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Christ Church Choir Springfield, MAS. The Leader of the group is Peter Beardsley Web Link Hampton Court Palace
The grandest Tudor
residence in England. Built from 1514 onwards by Cardinal Wolsey as a
country home, he presented it to King Henry VIII in 1525 who continued to build
until 1540. Sir Christopher Wren added extra buildings from 1689 for King
William III and Queen Mary II. St. Albans
This ancient city, with
narrow, twisting streets was once one of the largest and most important Roman
towns in the country. The Abbey is visible from miles around. A
British settlement existed here prior to the Roman invasion of 54A.D. by the
middle of the 1st Century this settlement had become so important it was
elevated to the status of Municipium, the only British city to attain such an
honour, which accorded the inhabitants the right of Roman citizenship. The
remains of Verulamium were only excavated in the present century, parts of the
original city walls up to 12 feet thick can be seen. The Roman theatre
(only one in Britain) has been excavated and restored, semi circular in shapes
is 180 feet across and provided seats for over 1,600 people. St. Albans Cathedral
The Cathedral, St
Albans Abbey was built on the site where the first British Martyr, Alban was
beheaded in 209A.D. The existing Abbey was constructed by Paul of Caen
using materials collected from the ruined Roman city (brick and flint taken from
Roman remains) started in 1077 much of the original church remains today.
The church is over 900 years old but the materials used to build it are nearly
twice that age. The nave measures over 275 feet and is the longest in
Great Britain, the tower is 144 feet high constructed entirely by the Normans
with red bricks from the old Roman city. Windsor Dominated both in spirit and in fact, by its magnificent castle, yet the town itself is very attractive with Georgian and Victorian buildings, church street being one of its prettiest areas. The parish Church of St John stands in the High Street with railings designed by Grindling Gibbons. Nearby is the Guildhall designed at the end of the 17th Century by Sir Thomas Fitch and finished by Sir Christopher Wren. However it is the castle that made the town and still attracts thousands and thousands of visitors every year. Windsor Castle
The castle is the
largest inhabited castle in the world and covers over 13 acres. Its story
starts with William the Conqueror who quickly grasped its strategic position and
the advantage of a forest for hunting close by. Since then practically
every sovereign has had a hand in the building, Henry II put up the first stone
buildings including the round tower, but the defences are still those built by
Henry III. Edward III was born at Windsor and loved it, he enlarged the royal
apartments and founded the order of the Knights of the Garter, making Windsor a
centre for chivalry. The castle is made up of three parts, the lower ward,
which includes St George's chapel, the upper ward in which lie the state
apartments and the middle ward where the enormous round tower gives wonderful
views over 12 counties. St. George's Chapel, Windsor
A sumptuous and impressive
building which yet gives an effect of light and spaciousness. The
perpendicular chapel was begun by Edward IV in 1475 and completed in the reigns
of Henry VII and VIII. Many sovereigns and famous men and women lie buried
here, including Charles I, Henry VIII, Jane Seymour and the present Queens
Mother and father. Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert were also
buried at Windsor but in the royal mausoleum at Frogmore in Home Park near the
castle. Hatfield House
Built by Robert Cecil,
1st Earl of Salisbury in 1611. The state rooms are rich in paintings fine
furniture and Medieval armour, throughout the house are examples of superb
Jacobean Craftmanship. Take a stroll in the gardens where the surviving
wing of the old Royal Palace of Hatfield dated 1497 still stands.
Elizabeth I spent much of her childhood here and it is in the great hall where
she held her first council of state in 1558 after she inherited the throne on
the death of her sister Mary. The gardens date back to the 17th
Century and are considered by many to be some of the finest in Britain. Woburn Abbey
Built on the site of a
Cistercian Abbey, this superb 18th Century mansion stands in 3,000
acres of parkland where some 1,000 deer roam. Since 1574 it has been the
home of the Dukes of Bedford. It is presently occupied by the Marques &
Marchioness of Tavistock and their family. The house is complete with many
works of art in a collection consisting of Canaletto, Rembrandt, Van Dyck,
Reynolds and Gainsborough. In the Canaletto room are 21 views of Venice by
Antonio Canale. The collection is further enhanced by English and French
period furniture together with English, continental and oriental porcelain.
