Travel Goddess

Jun 12 2008

Enjoy a Vacation in England 3

WEST OF LONDON
Much more ancient is prehistoric Stonehenge, near Salisbury and the Regency town of Bath. Stonehenge is a giant circle of huge stones which dates back at least 5000 years. Marvel and wonder at this overwhelming sight, then decide on your answer to the eternal question: how did they build it? Some of the stones come from a special quarry in Wales over 150 miles away.
Bath is a remarkable Regency town which you will probably recognize from many BBC costume dramas. It has been immortalized in the works of Jane Austen, just as Dorset has been in the works of Thomas Hardy, and Cornwall in the Poldark novels of Winston Graham. Fans of any of these novelists will be delighted to learn that little of the countryside has changed.
Lyme Regis, south of the Bath, is a charming seaside town made famous in the novel Persuasion, and revisited in the French Lieutenant’s Woman. The undercliff is spectacular and has the most fascinating Jurrasic fossils.
Glastonbury is a remarkable town with an incredibly well preserved Abbey and tower atop its imposing hill, known as Glastonbury Tor. It has many associations with King Arthur, and is said to be one of the most haunted towns in England. It has also become a center for new age culture due to the legends, and is quite remarkable for such a small rural hamlet in somerset.
Just north of it travelling back towards Bristol and Bath is the cathedral town of Wells, very old, with a charming museum and regular farmer’s market. Not far away is the famous town of Cheddar, so if you are a cheese lover, you won’t want to miss it. If you are inclined to hike, there is the spectacular Cheddar Gorge.
Traveling still further along the welsh border is the lovely cathedral town of Worcester (pronounced WOOSter) and Ludlow, with its impressive castle. Still north again is Liverpool, once a bustling seaport, now mainly famous for its associations with the Beatles.