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Great Britain is a touch to the heritage of the Great Empire. Part 2. Good old England

19 November 2014 • Travel time: with 06 July 2014 on 16 July 2014
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England is a country that you can discover again and again. It is better to do this not along beaten routes and in large cities. It is much more interesting to visit the provinces, where you can feel the whole originality of this wonderful country, admire the charming nature and chat with the ruddy and friendly inhabitants of the hinterland. Therefore, having arrived in London, we immediately went to one of the most beautiful and interesting cities in England - Oxford.

The first to meet us in Oxford is the majestic Memorial to the Martyrs, erected to three leaders of the church. who were burned alive because they did not want to give up the Protestant faith. The memorial was designed by D. G. Scott in 1841.300 years after their deaths. Archbishop Cranmer looks north holding a Bible, Nicholas Ridley looks east, while Hugh Latimer, arms folded across his chest, bows his head to the west.


Oxford ("bull's ford") - a city with a population of 160 thousand people - was first mentioned in writing in 912. This is a very beautiful city with characteristic architecture, much more traditional than London, so here, like nowhere else, you can feel the charm of real England.

The Carfax tower was a single ensemble with the church of St. Martin, built in the 15th century. In 1820, the tower was deemed unreliable and demolished for safety reasons, and then rebuilt. In 1896, the local authorities needed to build a road in the place where the church stood, and it was completely demolished, leaving only the tower. Today, the Carfax tower is located at the crossroads of four roads, where life is in full swing day and night. The building itself is now 23 meters high, and at the top there is a clock and 6 bells that ring every 15 minutes. Under the clock are figures of two boys, which the locals affectionately call "boys of the quarter. "

Climbing up to the observation deck of the tower, overcoming 99 steps, you can see a magnificent panorama of the city with its fabulous towers, domes of colleges and churches.

Oxford is the oldest university city in England, the citadel of English education. Thanks to the Oxford University located in it, he gained worldwide fame. It ranks second in the list of the oldest universities in Europe (after Bologna), the oldest English-speaking university in the world, and also the first university in the UK. Education at Oxford has been going on since 1096. The university consists of faculties and 38 colleges, as well as 6 so-called dormitories - closed educational institutions that do not have the status of a college and belong, as a rule, to religious orders. About 1.000 students study here. A very special atmosphere reigns within the walls of venerable buildings, filled with the spirit of antiquity and high science.

In the summer, during the holidays, many colleges are empty and you can visit them.


The most famous college is Christ Church, and its two famous landmarks, Tom's Tower and the spire of Oxford Cathedral, play a major role in creating the city's famous medieval skyline. In 1525, the Lord Chancellor of King Henry VIII invested money and ambition in what was to be Cardinal's College, the most magnificent in the city. For such a big undertaking, he chose the site of St. Friedeswide Priory. But four years later, Cardinal Wolsey fell out of favor with the king. The monarch took personal charge of the college and the cathedral, which he renamed Christ Church in 1546, decreeing that the college's magnificent chapel was to be the city's cathedral - the only chapel in the world to fulfill this mission. Christ Church is the grandest of all Oxford colleges, founded at the beginning of the 16th century by Cardinal Wolsey.

Entering the gate and advancing through the garden to the "House", as Christ Church is called, who live here, the meadow of Christ Church Cathedral remains on the right side. The path on the right leads to the Thames or "Isis" as it is pompously called in Oxford.

Adjacent to Merton College is the beautiful university botanical garden, founded in 1621. Beautiful gates lead to the garden.

Oxford has a huge number of libraries and museums. Students have the opportunity in their free time to pay attention to their leisure. The Bodleian Library, the university's research library, is the imposing heart of the university, dominated by the round, domed Radcliffe Chamber, built in the mid-18th century.

In the School Court, behind Radcliffe's cell, is the main part of the Bodleian Library - the most famous book collection in the world, one of only six libraries entitled to have a copy of every book published in the UK and used by scholars throughout the world. This right is derived from an agreement reached by Sir Thomas Bodley with the Stationers' Company in 1610. The Radcliffe Chamber was built to house a large library owned by Dr. John Radcliffe, physician to Queen Anne. The concept of the rotunda is due to the architect Nicholas Hawksmoor, but he died before the building work started in 1737, so the final design belongs to James Gibbs. The word "Chamber" means "chamber" or "room".