14 state apartments are on view and some private apartments when not in use by
the family. London the Capital City of England & the United Kingdom Within a few years of invading Britain in 43AD the Romans had built forts and towns across the land. They linked these outposts with a number of well constructed roads, some of which had to cross a wide tidal river (Thames). The Roman engineers eventually picked a crossing point from generally marshy ground on the South bank (with islands of firm ground) to an area on the North Bank situated on two low hills, these hills formed the highest and driest site on the tidal river. At this point the Romans built their bridge and before long a settlement grew up on the hills and then a City took shape, the Romans called it Londinium. The landscape that greeted the Romans now lies deep beneath the modern city, upto 8 metres deep, the reason, every new building over the past 2,000 years was built on top of the rubble of the old. London eye
Opened in January 2000 as a part of the Millennium celebrations it is 135mtrs
high and is the worlds highest observation wheel. The fourth tallest
structure in London. It is 35mtrs taller than Big Ben, 30 mtrs taller than St
Pauls, three times as high as Tower Bridge and a third taller than the Statue of
Liberty. The 360` rotation will take approx 30/35 minutes. The wheel
has 32 fully enclosed capsules holding up to 25 people each. From its highest
point passengers can see 25 miles in each direction on a clear day. 10 Downing Street
Has been the official
residence of the Prime Minister since Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime
Minister lived here in 1732. The street was named after its builder, Sir
George Downing. The iron gates were erected for security reasons in 1989. Buckingham Palace
Until the 18th Century the
original site was occupied by Buckingham House which was bought by George III in
1762. When George IV acceded the throne in 1820 he commissioned John Nash
to build a palace fit for a King on the same site. Much of the original
structure and decoration survives to this day. Cabinet War Rooms
In 1940 as the bombs rained
down on London, Winston Churchill, his Cabinet, his Chiefs of Staff and
intelligence chiefs were meeting below ground in a fortified basement in
Whitehall, later to be known as the Cabinet War Rooms. They offered
shelter in which to work, sleep and live for as long as necessary. When
the war ended the lights were switched off and the rooms left silent and
untouched for many years. The rooms were in operational use from 27th
August 1939 to the Japanese surrender in 1945 the war cabinet held more than 100
meetings in these somewhat cramped rooms. Without doubt some of the most
important decisions of the Second World War were taken here. Horse Guards Parade
The former tiltyard or
jousting field of Whitehall Palace, used for the ceremony of Trooping the Colour
each June to celebrate the Queens official birthday. The Horse Guards
building by which one enters the parade ground from the direction of Whitehall
was reconstructed in 1750 prior to which it was the gatehouse of the Palace of
Westminster. The horse mounted guards who stand duty under two archways
either side of the clock tower stand guard for just one hour at a time not all
day. The soldiers belong either to the Life Guards (red tunics & white
plumes) who formed the bodyguard for Charles I or the Royal Horse
Guards (blue with red plumes) who grew out of a regiment formed by Cromwell.
Both regiments now belong to the Household Cavalry which provides the Queens
Bodyguard on all state occasions. Houses of Parliament
The present building
occupies the site of the old Royal Palace. The oldest surviving part of
this palace is Westminster Hall (some of the walls dating back to 1097/99).
In 1840 Sir Charles Barry with the help of his eccentric assistant, Pugin began
building the neo Gothic new house which still graces Parliament Square.
Although it was badly bombed in 1941 the Commons Chamber was completely
destroyed, the new one was opened in 1950. As you look at the palace from
the square the commons are on the left and the lords on the right.
Standing a little to the left of the building is Westminster Hall. This
ancient hall is 290ft long, 68ft wide and 92ft high, it was built in 1097 by
William II and modernised by Richard II in 1399. It was here that Charles
I was condemned to death in 1649, Edward II abdicated in 1327, Oliver Cromwell
was installed as protector and the Guy Fawkes conspirators sentenced to death.
It was the centre of London life, a very public place in which to have sentence
passed. it remains lofty, beautiful, impressive and empty, the oldest part of
the palace and the most lovely. Westminster Abbey
The history of the
British Isles is linked to this one building, finished in the year 1065 it has
witnessed every coronation except Edward V & Edward VIII since 1066. Many
Kings, Queens and famous people lie buried within its walls, it is a unique
record of the British way of life. Covent Garden
Believed to have been
the Convent Garden of St Peters, Westminster, where the Monks sold surplus
vegetables. In 1638 the area was very residential developed by Indigo
Jones, with arcaded walks based on the Piazza D` Arme at Livorno. In 1671
by right of charter it became a small market which gradually filled the Piazza.
In 1830 the 6th Duke of Bedford rebuilt it in its present form. It became
the largest fruit, vegetable and flower market in the country. Since the
market moved South of the river the area has been redeveloped. Still
keeping the magnificent canopy and many of the buildings from the early 1800s.
the area is now well known for its restaurants, shops, market stalls and of
course the Royal Opera House. The Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London
Transport Museum, Theatre Museum and much, much more. Museum of London
Telling the story of London
from prehistoric times to the present day. Highlights include the Lord
Mayors Coach, together with artefacts, jewellery and furniture from all the
periods of occupation. Duxford
Europe’s top aviation
museum located at a former R.A.F. Battle of Britain fighter station. Over
140 historic aircraft from the First World War up to the present day including
the recently opened American museum. American War Cemetery
Commemorating the brave
American servicemen who gave their lives during the Second World War to help
keep this island and the rest of the world free. 8,312 are buried here
together with a memorial to the 5,126 missing in action. Never let us
forget their help and ultimate sacrifice in helping to keep our island home free
from those across the water who wish to subjugate us into their world which we
are not part. Their sacrifice must be a lesson to us all to never drop our
guard, no matter how sweet the music sounds. Cambridge
Cambridge is one of the
most important and beautiful towns not only in East Anglia, but also in Britain
and even Europe. The quality of its buildings in particular those
belonging to the University and the particular atmosphere caused by the
felicitous combination of river and gardens have given the city a place in the
itinerary of every visitor to this country. The history of Cambridge began
many hundreds of years before the first college was founded, a Celtic settlement
had arise on Castle Hill 100 years prior to the Roman conquest. At the
foot of the hill was a ford across the River Cam. It is thought the Romans
built a bridge here. The site of Cambridge became of great strategic and
commercial importance. With the departure of the Romans the town continued
to spread to its present position on the East Anglian side of the river.
