PLACES OF INTEREST IN GREAT BRITAIN Prepared by Martina Chalupová

Besides London there are many more places of interest in Britain which are worth seeing. For example:

Stratford-upon-Avon is probably the second most visited town in England. The top attraction is the house in Henley Street where Shakespeare was born. In the Holy Trinity Church tourists can see the grave of Shakespeare and his family. Not far you can find the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan Theatre. The centre of the town is full of magnificent half- timbered medieval houses.

Shakespeare´s house Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Oxford is the oldest university in Europe together with Cambridge, dating back to the 12th and 13 th centuries. There are 35 colleges at Oxford. Nearly all the colleges consist of several buildings grouped in quadrangles around open areas of grass and beautiful gardens.

Cambridge There are 23 colleges at Cambridge. There are often beautiful gardens adjoining the buildings. Cambridge has remained quieter than Oxford, which has a lot of industries now.

Canterbury is the seat of the Archbishop and a magnificent cathedral from the 11th century. Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Cantebury, was murdered in the cathedral by order of the king in 1170 and soon this made Canterbury the biggest pilgrimage site in England. The pilgrimage to Canterbury is also reflected in Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

York is the residence of a superb Gothic cathedral called York Minster; it boasts impressive medieval stained glass, particularly the beautiful Gothic windows known as the Five Sisters. We can find there also a university.

University of York York cathedral

Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain is a remarkable prehistoric monument. The ruins consist of 2 stone circles and 2 horseshoes. In the middle of the inner horseshoe there is the Altar Stone.

Salisbury is the seat of the magnificant Cathedral of Saint Mary which has the highest spire in England.

Coventry is an industrial city in the West Midlands. In the square there is a statue of Lady Godiva whose legend is very popular there. The legend says that her husband promised to reduce the heavy taxes on the people of Coventry if she rode naked through the streets at noon. The grateful citizens remained indoors as she did so. Coventry and Lidice became sister cities after the war because they shared a similar fate during World War II.

Hadrian's Wall is a part of the Roman fortifications built to protect England's northern boundary.

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. It holds an annual Festival of Music and Drama. The oldest building is the Castle standing on a hill in the centre of the city. It is linked by the Royal Mile with the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the British sovereign's official Scottish residence. Another feature is Princes Street with a well-known monument to Sir Walter Scott (a famous writer) who was born in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh castle University of Edinburgh

Loch Ness is the most famous lake in the Highlands. There have been unconfirmed reports of a Loch Ness monster since the 15th century which brings millions of pounds a year to Scottish tourism.

Hastings is a seaside resort on the east coast. It is associated with the Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings in On the site of the battle, Battle Abbey was founded by William the Conqueror and an altar was errected on the exact spot where the English king Harold had been killed. Another important seaside resort Brighton lies not far along the coast. Liverpool is an important port and the city of the Beatles and a well-known Steeplechase for horse racing. The Lake District contains glacier lakes, the largest one is Windermere. The area was made national park.

The end!!!