White Cliffs of Dover form the part of the British coastline that faces the Strait of Dover and France. The cliff is part of the North Downs formation. The chalk like façade consists of pure white calcium carbonate. A black flint accentuates this facade. The cliff spreads across the east and west from the town called the town of Dover located in the country of Kent. Kent is known as ancient but still an important port in England.

The cliff is composed mainly of soft white limestones, coccoliths, plates of calcium carbonate, which is formed by coccoliths, single celled planktonic algae and etc. Flints and quartz are found in this chalk as well. The cliff is located along the coastline. On a clear day, the cliffs can be easily spotted from the French coast.

The cliff indeed has inspired many people including artists. Way back in 1877, Matthew Arnold created a poem pertaining to the Dover Beach. He said that the cliffs are signs of reassuring strengths. The cliffs are an iconic reference in the World War II song sung by Vera Lynn entitled “There’ll Be Bluebirds Over.”

In Ian Fleming’s third James Bond novel edition known as the Moonraker, a chapter was set at the cliffs of Dover wherein the villain tries to assassin James Bond by bombing the cliffs. Guitarist Eric Johnson wrote a composition known as the Cliffs of Dover, which won a Grammy award. EPMD made the White Cliffs of Dover as their reference in their 1992 hits known as the Crossover. In 2005, Radio Times readers named the cliff as the third greatest natural wonder of Britain. Lastly, there’s Jamaica Kincaid who made references to the Cliff of Dover in her essay with the catchy line in “On Seeing England for the First Time.”

York Minster is a Gothic cathedral located in York, England. It is considered as the largest of its kind in Northern Europe along the side of Cologne Cathedral. The Archbishop of York sits in The Minster. This is the second highest office of the church in England. This cathedral has a widely Decorated Gothic nave and chapter house. The south transept possesses the famous Rose window. The nave has the west window, which was constructed back in 1338, and the Lady Chapel is on the east side is the Great East window. This window was completed in 1408. The formal name or title of York Minster is The Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of St. Peter in York. The minster is sometimes called the high church of Anglo Catholicism.

Some of the stained glass in York Minster was said to be dated back to 12th century. The 76 feet tall great east window was created by John Thornton in the early fifteenth century. It is considered as the largest medieval stained glass in the world. Another special window is the rose window and the five sister’s window that measures around 50 foot tall.

The two west towers hold the bells and clock chimes. The northwest holds the six clock bells, which are known to weigh around 3 tons or more. The southwest tower holds the other 14 bells.

The fire back in 1829 destroyed the organ inside the Minster. The present organ or the new organ dates from 1832. Elliot and Hill constructed the new organ. The organ was reconstructed again by William Hill and Sons in 1859. The case of the organ remained intact but large pipework was done and introduced. After sometime in 1915, Harrison & Harrison did a small amount of work and the famous Tuba Mirabilis was added.

The Houses of Parliament, also known as the Palace of Westminster, is home of the British Government for over 900 years. This Gothic inspired collection of buildings covers approximately 8 acres of land and has 1100 rooms, 11 courtyards and 100 staircases. The House of Lords occupy the Southern wing and the House of Commons is located at the North wing.
The scheduled open hours for the House of Commons are from 2:30 pm – 7:30 pm during Mondays and Tuesdays. On Wednesdays it is from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm, Thursdays 11:30 am – 7:30 pm and 9:30 am- 3 pm during Fridays. The House of Commons on the other hand opens from 2:30 pm to 7:30 pm during Mondays thru Wednesdays, 3:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Thursdays and from 11:00 am to 7:30 pm on Fridays. This schedule is important to take note of, so you can plan which time is perfect for you to visit. For UK citizens who would want to attend the PMQ or Prime Minister’s Question Time held at the House of Commons, they need to get in touch with their local MP in advance to avoid the queue at St. Stephen’s entrance.

For those who would want pictures of the House of Parliament in full view, the Parliament Square would be the best place to be at. Other distinguished offices or departments inside would be The Crypt Church, the Common’s Library, Peers Library, the Members’ Lobbies and of course the Westminster Hall. Aside from these, perhaps the most recognized part of the assemblage of structures of the House of Parliament would be the clock tower, Big Ben.

So if you want to revisit the past and the present of the British government, then the House of Parliament could provide you with answers to all your questions.

The Imperial War museum displays remnants and remembrances of the past wars England has been involved in, full-size tanks, letters written by prisoners, ammunitions, etc. This museum takes you back in time during the war that shaped the country’s history.

This gallery has five branches throughout UK, three of which are in London. It was established in 1917 during the First World War. It was designed to display the struggle of the Empire. Today however, its mission is to keep people informed and provide understanding regarding modern war and show its influence and effect to the individuals and society. It became open to public in 1920. When the Second World War came, the collection flourished. Its expansion in the number of collection also meant an increase in the number of its branches. In 2005, the fifth branch opened in Trafford, Greater Manchester.

