Posts Tagged ‘city break’

Think of Nottingham and nearly all folk consider the legend of Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest and although folklore attracts increasing numbers of folk each and every year there is much more to Nottinghamshire and the city of Nottingham than meets the eye. Infact Nottingham is home to a reasonable collection of fascinating visitor attractions making it an excellent place for a vacation and the following article examines the city and a small selection of attractions in, and close to, Nottingham, as well as some hotels offering Nottingham bed and breakfast accommodation.

The city of Nottingham is in Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands of  England. As well as Sherwood Forest and the legend of Sir Robin Hood, Nottingham is also known for the production of lace especially during the period of the Industrial Revolution when it gained a worldwide reputation for excellence.

The Lace Market, Nottingham

Once the heart of the world’s lace industry, at the time of the British Empire, the Lace Market in Nottingham is, today, a protected heritage area. It  features many superb examples of 19th Century industrial architecture. The Lace Market was not like a normal market area, as such, rather than having stalls and stall holders, the lace market featured a selection of warehouses and salesrooms selling and displaying lace. Following the decline in the lace industry the area became rundown however, today, the majority of the warehouses have been renovated and restored for other purposes for example photographic studios and similar. The Lace Market in Nottingham is a popular visitor attraction.

Shire Hall & Galleries of Justice

Near to the Lace Market you will discover the Galleries of Justice and Shire Hall. Shire Hall is a Georgian-built civic building featuring Neoclassical pilasters, columns and dome. The facade has, if you examine it carefully, a misspelled word Goal rather than Gaol. The Hall has 2 well preserved Victorian courtrooms and bath house, old cells, a women’s prison, a prisoner’s exercise yard and an Edwardian police station.

The City of Nottingham is a fantastic place to take a short city break. There is plenty to see and do within the city and an incredible number of visitor attractions not too far away. Places to visit include; Wollaton Hall, Hardwick Hall and Newstead Abbey.

As all all England bed and breakfast, Nottingham accommodation is usually top class at a reasonable price and many people choose to stay in Nottingham for only part of their break and then elsewhere for the remainder.

The capital city of England and the U.K., London, has a vast and diverse collection of superb tourist attractions, ranging from the incredibly old to the very young. The vast majority of the tourist attractions are well known around the planet (for instance, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament). Amongst the most recently added are the Millennium Bridge, Millennium Dome, London Aquarium and the London Eye.

The Merlin Entertainments London Eye (to give it its correct title), is more frequently named, simply, the London Eye or,sometimes, the Millennium Wheel (because it was built for part of the Millennium celebrations). The Merlin Entertainments London Eye was officially opened by the then UK Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, on the evening of December the thirty first but, sadly, there was a number of safety issues which led to it not opening to the public until March 2000. It was, at that time, the highest Ferris wheel on the planet being one hundred and thirty five metres in height.

The huge wheel can be found in Jubilee Gardens on the South Bank of the River Thames looking over to the Houses of Parliament below. From within one of the 32 capsules towering above London you are able to view an incredibly large number of the many landmarks of London, the already mentioned Houses of Parliament, Hampton Court Palace, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s are just a handful, what an amazingly unique way in which to see nearly all of London and, more thank likely, the reason it is one of the most popular paid for visitor attraction in London.

The London Eye’s first flight is at ten in the morning however the ticket office opens at 9.30 am. The Eye closes at half past nine at night between July and August, 8 at night between April and October and at nine ‘o clock at night for the other months.

Those traveling in a car will be pleased to learn that there are three car parks nearby. For coach parties there is parking incredibly close to the Eye (phone) +44 (0)870 990 8886) for info.

The easiest way to get to the London Eye is via the London Tube, just get off at one of the following stations; Embankment, Westminster, Charing Cross, or the nearest Waterloo. It is also possible to arrive by boat, get off at Waterloo Millennium Pier.

Finding London hotel accommodation is as easy as popping over to Google, Yahoo or Bing (or another popular search engine. Whatever type you prefer you are sure to find your perfect London accommodation because the city has the most bed and breakfasts, guest houses and hotels than any other. cheerful and cheap accommodation to the luxurious, Boutique hotels to the huge corporate affairs and more.

Want to find out more about hotels in London, then visit our site which has the most comprehensive listings of cheap hotels in London.

