England is a most beautiful and wonderful nation to visit for a vacation. There are a great many visitor attractions well worth a visit perfectly suited for all tastes. There is the ancient city of York which has been inhabited since the days of the Romans, Torquay (which is widely known as the English Riviera) and Liverpool (which won the title of European City of Culture in 2008). One place to visit that should not be missed is London the capital city of the U. K.
London is an amazing city to visit, possibly just for a weekend or, hopefully for longer. You would be surprised at how many folk who reside in the United Kingdom who have never visited London, this is especially surprising when you are mindful of the fact it is commonly top of the vast majority of visitors lists (of places they enjoyed most).
There are so many things to see and do in London that it is almost impossible to recall them all at once. Surprisingly one of the newest attractions in London also happens to be one of the most popular – The London Eye. Another popular attraction nearby to the London Eye is the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. However, one place which must not be missed is Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace is England’s most well known Royal residence, possibly because it is home to Queen Elizabeth II of England. The Palace is to be found right in the very center of London which makes it the perfect focus for visitors. The daily pageant of ‘Changing of the Guard’ is interesting to watch and ever so English.
Buckingham Palace was originally known as Buckingham House. It was originally a large town house, constructed in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. It is actually the townhouse which forms the main core of the palace as we are familiar with today.
Over the subsequent 3 quarters of a century Buckingham House was made larger by the addition of 3 wings creating a central courtyard. The main architects responsible for these constructions were John Nash and Edward Blore. John Nash was also responsible for the interior design of the monumental staterooms.
The famous architect Aston Webb was responsible for the creation of the principal facade of Buckingham Palace which, in 1912, he re-designed. Webb together with the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock were the winners of a competition to design a memorial to Queen Victoria. This memorial still exists today.
The Queen has many other royal residences other than Buckingham Palace. Each and every year the Queen stays, at Sandringham House in Norfolk, during the Christmas period. Sandringham House is actually privately owned by the Queen (classed as a private royal residence.
A further private residence is Balmoral Castle, in Royal Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Queen Elizabeth was in residence at Balmoral Castle when she was told of the tragic accident involving Princess Diana.
If you would like to take a vacation in England you might be surprised to discover that it is possible to find a cheap London hotel without too much difficulty, on the other hand you may wish to reside in more luxurious accommodation and the fine selection of boutique hotels in London should more than satisfy.
