Europe Explored » green park https://europeexplored.com Travel through the most beautiful places in Europe Sun, 08 Sep 2013 13:36:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.6 Exploring England: Touring London And Its Surroundings https://europeexplored.com/2013/04/07/exploring-england-touring-london-and-its-surroundings/ https://europeexplored.com/2013/04/07/exploring-england-touring-london-and-its-surroundings/#comments Sun, 07 Apr 2013 19:23:29 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=14407 As soon as you land at London Heathrow airport, you will see that it is very easy for you to simply ride the tube or take a bus to your destination. However, if you are planning on touring London and its surroundings, the best idea would be for you to rent a car so that […]

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As soon as you land at London Heathrow airport, you will see that it is very easy for you to simply ride the tube or take a bus to your destination. However, if you are planning on touring London and its surroundings, the best idea would be for you to rent a car so that you are free to go wherever it is that you wish to visit and you don’t have to worry about running to catch a bus or a train. Keep also in mind that the trains in London are always super busy and crowded, so it would be a very much possible scenario for you having to wait a few trains before you can fit in the train itself. Therefore, a rental car is indeed the easiest and most comfortable solution for you to explore England.

Trafalgar Square, London, UK
Trafalgar Square, London, UK by Michael Gwyther-Jones

Attractions

London has so many different attractions to offer and the same is true for England itself. In London you can find Buckingham Palace, which you can also visit during summer time when the Queen of England goes to summer in one of the many castles around the country. If you are into history and art, then you must pay a visit to the National Gallery, which is right in front of Trafalgar Square, whose obelisk of General Nelson is photographs by millions of people every year. Not too far from Trafalgar Square, there is the House of Parliament that faces the Thames River. If you wish to have a good view of London in its complete splendor, then the best idea would be to take a ride on the London Eye, the tallest Ferris wheel of Europe. The tour takes about half hour so you can sit comfortably on the benches inside the sphere and take pictures of London seen from above.

If you wish to see more than just London, then renting a car will come very much in handy. London is not too far from other major cities and attractions in England. For example, a drive of only one hour and a half will take to you Cambridge and with even less time than that you can reach Stonehenge to see the breath-taking stones that have been there for centuries.

More Attractions and Restaurants

If you decide to make London your main stop, then you will be very busy going around making sure you see everything this beautiful city has to offer. For example, if you happen to catch a sunny day in London, then you must pay a visit to Hyde Park or Green Park so that you can enjoy a day in nature. London is a metropolitan city and for this reason offers its visitors a wide range of different types of cuisines, especially Indian, Chinese and typical British food, such as fish and chips. This way, you can rest assure that you will be able to find something that tickles your taste buds.

This was a guest post left by Aronno, a writer and travel lover. London offers so much to its tourists, from relaxing atmosphere to adventurous attractions. The city has a lot to offer and you can visit all the wonderful attractions by driving there in the comfort of your hired car from Daddy Car Hire. For more information regarding London please visit https://www.daddycarhire.com.

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The History of Beaumaris Castle | North Wales, UK https://europeexplored.com/2013/01/21/the-history-of-beaumaris-castle-north-wales-uk/ https://europeexplored.com/2013/01/21/the-history-of-beaumaris-castle-north-wales-uk/#comments Mon, 21 Jan 2013 21:41:07 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=13010 Beaumaris Castle is one of the most popular tourist destinations in North Wales with many visitors from St Davids Holiday Park in North Wales choosing it as their favourite local attraction. Beaumaris Castle is a medieval stone structure built by King Edward I as part of his campaign against the Welsh to conquer north wales. […]

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Beaumaris Castle is one of the most popular tourist destinations in North Wales with many visitors from St Davids Holiday Park in North Wales choosing it as their favourite local attraction.

Beaumaris Castle is a medieval stone structure built by King Edward I as part of his campaign against the Welsh to conquer north wales. Construction began in 1295, however it was never truly completed due to the conquest more or less being complete and Edward needing funds and resources to conquer Scotland. Nevertheless this stronghold is regarded by many of the most impressive of all the Edwardian castles due to its ingenious design.

Beaumaris Castle, North Wales, UK
Beaumaris Castle, North Wales, UK by Lyn Gateley

The design is concentric and includes effectively 4 lines of defence, cleverly placed arrow slits, water filled moat, murder holes over entrances and a gate next to the sea entrance and tidal dock which would allow boats to come right up to the castle while being secure.

This is truly an awesome sight to behold and really commands certain majesty, drawing many visitors every year to come and see this impressive stone structure. It is a part of the ‘iron ring’ of castles King Edward built to subdue Wales, and Beaumaris is the last and largest to be constructed.

The castle is currently under the care of Cadw, who made it available for the public to visit, there is a gift shop and public toilets for visitors and guided tours around the castle are available. Beaumaris Castle is a wonderful day out for all the family, indulge in the historical wonder of the massive stronghold, and explore its insides to you can appreciate the sheer effort and planning that went into it, then enjoy a picnic on one of the benches in the surrounding lush green park.

Beaumaris Castle has been called by some as the most impressive medieval castle in the UK so it is definitely worth a visit if you visiting or staying in North Wales.