The fragile beauty of the Bridge of Sighs, curving gracefully over New College Lane, surprises us unexpectedly.

This medieval winding lane is full of surprises - a hidden pub, a glimpse of Edmund Holley's house and two interesting colleges. The Bridge of Sighs was designed by Sir Thomas Jackson in 1913 to link the old and new buildings of Hortford College, which are separated by New College Lane. No one refers to the bridge by its original name, Hortford Bridge, because it looks like the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy.


The Sheldonian Theater building is an early masterpiece by Christopher Wren, board member of All Souls College, where he was professor of astronomy. He developed his project according to the plan of the Roman theater of Marsellus. Inside, you can see the rector's throne and a superbly painted ceiling by Robert Streeter showing the triumph of the arts and sciences over envy and ignorance.

It is now used as a concert and lecture hall, and as the venue for the awarding of honorary degrees in the annual anniversary celebration ceremony, following an imposing procession. The nearly oval building was commissioned in 1663 by Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury and Rector of the University. The building is surrounded by a semicircle of oddly carved stone heads, each bearded and gazing across the street at Blackwell's bookstore. They are modern copies by sculptor Michael Black of Wren's originals, the latter being copies of Roman sculptures.

Another attraction of Oxford, its real treasury is the Ashmolean Museum, which was founded in 1683. This is the first museum in England open to the public, which houses an extensive collection of art and antiquities, which was begun in the 17th century by father and son John Tradescant, collectors of plants.

Here you can see works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Constable. In the Cast Gallery you can see 250 Greek statues. Collector Elias Ashmole placed the treasures on Broad Street in one of the first museums in the UK. Later, the collection was divided - part was moved to a building on Beaumont Street, and the rest - to the University Museum of Natural History and the Pete Revers Museum.

Stratford-upon-Avon

We continue our acquaintance with England in the homeland of William Shakespeare in the city of Stratford-upon-Avon. Stratford was founded in 1196 by the Bishop of Worcester on land that belonged to him. Stratford-upon-Avon means "road across the river" and is indicative of a river trade route on the River Avon. You can recognize that once there was a port here and the canal was used to transport heavy industrial goods, now the river is used only for recreation, narrow closed boats float along it, in which you can live for several days.


Now 25 thousand people live in the city. Among the sights of the city is a monumental sculptural ensemble, opened October 10.1888 in the gardens of Bancroft. In the center of the composition, on a huge pedestal, stands the figure of Shakespeare, sitting in an armchair and as if observing with a slight grin what is happening around him. And in the corners, a platform around the central figure, laid out with tiles and decorated with flower beds, on pedestals of a much smaller size, are the figures of four heroes. This is the bloody Lady Macbeth, with her head wrapped in a cloak; jester knight Sir John Falstaff; the young prince trying on the crown is the future king Henry V; and Hamlet, in deep thought bent over the skull. The choice of these characters was due to the sculptor's desire to show different sides of Shakespeare's genius: they symbolize tragedy, comedy, history and philosophy.

This beautiful park on the banks of the river also has various sculptural displays and fountains. In honor of the 800th anniversary of the city in 1996, the queen erected a fountain in the form of swans.

At the Royal Shakespeare Theater you can see productions not only of Shakespeare's, but also of contemporary plays. The theater opened to the public in 1879. The theater was designed by a female architect, Elizabeth Scott. Until 1961 it was called the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. After restoration in 2010, the theater became even more comfortable and beautiful. It lies opposite the River Avon and is surrounded by gardens. On its roof there is an observation deck with a restaurant and a bar. The city also hosts music festivals.

What amazing lights in this city!

We approach the Church of the Holy Trinity. Here, on April 26.1564, Shakespeare was baptized. Here he was buried in 1616. Shakespeare died on his birthday, April 23rd.

This is the day when admirers of his talent come to lay wreaths in the Church of the Holy Trinity, where the great playwright is buried.

The epitaph that was written on Shakespeare's will: "Dear friends, for God's sake, refrain from digging up the ashes lying here. Blessed be the one who saves these stones and cursed is the one who touches these bones. " It was this inscription that is said to have prevented plans to have William's ashes transferred to Westminster Abbey in London.

