England is a most beautiful and wonderful country in which to take a vacation. It has a great many tourist attraction|places of interest well worth visiting perfect for all tastes. For instance|One such place is the ancient city of York which has been inhabited since the times of the Roman Empire, Liverpool, and Torquay known as the English Riviera. One of the most interesting, and famous, places to visit is London the capital city of the U. K.
London is an astounding destination to visit, maybe for just a weekend or, possibly for a longer period. You would be surprised at the number of people who live in the United Kingdom of Great Britain who have not yet visited London, even more surprising when you ponder on the fact it is commonly top of the majority of visitors lists (of places they enjoyed most).
There are so many things to see and do in London that it is simply not possible to list them all at the same time. Surprisingly one of the newest attractions in London also happens to be one of the most popular – The London Eye. Another popular attraction nearby to the London Eye is the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. However, one place which must not be missed is Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace is England’s most well known Royal residence, possibly because it is home to the Queen of England. The Palace is positioned right at the heart of London which makes it a natural focus for tourists. The daily pageant of ‘Changing of the Guard’ is interesting to witness and ever so English.
Buckingham Palace was originally known as Buckingham House. It was originally a large townhouse, built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. It is actually the town house that forms the main core of the palace as we know it today.
Throughout the next seventy five years Buckingham House was increased in size by the construction of 3 wings creating a central courtyard. The main architects responsible for these constructions were Edward Blore and John Nash. It was also John Nash who was responsible for the interior design of the monumental staterooms.
The famous architect Aston Webb was responsible for the building of the principal facade of Buckingham Palace which he re-designed in 1912. Webb together with the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock were the winners of a competition to design a memorial to Queen Victoria. This memorial is still standing today.
The Queen has a number of royal residences besides Buckingham Palace. Annually the Queen stays, at Sandringham House in Norfolk, during the Christmas season. Sandringham House is one of the Queen’s private royal residences.
Another private residence is Balmoral Castle, found in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Queen Elizabeth was in Balmoral Castle when she was informed about the sad demise of Princess Diana.
If you would like to take a break in England you might be pleased to discover that it is possible to find cheap hotels in London without any great effort, on the other hand you may want to stay in more luxurious surroundings and the small number of boutique hotels in London should be more than satisfactory.
Recent Comments