Inverness, a city in the Highlands of Scotland  is set in some of the most aesthetically pleasing countryside in the UK. In and around the city are many places associated with key moments in the history of Scotland, frequently these sites saw an immeasurable amount of human suffering and violence. Of course Inverness has a fantastic collection of tourist attractions (and the number is continually on the increase). In the paragraphs below I introduce 3 places to visit in Inverness Inverness Museum & Art Gallery, Beauly Priory and Inverness Castle:

Beauly Priory

Monks, from the Valliscaulian order, set up a community at Beauly Priory in the Thirteenth century. Unfortunately nobody is able to state the accurate date of the foundation of the settlement but it is widely agreed that is was about the year 1230. During that time the patron, and landowner, of Beauly, was Sir John Bisset, whose lands were almagamated with the Fraser’s of Lovat. The French monks and Sir John are those who named the place Beauly, coming from, ‘beau lieu’, the French for ‘beautiful place’. Sadly, the priory at Beauly became derelict following the Scottish Reformation and stone blocks were extracted for use in the construction of other structures in the area. In the year 1913 the ruins of Beauly Priory were handed over to the state for the nation and they are now looked after by Historic Scotland.

Inverness Castle

Throughout the centuries there have been many structures on the site of Inverness Castle, evidence shows that the site had a structure there as far back as 1057. King Robert I, of Scotland, almost destroyed the first Inverness Castle. The current castle was designed and constructed , in 1836, by William Burn. The picturesque castle, constructed of red sandstone, is perched on a cliff gazing down onto the the cathedral on the opposite side and the River Ness. King James I, of Scotland, conducted parliament at Inverness Castle in the year 1427, and called all the Northern Chieftains to be in attendance. Alarmingly three of these chieftains were later executed for asserting an independent monarchy.

Inverness Museum & Art Gallery

Found in Inverness’s town center is the recently refurbished Inverness Museum and Art Gallery which is well worth a visit especially if it is raining. At the museum one can enjoy Scottish History and discover how the Highlands are linked with the rest of the world. It is also possible to find out about the folk of the Highlands, their culture and traditions. There are several different exhibitions featuring, archaeology, fine arts, costumes, textiles, wildlife and crafts.

If you are considering taking a vacation in Britain this year and you wish to spend some time in Scotland, you may wish to consider spending some time staying in Inverness. Finding Inverness hotel accommodation online is relatively easy as many establishments have their own web site.  Hotels in Inverness, small hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts are always superb and Inverness is very well know for unrivalled hospitality, so you can be sure of have a wonderful time.

Bradford is located in West Yorkshire, a county of England in Britain. Built at the foothills of the Pennine Hills (mountain range) the town of Bradford was ideally placed to blossom during the period of history known as the industrial revolution. In truth, during the eighteen hundreds, the town of Bradford was at the forefront of the Industrial revolution and it very quickly became an incredibly important international centre of textile manufacture, focusing on wool and the city of Bradford gained the nickname of the wool capital of the world. Because of the plentiful supply of raw materials of soft water, coal and iron ore the city witnessed extremely rapid growth of its manufacturing base and a corresponding growth in population. Unfortunately the textile industry in Bradford eventually declined in the middle of the 20C. Ever since that time Bradford has become   something of a rather popular tourist destination with a number of guest houses providing bed and breakfast in Bradford.

Bradford’s industrial history has left behind a legacy of excellent Victorian architecture, including; the Venetian Gothic Wool Exchange, old mills, the Neoclassical St. George’s Hall and City Hall. The oldest building to be located in the city of Bradford is the Cathedral, which dates back to medieval days, and was, for the greater time, a simple parish church. Sadly few buildings survive from this time, except for Bolling Hall. Bolling Hall is currently a museum, located only one mile from the centre of Bradford. Sited in a leafy garden, it takes the visitor on a wondrous journey, to a period dating back around 5 hundred years, through the lives of the folk who once called Bolling Hall their home.

Bradford is home to the National Media Museum, which is one of the most popular museums to be found outside London. Previously called the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, the fascinating museum is a free to enter tourist attraction which is suitable for folk of all ages. It has a total of three cinemas, one being said to be the best in the United Kingdom. One can discover television’s past, present and future in Experience TV, relive your favourite television moments in TV Heaven, play with colour, light and lenses in the Magic Factory and explore the fascinating world of animation and also watch a real animator working in the Animation Gallery. Every weekend and during holidays the museum has an exciting jam packed schedule of talks, free tours and activities.