Move on. The striped rickety building is the school where little William studied. And today there is school!

Near the school there is a church, next to which is the place where Shakespeare's house stood, in which the adult playwright lived.

Since childhood, everyone knows white houses with black beams on the facade from the pictures for the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. These houses are called half-timbered and are typical for all of Europe, including Britain.


The basis of the house is a frame of straight and inclined wooden beams, which are visible from the outside. Fill the space between the beams with natural materials bonded with clay. Fortunately, such houses are well preserved in Stratford, there are many of them, they are different and that is why the whole city looks a little fabulous. One of them - Harvard House - is located in High Street in Stratford-upon-Avon. The house is the residence of the famous Harvard family - the founders of Harvard University. Harvard House was built in 1596 by Thomas Rogers, the grandfather of Harvard's benefactor John Harvard. In those days, Catherine Rogers lived in it. Her son John Harvard bequeathed his house to the college, which soon became Harvard University. The constructed building is a prime example of an Elizabethan city home.

The house now houses the British Tin Museum, which houses items from Roman times to the 1930s. The largest number of tin artifacts belong to the 16th-17th centuries.

And now in turn - acquaintance with the house, which is located on Henley Street, in the very center of the city, where in 1564 the great playwright was born and spent his childhood. There is a record in the archives that William's father, John, was fined by the city in 1552 for "leaving a pile of dung outside the house", so it is clear that the family has owned the house since at least that time. In general, the house remained in the ownership of the Shakespeare family until 1806, when it was sold to a butcher named Thomas Court. At the same time, Thomas Court continued to use the house as a hotel under the same name. So, before us is the house of Shakespeare - the most talented playwright and poet who created 12 tragedies, 16 comedies, 6 historical chronicles.

But it all started right here, in this cozy house in the very English town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Near this house is the Shakespeare Center - "Mecca" for poets and writers from all over the world, where you can see the original "Folio" of Shakespeare, his seal and ring. It is still one of the most important tourist attractions in Britain today. The interiors and living rooms of this traditional Tudor half-timbered cottage recreate a Shakespearean setting that takes visitors back in time.

In Stratford, there are not only many places associated with the life and work of the greatest playwright, but there are also sculptures that immortalized Shakespeare or his heroes. For example, in the pedestrian zone on Henley Street in 1994, a sculpture of the Jester by James Butler was installed.

The streets, oddly enough, are saturated with amazing smells: spices, nuts, flowers, coffee, muffins - the fan of taste contains hundreds of delights, as if the local streets have preserved the aroma of many years.


One of the most beautiful and oldest cities in England is the city of York: some of the houses in the city are the oldest buildings in Europe. The city has meant a lot in English history. Many of England's turning points took place here. As King George VI said, "The history of York is the history of England. " For about 2000 years York was the capital of the north and played a central role in British history during Roman, Viking and Saxon times. Its ancient streets, ramparts, beautiful gates, magnificent York Cathedral, even now keep the atmosphere of the Middle Ages.

The city was founded by the Romans in 71 AD, who built a fortress at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss.

The name York comes from the Latin Eboracum or Eborac, as the capital of the Roman province of Britannia was named. In the 7th century, the city was called Eoforvik ("the city of the wild boar"). In the 9th century it is renamed Jorvik. When these lands were conquered by the Normans, the city began to be called abbreviated - York. We pass through the fortress gates and begin our acquaintance with the ancient city.

The Cathedral, or Yorkminster, can be safely called the main attraction of the city, and the history of the cathedral is inextricably linked with the history of the city. The cathedral was built over four centuries, which led to a mixture of various styles. The bishop of York Cathedral is considered the second most important in the Anglican Church after Canterbury.

The cathedral survived many fires and was rebuilt several times. The interior of Yorkminster is amazing. Gothic, medieval stained-glass windows, magnificent square towers.


