Great Britain Eyewitness Travel a

GREAT BRITAIN EYEWITNESS TRAVEL Discover more attraveldk.com ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS • THE FLAVOURS OF GREAT BRITAIN, REGION BY REGION • CUTAWAYS AND FLOORPLANS OF ALL THE MAJOR SIGHTS •

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THE GUIDES THAT SHOW YOU

ANNUALLY REVISED

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GREAT BRITAIN

EYEWITNESS TRAVEL

Discover more attraveldk.com

ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS

•

THE FLAVOURS OF GREAT BRITAIN,

REGION BY REGION

•

CUTAWAYS AND FLOORPLANS

OF ALL THE MAJOR SIGHTS

•

AND RESTAURANTS

•

SIGHTS, BEACHES, MARKETS AND

FESTIVALS LISTED TOWN BY TOWN

•

WALKS, SCENIC ROUTES

AND THEMATIC TOURS

Systematic information on more than

2,000 sights, restaurants, hotels and

}+YO

T

airport Ferry service

Railway station London railway

station Coach station

Local bus station Underground

station (London) River boat pier

Tram service Population

Tourist information

Market day

Festival Recorded

information Open

Closed Admission charge

Church services Photography not

allowed Wheelchair access

(phone to check details)

Guided tours available

Restaurant Café

Shop

SYMBOLS FOR HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

Credit cards not

children Restaurant

Air conditioning Parking

Fitness facilities Live music

Formal dress required

Viewpoint Parking

Police station Post offi ce

Church, cathedral Lift

Men’s and women’s toilets

Cloakroom

Building or area of historical interest

Major church, cathedral, chapel

Must-see museum, gallery

Signifi cant archaeological site

Area of natural beauty/interest

Impressive castle/

fortress Attractive park/

garden Major wildlife

reserve, zoo Industrial heritage

LO G IC LA N

M ER T

O N S

T RE ET

LOGIC LA

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EYEWITNESS TRAVEL

great britain

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great britain

EYEWITNESS TRAVEL

MAIN CONTRIBUTOR: MICHAEL LEAPMAN

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ART EDITOR Stephen Bere

PROJECT EDITOR Marian Broderick

EDITORS Carey Combe, Sara Harper, Elaine Harries,

Kim Inglis, Ella Milroy, Andrew Szudek, Nia Williams

US EDITOR Mary Sutherland

DESIGNERS Susan Blackburn, Elly King,

Colin Loughrey, Andy Wilkinson

CONTRIBUTORS Josie Barnard, Christopher Catling,

Juliet Clough, Lindsay Hunt, Polly Phillimore,

Martin Symington, Roger Thomas

MAPS Jane Hanson, Phil Rose, Jennifer Skelley (Lovell Johns Ltd)

Gary Bowes (Era-Maptec Ltd)

PHOTOGRAPHERS Joe Cornish, Paul Harris, Rob Reichenfeld, Kim Sayer

ILLUSTRATORS Richard Draper, Jared Gilby (Kevin Jones Assocs), Paul Guest, Roger Hutchins,

Chris Orr & Assocs, Maltings Partnership,

Ann Winterbotham, John Woodcock

Reproduced by Colourscan (Singapore)

Printed and bound by South China Printing Co Ltd., China

First American edition 1995

11 12 13 14 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Published in the United States by DK Publishing,

375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

Reprinted with revisions 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001,

2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

RESERVED ABOVE, NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED,

STORED IN OR INTRODUCED INTO A RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, OR TRANSMITTED, IN

ANY FORM, OR BY ANY MEANS (ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL, PHOTOCOPYING,

RECORDING, OR OTHERWISE), WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF

BOTH THE COPYRIGHT OWNER AND THE ABOVE PUBLISHER OF THIS BOOK.

Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited.

A catalog record for this book is available

from the Library of Congress.

ISSN 1542-1554 ISBN 978-07566-6926-3

THROUGHOUT THIS BOOK, FLOORS ARE REFERRED TO IN ACCORDANCE

WITH EUROPEAN USAGE, I.E., THE “FIRST FLOOR” IS ONE FLIGHT UP FROM GROUND LEVEL.