If you are thinking about having a holiday in Bradford you will discover plenty of online hotels and guest houses providing Bradford bed and breakfast. You will find a broad range of Bradford hotels and guest houses at http://bradford.hotelreservationhelper.com/

The ‘Fair City’ of Perth in Scotland is also often referred to as the  ‘Gateway to the Highlands’. Located on the banks of the River Tay, the town of Perth was, for centuries, the capital of Scotland and back in the medieval period the busy little town was known by locals as St. John’s Toun or Saint Johnstoun. The name of the town, or Peairt in the Gaelic language, is a derivative of the word of the Picts which has the meaning of a copse. Nowadays  this beautiful small market town is an ideal location as a base for a vacation with lots bed and breakfast accommodation in Perth to choose from.

Whether you stay for just a day or a couple of weeks you will discover that there is a huge amount of things to interest you in  the immediate vicinity of Perth and the surrounding region. attractions range from; shopping, restaurants, historical attractions and sport and leisure pursuits and many other types of entertainment. It was not too long ago that the town was a very busy port chiefly involved in the export of bleached products, leather, linen and whisky. Nowadays the tourist industry provides wealth and much appreciated jobs for the area’s youth who are happy to take employment in the large number of guest houses and hotels in Perth and other businesses.

Probably the most famous visitor attraction, not a great distance away from Perth, is Scone Palace one of the finest historical Scottish country homes. Here tourists can thoroughly explore the fascinating past of the palace, where at one time, the kings of Scotland were crowned including, Robert The Bruce (crowned in 1306).

Approximately three miles away, from Perth, tourists will find the 16C Elcho Castle, which has the most stunning views across the River Tay. The castle dates back to about 1570 when the Wemyss family commissioned it’s building who kept it in their possession until the year nineteen twenty nine. It is now in the hands of Historic Scotland.

Only a little distance west of Perth you will find the medieval Huntingtower Castle. Situated in amazing Huntingtower Castle has, over the centuries, undergone numerous redevelopments and alterations. The castle was designed originally as two separate and distinct tower houses however located rather closely together.

Besides the attractions written about above Perth has countless more, which makes it a perfect town for a vacation for you and your family. Visitor attractions and places, to see, found in Perthshire include the following; Perthshire Visitor Centre, Perth Ice Rink (for curling etc.), Kinnoull Hill, Branklyn Gardens and Bell’s Cherrybank Gardens.

If you are thinking about having a city break in Perth you will discover plenty of online Perth hotels and guest houses and you will find a broad selection at http://www.perthhotelscotland.com/

Bournemouth is a vibrant, thriving and extremely exciting city, despite the unfortunate fact that it is known as ‘God’s waiting Room’. The reason it is called this is that a great number of elderly people choose to retire here. However, the city has an amazing youth culture, with a a high proportion of university students. Of course such a place could be a superb place to have a few days fun however, there is lots  more to the place. In actual fact Bournemouth is incredibly popular with groups of all ages, probably the reason why there are so many hotels offering Bournemouth bed and breakfast to choose from.

Bournemouth is located right on the English South coast, just over one hundred miles from of London. The biggest town to be found on the south coast, Bournemouth, is very well known for its 7 miles of spectacular golden beaches of sand and glistening deep blue sea. It is the town’s mind blowing locale that made it become an immensely popular UK vacation destination since the beginning of the nineteenth century. It is rather difficult to understand that in and around the area of Bournemouth was,  in the very early 1800’s, nothing less than a barren and remote heathland mainly consisting of common common grazings with the exception of Sir George Ivison Tapps’. The Tapps Arms, a public house, appeared on the heathland in the year 1809, a few of years later, in the year eighteen twelve, the first people moved in.

Lewis Tregonwell and his wife acquired a little land, from Sir George Ivison Tapps, on which the couple constructed a a few villas with the intention of letting them out to visitors in the summer for vacations. Tregonwell and his wife also built themselves a summerhouse on the land. and also started to plant an astronomical amount of pine trees, creating a fantastic sheltered walkway down to the beach, the Invalid’s Walk as it became known later.

Ever since the early days Bournemouth’s popularity, as a tourist destination, has increased continually, and, the city has become known as a tourist haven for culture, fun, recreation, leisure and entertainment. Places which prove very popular to visit include; Bournemouth Pier, the graveyard of St. Peters Church, the award winning Central Gardens and the Russel-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum.

