(c) Copyright - Fat Badgers 1999 - 2007
(c) Copyright - Fat Badgers 1999 - 2007
Who are the Fat Badgers ? They are a happy team, who after recommendation of an inn will pay a visit to check out the characteristics and 'Badge' the establishment for inclusion in the guide. All our Fat Badgers originate from the 'Forbes' clan - an ancient order of Badgers who's sett, located in Badger Lane, Badger has been established for over three centuries. Over the years various Badgers have moved on to new territories to sniff out the best eating and drinking establishments. Each Fat Badger brings his or her own special abilities to the clan, but all have a special interest in finding good inns, pubs, hotels and restaurants in the United Kingdom that are worth recommending to others. We like inns of character, good food and most are partial to a good pint of traditional British Ale. We are amiable, award winning badgers who sit at the bar, drinking ale, we are members of camra and take our camera with us when we drink champagne. King Fat Badger is a character who likes to spend his time in comfort, in a comfortable inn, sitting down to dinner with an english drink, good ale. Oh to be in England, to wine & dine with a fat badger. We like good food in friendly surroundings with a warm welcome great company, good cheer in an historic inn with lots of history, an hotel with good hospitality, a memorable inn, restaurant or pub in England, Ireland Scotland or Wales with real traditional ale in an old historic tavern. Turned out nice again.
Bedfordshire largely consists of
agricultural and dairy farming. Industry is concentrated in the towns of Luton, Dunstable,
and Bedford. The Great Ouse river and the Grand Union Canal flow through the county.
Places worth visiting include:
18th-century Woburn Abbey, ancestral seat of the Dukes of Bedford. Now home to a 3000 acre
wild animal park
Sandy, the home of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, hosts a 104 acre nature
reserve.
Berkshire is largely a lowland area drained by the Thames and Kennet rivers.Settlement of
the area dates from the Iron Age. Prehistoric tracks like Ridge Way and Icknield Way cross
this land of marvellous antiquity.
Places worth visiting include:
Windsor Castle, the county's outstanding landmark.
Windsor Great Park which extends over 4,000 acres.
Eton, with its famous school, founded in 1440. The walls of the 15th-century college
border the High Street.
Henley-on-Thames, where in July the annual regatta has been held since 1839.
Buckinghamshire is a predominantly lowland agricultural county. To the South are the
Chiltern Hills. Its most famous town is probably Milton Keynes but there are plenty of
traditional English villages and market towns, some dating from the 11th century. Traces
of prehistoric habitation have been found in Buckinghamshire.
Places worth visiting include:
Burnham Beeches, a 600 acre forest of mainly beech trees which look spectacular in Autumn.
The old towns of Amersham, Beconsfield and Aylesbury have a range of Tudor and Georgian
buildings.
Cambridgeshire has large flat areas of reclaimed marshes. The county is predominantly
agricultural. Cambridge is home to England's second oldest university where punting on the
river Cam is still popular with students and tourists.
Places worth visiting include:
The small cathedral city of Ely. The cathedral dates back to 1083 and can be seen for
miles around.
Huntingdon, birthplace of Oliver Cromwell in 1599.
Brampton, Home of Samuel Pepys.
St. Ives, which has one of only four bridge chapels surviving in England.
Cornwall occupies a peninsula bounded on the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and by
the English Channel to the south. Land's End is Britain's most westerly point, beyond
which lie the Isles of Scilly. The deeply indented Cornish coast is lined with rocky
cliffs sheltering picturesque coves once legendary haunts of smugglers. Its scenic beauty,
mild climate and long sandy beaches have made Cornwall popular for sailing and surfing,
and its pretty fishing villages. Inland stretch the stark granite uplands of Bodmin Moor
which provide good walking country.
Places worth visiting include:
St. Michael's Mount - part of the lost Kingdom of Lyonesse where King Arthur's Knights
once rode.
Tintagel where legend has it, King Arthur was born.
The superb fishing villages of Newlyn, St. Ives, Mevagissey, Polperro and Fowey.
Cheshire is composed of an extensive plain between the Welsh mountains on the west and the
Pennines to the east. Dairy farming, including cheese production is widespread in the
County.
Places worth visiting include:
The historic walled city of Chester, with its distinctive half timbered buildings.
Tatton Park, a Regency mansion set in magnificent landscaped grounds.
