Savvy Sightseer - tips and insights for seasoned travelers!
Mysterious stone formation believed to be standing for 5000 years.
Regularly this picturesque town is named one of England's prettiest.
At noon daily, Tuesday through Saturday, Chester's Town Crier rings a bell and bellows to summer visitors "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez" standing at the High Cross. Also called the Market Cross, it is positioned at the junction of the old town's three main streets, once a busy marketplace. Parts of it date back to the 1300s.
Peak District Beauty
Northern England
The Peak District
In the north midlands is a distinctive area of England, within a one-hour drive for some 20 million locals. It's where you'll find Bakewell and Chatsworth House - a landscape and regal home that inspired Jane Austen for the setting of her epic romance novels with timeless appeal. It's also a naturalist's version of heaven that led to England’s version of the Appalachian Trail, called the Pennine Way, being established in the country's first national park - the second most visited one on the globe! Eyam residents inspired the world with an unselfishness that saved their neighbors from certain death. Buxton is the region's version of the south's Bath spa town, with its own take on the Royal Crescent. Its healing waters treated ailments of peasants as well as royalty - Mary, Queen of Scots, was a regular. And then there's the striking blue and yellow gemstone that can only be mined in the Castleton area.
Back in the 6th century a tribe of Anglo Saxons took up residence in England’s upper midland’s lush valleys, daunting moors, caverns and rocky outcroppings. They became known as the Pecsaetan, or Peak Dwellers, although there aren’t actually sharp peaks – it’s highest point, Kinder Scout, just barely qualifies as a mountain under UK geologic guidelines. Rather the area could be considered more as a group of rounded hills.
The Peak District reportedly has some of the purest natural mineral water in the world; today’s pristine output started as rain some 5,000 years ago and was naturally filtered as it seeped through porous rock. That pure natural resource is definitely not taken for granted by Peak District residents, who celebrate and give thanks for it every year during Well Dressing season. From May to September, the wells in each village are decorated, or dressed, with elaborate pictures, a practice only celebrated in the Peak District. Another activity unique to Britain is Morris Dancing, a form of traditional English folk dancing by colorful characters.
Parts of five counties make up the Peak District; the largest contributor is Derbyshire. Not far from the heart of the Peak District region is Nottingham, home to a legend known the world over - Robin Hood. Did he evade the law in the City of Caves, a labyrinth of up to 800 caves under the city center?
Click the slide shows before for scenes from this stunning section of England.
Troupe takes their show on the road throughout Derbyshire during the summer.
Spa bath town modeled after Bath's Royal Crescent.
The complex, deep below ground, proved ideal for absorbing the impact of WWII bombs. Thousands of citizens huddled safely in the 86 caves that had been converted into air raid shelters in the 1940s.
Troupe takes their show on the road throughout Derbyshire during the summer.
Around the Peak District
The Duke of Devonshire’s extensive property is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area – the manor home, known as Chatsworth, is sure to be recognized by fans of author Jane Austen - it's the film home of Mr. Darcy.
The elaborate main hall was designed to welcome and impress guests; the house boasts one of Europe’s most significant private art collections.
Legend holds the town's signature hit pastry was created by mistake when a cook at The Rutland Arms messed-up a jam tart recipe in 1820.
The Duke of Devonshire’s extensive property is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area – the manor home, known as Chatsworth, is sure to be recognized by fans of author Jane Austen - it's the film home of Mr. Darcy.
Chatsworth Estate and Bakewell
Chester
Once a primary outpost of the Roman Empire, Chester was a frontrunner to be England’s capital city. Superbly situated on a thriving port, and a prime point for launching an attack on Ireland, Chester was a strategic Roman strongpoint from the 1st through 5th centuries AD. A symbol of its importance that survives today is its formidable defensive wall that circled and protected the city. Stretching over two miles, it is the most complete vestige of Roman walls still existing, albeit with some reconstruction done by the Normans. A walk on it gives striking views of the city and its many reminders this was one of the most important military bases in the Roman Empire. From the ramparts, remains of the largest Roman amphitheater in Britain, which could hold more than 7,000 people, show where soldiers of the 20th Legion stationed were trained, and gladiators entertained onlookers. Remnants of Roman baths, with an ingenious underfloor heating system, or hypocaust, surrounded by gardens remind 21st century visitors that early Romans were a sophisticated lot. The fort was eventually abandoned to consolidate forces closer to the empire’s base, but Chester continued to flourish as a prime fishing port and wealthy trading center until its main waterway, the River Dee, silted up in the mid 17th century. Over time the town repositioned itself as a destination for the leisured classes and an historic cathedral city, with tourism becoming its main economic base. Chester, one of the UK's oldest cities, is rapidly becoming a chief tourist destination, regularly setting new records for number of visitors.
