Gateway to Kent

Kent is a fantastic region in the Southeast of England less than an hour by train from the big city of London.  Its rich History with world famous monuments and its seaside and coastline make it the perfect location to escape the capital and enjoy a taste of the countryside.

What first surprised me when I arrived in the town of Chatham, Charles Dicken’s childhood home, is how close it is to London. It takes less than an hour to go from the busy city of London to completely different landscape. Whilst in Chatham, I visited the Historic Dockyard which played a vital role supporting the Royal Navy for over 400 years. It actually is the world's most complete example of a Historic Dockyard from the age of sail. You can easily spend an entire afternoon there and among the many historic buildings, galleries and museums, you can visit three different warships and experience what life was really like as a sailor.

The following day I visited Dover, the first English city that many tourists from Europe get to see when arriving in England with the ferry. It is totally dominated by its castle which is proudly standing on the coast. Once on top of the hill, I genuinely didn’t expect the castle to be so big. It is very impressive especially when you are been told that beneath the castle is hiding a maze of secret wartime tunnels dating back to the Napoleonic Wars and used during World War Two. The tours and exhibitions of the castle are amazingly well lead and presented, they help you realize what a major role Dover Castle played during wartimes from the 12th century to WW2. I would definitely recommend spending a full day there, and I’m sure children will love the reconstruction of the medieval furniture!

After a morning in Dover, I went to the lovely town of Canterbury, partly famous for being the home of the first gothic cathedral in England. The centre of Canterbury has kept most of its medieval features. You can walk in its narrow and lively streets lined with old medieval houses. You just need to look up to see the massive cathedral emerging among the roofs of the town. In order to fully appreciate a visit of the cathedral, I highly recommend going on a guided tour. The guides are really passionate and  will whisk you back in time to the 11th century when the construction of the cathedral started, through to the 15th century when it ended and through Archbishop Thomas Becket’s murder within the cathedral which attracted thousands of pilgrims ever since.

The last stop of my day out in Kent was a visit to Leeds Castle. This castle is known to be “the loveliest castle in the world” and from the very moment I entered the property, I understood why. The park and its gardens are simply breath-taking: the lawn is dotted with colourful little flowers and the ponds are occupied by various species of birds such as white and black swans, ducks or geese. The immense park also hosts a maze. Though the castle is not the biggest I’ve seen (compared to Dover Castle), it is standing in the middle of an artificial lake which makes it look unique and simply lovely. The oldest part of the building dates back to 1119 and was later on occupied by Henry VIII. The second part of the castle is fairly new as it was constructed several centuries later in the Tudor style in 1823. The castle has been inhabited until very recently and though some rooms have been refurnished in the medieval style, many rooms are surprisingly very contemporary and been adapted to the modern lifestyle. In my opinion, the castle lacks a little bit of authenticity as it has been transformed and adapted throughout the centuries but it is definitely a lovely castle with perfect features and refined taste, in a lovely setting which makes it a perfect location for a romantic day out (it is possible to stay in the castle overnight) or to spend some quality time with the family and enjoy a picnic in the park
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Kent is definitely a fantastic gateway which has plenty to offer for everyone. Its proximity to London, its easy access and good transport network (by car or by train) makes it a great place to spend a long weekend by the sea with many places and historic attractions to keep you busy.

Claire Bouedo, 29th April 2012, Canterbury, Dover

North Wales Coastline

As it’s St David’s day today, I thought I would talk about a recent visit to the walled harbour town of Conwy on the north Welsh coast.

If you are able, a walk along all or part of the town’s walls gives a great perspective and introduction to the town and along with Conwy’s castle, makes Conwy one of the most complete medieval towns in Britain. After a walk along the wall, I took a stroll into the castle which along with the walls was completed by 1286. Conwy Castle is one of the most impressive of the Welsh castles and dominates the town below it, and it is possible to climb the spiral staircases in the towers to receive spectacular views over the town and the harbour. Unlike many medieval castles in Britain, all eight towers and connecting walls are still intact today.

After visiting the castle in which you can easily spend a couple of hours exploring. I walked through the main town itself, which still has much of its original medieval character. Cafes are a plenty, as well as opportunities to buy that perfect Welsh souvenir.  However, instead of stopping at the cafe I continued along Castle Street and then up High Street to Plas Mawr, a town house from the Elizabethan era built between 1576 and 1585. As you walk around the various rooms in the house, you will get a sense of the atmosphere of the time with many original furnishings to the house.  There are headsets available in a number of languages, which help you to explore the various different rooms in the house, describing the life of Tudor gentry. It’s also possible to buy a joint ticket for Plas Mawr and Conwy Castle.

After lunch in one of the town’s cafes, I wandered down to the harbour front where it is possible to take a boat tour. Also on the harbour front is the smallest house in Britain. Yes this fun-sized house containing 1 room upstairs and one down was ironically owned at one time by a 6ft fisherman called Robert Jones. The rooms are so small that he couldn’t even stand up in them.