Front cover main image: Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

The information in this

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide is checked annually.

Every effort has been made to ensure that this book is as up-to-date

as possible at the time of going to press Some details, however,

such as telephone numbers, opening hours, prices, gallery hanging

arrangements and travel information are liable to change The

publishers cannot accept responsibility for any consequences arising

from the use of this book, nor for any material on third-party

websites, and cannot guarantee that any website address in this

book will be a suitable source of travel information We value the

views and suggestions of our readers highly Please write to:

Publisher, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, Dorling Kindersley, 80 Strand,

London, Great Britain WC2R 0RL, or email travelguides@dk.com

HOW TO USE

THIS GUIDE 6

INTRODUCING GREAT BRITAIN DISCOVERING

72

WEST END AND

WESTMINSTER 76

A 14th-century illustration

of two knights jousting

Beefeater at the Tower of London

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SOUTH KENSINGTON

AND HYDE PARK 94

REGENT’S PARK AND

MIDLANDS 298

THE HEART OF

ENGLAND 306 EAST MIDLANDS 330

THE NORTH COUNTRY INTRODUCING THE

WALES INTRODUCING WALES

SCOTLAND 478 THE LOWLANDS 490

THE HIGHLANDS AND

ISLANDS 524

TRAVELLERS’ NEEDS

WHERE TO STAY 552 WHERE TO EAT 600 SHOPPING 658 ENTERTAINMENT 660

SPECIALIST HOLIDAYS AND OUTDOOR

ACTIVITIES 662

SURVIVAL GUIDE PRACTICAL

INFORMATION 668

TRAVEL INFORMATION

680 GENERAL INDEX 692Jacobean “Old House”

in Hereford

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describe important sights, using maps, pictures and illustrations Features cover topics from houses and famous gardens to sport Hotel, restaurant, and pub recommendations can be found in

Travellers’ Needs The Survival Guide

has practical information on thing from transport to personal safety.

most from your holidays in Great

Britain It provides both detailed

practical information and expert

recommendations Introducing Great

Britain maps the country and sets it

in its historical and cultural context

The six regional chapters, plus London,

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

LONDON

The centre of London has

been divided into four

sight-seeing areas Each has its

own chapter, which opens

with a list of the sights

described The last section,

Further Afield, covers the

most attractive suburbs All

sights are numbered and

plotted on an area map The

information for each sight

follows the map’s numerical

order, making sights easy to

locate within the chapter

Sights at a Glance lists

the chapter’s sights by

category: Historic Streets

and Buildings; Museums

and Galleries; Churches

and Cathedrals; Shops;

Parks and Gardens

2 Street-by-Street Map

This gives a bird’s-eye

view of the key areas in

each chapter.

Stars indicate the sights

that no visitor should miss

All pages relating to London have red thumb tabs

A locator map shows where you are in relation to other areas of the city centre

1 Area Map

For easy reference, the sights are numbered and located on a map Sights

in the city centre are also marked on the Street Finder

Kensing-ton 10am–6pm daily 24–26

Dec for IMAX, special exhibitions

and simulators only

Kensington Gardens Tel 020-7298

2000 Queensway, Lancaster Gate

dawn–dusk daily See also

pp74–5 Diana, Princess of Wales

Memorial Playground way, Bayswater 10am–dusk daily

5pm daily; Mar–Oct: 10am–6pm daily (last adm: 1 hr before close) 1 Jan, 24–26 Dec ground floor

million years old),

Natural History Museum

Relief from a decorative panel in

the Natural History Museum

Statue of the young Queen Victoria outside Kensington Palace, sculpted by her daughter, Princess Louise

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REGENT’S PARK &

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp556–560 and pp608–616

The Royal Albert Hall

Science Museum

Natural History Museum

Victoria and Albert Museum

KEY

Suggested route

To Harrods Brompton Square (1821)

Harrods Food Hall

SOUTH KENSINGTON & HYDE PARK WEST END &

WESTMINSTER

The Albert Memorial=(9);02:

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A juggler performing at the annual arts extravaganza, the Edinburgh Festival

Glamis Castle, 12 miles (19 km) north of Dundee, with its typically Scottish turreted exterior

4 The top sights

These are given one

or more full pages dimensional illustrations reveal the interiors of historic buildings Interesting town and city centres are given street-by-street maps, featuring individual sights.