Tarporley, which is overlooked by Beeston Castle.
Cumbria is probably Englands most picturesque county. The majority of the county is made
up of the Lake District, a region of high peaks and picturesque lakes carved out by
glaciers some 10,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. Wordsworth and his companions
popularised a taste for nature’s wilder manifestations, and soon the Lake District
became a popular destination for artists and writers looking for inspiration among the
crags, mountain passes, waterfalls, and lakes. Today, the popularity of Lake Windermere,
Kendal, and Grasmere, as well as Beatrix Potter’s house near Sawrey can be found
among some of England’s highest peaks.
Places worth visiting include:
Kirkby Lonsdale, set on a hill above the River Lune, is one of the most beautiful towns in
Cumbria.
For walkers and hill climbers there are some classic peaks to climb, some of the better
known being, The Old Man of Coniston, Skiddaw, Helvellyn, Great Gable and Englands highest
point, Scafell Pike.
Alston, which is the highest market town in England.
Derbyshire is covered by large parts of the Peak District National Park, which forms the
southern tip of the Pennines. Home of Rolls Royce, the World famous quality motor
vehicles, Derbyshire has some of Englands finest scenery, whether it's the picturesque
Dales or the rugged Peaks.
Places worth visiting include:
Bakewell, a visit to Derbyshire has to include a visit to Bakewell, where the original
Bakewell Pudding is a million times better than the commercially produced Bakewell Tart.
Chatsworth House is one of Englands greatest stately homes. Built in 1707 for the 1st Duke
of Devonshire.
Dove Dale, a stunning 2 mile stretch of the River Dove - often called 'Little Switzerland'
Buxton, one of the highest towns in England has a 156 foot dome at the Devonshire Hospital
and is famed for the spa water which is pleasant to drink.
Devon is covered by Dartmoor National Park in the south and Exmoor National Park in the
north. The county is rich in prehistoric monuments, and traces of Bronze Age hut circles
can be found on Dartmoor.
Places worth visiting include:
Plymouth where the English fleet set sail from to do battle with the Spanish Armada and a
century later the Pilgrim Fathers left for the New World.
The villages around Buckland-in-the-Moor for the wonderful cluster of thatched cottages.
The lovely seaside towns of Dartmouth and Salcombe.
Lydford Gorge has dramatic walks around waterfalls and overhanging woods.
Clovelly although you now have to pay to walk the steep cobbled streets down to the
picturesque harbour.
Dorset has many areas which have been designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It has a generally hilly landscape, with chalk downs stretching across the west of the
county. Among the ruins left from Anglo-Saxon times are those of Corfe Castle, a seat of
the Saxon kings of Wessex. Dorset is home to the famous Cerne Abbas Giant, a huge figure
of a naked man cut into the turf on a chalk hillside.
Places worth visiting include:
Sherbourne Castle which has one of the most graceful fan-vaulted roofs in England.
Chesil Beach, a ten mile stretch of shingle, in places 35 feet high and 150 yards wide
which reaches Portland Bill, a stone peninsula from where Sir Christopher Wren gained the
Portland Stone used to build St. Paul's Cathedral.
Essex comprises a lowland area of gently rolling terrain. Agriculture and Fishing are
important activities and Colchester is a centre for the oyster trade. The south-western
part of the county near the River Thames forms the north-eastern fringe of the London
metropolitan area. Southend-on-Sea is the county's largest seaside resort. Harwich was the
home of Christopher Jones, master of the Mayflower, which carried the Pilgrim Fathers to
the New World.
Places worth visiting include:
Epping Forest, 5,600 acres of the former 60,000 acre hunting grounds of the Saxon, Norman
and Tudor monarchs.
Maldon, where All Saints Church has a 13th Century triangular tower, the only one of its
kind in England.
Saffron Walden, a superb small town filled with many medieval houses.
London is Europe's largest capital and for many, its most impressive. Greater London
extends over nearly 800 square miles. It contains a rich variety of historic buildings,
monuments, museums, bridges and contemporary urban architecture.
There is over 2,000 years of history in London and all the places worth visiting cannot be
achieved in one visit.
St. Paul's cathedral, Westminster Abbey, The houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, The
Tower of London and Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square are some of the more famous but there
are many more lesser known.
