His lavish spending was legendary – both before and after he succeeded to the Crown – and turned a small, innocuous village called Brighthelmstone into what today is one of the south coast’s most famous resorts.

Brighton Royal Pavilion, UK by Dominic Alves

Brighton, previously a sleepy backwater in Sussex, caught the Prince’s eye in 1783 when he paid a visit to his uncle, the Duke of Cumberland. A year later he returned and rented a farmhouse on the nearby Steine, and before long had started work on what was to become the crème de la crème of Georgian opulence.

No Expense Spared

Brighton Pavilion was a no-expense-spared, oriental masterpiece, a medley of Chinese, Indian and Turkish-inspired architecture with domes, minarets and cupolas more reminiscent of a religious temple than a British palace.

Designed by Henry Holland and later the renowned architect John Nash – with a banqueting room that alone cost more than £1/2 a million – it didn’t take long for the flighty Hanoverian to become bored with the whole scenario.

Three years before his death he abandoned Brighton, preferring to spend what was left of his short reign at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace.

His brother William IV, and later his successor Queen Victoria also had little affinity with the great Georgian edifice, and so Brighton Pavilion remained a very expensive and unloved monument to royal extravagance.

What Else to See

The South Downs are a walkers’ paradise…and historians too will thrill to places like Bignor Roman Villa with its unique mosaics a reminder of Britain nearly 2,000 years ago.

This is one of the largest villas ever discovered, after lying buried until being unearthed by a farmer’s plough 200 years ago.

At Brightling, an eccentric squire called John Fuller was responsible for six genuine follies that still survive today.

Prince Regent Royal Pavilion, Brighton, UK by Dominic Alves

There’s an obelisk, an observatory, a cone, a temple, round tower and pyramid…all paying homage to not only their creator’s eccentric streak, but his philanthropy as well.

‘Mad Jack’ as he was known, had a passionate interest in astronomy, but equally wanted to keep the native population in employment as the local iron industry waned.

His mausoleum is the 26-foot high pyramid in Brightling Churchyard.

More recently, the famous Bloomsbury Group of artists made Charleston Farmhouse their headquarters…and in the early years of the 1900s they descended en masse to cover every door, fireplace, bedstead and bookcase with their artwork.

This frozen-in-time country home has been preserved for modern-day visitors to enjoy, partly re-created to portray life there in the 1950s.

Nicki Williams is a copy writer for Gear-Zone, where you’ll find everything you need to explore Britain, from essential waterproof clothing to hiking boots, camping gear and travel accessories.

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Streets in Chester, UK by Christopher John SSF

Wander the city walls

When you first get to Chester, one of the best ways to get your bearings is to take the 3km walk around the city walls. Erected during the Roman period for defensive purposes, the city walls give Chester its nickname of “The Walled City”. Although Chester’s walls have been rebuilt during their history, they form the most complete city walls of any British city. As you walk the walls you can be stood in the spot where history was made – for instance, King Charles observed a civil war battle from the walls – and take in the structures incorporated into the walls; you will probably be familiar with pictures of the Eastgate Clock, built to celebrate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee. If you are keen to learn more about Chester’s history, join one of the guided tours of the walls, to find out more about its interesting past. For anyone with limited mobility who would like to see the whole city, a tour aboard the only remaining operating open top vintage bus from 1924 comes well recommended.

Visit Chester’s cathedral

There has been a church on the spot where the cathedral stands for the last 1000 years – initially a Saxon minster before the Benedictine abbey was built. As you walk round this impressive building, you can marvel at the Norman arches, Gothic columns, wood carvings and stained glass windows. Chester’s cathedral is one of the best examples of a Medieval monastery in England and the garden in the cloisters is equally splendid, hosting ferns, exotic bulbs, springtime flowers, majestic trees and herbs. The plants themselves are not the only attraction, but the way in which the cathedral garden is designed and the “Water of Life” sculpture by Stephen Broadbent that is sited there.