Three-For all the top sights, a Visitors’ Checklist provides the practical information you need

to plan your visit

Story boxes explore related topics

3 Detailed information

All the important sights,

towns and other places to visit

are described individually

They are listed in order,

following the numbering on

the Regional Map Within

each entry, there is detailed

by car, train and other forms of transport.

Each area of Great Britain can be identified quickly by its colour coding, shown on the inside front cover

GREAT BRITAIN AREA

BY AREA

Apart from London, Great Britain has been divided into

14 regions, each of which has

a separate chapter The most interesting towns and places

to visit have been numbered

on a Regional Map.

1 Introduction

The landscape, history and character of each region is outlined here, showing how the area has developed over the centuries and what it has

to offer the visitor today.

Castle Hill Tel 0131 225 9846.

Apr–Oct: 9:30am–6pm daily;

Nov–Mar: 9:30am–5pm daily (last adm: 45 mins before closing)

25, 26 Dec

www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

Royal Mile

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Walks and Tours

,2/,$1&#,/"#/0 Edinburgh Castle viewed from Princes Street

KEY

Motorway Major road Secondary road Minor road Scenic route Main railway Minor railway Summit

For additional map symbols see back flap

78 George St Tel 01738 632488.

10am–5pm Mon–Sat

 Scone Palace

A93 to Braemar Tel 01738 840393.

daily (grounds close at 6pm)

Doune, Stirling Tel 01786 841742.

Stirling then bus Apr–Sep:

9:30am–6:30pm daily; Oct–Mar: 9:

30am–4:30pm daily; last entry 30 mins before close 21 Dec–8 Jan

limited www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

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Forfar, Angus Tel 01307 840393

Dundee then bus Mar–late Dec: 10am–6pm daily (last tour 4pm)

21 Castle Street (01382 527527) Tue, Fri–Sun; farmers’

market 3rd Sat of month

www.angusanddundee.co.uk

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View of St Andrews over the ruins of the cathedral

Glamis Castle with statues of James VI (left) and Charles I (right)

 St Andrew’s Castle

The Scores Tel 01334 477196.

Apr–Sep: 9:30–6:30pm daily; Oct–Mar: 9:30–4:30pm daily 25

& 26 Dec, 1 & 2 Jan

Bruce Embankment Tel 01334 460

046. Mar–Oct: 9:30am–5:30pm Mon–Sat, 10am–5pm Sun; Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm Mon–Sun

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INTRODUCING GREAT BRITAIN

DISCOVERING GREAT BRITAIN 1013 PUTTING GREAT BRITAIN ON THE MAP 1419

A PORTRAIT OF GREAT BRITAIN 2037 THE HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN 3861 GREAT BRITAIN THROUGH THE YEAR 6269

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DISCOVERING GREAT BRITAIN

counties, that have grown out

of kingdoms, principalities,

shires, fiefs, boroughs, and

parishes, has its own special

flavour This derives from

Britain’s landscape, its resources

and its history, all of which

have shaped its peoples, too

There has always been something

of a divide between the industrial North and the wealthier South Regional pride is very strong Vernacular architecture marks each region, and there is a rich variety of scenery to be found in every corner of this green and bounteous island.

