10 English Villages With Quirky, Quaint, or Downright Funny Names
Buckle up for a trip through the charmingly odd corners of England! From villages named after historical happenings to others inspired by, well, bodily …
5 Reasons to Visit Stunning Somerset
Nestled in the southwest corner of England, Somerset is a county woven from rolling green hills, dramatic coastlines, and ancient history. Its very name …
Exploring the Narrow Streets and Passageways of Cornwall
Cornwall's traditional fishing villages are full of narrow streets, passageways, and delightful little nooks and crannies. If you've ever watched the popular TV …
10 of the Best Stately Homes in Britain
Stately Homes are large mansions set in the English countryside, typically owned by the British nobility or the landed gentry of the upper class. Important as …
15 Places Across Britain to Capture Glorious Photographs
Most travelers to Britain visit London at least once. Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey ... what's not to …
The Beautiful Public Footpaths of Britain
The "right to roam" across hill and valley, field and glen, moor and fen. Not quite ... but it's close. England and Wales have designated paths on which our …
Glorious Gloucestershire
Beautiful villages, a Regency spa town, an ancient city, historic docklands, and some of England's most picturesque open countryside are yours to discover and …
Dreaming of Devon
Rolling hills, sandy beaches, fossil cliffs, medieval towns, and moorland—the English county of Devon has it all. Deriving its name from the ancient Dumnonii …
The New Forest—once the royal hunting ground of William the Conqueror
Imagine a land where wild horses roam free, where deer forage in ancient woodland and fox cubs play on open fields. Welcome to the New Forest—a vast region of …
Dover Castle — the Key to England
Described as the "Key to England", Dover Castle has guarded the shortest sea crossing between England and continental Europe for nine centuries. Never …
The Beautiful Churches of Rural England
Doomsday is approaching for many rural English churches. The Church of England has warned that dozens of churches will become redundant within 10 years unless …
8 of the Best Sherlock Holmes Actors
The Guinness Book of World Records lists Sherlock Holmes as the “most portrayed literary human character in film and TV”. Claire Burgess, an adjudicator for …
Cambridge — the ancient city of colleges and scholars
Breathtaking views, stunning architecture, and lazy summer afternoons punting on the River Cam. Cambridge is a beautiful city full of beautiful minds, where …
10 Beautiful English Villages
Known throughout the world for their beauty, the quintessential English village is a magical escape for urban city-dwellers. Quaint cottages nestled around a …
Warwick Castle - England's finest medieval castle
Invaded, embattled, and besieged through centuries of warfare, Warwick Castle (pronounced "Worrick") survived the ravages of history to become one of Britain's …
Calke Abbey—An English Country House Frozen in Time
Calke Abbey is an 18th-century country house near Ticknall, Derbyshire, England, in the care of the charitable National Trust. The National Trust for Places of …
10 Reasons to Love Winchester—the Ancient City of Kings and Knights
Steeped in history and legend, Winchester is a reminder of Britain's mythical past. Soak up the gothic splendor of Winchester Cathedral, stroll along ancient …
10 Reasons to Love Oxford—the City of Dreaming Spires
One of the most famous university cities in the world, Oxford is steeped in history, with beautiful honey-coloured college buildings dotted throughout the city. …
Stowe House, Buckinghamshire
Can you imagine going to school here? That's a reality for 770 lucky children aged between 13 and 18. Once a country home of the landed gentry, Stowe House is …
Herstmonceux Castle
Shaped by centuries of history, the story of Herstmonceux Castle is a fascinating tale of ambition, intrigue, murder, abandonment, and renewal. Domesday Book …
7 Reasons to Fall in Love with Britain's Beautiful Canals
Everyone deserves a place to escape. And that's exactly what Britain's canals provide with their idyllic tranquility, natural beauty, and over two hundred years …
10 Fascinating Facts About the English Lake District
It was a sunny spring morning in 1802 as William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy strolled along the banks of Ullswater in the English Lake District, Cumbria. …
10 Fascinating Facts About Covent Garden, London
Once an important working market and the backdrop for the musical My Fair Lady, Covent Garden today is one of London's biggest tourist magnets, attracting over …
20 Quaint British Phrases
In his short story The Canterville Ghost from 1887, Oscar Wilde wrote: Throw a few British idioms into the mix and our American friends and colleagues may be …
10 British Garden Birds
Just beyond the rear windows, in gardens across the British nation, something amazing happens every winter. Little flashes of colour dart and dance from …
10 Beautiful English Market Towns
"Market town" is a term originating from the Middle Ages for a settlement that has the right to host markets. Performing an important role for the community, …
A Traditional British Christmas Dinner
If we were to run a poll on what Britons would be eating for Christmas Dinner this year, there's a good chance turkey would be at the top of the list. But did …
York Minster - the Magnificent Medieval Cathedral of Northern England