Gloucestershire is one of England's prettiest counties. Timber is harvested in the Forest
of Dean, which was once a hunting ground for kings. The gently rolling Cotswold Hills have
spectacular views which can be enjoyed from the highest points. The town of Tewkesbury is
renowned for its medieval architecture, and the cathedral city of Gloucester, the county's
capital, lies just ten miles to the south.
Places worth visiting include:
Gloucester cathedral has the countries second largest stained glass window after York
Minster.
Slimbridge, home to Peter Scott's Wildfowl Trust, the World's largest and most varied
collection of wildfowl.
Paradise, named by Charles I who described it as the most delightful spot he had ever
seen.
Hampshire landscape is made up of forests, valleys, hills, downlands and coastline.
Farnborough is home to one of the World's great Air Shows but most of the rest of
Hampshire has a much quieter and cosier feel to it. Many of the villages like the
surrounding counties have an abundance of thatched cotteges.
Places worth visiting include:
The New Forest covers 90,000 acres and has a vast variety of trees planted over 1000 years
ago.
Winchester, which has a large Norman cathedral, was formerly the capital of England.
Southampton, which has numerous relics of prehistoric habitation and Roman occupation and
is one of Britains major ports.
Portsmouth where Nelson's flagship H.M.S. Victory is preserved.
Hambledon, where the game of Cricket was invented.
Herefordshire is mainly lowland plains tucked away in the shadows of the Welsh Mountains.
Agriculture is important to the county's economy, and products include fruit, vegetables,
hops, dairy goods and livestock. There are many medieval castles and fortifications built
along the Marches borderland between England and Wales. There is also much to see of
historical interest in the city of Hereford on the River Wye, including the cathedral and
the 13th-century Mappa Mundi, one of the oldest maps in the world.
Places worth visiting include:
The magnificent ruins of Goodrich Castle.
Hereford, birthplace of Nell Gwynne, once the Saxon capital of West Mercia, its rich
pastures graze it's cattle which provide some of the finest beef in the World.
Symonds Yat, one of the most beautiful views of the river Wye.
The lovely half timbered towns and villages of Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye and Pembridge
Hertfordshire covers a largely lowland area, except in the north-west where it is crossed
by the Chiltern Hills. The county produces grains and dairy items as well as vegetables
and flowers for the London market. Industries include brewing, printing, and light
engineering. Remnants of Roman occupation can be found in the region, most notably at St
Albans, where the museum gives a fascinating insight into life in Roman times. During the
15th century Hertfordshire was the scene of many battles of the Wars of the Roses. The
county has some fine historic houses, including Hatfield House which dates from Jacobean
times.
Places worth visiting include:
St. Albans cathedral is a superb example and has the shrine of St. Alban, the first
Christian martyr in Britain, executed in AD 303. St. Albans also has the Roman City of
Verulamium.
Hatfield House, one of the finest Jacobean houses in Britain.
The village of Westmill is a fine example of old English village with 12th Century church
and Tudor cottages.
Ferries leave for the Isle of Wight from Southampton, Portsmouth, and Lymington. The
island became popular with the Victorians who came to enjoy the sunny climate, long sandy
beaches and pretty fishing hamlets. Osborne House at East Cowes was designed by Prince
Albert and became Queen Victoria's favourite family home. Tourism is still very important
and the island is a popular destination during the summer months. A number of national and
international yachting events are staged at Cowes and ships are rarely out of view of the
island's coastline. Inland, roads pass through attractive countryside and villages with
thatched cottages and colourful gardens.
Places worth visiting include:
Carisbrooke Castle, which has a16th Century 161 foot well where donkeys now power the
water wheel.
Cowes is always bustling with yachts particularly during Cowes week at the start of August
and the castle was built by Henry VIII.
Kent, known as the Garden of England hosts the North Downs, a range of chalk hills which
terminate on the Straits of Dover in the famous White Cliffs. To the south is the fertile
lowland area known as the Weald, where pretty villages are tucked away. The cone-shaped
roofs of the traditional oast houses, where the hops were dried, are characteristic of the
countryside and some windmills also survive. The history of Canterbury dates back some
2,000 years and its magnificent cathedral is one of the country's outstanding sights.
Places worth visiting include:
Royal Tunbridge Wells, one of Englands most elegant towns.
The Coastline between Dungeness and Dover is littered with 74 Martello towers. Built to
repel invasion by Napoleon.