Aside form ammunitions, aircraft, military vehicles and other artifacts; the collections also include official documents, film, video, photographs and a wide-ranging library. Admission is free for two of its branches namely the Imperial War Museum (IWR) London and IWR North. Tourists won’t be confused since the museum is maintained and sub-divided into different departments or sections.

One of the major attractions of the gallery is the Holocaust Exhibition. It is a wondrous and captivating display and portrayal of what it’s like during these traumatic eras. The museum is also known for enchanting the visitors with its full-scale restoration of an air-raid bomb shelter and a front line trench.

Certainly, this museum never fails to leave an impression and educate its guests. Besides, most tourist go to see tourist hot spots due to these reasons, to be amazed, to have fun and of course to learn. So if you’re one of those, visit the Imperial War Museum.

Lake District is located in North West England and is also termed as the Lakeland or The Lakes. It is world famous due to its mountains or fells and its lakes. Other visitors simply want to have a feel of the place that is frequently included in the masterpieces of William Wordsworth and the other so-called Lake Poets.

The focal point of the district is the Lake District National Park, which is one of the 14 National Parks located in UK. It can be found in one of the hilly portions of England, Cumbria. Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England is found here. Other mountains located in the area are Helvellyn, Great End, Catstycam, Nethermost Pyke, Fairfield, Great Gable, High Street, and Crinkle Crags among others. The lakes here include
Ullswater, Windermere, Crummock water, Devoke Water, Buttermere, Elterwater, Hayeswater, Loweswater and many others. But it has only one true lake and that is Bassenthwaite Lake.

This tourist destination has a lot to offer. There are several activites that can be done here. Visitors can fish, do mountain climbing, and involve themselves in cycling, canoeing and kayaking. They can also check out museums, churches, activity centers and heritage sites. For those fond of water sports, Lake District is the ideal place to tour. Within the vicinity itself are several retail shops, restaurants, hotels, bed and breakfast, and even motor home rentals are available.

Also visited in the place is its wide array of wildlife. Some of the species in Lake District are exclusive to Britain. There’s the red squirrel, the golden eagle, and two of the few carnivorous plants in UK namely the butterwort and sundew.

Beatrix Potter, whose life was made into a biopic film, with Hollywood celebrities Renee Zellwegger and Ewan McGregor played at, once settled at Hill Top farm in Lake District. Lord Tennyson, Thomas Carlyle, Sir Walter Scott, Henry Crabb Robinson, Percy Bysshe Shelley and other notable poets or writers found some connection with nature in Lake District. This is evident with some of their major masterpieces.

Salisbury cathedral is an Anglican cathedral found in Salisbury, England. Salisbury cathedral is also known as Cathedral of Saint Mary. Back in 2008, the cathedral celebrated its 750th anniversary. It was in the same year when they decided to do some relighting works in the cathedral and the cathedral won the Lighting Design award in the heritage level or category. The new statue of Canon Ezra was also installed in the west front of the cathedral. The cathedral is known to posses the world’s oldest working clock from 1386 AD. The clock has no face because all clock way back then rang on an hourly basis. The clock was originally placed in a bell tower that was demolished way back in 1972 and they had already forgotten about the clock until the year 1929. It is said that the clock was found sitting in the attic. They decided to restore the clock to order in 1956 and some remedial work was done in 2007.

The cathedral also holds one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta. Magna Carta is also known as the Great Charter. One part of this charter gives the right to allow appeals against any unlawful imprisonment. This charter indeed created much controversy back then.

The cathedral is mainly the subject for John Constable’s famous paintings. Back in 1825, as a gesture of appreciation for the Bishop of Salibury known as John Fisher, John Constable decided to include the bishop and his wife in the painting or canvass. After two centuries, the paintings only had minor changes or discoloration. William Golding also used the cathedral as subject for his novel known as The Spire. In the famous Sarum novel of Edward Rutherfurd, he used the cathedral as a human settlement. Indeed the cathedral played a vital role in many occasions.

Windsor Castle is located in Berkshire England. It is the largest inhabited castle in the world from the time of William the Conqueror. The castle floor area is approximately 484,000 square feet and is approximately 44,965 in square meters. This Castle is recognized as one of the official homes or residences of the British monarch. Queen Elizabeth II is known to have spent many weekends of the year in Windsor castle. The castle is also used for both state and private use. Most of the Kings and Queens of England, Great Britain and Commonwealth realms have direct influence on the construction and evolution of the said castle. This castle serves as their garrison fortress, home, official palace and sometimes their prison. When the country has been at peace, it is said that the castle was expanded and was enhance but during the war, the said castle was fortified.