The first wooden church in its place was erected in 627, and the cathedral that has come down to us was built in 1070-1472. Currently, the length of the cathedral is 158 meters, the height of the towers is 60 meters. The nave of the cathedral is the widest Gothic nave in England, the wooden roof over it is painted to look like stone. Its early Gothic crossroads appeared in 1265, the Gothic nave and columned hall - at the end of the 13th century, the choirs and towers in the "perpendicular hill" style - in the 14th - 15th centuries. The western faç ade with a high stained-glass window (1338) and a richly stuccoed central portal is considered one of the most beautiful of its kind. Next to the cathedral is the former residence of its treasurer, which now houses a museum of antique decorations and paintings. One of the main treasures of the cathedral and the first thing that strikes those who come inside is the partition near the choirs, built in the 15th century.

It is decorated with life-size statues of 15 kings of England, starting with William I (the Conqueror), Richard III, and ending with Henry VII.

Emperor Hadrian visited York. Emperor Constantius Chlorus died here, and his son Constantine the Great was proclaimed the new Roman Emperor by the troops stationed at Eboracum. He became famous for the fact that in 313 AD. e. recognized Christianity as the equivalent religion of the empire. A couple of years after that, he moved to Byzantium, making it the capital of the empire, later renamed Constantinople. At the entrance to the cathedral stands a monument to Constantine the Great. Near the cathedral there is a monument to all the soldiers-defenders of the city.

In 876, the city was captured by the "Great Viking Army", but in 954 the Viking king Eric Bladex was expelled and his kingdom entered the Anglo-Saxon state.

York has a museum dedicated to the reign of the Vikings, and every year there is a Viking Festival, where their traditions and way of life are shown. However, York Cathedral continued to successfully exist until 1066, when the ships of William the Conqueror approached the shores of Britain, who overthrew the legitimate King Harald and was anointed and crowned in Yorkshire Cathedral. Shortly thereafter, all of northern England rebelled against the enslavers and York briefly fell into the hands of the rebels. However, the Normans soon returned it back and made it their stronghold in the north of England. William the Conqueror built the Clifford Tower in York, which has survived to this day. From the walls of the ancient fortress-tower Clifford offers a unique view of the city.

Today there is a museum that tells about the history of the city, which presents exhibits from the Roman and Anglo-Saxon eras, as well as the Viking and Middle Ages.


It must be said that York has a treasure - the only ring of fortifications in Britain, which were built in the middle of the XIV century. You can even walk on them in a circle of only 4.8 km. Four city gates have also survived to this day. The powerful fortifications in the area of ​ ​ the Monastery, Welmgate and Butam gates make a special impression. Welmgate Gate even preserved the only barbican in England (a diversion archer), which survived the last, automobile invasion. All the other barbicans were demolished at one time, they interfere with car traffic. However, the walls still suffered from this very movement; several holes and arches were made for passage through them.

York is located at the confluence of the River Fos and the River Ouse, which carries its waters through the city of the River Ouse, giving the city a romantic look with its verdant banks. The surrounding area is called the Vale of York. The location of the city halfway between London and Edinburgh predetermined its great importance in the transport system of England.

There are a lot of interesting museums in the 200.000th city of York, I have already shown some of them, today I will show a couple more. Museum of merchants-adventurers, located in the center of the old city. The Jorvik Museum Center will let you learn about the times of the Viking Age. The museum accurately reproduces not only the appearance of the settlements, but also the sounds and even smells of that era. Visitors to the Viking Center can hear the noise, conversations, crying, hubbub characteristic of the Vikings, smell the skin, manure and gutted fish. The Viking Museum "Jorvik" is interesting for both children and adults.

In the first halls of the Viking Heritage Research Center there is a glass floor through which real archaeological excavations of ancient settlements are visible. Next, visitors get into a special trailer, the guide turns on the accompanying text, and we drive through the Viking settlement, where mechanized dummies cook, eat, hunt and talk. The history of this museum is atypical: the construction of a shopping center was being prepared on this site, but wooden buildings and even utensils were found in the ground, perfectly preserved in moist clay soil without oxygen. In total, more than 4.000 objects were found, after which it was decided to recreate a real Viking city on this site.

At the end of a rich excursion, we walked along the narrow street of Shambles - an old medieval street with overhanging wooden shops, which originally housed butcher shops, and now souvenir shops.


