentish town of Margate of today is only a shadow of its former glory as Britain's most fashionable beachfront towns, it has recently tried to reinvent itself and is staging something of a comeback. Margate
The town of Brighton in Sussex is another seaside town that is experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks to its becoming the official gay and lesbian capital of the UK, and also unofficially the UK's least religious town.
Blackpool pleasure beach, up near Preston in the north midlands, might not be what it once was, but it can still trace it roots as one of the UK's foremost tourist resorts.
The British people have always held a real passion for sport and can boast some of the world's greatest sporting venues. Without question the largest sport followed is football and hundreds of thousands each week go to support their team. There are 57 stadiums in the UK, playing host to 92 professional league teams.
Of these stadiums, the one that is universally loved and praised as the National stadium is Wembley, in North London, and can be reached easily by road or from the adjacent Metro line underground train station.
The grand prix circuit of Brands Hatch ( also known as Silverstone ) has been the venue of many Formula 1, Formula 3000 and motorsport races and can be found in Towcester, Northamptonshire.
Brandshatch can be easily reached by car on the A43 southbound from Towcester. By rail it is around 20km from the nearest stations of Banbury or Old Wolverton.
There are 68 horse racetracks in the UK. Each year the Grand National steeplechase horserace is held at Aintree just a few miles north of Liverpool.
Aintree is easily reached by its own railway station or from the A59 that runs right alongside the course.
Although not quite as popular as it was in recent years, there is still a warm support for the sport of Greyhound Racing and it can be seen at any of the 26 dog tracks that are still in operation in the UK.
Since its inception most of the worlds top snooker players are from the UK, playing and training in any of the thousands of clubs throughout the country.
The world Snooker championship is held each year at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
The Crucible, Studio, and Lyceum Theatres form a complex situated on the same site in the centre of Sheffield, close to the Millennium and Graves Art Galleries and the Central Library.
The other long serving British love is alcohol, and as such there are around 65,000 bars or pubs in the UK, and no village, town or city is complete without one. While the names range from the common to the bizarre they universally share many of the same characteristics of owning an adjoining garden, dart board, pool table, card table, open fireplace, piano, sofas, live stage musicians and a jukebox.
Although perhaps not recognised worldwide for its culinary skills, the traditional British fish and chip shop is still a popular institution and can be found up and down the country, as can be found the mobile Ice Cream vans.
England is linked to continental Europe by several services and a single rail line that goes under the channel through the Channel Tunnel.
The English rail link for the Eurotunnel is found at Folkestone and takes around 35 minutes to arrive in Calais.
