|
London
|
West End - London
 London’s West End is an undefined area that takes up much, if not all of the London Borough of Westminster. While it would be incorrect to call the West End a London Attraction, it is true to say that it contains large number of top London attractions in the form of palaces, abbeys, theatres, markets, shops, nightclubs, cinemas, bridges, galleries and museums.
West End can apply to the shopping areas around Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street. West End can also be referred to as the areas of entertainment around Leicester Square and Covent Garden, with their rich reputations for theatre, cinema and nightclubbing.
|
|
Castles
|
Edinburgh Castle
 Sitting atop volcanic rock some 260 feet above the city, Edinburgh Castle proudly stands its ground as Scotland’s most iconic UK attraction. Edinburgh Castle has always been at the centre of Edinburgh life and visitors here can sample a rich tradition and history spanning almost three millennia. As well as providing an iconic backdrop to events such as New Year celebrations, the Edinburgh Fringe theatre festival and Edinburgh Comedy Festival, the castle also plays host to concerts and the famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
|
|
Museums
|
British Museum
 Established in 1753, The British Museum chronicles human history, from its earliest known origins up until the present day, through culture with over 13 million works of art and artefacts collected from all continents, making the collection one of the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in the world.
Apart from being a leading London attraction, the British Museum is also a well respected institute for cultural research, with teams of experts continually working with the collection to discover just who we are and where we come from.
Museum Highlights include: The Rosetta Stone – dating back to 196 BC, the Stone has been key in the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs, and the Great Court, opened in 2000, the glass-roofed Court houses the Round Reading Room and is now a UK attraction in its own right.
|
|
Art Galleries
|
Tate Modern - UK Art Galleries
 Formerly the Bankside Power Station, the Tate Modern’s imposing dark brick structure is home to one of the world’s most impressive collections of modern art, making it more than just a gallery - it is the UK’s national museum of modern art. Opened in 2000, Tate Modern has gone on to become one of the UK’s leading tourist attractions with millions passing through its five levels of galleries every year. . Home to works by leading lights such as Lichtenstein, Picasso, Warhol, Kapoor and Rothko, and with some of the most jaw-dropping installations of recent times in the five-storey Turbine Hall, Tate Modern is unlikely to disappoint even the most sceptical of art fans.
|
|
Special Interest
|
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is situated within Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth, on the Hampshire coast. Home to the British Naval Fleet since Tudor times, the base still looks after 66% of the British surface fleet; it was once the biggest industrial site in the world. Visitors to the Historic Dockyard have access to the Royal Naval Museum, HMS Warrior, the Tudor frigate Mary Rose, and Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory.
|
|
|
British Icons
|
The Union Jack
In 1603, Scotland and England were united for the first time under a common monarch, King James I. To represent this union a new flag was created, a combination of the English flag of Saint George – a red cross – and the Saint Andrew’s Cross of Scotland – a white saltire (diagonal cross) on a blue background. And thus the Union Jack was born, and for better or worse it’s been the symbol of the United Kingdom ever since.
|
|
Markets
|
Portobello Road Market
Portobello road, Portobello road
Street where the riches of ages are stowed.
Anything and everything a chap can unload
Is sold off the barrow in Portobello road.
You’ll find what you want in the Portobello road
Portobello Road from the Disney movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks
 Portobello Road is the world’s largest antiques market, running almost the whole length of trendy Notting Hill, parallel with Ladbroke Grove. Apart from antiques and a fantastically eclectic selection of objet d’art, Portobello Road is also a top London Attraction for the panoply of second-hand clothing sold there.
But it’s not only the market that draws people to Portobello Road, but also the diverse local community that gives the area a flavour all of its own and gives life to the meandering architecture of Notting Hill, filling myriad pubs, gastro-pubs, restaurants, clubs and bars.
Portobello Road market is the ideal place to pick up a unique present for the folks back home, or find an old curiosity to add that individual touch to your home. But it’s not just about buying things, and many people simply meander up and down the market enjoying the atmosphere of one of London’s more unique institutions.
|
|
Natural Attractions
|
Peak District
 The Peak District was the first of the UK’s National Parks and now welcomes visitors from around the world come to see its areas of stunning natural beauty that offer fantastic walking and mountain biking opportunities between some of the 457 listed ancient monuments, and the unique hamlets, villages, and towns that are home to the Peak District’s 38,000 inhabitants.
Visitors to the Peak District can enjoy myriad activities from gazing at the remains of Bronze Age forts, to caving, climbing, mountain biking, horse-riding and canoeing. Other attractions include the ancient market towns of Bakewell and Castleton, both of which offer a bounty of restaurants, pubs and accommodation choices The Speedwell and Blue John Caverns also provide an interesting diversion under the Peak District, giving visitors a chance to literally experience the ins and outs of the area.
With stunning scenery, a clean environment, and relatively easy walks, amid 2,700 working farms, the Peak District never disappoints.
|
|
Great Britons
|
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758 – 1805)
“England expects that every man will do his duty”
 Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson was a British naval officer most famous for his participation and leadership in the Napoleonic Wars. Having worked his way up the ranks, in life Nelson was a national hero, as famous for his scandalous affair with Lady Emma Hamilton, as he was for his victories on the sea – most notably the Battle of the Nile; in death Nelson became a god of the British Empire, embodying, courage, duty and honour.
|
|
