London, Bath, York, Lake District, Windsor
See rock formations at Stonehenge, Castlerigg, and Avebury, hike sloped hills in the Lake District, visit historical churches, traverse crumbling castles, and explore captivating museums in London. Travel by car, train, underground, and bus. Remember to watch the gap!
London
London is a perfect destination for tourists. It offers a wide range of attractions to peak the interests of every traveler. We research the attractions and verify the days open/close, hours of operation, and entrance fees if any. Since the total price of tickets can be expensive, we have used the London Pass, which has been cost-effective when compared to individual prices.
British Library
Within the British Library is a remarkable collection of historical literature housed inside a dedicated segment of the library. Included is the Magna Carta, Shakespeare, Biblical texts, Codex, musical lyrics, famous writings, maps, and numerous other historical documents.
British Museum
Civilization covering centuries of the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Assyrians can be seen in the British Museum. Exhibits tell of government, religion, and everyday life through the statues, mummies, and artifacts. Add to that, the Rosetta Stone, which clearly depicts languages used in deciphering hieroglyphics.
Buckingham Palace
The monarchy resides within Buckingham Palace, which can be toured by reserved ticket purchase. Limited dates are available for viewing the various state rooms and interior of the palace.
Changing of the Guards
Changing of the guards is a precise march in a theatrical transfer of outgoing guards with fresh guards positioned at Buckingham Palace. The ceremony takes about 45 minutes. To obtain a competitive viewing location, arrive at least an hour early. The formality is also conducted at Windsor Castle.
Churchill War Rooms
Churchill War Rooms, now a museum, is the location where Winston Churchill, with the support of many men and women, tirelessly fought the Nazis to preserve Britain during WWII. The museum provides a fascinating glimpse into their heroic efforts.
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is an enclosed marketplace filled with activity such as musicians, performers, shoppers, and tourists. A history dating back to the 1600’s and evolving over the years, it offers a choice of cafes, restaurants, and shop browsing.
Florence Nightingale Museum
A small museum dedicated to the life of Florence Nightingale beginning with her service in the Crimean War. The medical professionals in our family appreciated the documented illustration of this internationally recognized nurse. St Paul’s Cathedral also displays a dedicated plaque to Florence Nightingale.
Imperial War Museum
The Imperial War Museum highlights WWI, WWII, the Holocaust, and the Iraq and Afghanistan war. Well documented history is captured through stories, video clips, exhibits and galleries.
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is the residence for extended royal family members. It’s a peaceful location to stroll the gardens, observe the statue of the late Princess Diana, and take a tour of the palace interior.
National Gallery
A free museum, the National Gallery houses a massive collection of paintings. Adjacent to Trafalgar’s Square, an art enthusiast could spend hours admiring the masterpieces and specialty exhibits.
St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s Cathedral is an architectural achievement, accentuated by its long nave, painted dome, stained-glass windows, and crypt. With over 400 monuments, it showcases an admiration and dedication to soldiers, heroes, leaders, and historical figures. The interior dome is a well-recognized landmark.
Tower of London
An infamous prison, castle, and residence, the Tower of London has a bloody history of torture and execution. The Crown Jewels, with over 3,000 items, was a popular site, and we headed there as quickly as possible. With various buildings to peruse, it took close to three hours to see everything. And lastly, an occasional Beefeater, the tower guard garbed in red attire, can be seen strolling the grounds within the gated walls.
Tower Bridge
Erroneously referred to as London Bridge, the Tower Bridge crosses the Thames River. The view was well worth the visit and the exhibit provided a look into its history. Located directly behind the Tower of London.
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a central location where traffic culminates around a memorial dedicated to Lord Horatio Nelson with a fountain and giant lions. Over the years, it has been an ideal location for rallies and people watching, with the National Gallery within striking distance.
Victoria & Albert Museum
The Victoria & Albert Museum presents an extensive collection of furniture, clothing, arts, jewelry, Islamic artifacts, tapestries, sculptures, and portraits. It’s slightly different from the British Museum. An excellent cafe within the museum is convenient for grabbing a coffee or bite to eat.
Westminster Abbey
With a rich history of funerals, weddings, and royal coronations, the magnificent Westminster Abbey took almost two hours to tour. There were elaborately enshrined tombs of kings and queens of England, and engraved floor plaques dedicated to great literary writers.
Bath
The easiest method to reach Bath was by a 90-minute train from London. A pedestrian friendly center allowed shoppers to browse the streets, while the Avon River flowed along the city. A primary purpose of going to Bath was its accessibility to nearby destinations.
The Mad Max day tour to Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock Village and Castle Combe in Cotswold was an excellent choice. The tour offered the best means to visiting these locations and at a reasonable price. Otherwise, it required renting a car or taking the train to Salisbury, then catching a bus just to reach Stonehenge.
Stonehenge and Avebury are two of three known ancient stone formations in the UK, with Castlerigg as the third located in Keswick. Very different sizes and layouts of the stones make visiting each sight worth the time.
The next stop was to Lacock in the Cotswold, a small centuries old village with a fascinating history. Little has changed in its appearance over the years, making it popular with movie productions such as Harry Potter. The last stop was to Castle Combe, also in the Cotswold. Surrounded by woods and situated along the Bybrook River it’s a peaceful and quaint village.
York
We took a train to York, a city founded by the Romans and boasting of an historic large gothic church, the York Minster. A medieval, magnificent cathedral, the York Minster dates back over 1,000 years. Its stained-glass windows and stone craftsmanship sets it apart as one of the most beautiful cathedrals in England.
Surrounding York was a medieval wall that provided protection for centuries with entry points ascending to the top for a walk around the city.
The Yorkshire Museum covered the sciences of biology, geology and wildlife; and the historical exhibits displayed archaeological and medieval discoveries.
A perfect evening started with dinner on the Shambles, a famous landmark street, then strolling and browsing shops along the way. It was a pleasant visit to York.
North Lake District
We drove to the North Lake District. Getting to Keswick by train would have also required a bus ride. Driving on narrow country lanes, we passed hilly green scenery and the occasional sheep. We arrived in Keswick, the perfect base to explore the countryside. There were several hiking options in the area; but our favorite was the Catbells. To reach this hike, we took the Derwentwater boat, which dropped us off for a nice adventurous hike through the hills. A portion of the hike brought us to a ridgeline, which was a bit of a challenge. We then rejoined the boat on its return trip.
One evening we took a pleasant walk to see the Castlerigg Stone Circle, in close proximity to Keswick. Like the other two ancient stone formations in England, the purpose is unknown. There are over 30 stones, the tallest measuring up to ten feet tall, and sitting on a green plateau with the mountains in the background.
We enjoyed the North Lake District, it was peaceful, scenic, and great for wandering about and exploring.
Windsor
An easy small town to reach from London by train and a home for the royal family. After a pleasant stroll around town, we watched the changing of the guards in front of Windsor Castle. It’s less crowded than watching at Buckingham Palace so we could get closer for a better view.
Then a leisurely lunch and onto our tour of Windsor Castle. We purchased our tickets in advance to see the staterooms, dollhouse, paintings, beautifully tended grounds, and the chapel. The “long walk” pathway is lined with trees and extends from the castle gate 2.5 miles to the George III statue.
After the castle, we cruised down the Thames River and walked to Eton College. To add to an already great day, the town has excellent restaurants for lunch, tea time, and dinner.