Lancashire comprises a lowland area in the west, along the Irish Sea, and an interior
upland area. It is primarily an agricultural county centred on dairy farming, livestock
raising, and the growing of vegetables. From the 17th century, the region developed as a
textile-manufacturing centre and the industry is still important today.
Although Lancashire has a variety of large towns and cities such as Liverpool and
Manchester, the Ribble Valley and the Lancashire dales are a haven of peace and
tranquillity. In the Forest of Boland, you may hear tales of the 17th-century witches of
Pendle.
Places worth visiting include:
The county town of Lancaster has an imposing medieval castle many fine Georgian houses.
Sunderland Point, almost an island and a piece of land which is accessed across saltings
from the quaint village of Overton. Often cut off at high tide.
Leicestershire is divided into two regions by the River Soar. In the eastern section there
are dairy and livestock-raising uplands, and the western section features farmlands and
industries such as coal mining, quarrying, and hosiery manufacture. The county has been
the scene of many important battles and Richard III's defeat at Bosworth in 1485 marked
the end of the Wars of the Roses. The city of Leicester was founded in Roman times and the
vestiges of Roman occupation are evident in the Jewry Wall and Archaeology Museum
Places worth visiting include:
Foxton, where a series of locks on the Grand Union Canal raise the water level by 75 feet.
Bardon Hill, highest point of Charnwood Forest, where the rock formations date from the
Pre-Cambrian period, being some of the oldest in the Country at over 570 million years
old.
The Lincolnshire countryside comprises flatland that includes the fertile, drained
marshland of the Fens to the southeast and, to the north, the hills of Lincoln Wolds.
While fishing is important along the coast, agriculture dominates the economy inland. The
county is the bulb-growing centre of England. The area was occupied by the Romans, who
began work on the draining of the Fens and founded the garrison town of Lindum on a
hill-top site beside the River Witham. The city of modern-day Lincoln is visible for miles
around and the triple towers of its 900-year-old cathedral dominate the skyline as do
windmills in many parts of Lincolnshire.
Places worth visiting include:
Fossdyke Canal, the oldest canal in Britain which links the River Trent and River Witham.
The town of Grantham, birthplace of Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first woman Prime
Minister and nearby village Woolsthorpe, birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton.
Louth, one of the most perfectly preserved Georgian Market towns in England.
Norfolk is well known for the Norfolk Broads, which form 125 miles of navigable waterways
which extend from Norwich, south to the border with Suffolk. The area is a paradise for
nature lovers, and boats can be hired to explore the freshwater lakes and water meadows.
Many buildings are faced with flint & stone pebbles.
Places worth visiting include:
Wells-next-the-Sea, which is no longer next-the-sea due to the receeding coastline. It is
popular for sea food especially whelks and sprats.
Cromer, famous for the rich harvest of Cromer crabs also hosts the tallest church tower in
Norfolk.
Downham Market, which is home to Oxburgh Hall, one of Norfolk's finest medieval buildings.
Norwich cathedral with its fine 15th Century spire.
North Yorkshire, one of England's largest counties, consists of two separate upland areas:
the Pennine Chain in the west, and the Cleveland Hills and Yorkshire Moors in the east.
The county encompasses two National Parks: the Yorkshire Dales with its green valleys,
rivers and streams, and the heather-covered North York Moors scattered with prehistoric
remains. The beautiful medieval city of York is the county's chief commercial centre which
traces its history back 1,000 years to Viking days.
Places worth visiting include:
York is famous for the magnificent Minster and the cobbled shopping street 'Shambles' but
there are numerous other gems in this city, not least, the very pleasant walk along the
city walls which give fine views of the minster.
Burton Agnes is one of the prettiest villages in the Yorkshire Wolds and is home to the
magnificent Burton Agnes Hall.
The superb natural features of Gordale Scar - a 300 foot ravine with waterfalls, Gaping
Gill - the largest limestone cave in Britain and Malham Cove - a 240 foot high natural
amphitheatre which water once flowed over.
The landscape of West Yorkshire is dominated by the Pennine Chain, but lowland areas occur
in the east of the county. Leeds is the chief commercial and industrial centre of the
metropolitan county. Since the 19th century, Yorkshire has been known for wool
manufacturing, and the industry's impact on the region’s industrial architecture is
reflected in the stone-built weavers’ cottages and soaring chimneys of the mill
towns. The solitude of the bleak Pennine moorlands was vividly captured in the novels and
poems of the Brontė sisters, who lived in Haworth.