Evening entertainment in York is varied, colorful and memorable, parties - like in the Vikings, plays - like in the Tudors, walks - like in the Georgians. In addition, York is famous for its pubs. All 365 days a year, you can not repeat in the choice of a pub, but never visit all of them. As they say jokingly, there is no place inside the city walls where you can stand and not see at least one pub and one church.

No less famous university city of Cambridge, numbering 125 thousand inhabitants. Cambridge is about 2000 years old. At the turn of the pre-Christian and Christian eras, the Germans were driven out by the Romans. It is believed that in the year 40 the then world hegemons built a bridge across the local river, which the Romans called Granta. The bridge divided the river into two halves: the Roman Granta and the "original" Kama (it is, over time, Kem).

The local University has been considered the standard of quality among all existing higher educational institutions for eight centuries. The university grew out of a collection of learned people from the city of Cambridge, which was formed, judging by the annals, in 1209 by scientists who left the city of Oxford because an Oxford student killed a city resident, and the first Peterhouse College was founded in 1284. In 1214 formal university regulations were drawn up. According to them, the rector and the program with exams at the end were appointed. The main difference from the monasteries, where in the Middle Ages they received all the knowledge about the world around them, was the teaching of sciences, philosophy, logic, and mathematics. The Universities of Cambridge and Oxford are often referred to collectively as "Oxbridge" and have a long history of rivalry with each other. Oxford is a university within a city, while Cambridge is a city within a university.

Before us is King's College (King's College), which was founded in 1441 by King Henry VI.

We begin our acquaintance with the university from the main entrance to Trinity College.


The local temple of science today has 18.000 students in 31 colleges, of which 3 are women's colleges, and 6 are exclusively for undergraduate studies. Choosing a college is perhaps the most important decision that a student must make when applying for admission. Each college has its own territory, built around "yards" (courts) and consists of four main elements: student residence, library, chapel and dining room. The colleges are governed by three bodies: Senate House, Regent House and Senate Council. The 16 elected members of the Senate Council have the most power (of which at least four must be rectors of colleges and four more must be professors).

Therefore, it is not surprising that we continued our acquaintance with the city by boat along the Kem River, along the picturesque banks of which university buildings were spread. Explore the city from the water, enjoy the lawns with century-old trees, look at the architecture - that's what it means to feel the spirit of England.

In the city of Cambridge, it all started with bridges, because the name literally translates as “bridge over the River Cam”. Sitting comfortably in it, we sail under the most famous and oldest bridges: under the oldest surviving one - the Clare College Bridge, under the Mathematical Bridge or under the famous Venetian namesake - the Bridge of Sighs. In places, Cambridge resembles Venice.

And although the main part of the city's attractions is concentrated in the colleges of the University, the city itself is not deprived of churches, museums, or remarkable buildings.

The Cambridge Museum of Classical Archeology is famous for one of the world's largest collections of Greek and Roman figurines. Many exhibits of the Zoological Museum were collected and donated to the museum by Charles Darwin himself. The Museum of the History of Science contains a unique collection of scientific instruments and their models from the Middle Ages to the present day. At the corner of Benet and Trumpington streets in the wall of the college library, opposite Kings College, there is a clock where a monster resembling a huge locust crawls along a golden dial with hands and numbers lost somewhere, not slowing down for a second. The sinister sculpture was conceived and donated to the city in 2008 by John S. Taylor. He called his brainchild Chronograph, literally a time waster. Students among themselves call the clock more affectionately - Rosalind.

The light of blue diodes breaks through the cracks in the dial, so you can find out the exact time, and it's time for us to say goodbye to the cute student city.


Next in line is another exciting excursion to Windsor - a small town (30 thousand people) in the county of Berks, 20 km from London, on the right bank of the River Thames, where the summer residence of the English kings Windsor Castle is located. Crossing the territory of the station, the first pleasant sight awaited me - a locomotive with heraldic symbols of the state, the presence of which on board immediately made me think that this was not an ordinary steam locomotive. So it is - this is a copy of the steam locomotive N 3041 (such locomotives were produced in 1894-1912) under the name "Queen", and for several years served as the locomotive of the Royal train. The copy was made in 1982 as part of the Madame Tussauds project (there was a special exhibition at Windsor Station that closed in the late 1990s).

