England

When most of us think of Britain, we think of England. Our trip was the British Isles, so a bit of geography:  Great Britain includes Scotland, England, and Wales. The United Kingdom includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The British Islands includes the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, Guernsey, and Jersey (3 smaller islands south of Great Britain). Ireland includes Ireland (the state) and Northern Ireland (which is part of the United Kingdom).  The British Isles includes all of these countries. 

 

The coach ride from Scotland to England wasn't too long. We passed through customs, showed our passports and we were in England! As we traveled through northern England we stopped to see the Angel of the North, a very recognized piece of public art built in 1998. It was built in an economically depressed area which had formerly depended on coal mining. At the time it was resented for the expense, but now lots of tourist traffic to bring in many pounds. 

The Angel of the North is 175 feet wide at the wing span and 65 feet high. 

Next was the city of York, a walled city founded by the ancient Romans.  York is home to the Minster of York, the biggest medieval Cathedral in Northern Europe and considered one of the most beautiful Gothic buildings. I asked the difference between a minster and a cathedral. A minster sends missionaries out to minister to the people. A cathedral has a seat for the Bishop. A church holds regular worship services. 

Walled cities were common in England, built during the Middle Ages to protect the city from invaders. 

The York Minster was constructed over 900 years ago and contains many stained glass windows. 

 

York’s narrow street of Shambles Street was the home of butcher shops which sold meat from the front window shelf. Each story of the buildings is larger than the lower one, overhanging the street. 

We arrived in London by a high speed train, speeding through the country side so quickly that sightseeing was impossible, time for a nap. 

Sights to see included Big Ben and Houses of Parliament

Westminster Abby has over 30 kings and queens buried there. 

For lunch we enjoyed a High Tea.

 High tea consisted of, besides tea, small bites of food on tiered trays. The lower tray contains finger sandwiches, the middle has scones and tea cakes with jam, and the top is the desserts. All were delicious. 

 

Buckingham Palace

Did I say it was usually cold and wet in England?

Queen Victoria's monument across from Buckingham Palace.

The tour of Windsor Castle was a highlight. Windsor Castle is the oldest royal residence still in use. Founded in the 11^th century. St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle contains the graves of many royals including Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. (interesting – our tour guides would occasionally slip and say “Her Majesty” instead of “His Majesty”)

 

We did see the changing of the guards here. 

Bath England is the site of the 2000 year old Roman bath houses and spas. These were build over the natural hot mineral springs between the first and fifth centuries. They fell into disrepair in the 1100s, but were rediscovered in 1755. 

 

Stonehenge has always held a fascination for me. This prehistoric structure consists of vertical stones 13 feet high and 7 feet wide topped with horizonal stones. It dates back to the Stone Age but how and why it was built remains a mystery. 

As we traveled on to Wales, I was impressed with the neat countrysides and the number of sheep. The tour guide explained that many of the churches were "wool churches", financed primarily by donations from rich merchants and farmers who had benefited from the medieval wool trade.