Belfast had never been on my agenda, but it was the lure of the award-winning museum, Titanic Belfast, which initially captured my attention. I’m so glad it did, or I would never have discovered what a captivating city Belfast is. When I subsequently found out that it’s possible to take an easy day trip from the city to the natural wonder of the Giant’s Causeway, it clinched the deal.
Often overlooked by visitors who flock …
Let’s get a few things straight. First off, Oxford University is not in London. Oxford is in Oxford, approximately 60 miles northwest of the United Kingdom’s capital city. Secondly, there is no “campus”; the University is comprised of over three dozen colleges and private halls which are spread across the aptly named “city of dreaming spires.” Finally, the University was conceived as an institution of higher learning—one of the world’s most prestigious, in fact—and …
Few passengers careening between tube stations know there is an underground city beneath London.
In the 19th century, digging deep-level underwater tunnels was hazardous. Numerous attempts to cross the Thames underground had failed, with many lives lost. Today, the East London Line uses Brunel’s Thames Tunnel, being the first successful under-Thames crossing.
When steam traction was exchanged for electricity, deeper tunnels could be dug using compressed air and a large circular drilling shield, which was …
A chill north wind blows across a landscape, stark but beautiful at the same time. But a peat fire is always nearby in some stone cottage with a thatched roof, where both the occupants and the ambiance are warm (and so, sometimes, is the beer; this is Britain, after all!). The sounds of the breeze are occasionally broken by the “baaah-ing” of a group of sheep.
The landscape rises and drops sharply in steep hills …
Famed for its creativity, great new food scene and buzzing nightlife, Shoreditch has become one of London’s trendiest districts. If you’re into architecture and the evolution of buildings you will love the profound way in which skyscrapers and new buildings bite into Shoreditch from London’s ‘square mile’.
A new wave of young professionals have moved in, sending property prices sky-rocketing in what was once a working-class neighbourhood between Old Street and Bethnal Green. The boom …
Foula is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the UK, situated 20 miles west of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Its isolated location, amidst rugged seas and dramatic cliffs, paints a beautiful yet challenging picture of life removed from pace and place. Foula’s history is as fascinating as its geographical features. The island’s name is thought to derive from the Old Norse “Fuglaey,” meaning “bird island.” Its abundant seabird populations and Norse heritage …
File under “One more thing your travel advisor will be telling you about next time you visit the UK.”
Beginning January 8, travelers to the United Kingdom from non-European nations, including the United States and Canada, will need to take an extra step as the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system rolls out.
Whether just passing through a UK airport or planning a stay of six months or less—for tourism, family visits, business meetings, …
Dartmoor National Park in Devon, England, hosts a mystical and otherworldly forest. Wistman’s Wood, one of Britain’s highest-altitude oak woodlands, is what remains of the ancient wildwood that once covered much of Dartmoor’s landscape thousands of years ago. The woodland occupies a steep-sided valley near Two Bridges, situated at an elevation of approximately 380-410 meters above sea level. The name “Wistman’s” is believed to derive from the Saxon word “wisht,” meaning eerie, uncanny, or haunted …
The former home and setting of two novels by Jane Austen, Bath has been a sought-after location for centuries. A spa resort set up by the Romans in 43 AD, it sits just south of the Cotswolds in England. Here, the architecture is charming and delicate all at once. Everywhere the traveler looks are examples of a culture-rich city – while having spas and thermal baths readily available is an undeniable plus.
The Romans used …
Southwest England has some of the most iconic shores in the United Kingdom and nearby coastal countries. The craggy coasts are mystical, with rocky cliffs often obscured by fog. This area juts from the mainland into the Lizard Peninsula, where the ceremonial county of Cornwall sits. Recognized as one of the Celtic areas of the UK, Cornwall has kept a distinct identity from the lands next door for the traveler to discover. With prehistoric and …
You cannot move ten feet in this country without bumping up against some striking reminder of a long and productive past. Wherever you turn you are confronted with wondrous and interesting things – 20,000 scheduled ancient monuments, 600,000 recorded archaeological sites, 140,000 miles of public footpaths, 280,000 miles of hedgerows, 100,000 war memorials, 6,000 listed bridges, 15 National Parks, 86 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, over 4,000 sites of Special Scientific Interest, 20,000 ancient parish …
Liverpool is by far one of the most original, cosmopolitan and vibrant cities in England. The edgy downtown cobbled area around Seel Street is undergoing massive regeneration and is bursting with people having fun at the hipster bars and trendy restaurants.
Towards the end of Seel Street, in a row of historic terraced warehouse styled buildings, is the Nadler Hotel, which, in recent years, has undergone a £14m renovation. In its former life, this 19th …
Despite jokes about accents and what, exactly, a chip is, London remains a popular destination for American travelers, which has no shortage of tourist staples: Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the House of Parliament, but London’s appeal doesn’t lie only in its architectural and cultural treasures. It’s the jaw-dropping views across the city, taking in most of the Big Five landmarks, which are most memorable.
It’s only a credit to the capital …
The medieval market city of Norwich is situated on the River Wensom in the beautiful county of Norfolk in England. Located around 100 miles north-east of London, Norwich is known as ‘The Fine City’, a phrase coined by 19th century local writer, George Borrow.
With over 1,500 medieval buildings and 33 historic churches within its crumbling mid-14th century walls, Norwich has a higher intensity of ancient architecture than elsewhere in Northern Europe. The …
