Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for england
Thoroughly Bred in England
By Linda Tancs
The October Yearling Sale takes place today through 12 October at Tattersalls, the oldest bloodstock auctioneer in the world and the largest in Europe. Offering the best thoroughbreds to be found anywhere, the Newmarket firm’s annual Yearling Sale is Europe’s premier yearling sale, producing four Derby winners in the past decade alone. Only 60 miles from London, Newmarket (England’s home of racing) is just a short rail or bus ride away. Enter the Tattersalls premises via The Avenue.
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A Gothic Revival in London
By Linda Tancs
Strawberry Hill is an 18th century masterpiece in southwest London, one of England’s finest examples of Georgian Gothic revival architecture. Created by Horace Walpole, an English writer and politician, the mansion is particularly striking for its collection of renaissance glass and a state apartment bursting with crimson and gold. The setting at twilight is especially dramatic. You can book a twilight tour during the public opening hours between 31 March and 31 October. Better hurry! You can take the train to Strawberry Hill station from Waterloo, walk there via the Thames Path or take the tube to Richmond and then the R68 bus towards Hampton Court to Michelham Gardens. It’s just a short walk from there.
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Welcome Back, Cutty
By Linda Tancs
You might recall that Cutty Sark, the last surviving tea clipper, got clipped by a fire during restoration in May 2007 at her home in Greenwich. Only eight miles by train from London Bridge, the grand dame of merchant service is restored and open to visitors once more. Don’t miss your chance to experience a precious bit of maritime history.
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A Garden Party
By Linda Tancs
England’s Great Dixter House and Gardens in Northiam is a gardener’s delight. The manor, built for Richard Wakehurst, retains its medieval charm and characteristics and is one of the longest surviving timber-framed halls in the country. A stunning feature of the gardens is that they follow the exterior of the house. The fluid design includes yew topiary, meadows, mixed borders, a rectangled wall garden, the sunk garden, the high garden (typical of Edwardian times), an exotic (tropical) garden and the long border (with its high season from mid-June to mid-August). Take your cues from an expertly designed English garden. The site offers instruction on everything from vegetable planting to exotic gardening and planting techniques.
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England’s Most Scenic Railway
By Linda Tancs
The Settle-Carlisle Railway takes you on a 72-mile journey through England’s Yorkshire Dales, a scenic excursion including such attractions as the market town of Settle; Horton and the Three Peaks region of the Dales; the Ribblehead Viaduct; Dent (the highest station above sea level in England); Pendragon Castle (the legendary birthplace of King Arthur) at Kirkby Stephen; the picturesque village of Armathwaite and its salmon fishing; and Carlisle, within easy reach of Hadrian’s Wall and the castle once home to Mary Queen of Scots. Local residents may qualify for a Dales Railcard. Visitors to Britain can use their Britrail pass to travel on the line. You can thank The Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line for fighting against a proposal to close this famous historic and scenic route.
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A Swanky Museum in London
By Linda Tancs
In the heart of central London is a neo-gothic mansion once built to order for American financier-turned-British nobleman William Waldorf Astor. Now owned by The Bulldog Trust, the property at 2 Temple Place is an exhibition space, London’s first venue to specifically showcase publicly-owned art from around the UK. The inaugural exhibition explored the artistry of William Morris. Stay tuned for the next show, due to open in January 2013. Until then, why not view the magnificent exterior of this newly renovated mansion on a walking tour of Victoria Embankment. Summer sees a number of lunch-time concerts in the bandstand area of the gardens there.
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Top Guns in the UK
By Linda Tancs
Royal Armouries is the United Kingdom’s National Museum of Arms and Armour, including artillery. The artillery–Big Guns, as they say–range from pre-gunpowder siege machines to modern-day super guns. They’re located at Fort Nelson, an historic monument strategically positioned atop Portsdown Hill, with panoramic views across the Meon Valley and Portsmouth Harbour. The Leeds branch has over 8,500 objects on display in five galleries: War; Tournament; Oriental; Self Defense and Hunting. And at the Tower of London’s White Tower is a dazzling display of 500 years of spectacular royal armour, including the imposing steel skirts and military codpiece of Henry VIII. The most surprising thing about the museum is its fourth location: Louisville, Kentucky. Thanks to a collaboration with The Frazier History Museum, Royal Armouries opened an exhibit on the museum’s third floor in 2004 to present a history of the British Isles, from 1066 to the early 1900s, through the use of multimedia displays and artifacts. This marks the first time a UK national museum has opened a branch in the United States.
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London is For ME
By Linda Tancs
Just in time for the Olympics, Meliá Hotels International is debuting ME, one of its premium brands, in London. The luxe property, formerly the site of Marconi House, Gaiety Theatre and Strand Music Hall, is located on the Strand on the southern tip of Covent Garden, just a few moments from theatreland and some of the City’s best art galleries, museums, restaurants, bars, shopping and nightlife. The property boasts 141 rooms (including 30 rooms with a private balcony) and 16 suites. The duplex ME Suite offers a 360 degree panoramic view of the City sights–including the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and the Thames–from both the suite and the fire pit warmed private terrace. Is the suite life for you?
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White Water Rafting in England
By Linda Tancs
Lee Valley White Water Centre in Hertfordshire is an Olympics venue, the only brand new London 2012 venue to open to the public ahead of the Games. As the name implies, you can partake in guaranteed white water with two separate courses, a 300m competition-standard course and a 160m training course. The centre also offers canoeing opportunities for clubs, colleges, universities, schools and community groups. Here’s your chance to raft and canoe ahead of the 82 athletes vying for four medals at this world class sports facility. The Opening Ceremony is 27 July. Let the countdown begin!
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London’s Cultural Olympiad
By Linda Tancs
The party has gone on for four years now, commencing with the announcement of London’s acquisition of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Since 2008, the Cultural Olympiad has featured programs and projects inspired by London 2012. The culmination of the Cultural Olympiad is the London 2012 Festival, providing over 10 million chances to see free world-class events throughout the UK until the Paralympics end on 9 September. Don’t miss today’s premiere London 2012 event, the world premiere of Lakes Alive, a spectacular new show by Les Commandos Percu. It will follow the arrival of the Olympic Torch at Lake Windermere earlier in the evening and will feature musical rhythms and amazing effects as fireworks dance to a thumping soundtrack. Get the party started!
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