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The Green, Green Grass Of London – Open Spaces In The Big City https://europeexplored.com/2012/08/22/the-green-green-grass-of-london-open-spaces-in-the-big-city/ https://europeexplored.com/2012/08/22/the-green-green-grass-of-london-open-spaces-in-the-big-city/#comments Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:07:03 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=10835 For a very built-up city, London has a lot of green spaces tucked away amongst its streets. Some of the parkland areas in London have become famous for many reasons, but one thing you’ll be surprised about is the sheer amount of space they take up in a city that holds over eight million people! […]

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For a very built-up city, London has a lot of green spaces tucked away amongst its streets. Some of the parkland areas in London have become famous for many reasons, but one thing you’ll be surprised about is the sheer amount of space they take up in a city that holds over eight million people!

Hyde Park

The foremost of the London parks and probably the most well-known, Hyde Park is one of the city’s Royal Parks. Covering 350 acres of land in the very centre of London, the park is popular with locals and tourists alike and gives the chance for anyone to take a break from the hustle and bustle of busy city life.

Aerial view of Hyde Park, London, UK
Aerial view of Hyde Park, London, UK by Ben Leto

The park has won awards for urban conservation, and choices made about planting the flower beds, borders and trees have encouraged a great number of songbirds to feed and nest here. Visitors are discouraged from feeding the pigeons and squirrels that also come to the park as the songbirds can’t compete with these sometimes aggressive feral creatures.

The Serpentine is a small lake created in the 1700s as part of the development of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. As well as attracting wildfowl, the Serpentine has the oldest swimming club in the UK and is famous for its Christmas Day swim. Most recently, it’s featured in the London 2012 Olympic Games as the scene of the swimming leg of the triathlon.

Green Park

Green Park is another of the Royal Parks with a history even older than that of Hyde Park. First recorded in the geography of London in 1554, Green Park has a modest area compared to Hyde Park with some 45 acres of land adjacent to Buckingham Palace.

At the Buckingham House entrance to the park you’ll find Canada Gate, installed as part of the memorial to Queen Victoria at the turn of the 20th century to commemorate Canada’s contribution to the then British Empire. An ornate iron gate chased with gold guards the entrance to the park near the Canada Memorial, which pays homage to the Canadian forces who lost their lives in the two World Wars.

Canada Gate, London, UK
Canada Gate at Green Park, London, UK by Ian Dick

Keen Olympics followers will have also seen Green Park as part of the triathlon. The Royal Parks hosted the event, with the cycle leg running along the paths through the park.

Clapham Common

South London has parkland of a different kind to the open spaces north of the Thames. While North London has enclosed parks with ornately planted beds and borders, South London has expanses of common land on which Londoners can stretch their legs and enjoy what sunshine the capital manages to trap.

Clapham Common, London, UK
Clapham Common, London, UK by Justinc

Clapham Common is the best known of the London commons and covers 220 acres between the boroughs of Wandsworth and Lambeth. The most popular features of the common are the ponds – Eagle Pond and Mount Pond – which are used for coarse fishing and sailing of model boats.

In recent years, the common has hosted a number of music festivals. In 2012, the electronic music festival South West Four is due to take place on the common on the 25th and 26th August, bringing the big names from dance music from around the world together in what organisers hope will be the summer sunshine.

Conclusion

Although densely populated and filled with iconic buildings, London has a surprisingly large amount of open space, see them all from the air at https://www.thelondonhelicopter.com/. On your visit to London, try to check out some of the parks and get a feel for how Londoners spend their outdoor time right within the city limits.

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Bodiam Castle – the most romantic place in the United Kingdom https://europeexplored.com/2011/06/13/bodiam-castle-the-most-romantic-place-in-the-united-kingdom/ https://europeexplored.com/2011/06/13/bodiam-castle-the-most-romantic-place-in-the-united-kingdom/#comments Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:32:04 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=4480 In the county of East Sussex in south-eastern part of England, you can find allegedly the most romantic place in the United Kingdom. It is a magnificent Bodiam castle from the 14th century, which is surrounded by the gleaming moat. Around it lies a beautiful green park inviting to walk, sit and picnic. Bodiam castle […]

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In the county of East Sussex in south-eastern part of England, you can find allegedly the most romantic place in the United Kingdom. It is a magnificent Bodiam castle from the 14th century, which is surrounded by the gleaming moat. Around it lies a beautiful green park inviting to walk, sit and picnic.

Bodiam castle is situated in the undulating countryside of southern England and was originally built as a protection against possible invasions of French during the The Hundred Years’ War. However French army has never come here. So today, more likely version is that the castle was built by Sussex Knight as his headquarters. The castle was inhabited until the 17th century, when it was during the civil war (which began in 1642), damaged in an attack by parliamentary troops. The roof has been destroyed which made it useless and non-recoverable. In 1664 thus became unoccupied and remained abandoned.

Fortunately, thanks to the sandstone, which was used as its building material, it has withstood the ravages of time and remained preserved until today. In 1919, Bodiam Castle was restored by Lord Curzon, who later gave it to the state.

Now the castle is open to the public and is one of the major attractions of the region. From the outside it looks perfectly intact and you will find also impressive interior remains which show you how the castle was equipped.


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