The Largest Gothic Cathedral in Britain In 1215, Archbishop of York, Walter de Gray ordered the construction of a Gothic structure for the north of England to …
The Story of the Medieval Town of Arundel
Towns and cities were often sited on rivers. Besides providing fresh water for drinking and irrigation, rivers provided a convenient means of transport and …
7 Cheap British Treats
Walking around today's British supermarkets, it's hard to imagine a time when food was rationed. At the start of the Second World War in 1939, Britain imported …
10 Things to Love About Stratford-upon-Avon
To Be or Not to Be in Stratford-upon-Avon? Without reservation, the answer is To Be, for Stratford-upon-Avon is not only the birthplace of Shakespeare—the …
10 Fascinating Facts About Hampton Court Palace
Completed in 1515, Hampton Court was Henry VIII's favorite summer residence. It epitomized Tudor fashion and style. But Henry didn't have it built. He seized …
10 Fascinating Facts about Windsor Castle
Noted for its architecture and long association with the royal family, Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. Here …
10 Fun Facts About the Yorkshire Dales: England's Green and Pleasant Land
Such is the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales that as you traverse its rolling hills with pretty dry-stone walls, discover its delightful villages, with tearooms …
10 of the Best Medieval Abbeys in Britain
Hauntingly beautiful, the ruined abbeys of England, Scotland, and Wales stand majestically defiant against the elements—a reminder of a medieval past governed …
10 Fascinating Facts about the History of Tea in Britain
Tea's rise in popularity in Britain coincided with a flowering of intellectual and creative thought that we call the Enlightenment. By the middle of the 18th …
12 Actress Dames of the British Empire
British Dames and Knights are part of an honour system whose roots can be traced back to the medieval concept of chivalry and the honorific orders of the …
7 Reasons Why You'll Fall in Love With the Cotswolds
If you've decided on a trip to England for your next vacation, after you've enjoyed the bright lights of London, with all its glamour, sophistication and …
To many, Colin Firth IS Mr Darcy
Seen as a promising, upcoming British actor in the 1980s and labeled as one of the "Brit Pack"—British actors who achieved success in Hollywood, Colin Firth's …
18 Gorgeous English Thatched Cottages
The counties of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, and Gloucestershire Up until the early 19th century, thatching was the only style of roofing available for most …
10 Regional British Food Favorites From Across the Isles
There's much more to British food than fish and chips and bangers and mash. Centuries of invasion and conquest have influenced British cuisine. Ancient Celts …
Eilean Donan—a place to live forever?
In the picturesque western Highlands of Scotland, where three lochs meet, sits a small island called Eilean Donan. And on this island is a dream castle. …
9 Fascinating Facts About Bluebells — England's Favorite Wild Flower
Dreaming of Spring. The time of year when woodlands all over Britain start to look bloomin' beautiful, reaching a peak by early May as a dense carpet of blue …
10 of the Best Things to See at the British Museum
Do you like human history? How about art and culture? Variety? London? If you answered yes to any of the above, then we can heartily recommend the British …
Pubs: The Original Social Network
In today's hectic life, there's always too much that needs doing, isn't there? And why are deadlines always set for yesterday? It's good to de-stress and get …
8 Surprising Facts About British Tea Traditions
There's hardly a more British custom than a nice cup of tea. This magical elixir helps Brits get through the day and seems to make problems disappear ... at …
10 of the Best Things To Do in the City of Bath
Nestled in the picturesque Avon Valley surrounded by gently rolling hills, Bath is a World Heritage city with elegant neoclassical buildings blending …
30 Everyday Things With Different Names in British and American English
English might be a shared language across both sides of the Atlantic, but everyday words can sound surprisingly different in Britain and America. From "lifts" …
The Divergent Paths of British and American English
On April 26, 1607, an expedition sent by the Virginia Company of London arrived at the entrance to what is now Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, in the United States. …
The British Pork Pie—History and Tradition
In cockney rhyming slang pork pies, porkie pies, or just porkies, means lies. But rest assured it's no word of a lie that Brits love pork pies! Pork pies are …
Men in Kilts—The History and Tradition
A very odd thing happens when a lady sees men in kilts. She stoops, she crouches … A humorous caricature depicting Scottish soldiers, wearing kilts, in …
The Shambles—York's Famous Medieval Street
We can learn a lot about the history of a place just from its name. "Shambles" is an archaic term for an open-air slaughterhouse and meat market. Aptly named …
The Shambles—York's Famous Medieval Street
We can learn a lot about the history of a place just from its name. “Shambles” is an archaic term for an open-air slaughterhouse and meat market. …
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Welcome to your cuppa and crumpet headquarters! From majestic mountains to the quaintest villages, bustling towns and cities to rolling emerald countryside, …