Queen Victoria made her first rail journey on June 13.1842, taking about an hour and a half from Windsor to London. At first, she was worried, because in those days the railway transport was unsafe, there were often accidents, catastrophes with victims. But everything went well, and the crowned lady found the trip "charming. "

To the Royal Castle, majestically towering over the city, you need to walk through the actual town of Windsor for several tens of meters, which makes it possible to look at its architecture (typical for old cities in Western Europe), at the monument to Queen Victoria and at the gates of Henry VIII - the main gate of the castle.

The first wooden castle was built here in 1066 by William the Conqueror. You will hardly find palace classics, and simply symmetry, here. Facades "walk" in zigzags, lawns cut their own corners, ramparts and walls argue with each other.

And all because almost every British monarch completed and rebuilt this suburban royal residence in his own way, and this went on for almost a thousand years! The result is something original, attracting people from all over the world. It is "the most romantic of all the castles in the world, " according to the 17th-century writer Samuel Pepys. From the time of William the Conqueror, only an artificial hill remained, on which the Round Tower rises (much later). The round tower is 45 meters high. When the King (Queen) is in the castle, his (her) personal standard is posted on the tower. The round tower divides the Windsor Castle complex into two parts, known as courtyards: on the west side is the Lower Courtyard, on the east - the Upper, which houses the Queen's apartments, where public access is not allowed. There are also the State Chambers, which can be viewed.


Interestingly, it was Windsor who gave the new surname to the current ruling British royal dynasty. In fact, the British monarchs before the marriage of Elizabeth II belonged to the Saxe-Coburg-Goth family (it was from there that Prince Albert, Victoria's husband). But during the First World War, under the influence of patriotic fanaticism, King George V decided to get rid of the German surname. In 1952, a proclamation was issued, according to which the offspring of Elizabeth II are also considered Windsors. We approach one of the most beautiful in the castle - the Norman Gate.

The Jubilee Garden looks very romantic, laid out in connection with the 50th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II (2002) on the site of a moat surrounding the fortress walls of the castle.

In the lower courtyard there is the chapel of St. George and the Horseshoe arcade. This place is a must to visit, as it is directly connected with the main knightly order of Britain - the Order of the Garter.

It was established in 1348 by King Edward III with the aim of "bringing together a certain number of worthy persons to do good deeds and revive the military spirit. " There are a number of legends about the origin of the order, the most famous being that of the Countess of Salisbury. During the dance with the king, she dropped the garter and those around her laughed, while the king picked up the garter and tied it on his own leg with the words: “Let him be ashamed of thinking badly about it, ” which became the motto of the order. Men - members of the order wear a sign-tape on the leg, and women on the shoulder. At the same time, the order can have no more than 25 members, including the sovereign - the British monarch. His 24 companions are called knights (men) and ladies (women). In total, there have been a little over a thousand members in the history of the order, and recently the admission procedure was developed so that Prince William became the thousandth member a few years ago.


In the chapel of St. George you can see numerous and simply phenomenal heraldic stained glass windows, as well as flags, swords and helmets of members of the order. In the chapel of St. George, the queen herself and the heir to the throne are present at the service. In addition, some august persons are buried here. In particular, Charles I Stuart, who was executed in 1649 by the verdict of a revolutionary court, as well as King Henry VIII Tudor, famous not only for the construction of Windsor, but also for his polygamy (unfortunately, two of his six wives died on the chopping block due to his manic cruelty ; the fate of his spouse is memorized by English schoolchildren using the mnemonic phrase "divorced - executed - died - divorced - executed - survived") and by the fact that he made the reformation in England.

5 meters high and almost 3 meters wide), it completely reproduces the royal Buckingham Palace of the 1920s. Three floors, a garden, a garage, a wine cellar and thousands of miniature details made in 1:12 scale. It is very convenient to study the history of life of that era. Everything in this palace is real and active. There are so many visitors that it is simply unrealistic to stay there. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures inside (pictures from the Internet). The idea for the house came from Maria Louise, cousin of George V, Queen Mary's husband. Despite the fact that the queen was 57 years old when she received this gift, the surprise came to the court. Queen Mary was an avid collector of miniature trinkets.

We approach the Upper courtyard. Here we will see the halls of the State Apartments with furniture and paintings from the Royal Collections, including masterpieces by Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt and Holbein.

