London is calling, you’ve answered and now you’d like to branch out to take in some other things that England offers. There’s castles, cathedrals, ruins, moors, theatre, contemporary art options and so much more. Travel based on your interests — and the GetAway Travel advisors can help plan your interesting expedition to England.

Winchester: England’s ancient capital

 The former seat of King Alfred the Great is also recognized as the birthplace of modern cricket. Jane Austen is buried here and the area is known for its arts scene and fabulous architecture.

Winchester is best known for the 11th century Winchester Cathedral, considered to be one of the finest medieval cathedrals in Europe. A place of worship for 900 years, it has soaring Gothic arches and the longest medieval nave in Europe.

The resting place of royalty, it is where Austen is buried. Climb the 213 steps to the top of the tower to see the cathedral’s beautiful bells and the fabulous views of the city. Winchester Cathedral doubled as the Vatican in the movie, “The Da Vinci Code.”

There are numerous artifacts in the cathedral and the most famous is the Winchester Bible. Hand-written, hand-illustrated and hand-colored, it is truly a masterpiece. No expense was spared during the illustration work, the most expensive pigments were used including gold leaf and lapis lazuli.

With its 11 acres of formal gardens and a vast collection of art and artifacts from Greece, Rome, Egypt and even China, Winchester College is one of the world’s most distinguished schools. It is the oldest continuously running school in the country. Parts of the Harry Potter movies were filmed here as was Les Miserables.

All that remains of Winchester Castle is the Great Hall, but don’t let that keep you from visiting! It houses one of the greatest symbols of mythology, King Arthur’s Round Table. (Psst, it is actually a 700-year-old copy of the original commissioned during the reign of Henry VIII so King Arthur’s painting looks amazingly like a young King Henry.) It hangs on the wall like a giant dart board so visitors can get a great view of the table complete with the names of the famous knights.

Dover cliffs welcome sailors home

 The chalk-white cliffs of Dover have kept silent watch over Dover, one of England’s principal ports, for centuries. The Roman influence from the past is evident in the Roman-era attractions in the area. To the East on the top of the cliffs is the amazing Dover Castle, but the best place to get fabulous views of the coastline is at the White Cliffs of Dover Visitor Center. You can see for miles and it also has displays and exhibits about the area and information about the flora and fauna.

Dover Castle, perched above the English Channel, was constructed by Henry II beginning in 1168 with the keep constructed in 1180. The keep, including the Great Tower, is where most of the historical exhibits are and the furnished rooms still remain. The castle offers great views of the Channel and cliffs. On a clear day, you can see as far as France. Costumed guides give tours, there are medieval feasts and military re-enactments on the castle’s 80 acres. And then there’s the tunnels! The tunnels were built under the castle during Napoleonic times to protect occupants, but they were in use as recently as during WWII.

South Foreland Lighthouse is a Victorian lighthouse perched the cliffs. It as built in1843 to help guide sailors through the Straits of Dover and warn them of the shifting sands. It was used by Marconi for the world’s first successful radio navigation and it was the first lighthouse in the world to display an electric light.

Explore the history of Dover from present times to Roman times through the exhibits at the Dover Museum. The large collection of Saxon-era artifacts includes some fabulous jewelry. The large halls of the Dover Transport Museum house collections of everything from buses to motorbikes and trains. The large model railway, with controls, is popular with young and old rail enthusiasts.

Prestigious Cambridge and its colleges

 Cambridge is the world’s third oldest surviving university. The individual colleges of the university are scattered around the city and well worth visiting. Alumni from Cambridge University include Stephen Hawking, Francis Bacon, Lord Byron, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and King Charles III.

St. John’s is Cambridge’s oldest college. It has a pretty chapel with an awesome painted ceiling and stunning stained glass. The college can lay claim to 10 Nobel Prize winners as alumni. The 16th century Great Gate at the front of the college has intricate carvings of mythical beasts.

Trinity College, founded by Henry VIII, has the Wren Library with a spectacular collection of medieval manuscripts including a notebook of Isaac Newton.

The Gothic chapel at King’s College has 12 large stained glass windows and the largest fan vault (the ribbing spreading out from the center of the chapel roof) in the world. The majestic organ has gilded pipework and is used throughout the year for organ recitals by renowned musicians.

Cambridge University’s main museum is the Fitzwilliam Museum which houses collections of all sorts of interesting artifacts like 16th century German armor and renaissance manuscripts.

Punting on the River Cam does not involve football at all. It does involve taking a relaxing trip, if the weather is cooperating, on the river on a flat-bottomed boat called a punt. The guide directing the boat is called a punter. Floating on the river gives you a chance to see some of the 20 famous bridges in Cambridge that cross the river including the Mathematical Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs.

Quirky, historic Cornwall

Its not often you see subtropic and England in the same sentence, but the Gulf Stream gives the area a climate that makes for stunning gardens and some first-class vineyards. St. Michael’s Mount, perched on an island off the coast, has a medieval castle and church, a quaint village with cobblestone walkways and subtropical terraced gardens. You can only reach it when the tide is out.

Sample wines and ciders at Trevibban Mall Vineyard. Colwith Farm Distillery is truly a plough to bottle operation. The 200-acre farm is run by three generations of the Dustin family. Take a guided distillery tour, enjoy gin and vodka tastings and school participants distill their own flavored gin and vodkas. Padstow Brewing Co., Rebel Brewery, Harbour Brewery and Carmel Valley Vineyard contribute to quality spirits from Cornwall.

The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic boasts the largest collection of witchcraft artifacts from wands to cauldrons to crystals. Browse items from shipwrecks at the Shipwreck Treasure Museum. The National Maritime Museum helps visitors gain some perspective into maritime issues with objects from around the world.The Royal Cornwall Museum highlights Cornish art and culture with works from artists as well as artifacts and archeological finds. Rescued seals live in replicated natural habitats at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.

Check with your travel advisor at GetAway Travel to see about Cornwall festivals if you are traveling there. The festivals are world class, like the World Pasty Championship, Newlyn Fish Festival, Falmouth Oyster Festival and for those interested in sailing — the Fowey Regatta and Carnival week is fabulous!

 

Interested in exploring jolly, old England? GetAway Travel can help with travel options. Reach us at: (262) 538-2140, e-mail: sue@getaway.travel or paul@getaway.travel