England - Page 3 - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 10:35 AM

London

London has the greatest concentration of major attractions in Britain and offers an amazing variety of places to visit.

It needn't cost a lot to get out and about, with 238 attractions that are completely free to enter there’s nowhere else in the world where you can see so much for so little. Visit everything from the thousands of historic exhibits at the British Museum to the stately Kenwood House, the award-winning Imperial War Museum or even Hackney City Farm.

The British Museum, V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum can each take a day to explore, but you will still be inspired if you only have a couple of hours to spare. As well as famous permanent exhibits, look out for topical displays featuring a variety of special interest subjects. ‘Interaction’ is the key to many of these so you don’t just stand and stare.

London’s more famous attractions such as the British Airways London Eye and Madame Tussauds are well worth visiting if you’ve never been before, but you can also branch out and visit some less well known attractions. Places like Kensington Palace, Dali Universe and the Photographers’ Gallery also have much to offer.

If there aren’t enough hours in the day to explore as much as you’d like, take in late night opening on Friday or Saturday nights at some of London’s top galleries and museums such as Tate Modern, Saatchi Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts and National Portrait Gallery.

BFI London IMAX Cinema, Dali Universe and Geffrye Museum are some of hundreds of attractions for people with special needs. Although all attractions are not 100% accessible for wheelchair users, many make extra efforts for individual requirements such as signed shows for the deaf, induction loops, Braille guides, as well as special tours for those with learning difficulties.

Open space accounts for 30% of the London area, and the city contains 143 registered parks and gardens. Short walking paths and nature trails can be found in places like Hampstead Heath and Mile End Park, and at the end of an exhausting day walking, they’re a great spot for a picnic - weather permitting!

Just south of the River Thames is Battersea Park, featuring a Japanese Pagoda which was a gift to the nation. Or head further out to Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew where you can explore four acres of magnificent conservatories displaying plants from rainforest to desert.

Sports fans are also well taken care of. From the Museum of Rugby and Twickenham Stadium Tours to Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum or Arsenal Museum and Stadium Tours, you’ll never get bored between matches.

Most attractions are open daily from 1000-1700, although some attractions may have shorter opening hours on Sundays. Seasonal opening times also operate at attractions including, Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament and Leeds Castle, and make sure to take note of public holidays. Always check times before you make the journey.

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 10:35 AM

The city is home to countless historical and modern attractions, from the London Eye to the National Gallery and Tower of London. With free admission into many of these attractions, now is as good a time as any to explore them for yourself and soak up some culture. Take your pick from the top ten below, based on 2004 visitor numbers.

1. National Gallery

The National Gallery houses one of the greatest collections of European painting in the world. With paintings ranging from 1250 to 1900, the collection includes work by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Turner, Cezanne and Van Gogh.

2. British Museum

The imposing British Museum exhibits the works of man from prehistoric to modern times with collections drawn from all around the world. Famous objects include the Rosetta Stone, sculptures from the Parthenon and the Portland Vase.

3. Tate Modern

The impressive Tate Modern is Britain's national museum of modern art. Housed in the former Bankside Power Station on the banks of the River Thames, the gallery displays major works by Matisse and Picasso as well as contemporary work, exhibitions and installations.

4. The London Eye

The British Airways London Eye forms a major feature of London's skyline. It is the world's highest observation wheel and offers passengers spectacular views of over 55 of London's most famous landmarks in just 30 minutes.

5. Natural History Museum

As well as the permanent dinosaur exhibition, the gallery boasts a collection of the biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world. Don't miss the life size model of the Blue Whale, the 40 million year old spider, the earthquake simulator and an elephant bird egg.

6. Science Museum

See, touch and experience the major scientific advances of the last 300 years at the largest museum of its kind in the world. With over 40 galleries and 2000 hands on exhibits, step into the future in the Wellcome Wing, visit the IMAX cinema and virtual reality simulator.

7. The Tower of London

Take a free guided tour with one of the Yeoman Warders around one of the most famous fortified buildings in the world. Discover its 900 year history as a royal palace and fortress, prison and place of execution, mint, arsenal, menagerie and jewel house.

8. The Victoria & Albert Museum

The V&A celebrates all things art and design, and is home to 3000 years worth of amazing artefacts from many of the world's richest cultures. See their amazing collection of ceramics, furniture, fashion, glass, jewellery, photographs, sculpture, textiles and paintings.

9. The National Portrait Gallery

The gallery features portraits in all mediums depicting well known British people. In addition to historical portraits, it exhibits a rapidly changing collection of contemporary work with exhibitions by individual artists, and hosts the annual BP Portrait Prize competition.