Places worth visiting include:
Bradford, birthplace of J.B. Priestley, home to the National Museum of Photography, Film
and Television and the magnificent interior of the Victorian Wool Exchange.
West Yorkshire has Ilkley Moor which is made famous by the Yorkshiremans 'National' anthem
'On Ilkla Moor baht 'at'
Wakefield has many Georgian houses and its 13th century cathedral has the tallest spire in
Yorkshire. The medieval bridge over the Calder is the best of only four remaining bridge
chapels in England.
Northamptonshire, essentially an agricultural county, has an undulating terrain on which
livestock raising predominates. The principal town of Northampton has a long history of
shoemaking. Thatch and stone were used in the construction of local villages, and medieval
towns like Oundle are worth visiting. The abundance of parish churches and stately country
homes, such as Althorp House and Deene Park, has contributed to Northamptonshire's
reputation as the county of 'spires and squires'
Places worth visiting include:
Castle Ashby, built in 1574 by the first Earl of Northampton stands in grounds landscaped
by Capability Brown.
Silverstone, where the famous race track plays host to the Britsh Grand Prix every two
years.
Fotheringhay, birthplace of King Richard III and where Mary, Queen of Scots was executed
in 1587.
Northumberland combines a coastal plain along the North Sea and an upland area of hills
and moors inland. The Cheviot Hills extend along the border with Scotland in the north and
form part of the Northumberland National Park which is scattered with prehistoric remains.
To the south, stand the remains of Hadrian's Wall, constructed by the Romans in the 2nd
century ad to delineate the northernmost limits of the Empire. There are excellent walks
along the wall which stretches over 73 miles (117km) and passes through magnificent
countryside.
Places worth visiting include:
Durham, one of the most visually attractive cities in Britain. The cathedral dates back to
1093 and is set on a 70 foot high rock surrounded on three sides by the River Wear.
High Force, a spectacular Moorland waterfall.
Kielder and Redesdale Forests, part of the Border Forest Park, Britains largest area of
woodland.
Bamburgh Castle, a spectacular coastal defence.
Holy Island and Lindisfarne Castle, only accessable at low tide and where the local Monks
make and sell their honey based 'Lindisfarne Mead'
Nottinghamshire comprises lowlands in the east and an upland area in the west. Sherwood
Forest, immortalised in the legends of Robin Hood, is a hilly area occupying much of the
western portion of the county. Nottingham's Industrial Museum records the history of the
region's major industries which have produced bicycles, machinery, clothing, and the
famous lace associated with the city since Victorian times.
Places worth visiting include:
Newark-on-Trent, which has an attractive cobbled market place and Newark Castle where King
John died in 1216.
Edwinstowe, a pretty village on the River Maun, said to be home to the Major Oak where
Robin Hood used to meet his Merry Men.
Oxfordshire is primarily an agricultural county where wheat, barley and oats are grown.
For many, the city of Oxford, with its ancient university and golden spires, provides the
focal point. Its historic buildings, museums and peaceful courtyards can be explored on
guided walking tours. To the north is the village of Woodstock, site of Blenheim Palace
and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill in 1874. Relics of prehistoric and Roman
habitation are preserved in different areas of the county.
Places worth visiting include:
Oxford is part of man's cultural heritage. Within one square mile there are 653 listed
buildings.
The picturesque villages which line the peaceful stretch between Abingdon and Goring of
the river Thames.
The county of Shropshire, which meets the border with Wales, is divided into two regions
by the River Severn. The area was part of the Saxon kingdom of Mercia, and the defensive
earthworks of Offa's Dyke are still visible. Shropshire has many literary connections and
boasts the legendary hiding place of King Arthur's Holy Grail. Shrewsbury, with its
distinctive black and white timbered buildings, is often regarded as England's finest
Tudor town.
Places worth visiting include:
Church Stretton, a small market town with spectacular scenery rising through Cardingmill
Valley to the heights of the Long Mynd, 4,530 acres of heath & moorland.
Stokesay Castle, one of the finest fortified manor houses in England.
Ludlow, with its box framed houses and Norman Castle.