The coming of the Normans only increased expansion they even rebuilt the Castle.
Then in the 13th Century saw the founding of the first Cambridge College,
Peterhouse College, established in 1281 by the Bishop of Ely and moving to its
own hostels in 1284. So was established the first College and the
consequent increase in the importance of the city as a seat of learning and a
centre of communal life. Kings College, Cambridge
One of the most
outstanding buildings in Britain and the finest Gothic building in Europe.
It was begun in 1446. its unusual dimensions, 300ft long, 80ft high and 40ft
wide, prepare the visitor for its extraordinary system of spatial relationships.
The effect of the interior is breathtaking. the shafts on either side of the
chapel lead the eye up into the roof where the profusion of delicate fan
vaulting appears to be made of lace rather than stone. The organ case
(1606), screen and choir stalls (1536) stained glass windows (1515 incidentally
the year the chapel was completed) act as a perfect foil to the magnificent
roof. Does this give meaning to look upwards to heaven for the splendours
that are above. Canterbury
A very ancient city
with more than 2,000 years of history and the site of Canterbury Cathedral.
There were Belgic settlements here pre-Roman time and Julius Caesar took the
area by storm in 54B.C. after their conquest in 43A.D. the Romans established a
centre here called Durovernum. In 597 St Augustine arrived on his mission
to spread Christianity in England and built his first cathedral. Something
like half the Medieval walls which encircled the old city on the Eastern side
still remain. They date from the 13th & 14th Centuries, they were partly
built on Roman remains. Canterbury Cathedral
The Cathedral of course
dominates the city, the original was built by St Augustine but nothing remains.
In fact nothing pre-Conquest does remain. A little while after the
Conquest a new Cathedral was built by Lanfranc, the first Norman Archbishop.
Since that time there have been many additions, the oldest remaining part of the
Cathedral is the crypt dating from 1100. Only one English monarch is
buried here, Henry IV, who lies with his Queen Joan in Trinity Chapel. The
tomb of Edward, the Black Prince is close by and described by many as the most
magnificent in England. In Trinity chapel you will also find the shrine of
St Thomas a Becket, Archbishop from 1162-1170 when he was murdered by four
knights of Henry II after a long and bitter feud. The nave completed in
the early 15th Century is 187ft in length, 71ft in width and 79ft in height.
The tall central bell tower which dominates the external views of the cathedral
dates back to 1498 and is certainly one of earliest large brick structures in
England. Viewed from inside all but the top 50ft is visible. 130ft
above the floor level is the magnificent fan vaulted ceiling, the South window
is a splendid example of 12th Century art and the whole Cathedral is alive with
stained glass, despite the Civil War and the Second World War damage. Rochester
City with a
long history. There were probably Prehistoric and certainly Celtic
settlements. The Romans established an important base here which they
called Durobrivae here where their road crossed the Medway. When the
Romans had left these shores the Anglo Saxons came and they called the area
Hrofesceaster. William the conqueror built a castle here. In the High
Street stands the Guildhall dating back to 1687.close by is the Corn Exchange.
Further on down the street are two interesting old hotels the bull built approx
400 years ago, Dickens definitely stayed here and the hotel was featured in
Pickwick Papers and as the Blue Boar of Great Expectations, it is also rumoured
that Queen Victoria stayed here. The other hotel the George is circa
1600 and stands on the remains of an old church. The vault dates back to 1325. Rochester Cathedral Englands
second oldest Cathedral
started in 604AD. The present building dates back to 1080AD and was started by
Bishop Gundulf.
The glorious Norman architecture of the nave, parts of the crypt, as well as one
of the finest Romanesque facades in England, make this an inspirational place to
visit. The Cathedral is blessed with some fine examples of later Gothic styles
as well as the magnificent 14th century Chapter Library door. Hidden from view
(although it can be viewed by special appointment) is one of the oldest doors in
England. Rochester Castle
Guards the river crossing of
the Medway. It was close to here that the Romans first built their fort to
protect the crossing. The present castle was started in 1087 by Bishop
Gundolf and is thought to be one of the finest preserved examples of Norman
architecture in England. The great keep measures 113feet high, 70 feet square
and walls of 12feet thick. The castle has been subject to siege 3 times
and was partly demolished by King John in 1215 when he undermined the South East
tower.
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