Chester’s Cathedral, UK by David Merrett

Sit in the amphitheatre

Located near the River Dee, Chester’s amphitheatre is the largest in Britain. In 2004 and 2005 excavation by English Heritage and Chester City Council uncovered two amphitheatres made of stone. In one, access to the upper seats is by way of stairs at the rear wall, while in the other the seats in higher tiers were reached by vaulted staircases. The two buildings not only differ from each other, but from other British amphitheatres indicating how important Roman Chester was. Various musical and theatrical events are periodically hosted at the amphitheatre, so if you are lucky enough, you might be able to coincide your trip with one of these performances. Discover more about Roman Chester at the Grosvenor Museum, where you can also learn about the local natural history and geology, as well as home life from the seventeenth century to the early twentieth century and art work.

Potter along The Rows

The Rows are unique to Chester. They are part-timbered balconies, which give rise to a second row of shops above those at ground level. You can find these second level shops along Watergate Street, Northgate Street, Eastgate Street and Bridge Street. If you are looking to buy something more unusual for yourself or a gift, you are likely to find exactly what you are after in the many independent stores located in The Rows. Also take the time for a coffee or lunch at one of the cafes in The Rows, before you set off to explore the rest of the city.

Claire writes about city planning and architecture on behalf of a landlord and property advice news site, Pro Buy To Let where thousands of landlords come every month for the latest news on property hot spots around the UK. Chester is surely one of those.

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Battersea Power Station

Battersea Power Station is made up of two power stations, named A and B, and remains the largest brick building in the Europe. The first power station was built just before world war two, and the second power station became operational in 1953. Until 1983, Battersea Power Station was used as a coal-fired generator of electricity. It is a Grade II listed building and was designed by architects Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and Theo J. Halliday. Art deco fittings in the control room of A station displayed the influence of Halliday. It was recently purchased and will be redeveloped as a multi-purpose housing complex – although a mandate remains that the facade and any listed part must be maintained.

Photo of Battersea Power Station, London, UK by Aurelien Guichard

BBC Broadcasting House

Broadcasting House is the home of the world renowned British Broadcasting Corporation. Designed in an art deco style, work on the building began in 1932, and was completed in two years. The building’s exterior was designed by George Val Myer, with help from M T Tudsbery, who was a civil engineer employed by the BBC. The interior of the building was designed by Raymond McGrath. Currently, Broadcasting House is being renovated and is home to Radio 3 and Radio 4.

Photo of BBC Broadcasting House, London, UK by keriluamox

Claridge’s

Claridge’s is one of the most famous luxury hotels in London, and opened in 1812, when it was originally called Mivart’s Hotel. The Claridge family purchased the hotel in 1854. A visit by Queen Victoria boosted Claridge’s reputation as an elite hotel, and it has had entertained an exclusive host of guests down the years. The original Claridge’s hotel was replaced in 1898 by George Trollope & Sons. Claridge’s was to become recognised as a fine example of art deco style, when Basil Ionides re-designed both the hotel’s restaurant and some of its suites in the 1920s.

Photo of Claridge’s, London, UK by Ewan Munro

OXO Tower

Built in the late 1800s, the Oxo Tower’s origins were as a power station. It obtained its current name after being bought by the manufacturers of the Oxo cube, the Liebig Extract of Meat Company. The original building was radically redesigned by Albert Moore in the late 1920s, when, notably, the word ‘Oxo’ was spelt out by the two circles and cross design. It was designed in a way that reflected the popularity of art deco at the time. It was in the 1990s that the Oxo Tower became used as a multi-purpose building that included shops, a restaurant, space for exhibitions, and even housing.

Photo of OXO Tower, London, UK by ChrisO

Royal Institute of British Architects

Home of the Royal Institute of British Architects, architect George Grey Wornum designed the Portland Place art deco building, which was opened in 1934 by King George V and Queen Mary. Wornum’s design was deemed to have been the best out of 3,600 submitted entries. It is a Grade II listed building, and the general public have access to the library and exhibition galleries. Also included in the building is a restaurant, cafe and bookshop. For any fan of Art Deco style, this building is not to be missed.

Photo of Royal Institute of British Architects, London, UK by Oxyman

Wandering the streets of London is a great way to experience the myriad of styles dotted all over the city – and Art Deco lovers have plenty to feast their eyes on.

Mike is a freelance writer who loves exploring the architecural feats of the great city of London. Mike is currently writing on behalf of Claridge’s hotel – a world famous luxury hotel who also offer private dining.