If you are currently deciding upon taking a vacation in Bournemouth it is immensely important that you reserve your  rooms at the earliest opportunity as, sadly Bournemouth hotel and guest house accommodation tend to be alarmingly busy and are commonly fully booked for months in advance. If you are travelling in a large group you may find that Bournemouth serviced apartments prove to be less expensive alternative to bed and breakfast in Bournemouth.

The city of Cardiff is not just the Welsh capital city, but it is also the most popular tourist destination in Wales and the UK other than London, the English capital. The city of Cardiff is also the biggest Welsh city, however it remained only a rather small town until the time of the early nineteenth century. It was in the early 1800’s when the town developed into an incredibly busy port involved in the transportation of coal mined locally, plus other various heavy and light industries. Cardiff eventually received city status, from King Edward VII of England, on the twenty eighth of October 1905, however, strangely, the city only became the capital city of Wales on 20th December 1955. Following the declaration of Cardiff as capital it very quickly became the home of many national institutions, for example the University of Wales Registry  Building, the Welsh National War Memorial and the National Museum of Wales. Over the last couple of decades the I.T. industry has experienced dramatic rates of expansion along with, although to a lesser degree various other areas of industry, especially in service industries. The industry of tourism has also witnessed dramatic increases and today there are surprising numbers of places supplying bed and breakfast in Cardiff.

Cardiff Tourist Attractions To Visit

Though Cardiff has only had city status for one hundred years, surprisingly there has been a castle in Cardiff for an estimated two thousand years. The Cardiff Castle currently standing is, most probably, the city’s most popular attraction which can be discovered in the very heart of the city centre. It is possible for people to go on a guided tour around the interior of the castle, or, take a relaxed stroll around and about the stunningly picturesque castle gardens. There is also a fairly new Interpretation Centre at the castle which displays the various stages of development, of the castle,  through time from the period of the Romans to the present day.

Cardiff also has a fair number of modern attractions including the incredibly interesting Techniquest, one of Great Britain’s best centres for Science Discovery. At the centre people will be presented with in excess of one hundred hands on exhibits, designed to both entertain and fascinate groups of all ages. The centre is home to a hi-tech Science Theatre, a planetarium, a Discovery Room and a laboratory.

There are many many more tourist attractions to see in the Welsh city of Cardiff, so, if you are currently deciding upon taking a vacation there it is incredibly important that you reserve your  room at your first opportunity because, unfortunately hotel accommodation in Cardiff tend to be amazingly busy and are frequently fully booked months in advance. If you are travelling in a large group you may find that serviced apartments in Cardiff turns out to be a more affordable option by comparison with bed and breakfast accommodation.

The city of Cambridge is known across the globe for being home to the University of Cambridge, one of the most prestigious centres of learning in Britain. The University includes thirty one colleges including; King’s College, Lucy Cavendish College, Magdalene College and Murray Edwards College which dominate the city. Although many visitors arrive at Cambridge in order to visit the University, Cambridge has a good number of other attractions other than the University.  Happily there is a varied selection of bed & breakfast accommodation in Cambridge to choose from (Important: for more information see bottom of article).

The city is an ancient medieval town and as such there there are numerous of fantastic architecture. It is possible to wander around the ancient streets, relax one of the many gardens or parks or you might wish to go punting along the River Cam. If the thought of going punting excites you, then one should hire a punt or for something a little different you can take a chauffeured punt. There are various people offering this facility along the River Cam. As a further alternative a small journey down the river in a narrow boat.

The city is also known for its churches, 13 of which are found within the confines of Cambridge. Of the thirteen churches found in the centre of Cambridge it is All Saints Church which is generally accepted as one of the finest samples of English Gothic revival architecture. Another church that is well worth visiting is Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is one of only four round Norman churches found in England. The smallest of Cambridge’s churches is St Peter’s Church, which is hidden away in a peaceful part of the city. Possibly the most incredible panoramas of the city and University colleges are to be experienced from the site of the Great St Mary’s Church, the University church.

Because there is a vast selection of tourist attractions available in Cambridge, it would be near impossible to see all of them in just 24 hours.  We therefore advise that you stay for at least two days in Cambridge. If you and your family are in the process of considering spending a few days in Cambridge it is crucial that you reserve your  lodgings at the earliest moment as, sadly Cambridge hotel and guest house accommodation tend to be alarmingly busy and are frequently fully booked for a long period in advance. If your group is large you might find that Cambridge apartments are a less expensive option.