Most of the halls were designed by Whiteville, including the famous Waterloo Hall, created to celebrate the victory over Napoleon. The castle has preserved several halls made by Hugh May for Charles II, among which is the magnificent Royal Dining Room with a ceiling painting by Verrio depicting the feast of the gods. In the hall of St. George, on the ceiling of which are the coats of arms of all members of the order, the Queen annually receives the knights of the Order of the Garter.

Windsor Castle, like Buckingham Palace in London, is guarded by brave guards in beautiful red uniforms. Having examined the State Chambers, we hurry to the Lower Compound to see the solemn ceremony of changing the guard - a real performance, not to see which would be an unforgivable mistake. To the sounds of the march, we complete our acquaintance with the magnificent palace complex.

salisbury cathedral

The interior is decorated with such beautiful sculptural compositions.


Absolutely stunning imagination, although it would seem such a simple thing: a font. They were put up recently, in 2008, when the consecration of the cathedral turned exactly 750 years old. The water surface is so smooth that it looks like a polished stone, literally a mirror.

The courtyard of the cathedral, surrounded by a gallery - the cloister - the largest in England.

In one of the most beautiful buildings next to the cathedral, the King's House houses the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, which tells about the centuries-old history of the city and the county.

Then we head to Stonehenge, located 13 km north of Salisbury. Stonehenge (eng. Stonehenge, lit. "stone henge") - an ancient temple, built taking into account the movement of the sun. These stones were installed by wise ancient people 4500 years ago. However, we did not manage to touch the majestic stones with our own hands.

The ancient structure is fenced, and tourists can go around it in a circle, listening to the explanations with the help of an audio guide. But this place is specific and mysterious, so even the ubiquitous crowds of tourists did not prevent us from feeling alone with the mysterious ancient world. In the summer of 2014, a reconstruction took place around this mysterious place, a service center was created, and now, in order to get to the sacred stones, you need to leave the main road, buy tickets and take an audio guide, then take a shuttle bus to the place where the review began and start going around in a circle at a distance of at least 40 meters from the stones.

However, the stones are so huge that they can be clearly seen

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Мемориал мученикам в Оксфорде
Оксфорд
Башня Карфакс
Оксфордский университет
Университетский ботанический сад
К саду ведут красивые ворота
Бодлианская библиотека
Оксфордский
Здание Шелдонианского театра
Музей Ашмола
В музее Ашмола
Памятник Шекспиру в Стратфорд-на-Эйвоне
Фонтан в виде лебедей
Королевский Шекспировский театр
Фонарь в Стратфорд-на-Эйвоне
Церковь Святой Троицы, где похоронен великий драматург
Эпитафия, написанная на завещании Шекспира
Школа, где учился маленький Уильям
Церковь, возле которой жил взрослый драматур
Британский оловянный музей
Дом, где родился и провёл своё детство великий драматург
Шекспировский центр
Скульптур Шута
В баре “У Гаррика”
Крепостные ворота города Йорка
Йорк Минстер
Внутри Йорк Минстера
Памятник Константину Великому
Памятник всем воинам-защитникам Йорка
Крепость-башня Клиффорд
Кольцо крепостных стен
Река Уз
Музей викингов «Йорвик»
Улица Шамблес
Город Йорк
Город Кембридж
Королевский колледж
Парадный вход в колледж Тринити
Кембриджский университет
Река Кэм
Прогулка по реке Кэм
Красивый мост через реку Кэм
Прогулка по реке Кэм
Розалинда
Локомотив «Королева»
Город Виндзор
Круглая башня Виндзорского замка
Норманнские ворота Виндзорского замка
Юбилейный сад
Часовня Святого Георгия
Псевдофахверковое здание в Виндзорском замке
Кукольный дом королевы Марии
Верхнее подворье
Зал Государственных апартаментов
Смена караула в Виндзорском замке
Солсберийский собор
Часовой механизм
В Солсберийском соборе
Купель в Солсберийском соборе
Клуатр собора - самый большой в Англии
Сервисный центр Стоунхенджа
Стоунхендж
Стоунхендж
Выставка в сервисном центре Стоунхенджа
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