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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 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 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 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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Oxford Castle / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Douglas Neiner

This summer in cities and towns all over the UK there will be fanfares, bunting and street parties to join in the momentous landmark as Britain’s second longest serving monarch – Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years, seven months and three days. If you’re planning to celebrate the Jubilee it might be worth joining in with the festivities in one of the Britain’s famous and historic towns.

What about Oxford?

Founded in the 9th century the town has some of the most important history in England. The university is nearly 850 years old and is now one of the most revered educational institutions in the world. The town became the haven of the king during the 1642 civil war; England’s first coffee house was opened here in 1651; and it was in Oxford that Roger Bannister in 1954 became the first person to run a mile in under four minutes, which will surely be celebrated in a couple of years time.

As well at the famous landmarks such as St Magdalen Bridge and the historic university buildings, the city will be alive with Jubilee events. The council is encouraging local people to host street parties, but on Monday 4th June the Lord Mayor’s Jubilee Party will be at Gloucester Green from 12 noon until 6pm so decorate your bike, hat, child’s pram or buggy and win a prize!

St Magdalen Bridge / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by David Lisbona

The whole celebration centres on a “1950s then and now” theme, with live music and stalls to keep everyone occupied. At the end of that week on Saturday 9th June is the Diamond Jubilee Mela where you can enjoy live music, dance groups, fashion shows, food stalls, face painting and loads more things for the whole family at Oxford Spires Academy. Tickets cost £3 each but you can contact them for more information here.

A number hotels in Oxford such as The Randolph have special Diamond Jubilee offers with commemorative treats for their guests. Oxford is at the centre of a beautiful county of stunning villages and towns, and if you stay here you can use it as a base of operations for exploring the outlying areas and there are loads of Jubilee events to tickle your fancy.

Bicester Town Centre

On Saturday 2nd June: from 5pm to 10.30pm there is a Beer Festival and Fireworks in Garth Park. The following day on the 3rd there’s a street party which is hoped to be one of the biggest in the country. And on Monday 4th June is the Bicester Jubilee Carnival 10 to 7.30pm which is guaranteed to be a delight for the whole family.

Jubilee Jitterbug at Watlington

On Saturday 2nd June The Hall is the location for a 1950s style dance where a costume is practically mandatory! They do suggest you book in advance, but it will be totally worth it to get your groove on.

Finstock Jubilee BBQ

Also on the Food, music and games sounds perfect, doesn’t it? This fewat of fun must surely epitomise the community spirit of the celebrations when the folk of three villages (Ramsden, Finstock, Wilcote) come together in the true spirit of community.

Big Lunch at Oxford Castle

Who doesn’t love a picnic? Pack your basket and take yourself to the Castleyard and share your food with the residents of Oxford from 12 noon until 3pm on Sunday 3rd June. Break bread with friendly strangers and enjoy the family entertainment.

There are so many things you can do in Oxford over the Jubilee Celebrations, but whatever you choose have a wonderful time.

Catherine Halsey writes for a digital marketing agency on a range of subjects. This article links back to The Randolph.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Tomas Maltby

Originally there was a town called Bristelmestune situated on the territory of today’s Brighton, but was completely burned down in 1514 by French pirates. The first known finding of the new city of Brighton comes from 1545. In the years 1740 – 1750 there was a local doctor who started to prescribe local sea water as a medicine to their patients, which initiated the future of Brighton as a treatment center. In 1780 began the construction of Regency terraces and originally insignificant fishing village soon became a popular seaside resort. In 1841 the town was made accessible by rail, which brought the first tourists to Brighton from London. During the Victorian era was managed the construction of many important buildings, which raised population and area of ​​the city began to expand rapidly. Brighton has currently about 250 thousand inhabitants.

Now, it is young and dynamic city offering all the benefits of modern life. Brighton is a major educational center with two universities and many schools. From time immemorial it attracted actors, artists and lords, who fled here from the hustle and bustle of the capital city of London. Good location of Brighton was appreciated also by an English Queen Victoria, who built a summer residence here in 1850. For some period of time it was also a home to Sir Laurence Olivier.