Bridgnorth, with its cliff railway which has a 1in 11/2 gradient linking high and low
town. Bridgnorth stages the finishing point to many raft races down the river Severn from
Ironbridge - the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
Somerset has many peaceful villages filled with thatched cottages and narrow country
lanes. The county reaches north to the Bristol Channel and features a central lowland
plain surrounded by ranges of hills. To the west is the National Park of Exmoor, a scenic
upland area where red deer roam. Somerset is famous for its cider making and dairy
farming; the village of Cheddar, which gave its name to the famous cheese. Somerset has
evidence of prehistoric habitation, including a lake dwelling near Glastonbury. According
to legend, the ruined abbey is the last resting place of King Arthur.
Places worth visiting include:
The towering limestone cliffs of Cheddar Gorge.
Wookey Hole where the River Axe flows through a number of underground caves.
The wonderful 12th Century Wells Cathedral.
Staffordshire lies across the upper reaches of the River Trent and has a gently rolling
terrain, except in the north, where the southern tip of the Peak District National Park
incorporates an area of upland moors. Agriculture, especially dairy farming, predominates.
The area around Stoke-on-Trent is known as the Potteries, famed since the 18th century for
the manufacture of porcelain, famous names abound such as Wedgwood, Minton, Copeland and
Spode. Tucked away in the Staffordshire hills is the city of Lichfield, known for its
three-spired cathedral and fine Georgian architecture.
Places worth visiting include:
Mow Cop castle, where there are spectacular views of Staffordshire and the Cheshire
Plains.
Alton Towers, probably Britains best theme park, also hosts a 19th Century mansion house
and beautiful parkland.
Burton on Trent, the 'Capital' of British brewing towns due to the quality of 'Burton
Water'.
Shugborough, home of the Earl of Lichfield is a superb colonnaded mansion set in beautiful
grounds.
Suffolk is a county with generally flat, low-lying terrain where agriculture is the
primary economic activity. During the Middle Ages, Suffolk was a prosperous
wool-manufacturing centre whose wealth generated grand medieval churches. The beauty of
the countryside inspired John Constable, the great landscape artist who was born here, and
many local scenes are still recognisable as the settings for some of his best-known works.
Places worth visiting include:
Bury St. Edmunds, an ideal base for exploring East Anglia. Named after Edmund, King of
East Anglia who died in AD 870.
Newmarket, headquarters of British horse racing since the 17th Century.
Flatford Mill on the Essex border is almost unchanged since Constable painted Wily Lott's
cottage.
Surrey is a low-lying area traversed from west to east by the chalk hills of the North
Downs which extend into Kent. Leith Hill, the highest point in the Surrey Hills, offers
panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, where winding lanes lead to tranquil
villages. Many historic houses and gardens are open to the public, among them the Regency
villa of Polesden Lacey and the 18th-century gardens of Painshill Park. Epsom racecourse
is home to 'the Derby' which has been run since 1780.
Places worth visiting include:
Runnymede, where King John sealed the preliminary draft of Magna Carta in 1215.
Warwickshire is primarily an agricultural county of undulating terrain. The medieval
castle of Warwick, an imposing fortress on the banks of the River Avon, is one of the
country's most visited tourist attractions. Dominating the town around it, this vast
castle has dramatic ramparts, a dungeon, torture chamber and sumptuous state rooms.
Similarly, visitors flock to the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of William
Shakespeare. His plays are frequently performed here and five properties connected with
the dramatist have been carefully preserved.
Places worth visiting include:
Edge Hill, where the first major battle of the civil war took place in 1642. There are
fine views from the top of Edge Hill Tower.
Meriden, where a medieval cross marks the centre of England.
Ryal Leamington Spa for fine examples of late Georgian architecture.
Sussex is dominated by the South Downs, a coastal range of low chalk hills. Chichester an
important regional centre. Superb mosaics have been uncovered at Fishbourne Roman Palace
on the outskirts of the town. Ancient paths cross the South Downs where Stone Age man
grazed his sheep over 5000 years ago. The landscape of Sussex inspired Turner and
Tennyson.
Places worth visiting include:
Rye with its half-timbered houses. Still largely unspoilt, it is best explored on foot.
The Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066 and the site of the conflict is marked by Battle
Abbey, built by William of Normandy to atone for the slaughter.