Britain’s capital can be

enjoyed in all weathers So

many buildings, from #JH

#FO (see p77) to the 5PXFS

PG-POEPO (see pp118–19),

are emblematic of the city

To get an overview take

a bus riverboat or the

-POEPO&ZF (see p81); visit

the West End for the most exciting shops, or stroll through its lovely parks The /BUJPOBM(BMMFSZ

(see p82–3) is one of the

finest art museums in the world, the #SJUJTI.VTFVN

BOE"MCFSU.VTFVN (see

pp98–9) are storehouses of

treasures while 5BUF.PEFSO

(see 121) has set a standard

for contemporary art

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This is “The Garden of England”, green and rural, with rolling Downs Many places in this corner of the country are accessible on a day trip from London;

)BNQUPO$PVSU (see p173)

and -FFET$BTUMF (see p189)

are favourite excursions

Many estates have connections with great

figures from history: Winston Churchill’s $IBSUXFMM (see

p188), Queen Victoria’s

0TCPSOF (see p168) on the

Isle of Wight and J.M.W Turner’s 1FUXPSUI (see

(see pp186–7), which has

many tales to tell Breezy resorts dot the coast The liveliest is #SJHIUPO (see

pp174–9), known as

“London-on-Sea”, with its famous Lanes, Palace Pier and seafront promenade

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This part of the country grew wealthy on the wool trade and its merchants built fabulous half-timbered houses and pretty towns such as

-BWFOIBN (see p206) In the

charming university town of

Cambridge (see p210–15) try

Trang 13

punting on the Backs with

the students or, for a less

vigourous outing, admire

King’s College Chapel (see

p212–13) For another cultural

high, visit Ely Cathedral (see

pp194–5) Spend a day at the

races at Newmarket (see

pp202–203) during its

prestigious annual music

festival The ports on the

lovely coast provide seafood

for your table

THAMES VALLEY

• Attractive riverside pubs

• Oxford’s dreaming spires

• Imposing Blenheim Palace

The River Thames has long

been a pleasure ground The

riverside, from London’s outer

suburbs to Windsor (see

pp222–7) and beyond, has

many appealing waterside

pubs and restaurants located

in attractive towns Boats can

be hired, and the annual

rowing regatta at Henley-on-

Thames (see p63 and p66) is

the height of the summer

season No wonder that the

song of Britain’s most

exclusive private school, Eton

(see p235), which is located by

the river, is The Eton Boating

pp236–7) is undoubtedly a

main draw, easily reached in

a day trip from London, as are

the beautiful colleges of

Oxford University (see

pp226–7) Not far away are

other historic places to visit,

including the Churchill family

home at Blenheim Palace (see

pp228–9), the Duke of

Bedford’s Woburn Abbey

p230), which has one of the

most magnificent gardens in England

The former kingdom of the West Saxons echoes with history and legends Here are some of the most important Neolithic sites in the country, including the mysterious and magnificent

Stonehenge (see pp262–3)

This is the country of good living, with Cheddar cheese from around the Cheddar Gorge, and Somerset cider

The Georgian spa town of

Bath (see pp258–61) makes

an excellent centre to explore the region There are two coasts – in the north on the Bristol Channel and in the south on the English channel where Poole (see pp270–1) is

a great yachting centre Bath,

Wells (see pp252–3) and

Salisbury (see pp264–5) all

have outstanding cathedrals

There are wild animals at

Longleat (see p266), wild

landscapes on Exmoor National Park (see pp250–1),

while the Glastonbury (see

pp253) music festival attracts

fans in their thousands

DEVON AND CORNWALL

• Surfing fit for champions

• Seafood and cream teas

• Fabulous gardens

Britain’s best beaches are in the West Country, some of which have high cliffs and waves worthy of champion surfers Its fishing villages have long attracted artists, in particular St Ives, where the

Tate St Ives gallery (see p277)

can be visited Seafood is plentiful, and rich pasture-lands brings dairy ice-cream and cream teas Seafaring is

a way of life, as the National Maritime Museum Cornwall

(see pp280–1) in Falmouth

attests Bodmin Moor (see

p81) present an untamed

wilderness but some fine gardens are here, too, including the Eden Project

Trang 14

THE HEART OF ENGLAND

• Shakespeare’s birthplace

• Typically English

Cotswold villages

• Half-timbered border towns

There is a great mix of

attractions in this region

where the Industrial

Revolution began (see

pp314–15) The most

popular sites are Warwick

Castle (see pp322–3) and

Shakespeare’s birthplace in

Stratford-upon-Avon

(see pp324–5) Cotswold

villages built of golden

limestone are quintessentially

English Other lovely rural

spots include the Malvern

Hills and the Wye Vallley

Attractive architecture

distinguishes the

half-timbered Welsh border

towns including the city of

• Buxton spa and opera house

One of the most impressive

country houses, Chatsworth

(see pp334–5), is a high spot

of this region It sits at the

edge of the Peak District (see

pp338–9), a popular area for

walking There are several

attractive towns such as

Buxton (see p334), a spa

town with an opera house

while Lincoln (see pp340–1)

