Great Britain is like an ancient library, where every city is a good book with its own special atmosphere and colorful illustrations. The island itself is compact (almost every point to the sea is only an hour away by train), but to get into the mood of each city or county, it will take at least a whole day, preferably two. Anna Shabashova, Flowwow’s junior PR manager, spent a whole month in the Foggy Albion: she lived in London and traveled to Wales, then to Scotland, visiting other cities. Vokrugsveta.ru publishes her story about which cities are worth “reading” when visiting the UK for the first time.
Edinburgh: The Treasures of Walter Scott
From London — from King’s Cross Station
Travel time is 4.5 hours
The first thing you hear when you leave the station on the Royal Mile (Edinburgh’s main street) is the sound of bagpipes. Street musicians play it both on weekdays and on weekends, filling the street with aching sounds. The Royal Mile is really a street exactly one mile long, connecting two royal residences: Edinburgh Castle on the Mountain and Holyrood Palace. The latter holds many national treasures, including the oldest British regalia, the Scottish Crown. For the coronation of Charles III in 2023, the relics were taken from here.
The history of the crown is closely connected with the name of the writer Walter Scott. The fact is that the Scottish crown, scepter and sword were lost for a long time, and the writer persuaded King George IV to organize a search in the castle. And it was Walter Scott who discovered the hiding place where the chest with the regalia stood.
There is a majestic monument to Walter Scott in Edinburgh — a Gothic arch 60 meters high. And the whole city resembles the scenery for his novels: narrow streets with closely spaced houses made of dark stone, strict gloomy architecture.
However, the view of the city from Castle Hill (the one on which Edinburgh Castle is located) is very picturesque. And by the way, you can see the bay from there.
Anna Shabashova
junior PR Manager of Flowwow
In addition to the monument to Sir Walter Scott, in Edinburgh it is worth climbing King Arthur’s Saddle hill, visiting a manufactory where kilts, berets and scarves with the famous tartan pattern are produced, as well as stopping by any pub to taste sweet pudding and the famous shepherd’s pie (a kind of casserole with potatoes, meat and green peas). The bravest can treat themselves to haggis, a national dish made from giblets. It is sold even in ordinary grocery stores.
If you have time, take the bus and drive to the coast, where there is a picturesque fishing village and the royal yacht Britannia. The late Elizabeth II loved to travel on it very much. Now you can go on a boat tour. Just dress warmly: it’s windy in the Scottish capital and always a little cooler than in London.
Chester: In the footsteps of English fairy tales
From London — from Euston Station
Travel time is 2 hours
Chester is a fabulously beautiful city on the border of England and Wales. He will definitely win the hearts of those who love houses with half—timbered – crossed external beams, which can often be seen in illustrations to old fairy tales. In addition, unique above-ground shopping malls have been preserved here: you can walk through several streets along the second floor level.
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There are other wonders in this city — for example, the unique icon “Madonna and Child”, painted on a real web by the painter Elias Prunner. This engraving is about 200 years old, and such a technique, unfortunately, has already been lost.
Chester is the center of West Cheshire, so it’s not surprising that a real Cheshire cat lives on one of the streets. He looks down at the crowds of tourists from his brick wall with a smile. There are really a lot of tourists here, even on weekdays: many stop here to travel around the picturesque places of Wales, and at the same time explore Liverpool and Manchester.
Oxford: a living prototype of Hogwarts
From London — from Marylebone and Paddington stations
Travel time is 1 hour
Do you remember the scene from the film adaptation of the first Harry Potter, where books are chained in a forbidden section of the library? So, this scene was filmed in Oxford, in the Bodleian Library, where back in the XVIII century books were really chained so that no one could carry away the precious folio. By the way, the Oxford library is fighting with the Vatican for the title of the oldest in Europe.
The British university city served as the prototype of Hogwarts for J.K. Rowling. An independent, self-sufficient, majestic city, on the streets of which you can easily meet professors and students in ancient robes. About a quarter of the city’s population are students of Oxford University. The city has its own streets reminiscent of Hogsmeade: here you can go to the pub and drink beer, though not creamy, but classic. It has been brewed in Oxford since the Middle Ages.
Bath: Pride, prejudice and bath
From London — from Paddington Station
Travel time is 1.5 hours
Bath is located west of London, slightly closer to the capital than Bristol. This neat city with monumental architecture in all shades of yellow became the setting for two of Jane Austen’s six novels. The writer herself moved here from Hampshire at the age of 25. There is a museum dedicated to Jane Austen in Bath, and there is even a bakery where her favorite air buns are still baked.
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The name of the city is translated from English bath — “bath” or “bath”. During the Roman Empire, a spa resort was located here, and ancient thermal baths have survived to the present day. They can be used to study the structure of Roman baths: hot and cold rooms, massage areas, outdoor pools, sports areas. Curiously, even two thousand years ago, the floors in the rooms were heated.
The English nobles were happy to visit the baths, and the city organized its own “water society”. The outdoor swimming pool of the baths was also used in the XX century — it was closed to visitors only in the 1970s. Now you can visit modern spa centers in the city, and the Roman baths have remained a museum.
One of the obligatory sights of the city is the Pulteney Bridge, one of the few preserved unique bridges, built up with shops and benches on both sides. You can walk down the street and not even notice that you are already on the other side of the Avon.
Brighton: the White Byron Coast
From London — from Victoria and Blackfriars stations
Travel time is 1 hour
You need to go to Brighton at least in order to understand why England is called the Foggy Albion. There are completely white rocky shores here — exactly the same as Lord Byron saw them when he set sail (and, as you know, he did not return to his homeland: he died of illness in Mesolongion, on the territory of modern Greece).
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There are pedestrian zones along the entire coast in Brighton: you can wander for a long time, enjoy the scenery and the cries of seagulls. Of the architecture, the most striking is the abundance of pavilions that are built on stilts directly above the water: there may be cafes, recreation areas, and slot machines from the nineties.
The British go to Brighton not only in summer: in autumn and spring, on sunny days, it is customary to have picnics on the shore. To the west of Brighton there is a place from which the legendary “seven sisters” are clearly visible — the chalk cliffs are dazzlingly white in color. By bus from Brighton you can get to the town where Rudyard Kipling lived — another fan of travel and a lover of chalk landscapes.
Why do the British like abbreviations and when the inhabitants of the kingdom receive a letter from the reigning monarch, Vokrugsveta.ru I told you here.
Photos are provided by the author of the material.
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