Outside of London's Wall
If you have the time, there are several exciting places to visit outside of London.
Hever Castle
The English countryside is littered with beautiful castles and manors that take you back
in time. I had the opportunity to visit Hever Castle. It was built in about 1270,
the oldest part being the outer fortified wall and the massive gatehouse. In the latter half of the
15th century, the castle was bought by Geoffrey Bullen. The Bullen family added to the castle, building
the apartments inside the fortified walls. Since castles weren't used much for defense by the 16th
century, their additions were comfortable living spaces. Sir Geoffrey's grandson, Thomas, was born in
1477. In 1498 he married the daughter of the Duke of Norfolk, Elizabeth Howard. Thomas and Elizabeth had three
children which survived childhood: George, Anne (who later married King Henry VIII and was beheaded for
supposed acts of treason) and Mary. Some believe that Anne was born at Hever, perhaps in 1501, although the
evidence for this is sketchy at best. Upon Sir Thomas' death, Hever Castle went to the Crown and in
1540, was given to Anne of Cleves in her divorce from Henry VIII. Anne owned the Castle until
her death in 1557. The castle was then bought by the Waldegraves. In the early 1700's the castle passed
through several more owners, until 1903 when it was bought by William Waldorf Astor; it remains in the
Astor family today. In 1963, the castle was open to the public for the first time and more than 7
million people have since visited. One of the most spectacular aspects of this castle is its
gardens and mazes.
Stonehenge
This world-famous prehistoric monument was built as a ceremonial center 5000
years ago and remodeled several times in the next 1500 years. The massive stone lintels are
mortice- and-tenoned to the upright stones and are curved to follow a circle. Some of the stones
weigh over 50 tons each, with some brought from the Preseli Mountains in Wales. Unfortunately, at the
time of my trip, Mad Cow disease was a major concern in Europe and our scheduled trip out to the stones
had to be canceled. However, if you get the opportunity to see this amazing structure, I urge you to
visit Stonehenge.
Stratford-Upon-Avon
Not only is it one of England's most historic towns, it is also the birthplace and resting place of
England's most celebrated poet and playwright, William Shakespeare. Stratford-upon-avon is situated in
the heart of the English midlands, along the river Avon, and began as a medieval market town. The town
offers many restaurants, pubs, theaters, and boutiques to browse through. There is also the
Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is buried. His gravestone bears these cryptic words:
Good frend for Jesus sake forebeare,
to digg the dust encloased heare,
Bleste be ye man yt spares thes stones,
And curst be he yt moves my bones.
Greenwich
Down the rive Thames is Greenwich, the UK's 17th World Heritage Site. Greenwich is the home of the
National Maritime Museum, as well as the Old Royal Naval College,
designed by Sir Christopher Wren. This magnificent structure was once the monarchy's primary palace
from the middle of the 15th century to the end of the 17th century (Henry VIII was born here). The
Greenwich Royal Observatory was founded by order of King Charles II to study astronomy and to fix
longitude. It was built in 1675 and Sir Christopher Wren was the architect. Here one can stand in two
hemispheres at once. Of further interest in Greenwich is its many shops (with
one claiming to be the "First Shop in the World" due to its location close to the Prime Meridian), pubs,
the Cutty Sark, a now dry-docked ship that once sailed the world carrying tea and other items,
churches, and parks. And don't forget to check out the Millennium Dome, built
for the celebrations of 2000, but has since sat unused. For more information on this historical London
borough, visit the Greenwich Guide.
The Chunnel
The Eurostar train speeds you through the English Channel Tunnel to the European Continent. The train
connects the capital cities of France (Paris), England (London) and Belgium (Brussels). The
tunnel consists of 3 interconnected tubes: 1 rail track each way plus 1 service tunnel. Its length is
31 miles, of which 23 miles are underwater. Its average depth is 150 feet under the seabed. The channel
crossing time for Eurostar is only 20 minutes. During my trip to London, 6 of us boarded the Eurostar
and headed off for a weekend in Paris. The ride was smooth and quiet, and we were in Paris in
only 2 hours and 35 minutes. Visit the Eurostar website
for information on tickets (pricing and purchasing), schedules, and other services.