has medieval buildings and a

• Liverpool, maritime city

of Empire

• Manchester, capital of the North

The Lake District (see

pp352–68) is where walking

as an activity rather than a chore began, and you will see why when you encounter the stunning scenery of fells and lakes Serious walkers put on their waterproofs and boots, while Sunday strollers hire row boats, or look in at Dove Cottage, where the poets William and Dorothy Wordsworth lived To the south is

Liverpool (see pp354–5), a

Unesco World Heritage city, with wonderful architecture and great art galleries

Blackpool (see p371) is

the main resort, known for its illuminations Inland is

Manchester (see pp372–5)

England’s second largest city

YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER REGION

• Haunting abbey ruins

• The Brontë sisters’

dramatic moors

• The ancient city of York

Yorkshire is known for its striking moors, which the literary Brontë sisters of

Haworth (see p412) knew

so well It is also known for its great abbeys, such as

Fountains (see pp390–1),

Rievaulx (see p393) and

Whitby (see p396), which

were reduced to haunting ruins after the English church broke from Rome

York Minster (see

pp406–407) remains the

most important church in the north and the ancient town

is worth exploring Sculptures by Henry Moore grace Yorkshire Sculpture Park (see p413).

Mist on Rydal Water, Lake District, Cumbria

Whitby harbour and St Mary’s Church, Yorkshire

Trang 15

that can be followed as far

as %VSIBN$BUIFESBM (see

0QFO"JS.VTFVN (see

pp424–5), which re-creates

life in the northeast in the 19th

century, makes a great family

day out Castles on

North-umberland’s coast were built

to withstand Viking attack,

but it is )BESJBOT8BMM (see

pp422–3), erected by the

Romans to keep out the Scots,

that is particularly impressive

This is the part of Wales,

where Welsh is commonly

spoken, and the annual

Eisteddfod literary festival is

held Its wildness is captured

around Snowdon, the

highest mountain in England

and Wales The centre for

exploring 4OPXEPOJB

/BUJPOBM1BSL (see pp450–1)

is Llanberis from where a

narrow-gauge railway runs to

the top Another former

slate-quarry railway takes

passengers up from the coast

at Porthmadog near

1PSUNFJSJPO (see p454–5)

Medieval castles keep watch

at )BSMFDI (see p454),

$BFSOBSGPO (see p444) and

$POXZ (see p438 and p447).

This is a region to tour by

car, to go walking or pony

trekking, across mountains

like the #SFDPO#FBDPOT (see

pp468–9) The roads are

emptier than England’s and

the valleys are green and

lush The coast has some

delightful ports and

long-established resorts The most

attractive are around the

(PXFS1FOJOTVMB (see p466)

and in Pembrokeshire in the south west where there is the diminutive 4U%BWJET

$BUIFESBM (see pp464–5)

Wales is known for its male voice choirs – as well as its men of letters – )BZPO8ZF

(see p461) hosts an annual

literary festival

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to find fame in Edinburgh each August at the famous festival The capital’s high points are &EJOCVSHI$BTUMF

(see pp506–7), keeper of the

Scottish Crown jewels and the 1BMBDFPG)PMZSPPE IPVTF (see p510), the

Queen’s official Scottish residence Castles abound in the Lowlands, notably the Renaissance gem 4UJSMJOH

(see pp497–8).