Whilst it is perfectly possible to spend a day or two in Conwy itself, I headed round the coast to the neighbouring town of Llandudno, which grew out of a number of bronze and Iron age settlements. Today the striking feature of the town is its Victorian Promenade with sandy beachfront.  It also has a grand pier which was built in 1878, and is the longest pier in Wales. Just a short walk from the seafront is the Great Orme Tramway station. The tramway which is one of just 3 cable operated tramways in the world takes you in two stages to the top of the Great Orme. From here you can get spectacular views of the North Wales coastline. There is also another way to ascend or descend the Great Orme – using the Cable Car. However, on this occasion I kept my feet firmly on land!

Close to the Cable car station at the bottom of the Great Orme is the Happy Valley and Camera Obscura.  The Happy Valley Gardens offer a real sense of peace and tranquillity and are definitely worth a visit with lots of different plants as well as a picnic area.  At the top of the gardens is the Camera Obscura which first opened in 1860.

If you would like to include Conwy or Llandudno in your next Great British Trip, why not add it to your itinerary, or even take a look at one of our 7 day itineraries of Wales.  

Andrew Lancey, 29th February 2012, North Wales

The beauty of the English Lake District

There are few things in life that are quite as enjoyable as escaping city life for incredible and dramatic scenes of peace and tranquillity in areas like England’s Lake Country and last weekend, that is exactly what we did. My friends and I exchanged the smoky urban landscape to which we’d become accustomed in favour of a more rural, rustic and generally charming landscape and we were not disappointed. The sheer range of activities available here is enough to satisfy every individual whether you’re an adrenaline junky or cafe hopper. If you are into walking, cycling, climbing, culture or watersports, you will be delighted as the Lake District is definitive provider of the great outdoors! You will find a range of outdoor providers and can enjoy the landscape on foot, on wheels, on ropes and on water. For lover’s of a more gentle day out, you you may prefer to immerse yourself in the stunning countryside of Beatrix Potter and find out what inspired the author to write her world-famous books, including The Tale of Petter Rabbit and The Tale of Mrs Tittlemouse.

This large National Park is simply filled with trails, quiet railway paths, villages and valleys to explore the quietest and rural county in England. The stunning beauty of these magnificent and unique scenes are hard to believe and the area really does have to be seen to full appreciate the wild splendour of it all. We stayed in Bowness-on-Windemere; Cumbria’s most popular destination. This quaint town is famous for hiking, watersports and of course England’s largest lake – Windermere herself. On Saturday, we took a walk in the woods and managed to lose ourselves entirely amidst fields of sheep as our map reading skills fell victim to a momentary lapse of concentration. On Sunday, we took the bus to Ambleside, another charming village on the north of the Windermere Lake. There we discovered a curious site: a house built on a bridge which apparently was done in order to escape local taxes! This feature alone made Ambleside worth the trip but the glorious day was completed with a delightful visit to a series of stunning waterfalls. 

Helene Boyer, 22nd August 2011, Lake District

Liverpool, Capital of Culture

This weekend I was fortunate enough to spend a fabulous day with my friend in the world capital of pop music, the incredible city of Liverpool!

Our day began with an authentic English pub breakfast followed by a visit to the city centre. The city is just bursting with art and history, and evidence of it’s pride as it took the title ‘European Capital of Culture’ in 2008 still surrounds the city to this day. Art lovers will be delighted to visit the Walker Art Gallery; which houses many fabulous paintings by great artists such as Rembrandt, Degas and Turner, but for this visit, we turned our attention to music. In Liverpool, music is everywhere. Non-negotiable for the music fan I am, a trip to The Beatles Story at Albert Dock topped the day’s itinerary. This museum is more of an experience than a museum. Through different rooms and atmospheres, you are invited to follow the story of the Beatles from their humble beginnings there in the Matthew Street Cavern Club right through to international super-star status. The museum displays lots of collectibles such as vinyl records, newspapers articles, John Lennon’s glasses, guitars, scene costumes... Although this was my second visit to the museum, my experience was surprising due to obvious renovation and expansion work with more and more pieces than I could possibly imagine. I particularly enjoyed the snippets of song lyrics plastered across the walls. Many Beatles lyrics are pure poetry; every line more thought-provoking than the last.

Outside the museum, it is impossible not to notice the industrial past of the city, famous for being the gateway to the New World. Much of the architecture from the industrial revolution still remains but it has been modernized and beautifully incorporated into a city dedicated to art lovers, sports and music fans. Later it was back to the music for me as I saw the Cavern Club for myself where the Beatles began. Of course it was simply impossible to resist the inevitable tourist photo with John Lennon!

Walking in Liverpool, it is impossible not to be carried away in this unusual and vintage atmosphere! The city is full of life, full of music, and fully immersed in the spirit and memory of the Beatles. Despite the not so great weather, I really enjoyed my day in Liverpool, strolling the streets and drinking in this uniquely British cultural experience.

Helene Boyer, 18th July 2011, Liverpool