Wotcha, girls and boys! Reporting from England on a tour of this great country. We started yesterday, leaving London for our first stop at the famous Stonehenge.
Stonehenge is perhaps one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments. It was built in several stages. Work started on this super stone circle around 5,000 years ago in the late Neolithic Age, but it took over 1,000 years to complete in four long stages. The lighter bluestones weigh about 3,600 kg each, while the bigger sarsen stones each weigh a whopping 22 tonnes.
Once again, no one really knows for sure what it was used for or why it was built. However, the stones themselves provide a few clues, which have given rise to many different theories. On 21 June, the longest day of the year, the sun always rises over the Heel Stone at Stonehenge, and it always sets over the Heel Stone on the shortest day of the year. Therefore, researchers believe that Stonehenge may have been a ‘calendar.’
It could also have been a place of healing where sick people flocked in hope of being cured by the monument’s miraculous powers. But one thing is for sure: Stonehenge was used as a cemetery. Experts estimate that about 200 people are buried on the grounds.
Village of Cheddar is famous for the accidental discovery of Cheddar Cheese and Cheddar Gorge
Cheddar Gorge is a limestone gorge near the village of Cheddar, Somerset, England. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Britain’s oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be over 9,000 years old, was found in 1903. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites.
A popular legend states that Cheddar cheese was discovered by accident, 800 years ago. Apparently a milkmaid accidentally let a pail of milk that was being stored in the caves go bad, eventually turning into cheese. The locals liked the tanginess of the new cheese so much that they decided to make some more in the same way. Cheddar cheese as we know it was born.
The caves’ constant temperature of 7 degrees provides the optimum temperature for cheese to mature. Cheese is matured in the same caves, in the same way, to this very day!
Welcome to Oxford
With its honey-coloured 38 colleges arrayed in splendour beside the river, the university town of Oxford is an amazing blend of learning and equally amazing architectural splendor.
What is little known About Oxford is the political angle . Away from the capital Queen Mary also known as Bloody Mary carried out a bloody massacre of murdering 3 Protestant bishops and other believers. Location of Oxford away from London made It a kind of experimental ground for the queen to try out her idiosyncrasies.
Stalactites and stalagmites
Day 2
First stop, Jamaican Inn
Jamaica Inn is a traditional inn in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Built as a coaching inn in 1750, and having an association with smuggling, it was the setting for Daphne du Maurier’s 1936 novel Jamaica Inn. There is a museum that includes a lot of the author’s belongings. Daphne du Maurier, author of Rebecca kohrra was Bollywood’s interpretation.
On the way drive was very beautiful, typical English country site green meadows cows grazing——heather purple bushes and Yellow gorse bushes (very prickly ) casting beautiful stretches of purple and yellow intertwined with swaying green ferns real beautiful.
St Ives is a small town in the far west of Cornwall surrounded by beautiful beaches. Originally a fishing village, it has become both a popular holiday destination and famous for internationally renowned artists and galleries. Lovely small little boutiquy shops and bakeries serving famous “cream tea” the best soft scones with clotted cream and fresh strawberry jam just delicious and pasties a traditional pastry stuffed with meat or veggies.
Large fearless seagulls
Michael’s Mount, is the most famous of Cornwall’s landmarks, has a fascinating history, is steeped in both legend and folklore, has stunning panoramic views Of a castle, complete with magestic gardens in the middle of the ocean.
Day 3
Off to Bath, home to some of the best UK architecture designed by the father-and-son duo of Woods. The Royal Crescent is a breathtaking row of 30 terraced houses laid out in a sweeping crescent. It’s one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture in the country. Many celebrities own apartments there, including Nicolas Cage.
Pulteney Bridge
This bridge is most notable for having shops built across its full span, on both sides (in fact, it’s one of only four bridges in the world to be designed like this). You would think u were walking on a street with shops on either side until you looked on the side to see a river flowing under it.
The bridge is revealed by a side view Shops camouflaged bridge making it look like a road
The Roman Baths in Bath, UK
Constructed around 70 AD as a grand bathing and socialising complex. There are four main features: the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House and the museum, holding finds from the Roman Bath.
Roman baths included the caldarium (hot bath), tepidarium (lukewarm bath), and frigidarium (cold bath).
The Romans didn’t use soap: they rubbed olive oil onto their skin, and when they had sweated lots, they scraped off the oil and dirt.
Caldarium of the Roman Bath was the hottest room, a kind of sauna. People had to wear some kind of footwear to avoid burns.
Next, The village of Bourton-on-the-Water is known for its picturesque beauty, Village straight out of a postcard.
The village of Bourton-on-the-Water is known for its picturesque High Street, flanked by long wide greens and the River Windrush that runs through them. The river is crossed by five low, arched stone bridges built between 1654 and 1953.
Stratford-upon-Avon a medieval city in England has become famous as the birthplace of Shakespeare.
House where Shakespeare was born and lived his younger and older days.
Shakespeare was born on April 26, 1564, he has been credited by the Oxford English Dictionary for introducing almost 3,000 new words into English.
Considered to be the world’s greatest dramatists, he wrote a total of 38 plays and 154 sonnets.
Room where Shakespeare was born
Beautiful flowers in the centre of town.
In the background is the Royal Shakespeare Center which is performing theatre. Foreground trying to flirt with Shakespeare
Liverpool – A pilgrimage to the city
Known for:
Having the world’s first passenger railway line
Most successful footballing city in England
In 1715, the world’s first commercial wet dock was built
Liverpool’s Anglican cathedral is the largest in the whole of England
And and
Penny Lane
Beatle’s Musuem is the world’s largest permanent Beatles exhibition. You are transported through the Fab Four’s journey, from young hopefuls to global superstars and as Beatlemanis swept the world. It includes replicas of the Casbah, Mathew Street and The Cavern, with the band’s famous songs belted out at every twist and turn.
Sergeant Peppers costumes
Some more memorabilia
Original Imagine piano of Lennon
Cavern Club which was the first trail of fame for Beatles is a basement pub ,,walls and ceilings inscribed every mm with signatures of visitors. Paul McCartney was here last week tickets were 120 £.
Samlesbury Hall, a famous medieval manor house and stately Home built in 14 th century
The Lake District, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests and mountains very scenic and its associations with William Wordsworth ( remember The Daffodils in school) and also with Beatrix Potter.
Was unfortunately ☔ Cruise was beautiful inspite of wet weather.
Hadrian’s Wall Built about 2000 years ago by the Roman emperor Hadrian runs for 84 miles. It was built to keep out the unconquered people of Scotland.
Alnwick is a castle and stately home in Of the Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is the second largest inhabited castle in England after Windsor Castle. The castle is No stranger to film crews and has seen a number of films and serials shot Downton Abbey’s 2015 and 2016 Christmas specials. featured as Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films, as well as appearing in Elizabeth and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
Cambridge
No other institution in the world ranks in the top 10 for as many subjects as this one
Individuals associated with Cambridge University have won 89 Nobel Prizes in all six disciplines covering physics, chemistry, peace, literature, physiology, and medicine. Trinity, King’s and John colleges most well-known. Cambridge has a long list of successful alumni of all time Charles Darwin, Sir David Attenborough, Stephen Hawking, Sir Martin Sorrell, Charles, Prince of Wales, Emma Thompson.
Punting
Punting is an activity that has existed in Cambridge since Edwardian times and involves riding a flat boat down the River Cam while someone in the back uses a poll to push against the riverbed and move the punt down the Cam.
From Cambridge We drove back to London Completing our Taste of England tour.
