United Kingdom and England
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It
is thought that London first started to grow as an important settlement when
the Romans arrived in around 43 AD. Prior to this, there were some smaller
settlements that were soon swallowed up by the might of the Roman army. Plenty
of turbulent times were to come for London, with invasions and power struggles
over the years. After the Romans left, the Anglo-Saxons came and were repeatedly
attacked by Vikings who came from Scandinavian countries. In
Norman times, London became the firm favourite as a centre of commerce and
a capital city following the construction of Westminster and this was set
to stay for good after William the Conqueror built the Tower of London following
his victory in 1066. Slaves were brought over to England from Africa during
Tudor times, from 1485 – 1603. At the same time, Jews and Muslims as
well as Dutch Traders had also begun to arrive and settle in London. These
arrivals sowed the seed for London’s diversity that can be seen today.
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The Tower of London
is a 900-year-old castle and fortress in central London that is notable for
housing the crown jewels and for holding many famous and infamous prisoners.
Throughout its history, the tower has served many purposes: it housed the
royal mint (until the early 19th century), a menagerie (which left in 1835),
a records office, an armory and barracks for troops. Until the 17th century,
it was also used as a royal residence.
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The present Cathedral,
the masterpiece of Britain's most famous architect Sir Christopher Wren, is
at least the fourth to have stood on the site. It was built between 1675 and
1710, after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, and
services began in 1697.
This was the first Cathedral to be built after the English Reformation in
the sixteenth-century, when Henry VIII removed the Church of England from
the jurisdiction of the Pope and the Crown took control of the life of the
church.
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Windsor began as a Saxon
village. The name Windsor is believed to be a corruption of the Saxon words
'windlass Oran' meaning a bank with a windlass. After the Saxons founded the
settlement it grew into a town because of its position by a river. In those
days it was expensive to transport goods by land. It was cheaper to transport
them by river. The Thames was an important artery between London and the heart
of England. It was inevitable that a town would grow up on the site of Windsor.
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HERE FOR A VIDEO TOUR OF STONEHENGE AND AVEBURY
Stonehenge is
perhaps the most famous prehistoric monument in the world. Begun as a simple
earthwork enclosure, it was built in several stages. The first monument was
as an early form of henge monument, built about 5,000 years ago, where prehistoric
people buried their cremated dead. The unique lintelled stone circle with
its enormous sarsens and smaller bluestones was erected in the late Neolithic
period around 2500 BC. Stonehenge remained important into the early Bronze
Age, when many burial mounds were built nearby. Today Stonehenge, together
with Avebury and other associated sites, forms the heart of a World Heritage
Site with a unique and dense concentration of outstanding prehistoric monuments.
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There is a legend that Bath was founded in
860 BC when Prince Bladud, father of King Lear, caught leprosy. He was banned
from the court and was forced to look after pigs. The pigs also had a skin
disease but after they wallowed in hot mud they were cured. Prince Bladud
followed their example and was also cured. Later he became king and founded
the city of Bath.
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HERE FOR A VIDEO TOUR OF STRATFORD
AND WARWICK CASTLE
Mention Stratford upon Avon
and you can't but help think of its most famous bard William Shakespeare.
However, this old town has a fascinating history that extends much further
back than the 16th century. The town has its roots in Anglo-Saxon times. Indeed,
Stratford upon Avon's name is derived from a mixture of the Celtic and Saxon
languages and simply means 'a river that is crossed by a ford'.
Situated in the town of Warwick, County town of Warwickshire, on a bend overlooking
the river Avon is Warwick Castle. It was originally built as a motte-and-bailey
castle in 1068 by William the Conqueror in order to keep his control over
the Midlands. Henry de Beaumont was given the position of constable of Warwick
Castle and in 1088 was made Earl of Warwick.
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The City of Edinburgh has
a very interesting history. There is evidence that Edinburgh’s history
began thousands of years in the past. Then in the Middle Ages, a hill fort
was established in the area. Then from the seventh to the tenth centuries,
the city was part of the Kingdom of Northumbria and became a royal residence
of the Kings of Scotland. The town became a stronghold through a royal charter
in the 12th century and has been known as the capital of Scotland by the 14th
century. The New Town area was added to the town in the 18th century. It used
to be the largest Scottish city until Glasgow outgrew it at the beginning
of the 19th century
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Within
its ancient, encircling walls York’s medieval streets and buildings are
beautifully preserved and the historic heart of the city is largely traffic-free,
making it quiet, clean and very pleasant to stroll around, day and night.
Stonegate and Petergate,
York’s two most stylish shopping streets, still run along the same routes
as they did 2,000 years ago, when they were called Via Praetoria and Via Principalis
and led to the massive Roman headquarters which once occupied the site where
the vast gothic Minster stands today, dominating the city. This
magnificent building took 250 years to build and was consecrated in 1472.
It contains England’s greatest concentration of medieval stained glass,
including the great east window which, measuring 186 square metres, is thought
to be the largest area of stained glass in the world.