10. National Maritime Museum

This is the largest maritime museum in the world with a collection of over two million objects relating to seafaring. Now a World Heritage Site, the historic landscape includes the 17th century Queen’s House and the home of the Prime Meridian at the Royal Observatory.

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 10:36 AM

London's museums are a treasure trove waiting to be explored - from contemporary design to the animal kingdom.

British Museum

The British Museum is the oldest public museum in the world and houses a treasure trove of objects. In more than two hundred years, the museum has built up a collection of over six million objects. Highlights include the Elgin Marbles, Egyptian mummies, Rosetta Stone and the Mildenhall Treasure.

There are extensive collections of Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities, plus coins, medals, prints and drawings. The recently opened Great Court has transformed the museum by covering the inner courtyard with a glass and steel roof. It houses new galleries, a restaurant and a dynamic new piazza.

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum contains hundreds of exciting interactive exhibits with sections on ecology and the animal world. Highlights include the Earthquake Experience, the Earth Galleries - which tell the story of our planet - and the Dinosaur Gallery. You can see creepy crawlies magnified hundreds of times, hear the roar of a dinosaur, explore the world of mammals, learn more about human biology and see the huge diplodocus skeleton.

Science Museum

The Science Museum is home to the world's most comprehensive collections of science, technology, industry and medicine. Learn about space flight or find out about steam locomotives and the world's first aeroplanes. Charles Babbage's calculating machine, Stephenson's Rocket and the Apollo 10 command module that made the first manned flight around the moon are all on display. There is a special interactive gallery for children called Launch Pad, where you can build a bridge and fly a plane.

Victoria & Albert Museum

The V&A is one of the world's finest museums of decorative arts. Particular gems in the collection are the glass gallery, with its stunning glass staircase, the new silver gallery with its superbly made artefacts in precious metal, and the dress collection.

The Canon Photography Gallery shows part of the museum's wonderful collection of photographs from the 19th century to the present. The Late View Programme each Wednesday and one Friday of every month has DJs, bars and a lively social programme as well as a chance to look around the museum until 2200.

Imperial War Museum

The award-winning Imperial War Museum illustrates life on the home front and on the front lines in the First and Second World Wars. The museum also tackles other conflicts with sensitivity and style. Walk through the Trench experience, share the dramatic Blitz experience complete with the sounds, smells of London during an air raid. The museum has a permanent section on the Holocaust and a changing programme of temporary exhibitions.

Royal Observatory Greenwich

The Royal Observatory Greenwich was founded in 1675 by Charles II to find out the 'so-much desired longitude of places for perfecting the art of navigation'. The architect was Sir Christopher Wren, who was himself an astronomer. John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, moved into the new building, now named Flamsteed House, in July 1676. The Royal Observatory in Greenwich is the home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and the Meridian Line. National Maritime Museum

The National Maritime Museum explains Britain's worldwide influence through its explorers, traders, migrants and naval power. The galleries include Oceans of Discovery, Nelson, Prince Frederick's gilded royal barge and ship models as up to date as P&O's Grand Princess cruise liner. Visitors will also find features on costume and the ecology of the sea as well as many beautiful maritime paintings.

Design Museum

Dedicated to the world of contemporary design, visitors can discover one hundred years of the best in international design and view state-of-the-art innovations at the Design Museum. Furniture, domestic appliances and graphics show the importance of design in our everyday lives. The museum has an innovative year-round programme of special exhibitions that have covered subjects as diverse as vacuum cleaners and Porsche cars.

London's Transport Museum

London's Transport Museum tells the story of London's famous transport system, from 1800 to the present day. There are displays of buses, trams and trains plus the very latest in interactive displays.

Theatre Museum

The Theatre Museum illustrates the history of performance in the UK including displays on theatre, ballet, dance and music. There is an unusual programme of special events like workshops on stage make-up and costume.

Imperial War Museum Duxford

The Imperial War Museum in Duxford offers a fascinating day out for aircraft enthusiasts of all ages. Learn the story of aviation through a variety of aircraft on display from biplanes and Spitfires though to Concorde and Gulf War jets.

Many of the historic planes housed at Duxford still fly, and you may see one take to the skies during a visit. Other highlights include the largest collection of American combat aircraft outside the US and an interesting collection of tanks and military vehicles. Duxford Airfield also stages a wide range of exhibitions, including 100 Years of Flight.

Royal Air Force Museum

The Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon is home to a world class collection of over 70 aircraft, aviation memorabilia and artefacts, graphically depicting one hundred years of aviation development. In the Battle of Britain hall, the presentation, Our Finest Hour, uses film footage, audio and special lighting effects to portray the reality of the battle. The interactive Fun 'n' Flight gallery and flight simulator provides entertainment for all ages.

