Itinerary ideas - A piece of history
Finding the best history bits for a visit to Britain is a real challenge as there's simply so much! Of course there is far more to see beyond this itinerary but we've covered a range of interesting places from all era's of history. Here is our 3 week holiday suggestion.
Day 1 - 3 Central London
Rammed with history through the ages, London must be a starting point for any history lover coming to the UK for the first time. Palaces, museums , bridges and towers, you could stay here for weeks but let's move on, there's much more to see elsewhere!
Day 4 Greenwich
Just outside of London Greenwich is of course famous for 'time' and as such you can view the Greenwich observatory as well as the local museums. The Cutty Sark is also on show here, a perfect example of one of the last tea clippers. Unforunately this is undergoing refurbishment and won't re-open until the end of 2011.
Day 5 Canterbury
We're here to see the amazing Canturbury Cathedral, home to the top man in the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury. For a more unusual site, head to the Canterbury cricket ground which is the only one in the world to have an Oak tree growing out of the middle of it!
Day 6 Hastings
Although most people in the UK couldn't tell you what the battle of Hastings was all about, it seems virtually everyone would be able to tell you it took place in 1066! In actual fact it was the point at which the Norman's invaded and took over the English throne, changing history forever.
Day 7 Arundel
The Arundel castle is one of the largest inhabited castle's in the world and well worthy of a visit by any history lover. The castle is open to the viewing public in the summer and there you can see paintings and furniture, tapestries and stained glass, sculpture and carving, heraldry and armour in stunning room settings.
Day 8 Winchester
With a very long history, Winchester has at times been the capital of old England. William the conqueror was crowned both in London and here and declared both cities capitals. In the 12th century a raging fire destroyed much of Winchester, giving London the top spot. Winchester Cathedral is not to be missed for history lovers.
Day 9 - 10 Portsmouth
Portsmouth's naval history is evident all around. The historic dockyardallows you to explore Nelson's HMS Victory and see the current preservation work on the raised wreck Mary Rose. Locally you can see the best-preserved of the Roman Saxon forts, Portchester Castle which was originally built in the late 3rd century!
Day 11 Bournemouth
Historically, Bournemouth is best known for it's incredible Jurassic coastline, Britain's only Natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit to the jurassic coast allows you to see geology unfold before your eyes, described by UNESCO as ‘representing major stages of the earth’s history, including the record of life.
Day 12 Salisbury
A day in Salisbury is a packed one. Alongside the fantastic town and cathedral there is the more well known 'Stone Henge' as well as the Avebury Stone Circle nearby. For lovers of history, this one is an essential stop.
Day 13 - 14 Bath
Another 'must do' place for any history lover, the original Roman baths that still stand proud here are well worthy of a visit. The stunning city is in itself a great place to see and spend a few days.
Day 15 - 16 Stratford and Warwick
An unmissable day out is that of Stratford on Avon, historical birthplace of the great Bard himself, William Shakespeare. The Tudor builings here make it easy to image precisely what it was like in Mr Shakespeare's day. A visit to neighbouring Warwick Castle is also a fine day out.
Day 17 - 18 Oxford
This grand university city make for an excellent and informative visit. The buildings, chapels and museums of all the colleges here are easy to lose youself in, wandering round and simply taking it all in.
Day 19 Cambridge
You can't visit Oxford without doing Cambridge the same honour. The delightful buildings here are so old and well kept it's at times hard to remember what century we are still in. Why not finish your day with a quaint punt down the river?
Day 20 - 21 Windsor - London
To complete your historical journey through the south of England, why not stop off for a day trip to the lovely Windsor. As well as viewing the world's largest inhabited castle and official residence of Queen Elizabeth II Windsor Castle, you can easily take a wander over to the town of Eton for more historic school and chapel history.
