Vacations In Nottingham, England
Bring to mind Nottingham and the majority of visitors bring to mind the legend of Robin Hood, his band of merry men, Sherwood Forest and the Sherrif of Nottingham and even though the legend attracts increasing numbers of people each and every year there is a great deal more to the area than you may have thought. Infact the city of Nottingham is home to a respectable number of great local attractions making it an excellent base for a vacation and the article below takes a close look at the city and a small selection of attractions in, and close to, Nottingham, as well as some places offering Nottingham B&B.
Nottingham is located in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England, Great Britain. As well as the legend of Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham, the city is also associated with the lace business especially during the period of the Industrial Revolution when it gained a worldwide reputation.
The Lace Market
At one time the center of the worldwide lace industry, at the peak of the British Empire, Nottingham's Lace Market is, today, a protected heritage area. It features many fine examples of Nineteenth Century industrial architecture. The market wasn't like a normal market area, instead of having salesmen and stall, the lace market was a number of salesrooms and warehouses displaying and selling lace. After the collapse in the lace industry the market became derelict however, today, most of the fine warehouses have been restored and renovated for residential use and other purposes such as photographic studios and similar. The Lace Market is a popular tourist attraction.
Galleries of Justice & Shire Hall
Not a great distance from the Lace Market is the Galleries of Justice situated in Shire Hall. Shire Hall is a Georgian-built civic building which features Neoclassical pilasters, columns and dome. The facade has, if you examine it carefully, a spelling error Goal rather than Gaol. The Hall has 2 excellently preserved courtrooms from the Victorian period and bath house, a women's prison, old cells, an Edwardian police station and a prisoner's exercise yard.
Nottingham is a great place to take a vacation. You will find lots to see and do within the city and an selection number of visitor attractions within easy reach. Nearby places well worth a visit include; Wollaton Hall, Newstead Abbey and Hardwick Hall.
As is common in all B&B in England, accommodation in Nottingham is commonly extremely good at a reasonable rate and many visitors choose to stay in Nottingham for part of their vacation and then elsewhere for the remaining days.
Fantastic Vacations And The City Of York
Increasing numbers of people are deciding to take local vacations this coming year. For the majority of us the decision is to cut costs but is this the correct decision or a terrible mistake? Often many of us overlook the many local tourist attractions and yet they are commonly brilliant and far better than those we see somewhere else. Folk resident in the United Kingdom have a tremendous list of vacation destinations each having a massive collection of top class visitor attractions to visit. In this article I describe the English city of York and York hotel accommodation.
The city of York is found in the north of England and was, a great many years ago, the capital of northern England. With such an ancient city it will not come as a great surprise to discover a huge selection of incredibly old buildings, however you may not expect the breathtaking sight of the 12th century Gothic masterpiece of York Minster.
The first incarnation of York Minster was a humble wood building in which the Northumbrian King Edwin was, in the 7th century, baptised. It wasn’t until the eleventh century that the earliest sunstantial construction made from stone appeared on the site. Constructed by Thomas of Bayeux, a Norman Archbishop it was extended by Archbishop Roger who constructed a north transept and a south transept. After many more additions and alterations it was declared complete and consecrated in the year 1472. Inside features the world’s biggest medieval stained glass window. York has many other places to visit including; the Jorvik Viking Centre, Barley Hall, the Roman Bath Museum, the National Railway Museum and Fairfax House.
On top of all of the awesome historic and ancient visitor attractions mentioned above, the city of York is a superb city in which to party the night away or enjoy live music. It that doesn’t excite you then you could spend the evening in a pub there are certainly masses to choose from, to name but a few; The Bluebell Inn, The Minster Inn, The Royal Oak, The Bluebell Inn and the Slug and Lettuce, and, lastly, the Black Swan. Of them all the Black Swan is more than likely the most appealing with a friendly atmosphere and sometimes having live music.
B&B Accommodation In York
As in most UK cities you will discover a massive selection of bed and breakfast accommodation in York ranging from cheap and cheerful guest houses to five star hotels. The Middlethorpe Hall hotel is just two miles from York city centre but gives excellent bed and breakfast with private gardens, steam room, gym and sauna, and you can even get a massage. Other superb hotels in York include; Parsonage Country House Hotel, Hotel du Vin and Bistro, Marriott on Tadcaster Road and Bishops at 135 Holgate Road and one of the best guest houses is Crossways, or if you are in need of something different why not consider Marmadukes Boutique Hotel.
Plymouth Weekend City Breaks and Tourist Attractions to Visit
Vacations in England seem to be amazingly popular at the moment, most likely due to the present depression and the low value of the pound Sterling. The UK has a large number of top class tourist destinations including London (the capital city of England) and other interesting cities plus a fine collection of seaside resorts such as; Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bognor Regis and Brighton. One place often overlooked is Plymouth in the south of England.
First appearances are that Plymouth appears a little plain and principally modern, but investigating a little deeper and you will quickly find that the city of Plymouth has a rich history and a long association with the sea. As far back as the 16th century the town has had a busy port. In fifteen eighty eight Sir Francis Drake set sail from the town’s port to successfully defend the English by defeating the Spanish Armada. Another moment in history occurred in 1620 when the Pilgrim Fathers embarked from the port.
It is possible to enjoy inexpensive Plymouth weekend city breaks by making a reservation in bed and breakfast in Plymouth rather than booking a expensive hotel. A quick search on Google will show that you can book a room for as little as £29 a night and some places offer dinners at a very reasonable rate, often equivalent to, or less costly than local restaurants.
Places To Visit In Plymouth
There are a great many interesting places in the town which are worth a visit. Popular visitor attractions include; the old quay at Sutton Harbour, the National Marine Aquarium, Merchant’s House Museum and the Barbican district. A trip on a boat around the naval base is an excellent way to spend some time and if you have more time why not take a day out to other places near to Plymouth, for example; Buckland Abbey, Mount Edgcumbe or Saltram House.
Saltram House is a pretty Tudor Mansion which is found 2 miles east of Plymouth, Mount Edgcumbe is another superb Tudor house with parklands, coastal paths and landscaped gardens, and Buckland Abbey, roughly 6 miles away from Plymouth, is a Cistercian abbey which was at one time by Francis Drake and was at a later date converted into a family home.
If you are in the process of deciding upon spending a few weeks in the city of Plymouth it is crucial that you book your rooms at the earliest moment because, sadly hotel and guest house accommodation in Plymouth tend to be alarmingly busy and are commonly fully booked for a long period in advance. If you are travelling in a large group you might find that apartment accommodation in Plymouth are a cheaper option to Plymouth bed and breakfast. If you are visiting Great Britain from abroad then you should consider making a reservation for a room in hotels in London to take in the attractions of the capital city of England too.