Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for england
The King of Castles
By Linda Tancs
Once the royal seat of the Kings of Northumbria, England’s Bamburgh Castle is one of the largest inhabited castles in the country. Perched 150 feet above the sea on a bed of volcanic dolerite, it has dominated the Northumberland countryside and coastline for over 1,400 years, making it an attractive backdrop for many U.K. TV shows as well as Hollywood films. Among its 14 exhibition rooms over 3,000 items are on display, ranging from arms and armor to fine porcelain, china, artworks and furniture. Acquired by the First Lord Armstrong, it remains a family home that was opened to visitors in the mid-1900s.
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1,300 Years of Faith on Tower Hill
By Linda Tancs
All Hallows by the Tower is the oldest church in the City of London, founded 300 years before the Tower of London by the Abbey of Barking in A.D. 675. Due to its proximity to the tower, it had handled (as one might suspect) many temporary burials for those beheaded at Tower Hill in bygone days. It survived the Great Fire of 1666 and extensive bombing during World War II and witnessed happier occasions like the marriage of U.S. President John Quincy Adams. You can download an audio tour on your smart phone, take a free guided tour between April and October or arrange a guided group tour at any time of the year.
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An Anglo-American Gem in London
By Linda Tancs
Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, spent nearly 16 years at 36 Craven Street near Trafalgar Square in the heart of London. The terraced, Georgian house, built circa 1730, is both architecturally and historically significant. Structurally, it holds a Grade I listing and retains a majority of original features, like the central staircase, lathing, 18th century paneling, stoves, windows, fittings, beams and brick. Historically, Franklin worked there during Revolutionary War times, and the dwelling served as the first de facto U.S. Embassy. Open to the public since 2006, the house is the world’s only remaining Franklin homestead.
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Birmingham’s Frankfurt
By Linda Tancs
You know Christmas is right around the corner when you witness the pilgrimage to Birmingham, England, this time of year. The city’s most sought-after event in the calendar is their annual Frankfurt Christmas Market, described as the largest authentic Christmas market outside Germany or Austria. Enjoy shopping among the 120 stalls, which will no doubt work up your appetite for bratwurst, schnitzel, pretzels and beer. Musical entertainment takes place on Victoria Square. The market runs today through December 24.
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Bonfire Capital of the World
By Linda Tancs
Medieval streets? Check. Old English churches? Check. Tiny twittens (a Sussex word for alleyway)? Check. They’re all alluring features of the market town of Lewes in East Sussex, but this time of year it’s the embers that rule. This weekend marks the annual Lewes Bonfire Night, an event commemorating the failure of (fall) Guy Fawkes’ plot to blow up Parliament in 1605. Dubbed by some as the Bonfire Capital of the World, it is generally recognized as the UK’s largest and most famous bonfire festival. Reminiscent of Mardi Gras, the event is dominated by bonfire societies, each of which sports a unique costume and parade route. Fireworks represent the explosives that were never used by the plotters. An honor—of sorts—is to be burned in effigy. Contemporary figures holding that ignominious distinction include Donald Trump, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and David Cameron.
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A Roundabout View in London
By Linda Tancs
Located in the large, irregularly shaped island in the middle of the Hyde Park Corner roundabout in London, England, Wellington Arch offers panoramic views of the city from its balconies. Originally intended as an entrance to Buckingham Palace, it later became a victory arch proclaiming Wellington’s defeat of Napoleon. The facing masonry of Portland stone is capped off with the largest bronze sculpture in Europe, “Peace Descending on the Quadriga of War,” by Adrian Jones.
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England’s Wool Town
By Linda Tancs
Located in the heart of Suffolk, Lavenham is widely recognized as one of England’s prettiest medieval villages. Known in particular as a wool town, it was granted its market charter in 1257 and started exporting its famous blue broadcloth across the globe. Although its woolen trade fell to market forces in the 16th century, the village’s half-timbered medieval cottages remain the same today as they would have looked in those halcyon days. The Guild Hall, in particular, dominates the town and offers exhibitions on local history, farming and industry, as well as the story of the medieval woolen trade.
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300 Years of Freemasonry
By Linda Tancs
Freemasonry began in medieval Europe as a guild for stonemasons who built the great castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages. Today it is one of the largest fraternal and charitable organizations in the world. The United Grand Lodge of England at Great Queen Street in London is celebrating its 300th anniversary this year. Their facilities include The Library and Museum of Freemasonry. Open to the public, it’s located on the first floor of Freemasons’ Hall, where guided tours of the Grand Temple and ceremonial areas are provided when the hall is not in use. The free museum displays one of the world’s largest collections associated with Freemasonry, including pottery and porcelain, glassware, silver, furniture, clocks, jewels, regalia and items belonging to famous Freemasons like Winston Churchill and King George IV (the first Royal Grand Master). The closest tube stations are Holborn, Covent Garden and Leicester Square.
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Candlelight in Bournemouth
By Linda Tancs
When Princess Eugenie of France visited Bournemouth in 1896, the Lower Gardens were lit with candles in her honor. That event sparked a tradition in this Victorian spa town on England’s south coast that continues to this day. Tonight is the annual Candlelight Procession, a candle-lit walk in the dusk from the Lower Gardens to Pier Approach. The lighting of thousands of candles in colored jars brings a magical touch to a garden adorned with floral displays that feature a range of colors, textures and scents.
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Cuddy’s Corse
By Linda Tancs
Cuddy’s Corse is one of two heritage trails in Chester-le-Street, a historic market town in County Durham, England. The 7.5 mile walking trail starting at St. Mary’s and St. Cuthbert’s church follows in the footsteps of St. Cuthbert’s community on their final journey from Chester-le-Street to Durham Cathedral, carrying the uncorrupted body (corse) of Cuthbert (the patron saint of the North) and his book, the Lindisfarne Gospels. It was at the parish church that the gospels were first translated into Saxon English, and one of only three facsimiles of them can be viewed there. The ancient town also traces its roots to a Roman fort; catch a glimpse of the site behind the parish center.
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