Inside the proximity of the castle is where you may find the so-called Home Park. This Home Park is comprised of parkland and two working farms. Within this property, you will find estate cottages. Employees mainly occupy these cottages. Frogmore estate is also found in the Home Park. Frogmore House and Garden are open to public for viewing on certain days of each year the remaining part of the Home Park is classified as “private,” meaning no visitors allowed.

In the Home Park located at the north of the castle stands a private swimming pool. Eton College is located approximately half mile north from the castle across River Thames.

Way back in 1660 the restoration of the castle begun. Prince Charles II did much work to restore and refurnish the castle from the damages that it has undergone during the civil war. During this time Versailles was being constructed in France.

The collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster is always and is commonly referred to as the Westminster Abbey. It is a Gothic church in Westminster, London. This church is located on the west side of the Palace of Westminster. It is where the coronation and burial ceremony of the English are usually held. Westminster Abbey is ruled or governed by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster as proclaimed by the Royal Charter of the Queen Elizabeth I way back in 1560. Under the jurisdiction of the Sovereign, the place was also created as Collegiate Church of St. Peter Westminster and Royal Peculiar.

According to tradition and history, the Westminster Abbey was first reported by Sulcard around 1080. People believe that The Abbey has first been founded in Mellitus time. This place was the site for the last coronation prior to the Norman’s Invasion.

Harrison & Harrison created the organ in The Abbey in 1937. There were four manuals and 84 speaking stops. The place was first used during the coronation of King George VI. Some pipe works from the old or previous Hill organ was readjusted and was fixed to also incorporate a new scheme to the instrument. The two organs designed by John Loughborough Pearson way back in nineteenth century was re-instated and was colored in 1959. Under the direction of Simon Preston, Harrison & Harrison enlarged the organ to include additional Lower Choir Organ and Bombarde Organ. The new or current instrument now possesses five manuals and 109 speaking stops. In 2006, Harrison & Harrison refurbished the console of the organ.

Since the coronation in 1066, both King Harold and William the Conqueror, all English and British monarchs have been crowned in the Abbey except for Edward V and Edward VIII who did not undergo a coronation ceremony.

Tate Modern in London is located in Britain’s national museum. The collection in Tate Modern consists of works from international modern and contemporary art dating from 1990 onwards. The collection is displayed on the third and fifth levels of the building. When they first opened in year 2000, the collections were not displayed in chronological order. The collection was displayed in thematical order instead.

The collection was classified into four groups: History-Memory-Society; Nude-Action-Body; Landscape-Matter-Environment and Still Life-Object-Real Life. You can enter Tate Modern for free except for major exhibitions or events. They are open from Sunday to Thursday, 10:00am until 6:00pm; Friday and Saturday from 10:00am to 8:00pm. They are closed December 24, 25, 26 and resumes on January 1.

Level three focuses on abstract, expressionism and abstract expressionism. Claude Monet, Barnett Newman, Anish Kapoor, Tacita Dean, Mark Rothko and Henri Matisse are the artists whose work is displayed here. Level three also has a sexually explicit drawing, which was made by a French artist called the Proper Man. This painting attempts to explore the tension between old and new attitude to sexuality within the urban environment.

Level five on the other hand focuses on Cubism, futurism, Vorticism and Pop Art. Artists such as Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol have their works displayed. They have also included photographic art by Eugene Atget.

Level one, also known as the Turbine Hall, was used to house the electricity generators for the old power station. Now it is five-story tall with 3,400 square meters floor space and is used to display large commissioned works by contemporary artists between October and March of each year.

Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town that has a civil parish in the south of Warwickshire in England. The town is a popular tourist destination because it is the birthplace of the playwright and the poet William Shakespeare. You may also see Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, which was once the home of Shakespeare’s wife’s family. Stratford normally receives around three million visitors per year and visitors came from all parts of the world. The town council is who regulates, and is responsible for crime prevention, public conveniences, cemeteries, river moorings, parks, litter, selection of town’s mayor and grants visa via Town Trust. The town is simply known as Stratford and is often confused with Stratford in the London Borough of Newham.

Major employers of these towns are companies like Mark and Spencer, AMEC, Tesco, Morrisons, Debenhams, B&Q and Pashley Cycles. There are three famous theaters here that are run by the famous Royal Shakespeare Company, which attract large numbers of audience and tourists. These theaters bring in huge income amount for the town.

Stratford has Anglo Saxon origin meaning the town grew up as a market town back in the medieval times. Stratford is close to Cotswold travelling around 10 miles or 16 km. Cotswold is known as the major sheep producing area or place.

Back in World War II when German invasion occurred, the town served as a temporary seat for the Parliament and the town also hosted many state servants. It has been said that in 2001, the reported population there was around 23,676.

Stratford-upon-Avon is close to UK’s second largest city, which is the Birmingham. It is accessible from junction 15 of the M40 motorway. You can also travel to Birmingham via train. The Stratford-upon-Avon railway station is known to have a good railway connection to Birmingham and train schedule normally operates until 8:30pm.