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This is as wild as Britain gets: mountainous, heather-clad and dramatically remote, drifting into offshore islands You may well see eagles and stags, while on the west coast seals swoop

in on the beautiful shores

(see pp544–5), follow the

whisky trails and take a ferry

to the Western Isles

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Trang 16

Putting Great Britain

on the Map

Lying in northwestern Europe, Great Britain

is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the

North Sea and the English Channel The

island’s landscape and climate are varied,

and it is this variety that even today

affects the pattern of settlement The

remote shores of the West Country

peninsula and the inhospitable

moun-tains of Scotland and Wales are less

populated than the relatively flat and fertile

Midlands and Southeast, where the vast

majority of the country’s 61 million people

live Due to this population density, the south

is today the most built-up part of the country

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Trang 17

Shetland and Orkney Islands

These islands form the

northern-most part of Great Britain, with the

Shetlands lying six degrees south of

the Arctic Circle There are

trans-port links to the mainland.

Europe

Great Britain is situated in the northwest corner of Europe Its nearest neighbours are Ireland to the west, and the Netherlands, Belgium and France across the Channel Denmark, Norway and Sweden are also easily accessible.

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Trang 18

Regional Great Britain: London, the

South, the Midlands and Wales

Great Britain has airline connections with most cities in the

world London is the main transport hub with three major

international airports, including Heathrow, the world’s busiest

Southern England, Britain’s most populous area, is divided,

within this book, into four regions – Southeast England, the West Country, Wales and the Midlands – with a separate chapter for London Road and rail links

to the North and Scotland (see pp18–19 ) are plentiful, as are

links between all main towns

D un Lao gha ire

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B Wolverhamp

Sto Holyhead

Wo Leominster Llandrindod

Wells Aberystwyth

Machynlleth Dolgellau Bala Betws-y-Coed

Llandudno Conwy Caernarfon Ruthin Chester

Llangollen

Shrewsbury

Warringt

Llandovery Fishguard

Carmarthen

Pembroke

Swansea Tenby

Glo C Monmouth Ross-on-Wye CheltHereford

Plymouth

Bristol Bath

Bou

Penzance

Truro Helston Falmouth

Ma

Blackpool Preston Lancaster

Penrith Keswick

Windermere Carlisle

Liverpool

Dolgellau

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Appledore Lynton

Clovelly

Boscastle Tintagel

Brixham Dartmouth Totnes Fowey

A494

M56

A51 A51

A40

A48 A477

A303

A30

A38

A361 A396 A39

A377

A386

A30

A39 A30 A38

A30 A390

A386 A39

A65

A

M61 M6 A666 M55

Trang 19

Greater London

Greater London, the area

with-in the M25 motorway rwith-ing, is home to 7.5 million people and covers an area of 600 sq miles (1,580 sq km)

GREATER LONDON

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75 75

Isle of Wight

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Norwich

Northampton Coventry

Leicester

Luton Derby Nottingham

Margate Sevenoaks

Chelmsford Cambridge

St Albans Dunstable Colchester

Lowestoft

Great Yarmouth

Bury

St Edmunds Thetford Swaffham King's Lynn

Peterborough Stamford

Worksop

Loughborough

Corby

Bedford Stevenage

Crawley

Watford High

Wycombe

Reading Newbury

Basingstoke Winchester

Eastbourne Maidstone

Lymington

Cowes

Milton Keynes

Southwold

Aldeburgh

Rye

Royal Tunbridge Wells Windsor

M1 A5

A14

A142

A141

A47 A140

M20 A2

A614 A1

A158

A52 A15

M3

A24

A27 A27

A63 A15

M62

M180 A63

M18 M1

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M25 M1

A1(M)

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Barking Dagenham

upon- Thames

Wandsworth Wimbledon Richmond

Epsom

Beckenham

A23

A12 A127

Dartford Bexley Greenwich

Bromley Orpington

A2 A2

A20 A21

M20

M26

A3 A3

M25

Hampstead Bethnal Green

Trang 20

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Regional Great Britain:

The North and Scotland

This part of Great Britain is divided into

two sections in this book Although it is

far less populated than the southern sector

of the country, there are good road and

rail connections, and ferry services link

the islands with the mainland

KEY TO COLOUR-CODING

The North Country

Lancashire and the Lakes

Yorkshire and Humber Region

Trang 21

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ORKNEY AND SHETLAND ISLANDS

Trang 23

Punting, a popular pastime on the River Cam, Cambridge

A POR TRAIT OF

GREAT BRITAIN

B ritain has been assiduous in preserving its traditions, but

offers the visitor much more than stately castles and pretty villages A diversity of landscape, culture, literature, art and architecture, as well as its unique heritage, results in a nation balancing the needs of the present with those of its past.