Museum of London

The Museum of London illustrates over two thousand years of London's social history, from prehistoric times to the twentieth century. On display are reconstructed Victorian shops and the Great Fire Experience, which shows how fire destroyed more than three quarters of the city and many of its churches, including St Paul's Cathedral. Archaeologists at the museum recently excavated two deep Roman wells in the City of London, discovering the remains of mechanisms used to lift water to the surface in Roman times.

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 10:37 AM

Wild London

Get close and personal with a myriad of creatures at a zoo and explore nature at Kew Gardens.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew's Royal Botanical Gardens is one of the world's most famous botanical gardens, with 300 acres containing over 40,000 plant species and varieties. There are six glass houses, including the Victorian Palm House, Princess of Wales Conservatory and new Evolution House, a pagoda, two art galleries and a Visitor Centre. There is even a mini-train to ferry visitors around the gardens.

London Zoo

Set in the heart of London's majestic Regent's Park, London Zoo boasts not only a vast array of amazing animals, but also beautiful gardens, fine art and astounding architecture. Meet some of the world's most fascinating animals, from Asian lions to Sloth bears. Take in the incredible 'Animals in Action' demonstration where the finest flying, leaping and climbing animals show off their skills.

London Aquarium

Dive down deep beneath the Thames and submerge yourself in one of Europe's largest displays of aquatic life. Opposite Big Ben, the London Aquarium is the only place in the capital where you can come face-to-face with two-metre long sharks. Also discover the world's most venomous fish, gaze at the mysterious seahorses and meet frenzied piranhas and friendly rays.

London Wetland Centre

The London Wetland Centre is a 105 acre wetland habitat flourishing with birds and wildlife, situated on the site of a former Victorian reservoir in south west London. It is the first urban project of its kind in the UK and it has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The visitor centre is equipped with TV monitors so visitors can view live pictures from the reserves wilderness areas. The centre hosts many special events throughout the year including art exhibitions and wildlife discovery days.

Battersea Park Children's Zoo

Battersea Park Children's Zoo is situated in 5 acres of pleasant surroundings with a shop, paddock areas, farmyard animals, flamingoes, otters, monkeys, tactile area, aviaries, deer enclosure and reptile and amphibian house. Take a pony ride on summer afternoons, and there's a play area for the under-8s and a contact area open 1030-1530.

London Butterfly House

Syon Park's London Butterfly House is both bizarre and beautiful, a tropical greenhouse garden, filled with hundreds of free-flying butterflies. Watch them in their serenity, feeding, courting and laying eggs.

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 10:37 AM

Take time out in the capital and spoil yourself with a visit to one of these luxurious and irresistible attractions.

The Berkeley Hotel Health Club & Spa

Take time to pamper yourself at The Berkeley Hotel's Health Club & Spa. Here you will find a spectacular swimming pool, with panoramic views over Knightsbridge and Hyde Park. A specially designed roof slides open so that guests can fully enjoy London's fine weather. You may consider taking advantage of the extravagant Silver Spirit package, complete with massages and facials and a chauffeur driven limousine!

Harrods

London is home to numerous grand department stores and exclusive boutiques, each stocked full of desirable items and tempting treats. With such a choice on offer, it can be difficult to know where to start shopping! But help is at hand, as you can always call upon the services of your own personal shopper. Harrods, one of the city's most prestigious stores, is a great place to start. Shoppers can sit back and relax in the comfort and privacy of an Executive Suite, while an assistant will show you an array of items suited to your shopping needs.

London Eye

Visitors wanting to see the city from a different point of view should take a 'flight' on the iconic British Airways London Eye. And if you'd rather not share the breathtaking views with your fellow sightseers as you climb 450 feet above the London skyline, simply your very own pod and experience these stunning vistas in comfort and style. Exclusive check-in, boarding and your choice of food and drink is included within the price, starting at £299 for three to ten people, including VAT.

The Oxo Tower

Treat your taste buds with a visit to one of London's sumptuous top-class restaurants. At the Oxo Tower, diners can enjoy stunning views of the Thames, from its window-lined rooftop restaurant, whilst feasting on the restaurant's impressive cuisine.

The Savoy

For a more traditional attraction and a decadent treat, visit The Savoy for Afternoon Tea. This is a luxury that should be indulged in at least once. Delicate sandwiches, fresh scones and a calorific tower of pastries with endless cups of fine and exclusive blended tea are taken in refined surroundings for a memorable experience. Visit on a Sunday and you will catch the famous Afternoon Tea Dance with waltzes and tangos.

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 10:40 AM

London's Tower Bridge

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 10:41 AM

The London Eye

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 10:43 AM

Sunrise over Cumbria

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 10:45 AM

Norwich Cathedral

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 10:47 AM

Cornwall coastline