Walking through the city is ideal mainly for romantic souls who will be enchanted by the picturesque nooks and winding streets. The most important and most visited monument in Brighton is undoubtedly the majestic Royal Pavilion, with its extravagance which ranked among the most beautiful buildings, not only in England but also throughout Europe. The palace is notable especially for its architecture inspired by India and interior design in the oriental style. History of the Royal Pavilion dates back to 1785. It was a time when the Prince of Wales rented a fort in Brighton. It was a place where he used to meet with his mistress, later wife Maria Fitzherbert. In 1785, they got married secretly, but the Anglican Church never officially recognized and accepted it.

In addition to the Royal Pavilion, there is another very popular attraction in Brighton – Palace Pier. It is a late Victorian pier from 1899, where you can find funny attractions, classic fairground attraction, as well as cafes and boutiques. You can also visit the aquarium Sea Life Centre, the largest in southern England, where you can walk along the seabed. There are sharks and various sea animals that live in local waters. It is worth to visit also a former fishing district Lanes or lookout point The Cliff Walk situated high on the cliffs above the sea.

In Brighton, you can also find the oldest operating electric railway in the world – Volk’s Electric Railways, which was built in 1883. Runs along the inner edge of the beach from Brighton Pier to Black Rock. One of the oldest buildings in the city is the Old Ship Hotel from 1559, but also the Church of St. Nicholas from the 11th century and church of St. Bartholomew.

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Don’t go expecting to be able to take home one of the Queen’s pillows as a keepsake either, as the private quarters of the royal family are out of bounds to visitors, but many thousands of people each year make a trip to London just to get the chance to enter Buckingham Palace.

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In a city where many of the buildings are centuries old, it may surprise some people that the palace itself only dates back to 1705, though that is considerably longer than the Dubai hotels that seek to replicate the Palace’s grandeur. King George III acquired it later in the 18th century for his wife, Queen Charlotte, but it was not an official royal palace until Queen Victoria took the throne in 1837.

Over the years, the building has been extended. Though the core of the building remains largely unchanged, it was enlarged by architects Edward Blore and John Nash by the addition of three wings around a central courtyard.

If there’s one feature of Buckingham Palace known better than any other, it is the balcony on which members of the Royal Family gather to greet crowds. Many millions of TV viewers around the world will remember the balcony as the scene for famous kisses following royal weddings – that of Prince Charles and the Princess of Wales in 1981 and Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge in April 2011.

One of the most used rooms in Buckingham Palace is the Ballroom, built in 1854. It is the largest room in the building, and one used for investitures, including the conferring of knighthoods, as well as state banquets.

For those lucky enough to receive an invitation, one of the greatest sights in London happens every November when the Queen entertains members of the foreign diplomatic corps, who get to dine off gold plate.

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Carisbrooke Castle is located in a strategically advantageous small hill. In the castle grounds were found remnants of a building of 3rd century, which had Roman style. In the 10th century, the fortification was built around the hills to protect from attacks of the Vikings. In the 11th century, the Normans used this fortification and built a strong castle. Over the next few centuries, the castle was extended and gradually grew.

The last descendant of the Redvers family, Countess Isabella, sold the Carisbrooke Castle to King Edward I in 1293, and so the castle became a royal property. The constant fear of French or Spanish invasions forced more and more owners to build more and more stronger castle. In 1601, a strong fortification has been completed. But there was never any assault occurred at Carisbrooke. Therefore, the castle was used as prison. The most famous prisoner was King Charles I, who was imprisoned for nearly a year here, and at least twice he tried to escape. Charles I was finally executed in London on the 30th January 1649.

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Carisbrooke Castle was the seat of governor of the island until 1944.

Today the castle houses an exhibition on the history of the Isle of Wight. Museum was first opened in 1898 by Princess Beatrice, who was the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria. Her husband became governor of the island, and after his death, Beatrice took over this function. She opened the museum in memory of her husband. The first exhibition was dedicated to King Charles I. In the 20 century, the collection gradually grew to archaeological finds on the island and another, mainly medieval artifacts. Visitors will love the beautiful and colorful garden of Princess Beatrice. In 2009 a garden was restored.

Donkeys at the castle
For hundreds of years, donkeys helped get water to the Carisbrooke Castle, so you can also see the demonstrations of the donkeys at work here.

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