Britain’s character has been

shaped by its geographical

position as an island Never

successfully invaded since

1066, its people have

devel-oped their own distinctive

traditions The Roman invasion

of AD 43 lasted 350 years but

Roman culture and language

were quickly overlain with those of

the northern European settlers who

followed Ties with Europe were

loos-ened further in the 16th century when

the Catholic church was replaced by

a less dogmatic established church.

Although today a member of the

European Union, Britain continues to

delight in its non-conformity, even in

superficial ways such as driving on

Tudor rose

the left-hand side of the road instead of the right The opening of the rail tunnel to France

is a topographical adjustment that does not necessarily mark

a change in national attitude The British heritage is seen in its ancient castles, cathedrals and stately homes with their gardens and Classical parklands Age- old customs are renewed each year, from royal ceremonies to Morris dancers performing on village greens For a small island, Great Britain encompasses a surprising variety in its regions, whose inhabitants maintain distinct identities Scotland and Wales are separate countries from England with their own legislative assemblies.

Walking along the east bank of the River Avon, Bath

Trang 24

Widecombe-in-the-Moor, a Devon village clustered round a church and set in hills

Scottish coat of arms

at Edinburgh Castle

Lake and gardens at Petworth House, Sussex

They have different customs, traditions,

and, in the case of Scotland, different

legal and educational systems The

Welsh and Scots Gaelic languages

survive and are sustained by their

own radio and television networks In

northern and West Country

areas, English itself is spoken

in a rich variety of dialects and

accents, and these areas

main-tain their own regional arts,

crafts, architecture and food.

The landscape is varied, too,

from the craggy mountains of

Wales, Scotland and the north,

through the flat expanses of the

Midlands and eastern England to the

soft, rolling hills of the south and west

The long, broad beaches of East Anglia

contrast with the picturesque rocky

inlets along much of the west coast.

Despite the spread of towns and cities over the last two centuries, rural Britain still flourishes Nearly three-quarters

of Britain’s land is used for agriculture The main commercial crops are wheat, barley, sugar beet and potatoes, though what catches the eye in early summer are the fields of bright yel- low rape or slate-blue flax The countryside is dotted with farms and charming villages, with picturesque cottages and lovingly tended gardens –

a British passion A typical village is built around an ancient church and a small, friendly pub Here the pace of life slows To drink a pint of ale in a cosy, village inn and relax before a fire is a time-honoured British custom Strangers will be welcomed cordially, though perhaps with caution; for even if strict formality is a thing of the past, the British have a tendency to be reserved.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, trade with the extensive British Empire, fuelled by abundant coal sup- plies, spurred manufacturing and created wealth Thousands of people moved from the countryside to towns and cities near mines, mills and facto- ries By 1850 Britain was the world’s strongest industrial nation Now many

Trang 25

half of these were born

in Britain The result is a multi-cultural society that can boast a wide range of music, art, food and religions However, prejudice does exist and

in some inner-city areas where poorer members

of different communities live, racial tensions can occasionally arise Even though discrimination in housing and employ- ment on the grounds of race is against the law, it does occur Britain’s class structure still intrigues and bewilders many visitors, based as it is

on a subtle mixture of heredity and wealth

Even though many of the great inherited for- tunes no longer exist, some old landed families still live on their large estates, and many now open them to the public Class divisions are further entrenched by the education system While more than 90 per cent

of children are educated free by the state, richer parents often opt for private schooling, and the products of these private schools are dispropor- tionately represented in the higher echelons of government and business The monarchy’s position highlights the dilemma of a people seeking to preserve its most potent symbol of national unity in an age that is suspi- cious of inherited privilege Without real political power, though still head

of the Church of England, the Queen and her family are subject to increasing public scrutiny and some citizens advocate the abolition of the monarchy Democracy has deep foundations in Britain: there was even a parliament of sorts in London in the 13th century.

