CONTENT
- Accommodation options
- Destinations: Ancient Wessex
- UK Travel tips and news
Welcome friends, its time to put the kettle on, settle into a comfortable armchair, and enjoy the best of Britain with Britain Update. But before you do, please take the time to forward this newsletter to someone who loves Britain as much as you do.
David Ross, Publisher
Accommodation
I had a query from an American reader recently who was planning a trip to the UK. She wanted to travel without any set itinerary and wondered if she'd be able to find bed and breakfast accommodation without an advanced reservation. I thought that my reply to her might be of interest to other traveller's, so I'm offering an edited version of it here:
"You should have no problem finding B&Bs to stay at without a reservation - with a word of caution: if you need accommodation in a popular tourist area, or are visiting during peak times (i.e. mid-summer) you may find it harder to get what you want or find something in your price range.
One thing you can do is get local Tourist Information Centres to "Book a Bed Ahead" (BABA) when you decide on your next stop. Most TICs throughout the country are networked and can reserve a B&B in any other area of the country for the next day.
If you want even more freedom than the BABA scheme, just ask local inhabitants when you find an area where you want to stay - most people know someone who "does B&B" in their local area.
There are no guarantees with this "hit and miss" style of travel, and you should be prepared for occasionally having to make do with something further afield or pricier than you intended if you don't have a reservation, but in most areas of the country you should be able to follow your non-scheduled trip without trouble."
Destinations
Ancient Sites in the West Country
The West Country of England, which, for our purposes here we'll define as the counties of Cornwall and Devon, is blessed with an abundance of prehistoric remains, particularly in the upland plateaus of Dartmoor and Exmoor.
There are upwards of 300 Bronze Age barrows (burial mounds) on Exmoor. A large grouping of 11 bowl-shaped barrows lies at Chapman Barrows, near Parracombe, and nearby are barrows at Longstone and Wood Barrow. There are stone circles at Almsworthy Common, Porlock Common, and Withypool Hill, and a superb hill fort at Shoulsborough Castle, near Challacombe.
Further south, Dartmoor is one of the richest prehistoric treasure-houses in Britain.
Burials of the Beaker Folk (2000-500BC) are more numerous. These burials were often made in rough stone sarcophagi (like the sarcophagi of Egyptian mummies) interred in barrows like those at Fernworthy, Watern Down, and Lakehead Hill.
More about prehistoric West Country sites ...
Travel Tips and News
Jorvik Tickets Discounted Online
Tickets for the popular Jorvik Viking Centre in York can now be booked online via http://www.vikingjorvik.com up to 48 hours in advance. As an added bonus, if you book online you can save 10% on ticket prices!
JORVIK presents a unique, citywide view of Viking Age York as it would have looked in AD975, complete with a new-state-of-the-art ride system that enables visitors to see, hear and even smell what life in 10th Century York was really like.
Return of the Medici Vase to Castle Howard
Something is missing from the hilltop entrance to Ray Wood, but not for much longer! For the past five months, visitors to Castle Howard will have seen an empty pedestal at the hilltop entrance to the magnificent Ray Wood. On Thursday 27th June the fully restored Medici Vase will return to its podium where the 5th Earl of Carlisle originally positioned it in 1778. Castle Howard website: http://www.castlehoward.co.uk
Aztecs at London's Royal Academy
The cultural riches of Mexico's Aztec past will be on display in London next winter, in one of the most ambitious exhibitions ever staged at the Royal Academy. "Aztec" (Nov.16 - Apr.11) will have over 350 objects - many never previously shown outside Mexico, and some being publicly displayed for the first time.
The exhibition traces the origins of the Aztecs, and shows how they drew inspiration from religions and artefacts of earlier cultures. The largest gallery will have a dramatic display centred on the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan, the symbolic centre of the Aztec world. It will have many ritual objects found at the site, including life-size terracotta figures of the eagle warrior and the Lord of Death.
Other treasures include sculptures in stone and wood, feather work, ceramics, works of art made of turquoise mosaics, gold and other precious metals. There will also be pictorial manuscripts.
Open daily, admission £10 adults, £8 senior citizens, £3 age 12-18 years, £2 age 9-11, family tickets £20 - the prices include an exhibition audio-guide. To book in advance, visit http://www.wayahead.com. Website: http://www.aztecs.org.uk
New Surfer's Hostel in Cornwall
The eighth St. Christopher's Inn - inexpensive but well-equipped hostels - opens in the Cornish surfing resort of Newquay on August 18. The other seven in Interpub's expanding chain are all in London and Edinburgh, and the latest, on Newquay's Town Beach, brings the total number of beds to 600. With rates per night from £12 to £25, the hostels are proving popular with young visitors of many nationalities.
The hostel will have a chill-out room, open-air hot tub and terrace, secure lockers, laundry and internet cafe. Like most of the other hostels, there will also be a Belushi's Bar, offering a wide variety of food and drink, including local seafood. St. Christopher's Inns. Website: http://www.st-christophers.co.uk.
Warwick Castle's 'Electric Mill' Reopens
In 1894, Daisy, Countess of Warwick was the glamorous English aristocrat of her day. Her parties, attended by royalty and future prime ministers, were lavish affairs but much of their sparkle was thanks to the new-fangled novelty of the time: electric lighting.
Warwick Castle, one of England's finest medieval fortresses, has turned back the clock and reopened the picturesque water-mill where hydro-electricity was first generated to light 475 bulbs for Daisy's extravagant 'Powder Ball'.
Visitors can:
~ See the working mill, fully restored, which shot to the forefront of Victorian technology as one of the first electricity generating plants.
~ Examine whirring turbines and dynamos, antique electrical controls - and hear about the Earl and Countesses electric boat and their child's electric car.
~ Stroll along a walkway beside William Shakespeare's River Avon to get a different view of this dramatic landmark.
Inside the castle, visitors can see a recreation of an Edwardian tea-party held by the couple while, elsewhere, an earlier Earl of Warwick ~ the powerful 'Kingmaker' and his cohorts - prepare for battle. The surroundings include extensive gardens with roaming peacocks and a medieval village festival (until September 8).
Warwick Castle, 90 miles north-west of London and close to Stratford-upon-Avon, is open daily, admission adult £12.50, child £7.40.
Website: http://www.warwick-castle.co.uk.
'Thomas the Tank Engine' Events a Steamy Success
More than 50 years after an English clergyman first told his son stories about a friendly steam engine called Thomas, the British are flocking to "Thomas the Tank Engine" events at many of the country's steam railway attractions. Fired by the popularity of the TV adaptations, almost 50 museums and heritage railways will stage events this summer.
One of the locations for these events, the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, a volunteer-run steam museum near Aylesbury, 40 miles north-west of London, has "Days Out with Thomas" on July 13-14 and September 6-8, with further dates next year.
Among the highlights of the special days:
~ Unlimited rides behind a full-size "Thomas" steam engine, with "Duck", "Diesel", "Daisy" and "Trevor" also in attendance.
~ Volunteers dress as characters such as the Fat Controller and there is entertainment such as puppet and magic shows and a Thomas theatre.
~ A chance to see other rail exhibits including a 100-year-old coach from the Royal Train and a historic rail station which originally stood in Oxford.
Admission to the event is £7.50 adult, £5.50 child, pre-booking not essential.
Websites:
http://www.bucksrailcentre.org.uk
http://www.thomasthetankengine.com
That's all for now. Until next issue, let me remind you that laughter is contagious. Be a carrier.
David Ross, Publisher, Britain Express