Chichester cathedral which dates back to 1091 is delightful.
Arundel Castle, which has breathtaking views from the 12th Century Stone Keep.
Wiltshire is an inland county consisting, in large part, of a chalk upland region, which
includes the Marlborough Downs in the north and the green expanse of Salisbury Plain in
the south. The huge chalk figures cut into the hillsides are a curious feature of the
landscape. Wiltshire is notably rich in archaeological remains, and the Neolithic
monuments of Stonehenge and Avebury are regarded as Britain's most important prehistoric
sites.
Places worth visiting include:
Salisbury, famed for its spectacular medieval cathedral.
Shaftesbury where the much loved 'boy on bicycle Hovis advert' racing down the cobbled
Gold Hill was filmed.
and of course, Longleat to collect your 'I've seen the Lions at Longleat' sticker for your
car !
Worcestershire comprises a lowland plains region, interrupted by the Malvern Hills and the
Worcestershire Beacon. The rivers Severn and Avon both flow through Worcestershire. Fruit
and hops are grown extensively in the county.
Places worth visiting include:
Broadway, a village known as 'The Painted Lady of the Cotswolds is full of honey coloured
stone cottages.
The magnificent Worcester cathedral dating from 1084 is home to the tomb of King John and
the cathedral overlooks one of the most peaceful and beautiful cricket grounds in the
country.
England is the largest of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom. It embraces
a wide variety of regional landscapes and cultures. The south-eastern corner of the
country, is prosperous and densely populated but still has large tracts of unspoiled
countryside, with low, rolling hills and dramatic chalk cliffs along the Kent and Sussex
coasts.
The Lake District, in the north-west, offers dramatic scenery and good hill-walking. The
rocky south-west is also popular with visitors: it enjoys England's mildest climate, and
many tender plants can be seen in the great gardens of Devon and Cornwall. East Anglia, by
contrast, is largely flat, dotted with villages that contain half-timbered houses and
stone churches of great antiquity, dating from when it was a prosperous wool-producing
area in the Middle Ages.
In the Midlands and North, Victorian industrial cities sprawl across the countryside.
Scotland has long been the inspiration of many writers and poets as it has a wide and
varied landscape. Edinburgh, the historic capital, is the main attraction for visitors,
but the Highlands and the northern isles attract many people to rugged hills and glens, to
walk and fish in the glistening lochs, and to ski in winter. Golf was invented in
Scotland, and there are numerous fine courses, notably at St Andrew's in Fife, on the east
coast. Distinctive Scottish products include malt whisky, prime beef, butter shortbread,
tweeds, tartan cloth, and quality woollen goods.
Wales still retains its own language, spoken mainly in the north by about one-fifth of the
population. The Cambrian mountains stand between Wales and England to the east.
The country was largely rural until the 19th century, when a rich seam of coal was
discovered in Glamorgan, bringing an influx of people from other parts of Wales and the
rest of Britain. A thriving steel industry was also established. There are some fine beach
resorts, and scope for such activities as sailing, climbing, and observing wildlife.
The Welsh are a Celtic people, with a tradition of choral singing. Every year a large
national eisteddfod, or festival, is held at which the best choirs compete for honours.
Wales has a climate that ranges from mild on the coast to quite severe on the hills, the
high rainfall underpinning a long tradition of dairy farming.
s Kerry, in the extreme south-west of Ireland, has two contrasting types of terrain - the
mountainous southern part with its three large hilly peninsulas of Beara, Iveragh and
Dingle, and the smaller area of undulating plain in the north that stretches as far as the
Shannon Estuary. Along the coast, sandy bays alternate with cliffs and rocky
headlands; inland, too, are regions of outstanding scenic beauty such as the Ring of Kerry
as well as Killarney's perfect blend of mountain and island-studded lake, wooded
shore and glen. But scenery is by no means Kerry's only attraction: there are many coastal
resorts, excellent angling waters, climbing that includes Ireland's highest
mountain, good golf courses and a wealth of ancient monuments.
County Wicklow is one of the most varied counties in Ireland in terms of its landscape,
ambiance and social and historical influences and yet it is only 60km x 40km. The
county lies just south of Dublin city thus providing it with a vital role as a
recreational amenity for the population of Dublin as well as to the many overseas visitors
who have
discovered its compact yet diverse beauty and many attractions.