The Cathedral at Chester offers many different experiences, both in the church, and inside the church! With soaring stained glass windows, stunning carvings, amazing artistry, and a history spanning thousands of years, it is no surprise Chester Cathedral is listed as one of the most visited sights in northwest England.
The real treat at Chester Cathedral is behind its walls. Inaccessible to the general public for over 1000 years, the Cathedral now welcomes visitors to explore its “secret places.” They can follow in the steps of monks from hundreds of years ago as they climbed up and down the 216-step spiral stone staircase. Going along the narrow catwalk, a stunningly painted ceiling can be seen close up – while guests hear the surprising news that it was once all black. A workman discovered the hidden treasure when he brushed up against it and saw what lay beneath the blackness. The bell tower is not the pinnacle of a visit, that treat is another flight up – to the roof, where views stretch well beyond the pretty town of Chester below.
Chester is also unique in that it is instantly recognizable for its unusual black and white half-timbered buildings and two-tiered shopping arcades dating back to the late 13th century.
Click the slide show below to take a little tour of pretty and historic Chester!
The two-mile walk gives striking views of the city.
The Roman amphitheater, which had seats for thousands of spectators, is the largest in the country. Only about half of the arena has been excavated and it’s believed to date back as far as 280AD.
Stephen Broadbent's sculpture in the Cloister Garden of Chester Cathedral depicts Jesus and a Samaritan Woman sharing a bowl overflowing with water.
The two-mile walk gives striking views of the city.
Lake District
Poet William Wordsworth was so moved by the region, he called it "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found."
Panoramic views and the mountains of Helvellyn and High Seat provide a perfect backdrop for exploring the ancient stones, which experts say have been here for 5000 years.
No mortar used - just skill to keep these walls intact.
Poet William Wordsworth was so moved by the region, he called it "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found."
It is doubtful a single region has inspired more poets, authors, artists, environmentalists, thrill seekers and nature lovers than England’s Lake District. Aesthetically unmatched, the more than half-million acres of the national park draw upwards of 17 million visitors a year. Pictures of its rolling hills and towering mountains, lakes (or meres/waters as they are also called), rich fields, forests and cottage towns don’t come close to experiencing these in person. Poet William Wordsworth was so moved by the region, he called it "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found." Children’s author Beatrix Potter set her adventures for Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny in the fields and gardens she so loved near Windermere, the longest lake in the district as well as all of England. Her fear that development could ruin the area led her to become a fierce conservationist. She used profits from her popular stories to buy land - 4,000 acres of countryside and farms – which she bequeathed to the National Trust for preservation and as a grazing ground for her beloved Herdwick sheep.
The Lake District is not a newfound discovery – evidence points to it being an active place as far back as Neolithic times! Amid a mysterious group of standing stones the near Keswick, axes and other farm tools from the period have been discovered. No one is quite sure of the significance of the Castlerigg Stone Circle, or any of the many other groves of stones throughout Great Britain, but experts date its existence as far back as 5000 years, about as old as the more famous Stonehenge megaliths farther south on the Salisbury Plain. With a dramatic backdrop of mountains, Castlerigg stands majestically. It spans almost 100-feet in diameter, contains around 40 stones and was laid out very deliberately with an entrance configured on its north side. What isn’t known, though, is what exact purpose this monument, or others like it, served. Some experts speculate it could have been a trading place or a center of religious worship for Neolithic peoples.
The Lake District was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2017 as a “place of international importance.” Certainly, it is a place that should be on everyone’s bucket list!
Click the slideshow above to enter the Lake District!
Continue your trip through Great Britain with a visit to Scotland, The Outlander Effect, Wales or England Main Page, South England, the Cotswolds or back to the Great Britain home page. Go to the Recipes page for English Carrot & Coriander Soup.