Bosses in Norwich Cathedral cloisters

Crowds at Petticoat Lane market in London’s East End

Priest in the Close at Winchester Cathedral

of these old industrial

centres have declined,

and today

manufactur-ing employs only 22 per

cent of the labour force,

while 66 per cent work

in the growing service

sector These service

industries are located

mainly in the southeast,

close to London, where

modern office buildings

bear witness to

compar-ative prosperity.

SOCIETY AND POLITICS

British cities are melting-pots for

peo-ple not just from different parts of the

country but also from overseas Irish

immigration has long ensured a flow

of labour into the country, and since

the 1950s hundreds of thousands have

come from former colonies in Africa,

Asia and the Caribbean Today, EU

membership has led to another wave

of immigration to Britain, mostly from

Eastern Europe Nearly six per cent of

Britain’s 60 million inhabitants are from

non-white ethnic groups – and about

Trang 26

The House of Lords, in Parliament

Schoolboys at Eton, the famous public school

Afternoon tea on the back lawn at the Thornbury Castle Hotel, Avon

Yet with the exception

of the 17th-century Civil

War, power has passed

gradually from the

Crown to the people’s

elected representatives

A series of Reform Acts

between 1832 and 1884

gave the vote to all male

citizens, though women

were not enfranchised

on an equal basis until

1928 Margaret Thatcher

– Britain’s first woman

Prime Minister – held

office for 12 years from

1979 During the 20th

century, the Labour (left wing) and

Conservative (right wing) parties have,

during their periods in office, favoured

a mix of public and private ownership

for industry and ample funding for the

state health and welfare systems.

The position of Ireland has been an

intractable political issue since the 17th

century Part of the United Kingdom

for 800 years, but divided in 1921, it

has seen conflict between Catholics

and Protestants for many years The

Good Friday Peace Agreement of 1998

was a huge step forward and the path

to lasting peace now seems possible.

CULTURE AND THE ARTS

Britain has a famous theatrical

tradi-tion stretching back to the 16th

centu-ry and William Shakespeare His plays

have been performed on stage almost continuous-

ly since he wrote them, and the works of 17th- and 18th-century writers are also frequently revived Contemporary British playwrights such

as Tom Stoppard, Alan Ayckbourn and David Hare draw on this long tradition with their vivid language and by using comedy to illustrate serious themes British actors such as Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet and Anthony Hopkins have international reputations While London is the focal point of British theatre, fine drama is to be seen

in many other parts of the country The Edin- burgh Festival and its Fringe are the high point of Great Britain’s cultural calendar with theatre and music to suit all tastes Other music festivals are held across the country, chiefly in summer, while there are annual festivals of literature at Hay-on-Wye and Cheltenham Poetry has had an enthusiastic following since Chaucer

wrote the Canterbury Tales in the 14th

century: poems from all eras can even

be read on the London Underground, where they are interspersed with the advertisements in the carriages and on the station platforms.

In the visual arts, Britain has a strong tradition in portraiture, caricature, landscape and watercolour In modern times David Hockney and Lucian Freud, and sculptors Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, have enjoyed world- wide recognition Architects including

Trang 27

Naomi Campbell, a British supermodel

Whitby harbour and St Mary’s Church, Yorkshire

Reading the newspaper in Kensington Gardens

Christopher Wren,

Inigo Jones, John

Nash and Robert

Adam all created

styles that define

British cities; and

today, Nor man

Foster and Richard

Rogers carry the

standard for

Post-Modernism Britain

is becoming

fa-mous for its

inno-vative fashion designers, many of

whom now show their spring and

autumn collections in Paris.

The British are avid newspaper

readers There are 11 national

newspapers published from

London on weekdays: the

standard of the serious

newspapers is very high;

for example, The Times is

r e a d t h e w o r l d o v e r

because of its reputation for

strong intentional reporting

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