The county contains the Wicklow Mountains National Park comprising of uplands, glacial
lakes and blanket bog. In the centre of the county is Glendalough, an historic
monastic settlement in a deep ice age valley. The site dates back to the 6th century and
was founded by the hermit St. Kevin. The famous Round Tower is one of the finest
examples of early christian vernacular architecture in Ireland. To the north is the
Powerscourt Waterfall, the tallest in the country located a few kilometers from the
recently
restored Powerscourt House and Gardens.
Dublin is still largely rural country, yet it encapsulates so much that is endearing and
exasperating about Ireland that it represents the Emerald isle better than any other
town. It's a city of pubs, churches, grand buildings and fine museums. It is indeed a
beautiful place, set on a broad river-basin fringed by the majestic sweep of Dublin Bay
and the tantalising close to Wicklow Mountains. The central area is compact, and can
easily be explored on foot, the capital is by far the largest city in Ireland.
Clwyd is mostly mountainous with a coastal plain facing the Irish Sea in the north. The
county shares its eastern borders with Cheshire and Shropshire and the Cambrian
Mountains lie to the west.
Places worth visiting include:
The beautiful countryside around the vale of Llangollen, which hosts the International
Musical Eisteddfod each summer. Situated on the banks of the River Dee
The village of Chirk, set among mountains and rivers, has an impressive country mansion
which, in earlier days, served as a border fortress.
The largely mountainous terrain in Powys, particularly in the Brecon Beacons National Park
in the south, brings numerous visitors to the county. Apart from tourism, the
county's economy is dominated by agriculture, chiefly livestock raising, and its
administrative centre is the former spa town of Llandrindod Wells.
Places worth visiting include:
The countryside surrounding the Brecon Beacons is renowned for pot-holing, and the peaks,
or "beacons", are named from their use as sites for lighting signal fires.
Hay-on-Wye is a pretty market town which is crossed by Offa's Dyke Path.
Dyfed is largely an upland region, where agriculture, especially dairy farming and the
growing of early vegetables, is important. Wildflowers, seals and seabirds shelter in
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park; bordered by rugged cliffs and sandy bays, it stretches
180 miles from Tenby in the south to Cardigan on the north-western coast.
The inner circle stones of Stonehenge are said to originate in the rolling uplands of the
Preseli Hills.
The magnificently located cathedral at St. David's.
South Glamorgan is dominated by Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Founded on the site of a
Roman fort, the city has its strongest roots in Celtic culture. West Glamorgan is
largely an upland region and includes Swansea, the second-largest city in Wales. Mid
Glamorgan comprises a lowland region bordering on the Bristol Channel in the south.
Steep valleys descend from the Brecon Beacons in the north. Coal mining has long been
associated with the Rhondda valley, and although the industry has declined in
recent years, the mining villages, lined with rows of terraced houses, have retained their
distinctive character.
Places worth visiting include:
Caerphilly Castle, a massive fortress surrounded by a moat.
The Gower Peninsula, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Gwent is a mixture of agriculture and dairy farming to the East and mining and industry to
the West. The Wye Valley forms the border with England and features some of
the region's finest scenery. Newport is the administrative centre for the county, where a
wide expanse of parkland is the setting for 17th-century Tredegar House. The North
of the County is bordered by the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons and to the South
is the Mouth of the River Severn and the two suspension bridges which take
the M4 over to England.
Places worth visiting include:
The walled town of Chepstow, situated on the River Wye, is a good base for discovering the
splendid ruins of Tintern Abbey, the inspiration of poets and artists.
Raglan Castle, the last medieval castle is a fine example and the nearby market town of
Abergavenny in the shadow of the Black Mountains.
Perthshire is bordered by the Ochill Hills to the southeast and the Grampian mountains
which define the beginning of the Highlands in the north-west. The County town of Perth
lies on Britain's biggest river, the Tay. The River contains more water than the Severn
and Thames added together. The whole county is steeped in history - not just Romans, Picts
and Celts, the county also has links with Macbeth, William Walace, Robert Bruce, Mary
Queen of Scots, Rob Roy Macgregor, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Robert Burns.
Places worth visiting include:
The wonderful and remote Rannoch Moor
The area around the town of Pitlochry is home to Blair Castle and the wooded gorge of
Killiecrankie.