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Bath : Britain
Bath is a city in southwest England, most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. The city was first recorded as a Roman spa, though verbal tradition suggests it was known before then. The waters from its spring were considered to be a cure for many afflictions. From Elizabethan to Georgian times it was a resort city for the wealthy. As a result of its popularity during the latter period, the city contains many fine examples of Georgian architecture, particularly The Royal Crescent. The city has a population of over 90,000 and is a World Heritage Site.
Tourism in Bath
Lansdown Crescent
Bath’s principal industry is tourism and it is the most visited city outside of London for tourists travelling to the UK, whose visits mainly fall into the categories of heritage and cultural tourism. The history of Bath, stretching back to pre-ancient times, is a large part of the reason for its popularity – more importantly, however, is the architectural manifestation of this history. All significant stages of the history of England are identifiable as physically present within the cityfrom the Roman Baths (including their significant Celtic presence), to the Bath Abbey, to the Royal Crescent. Similarly, the cohesion of all of these historical stages and archtictural styles through the medium of the unique Bath stone, renders the city aesthetically beautiful.
Birmingham Travel Guide : Britain
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the second largest and second most ethnically diverse city in the UK and is regarded as Britain’s “second city”. The City of Birmingham has a population of 992,100 (2003 estimate), while the Birmingham metropolitan area (the West Midlands metropolitan county) has a population of 2,575,768. More than five million people live in the surrounding region.
The city is commonly known by its nickname Brum (from the local name Brummagem), and its people as Brummies. Birmingham is home to the distinctive Brummie accent and dialect.
Birmingham is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the UK. Along with large populations from the Caribbean and Indian subcontinent, Birmingham is home to a large traditional Irish community. The city hosts the third largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world, after Dublin and New York, while Birmingham’s Balti restaurants produce some of the finest Indian cuisine in the UK.
Bradford : Britain
Bradford is the major settlement in the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, in the north of England in the county of West Yorkshire. It officially became a city in 1897.
The Bradford Metropolitan District (population:477,775) is England’s 4th largest district with city status. In terms of the population of its urban area area, which is the primary meaning of city in British English, Bradford is around the tenth largest city in England. It has a large number of recent immigrants, and approximately 22% of the population are from ethnic minority groups, particularly from Pakistan. Asian immigrants’ restaurants have led to the city being dubbed “the curry capital of Europe”. Bradford is the district with the fourth highest percentage of Muslims in Britain (16.1% compared to an average of 3.0%).
Institutions, galleries, parks and Museums in Bradford
Bradford town hall as it stands today. It now stands behind Centenary Square, opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997.
Brighton and Hove : Britain
Brighton and Hove is a local government district on the south coast of England. It was formed in April 1, 1997 by the merger of the East Sussex boroughs of Brighton and Hove. It is an administratively independent unitary authority and was granted city status in 2000. It is in the ceremonial county of East Sussex and the Traditional county of Sussex.
On October 15, 2004, Brighton and Hove was granted Fairtrade City status.
Bristol Travel Guide : Britain
Bristol is a port city in south-western England, on the River Avon. From its earliest days, the city’s prosperity has been linked to that of the Port of Bristol, the commercial port which originated in the city centre but which have now migrated to the Bristol Channel coast.
The city extends to this coast and includes Avonmouth where much of the current port is located. Suburbs of the city include Kingswood, Filton, Patchway, Mangotsfield and Keynsham.
Bristol is England’s eighth, and the United Kingdom’s eleventh most populous city. It had been, for half a century, the second largest English city after London, until the rapid rise of Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham, in the 1780s.
Arts and leisure in Bristol
The city has two significant football clubs: Bristol City F.C. who play in Football League One and Bristol Rovers F.C. who play in Football League Two. The city is also home to a Rugby Union club currently known as Bristol Shoguns and a first-class cricket side, Gloucestershire C.C.C.
Cambridge : Britain
The city of Cambridge is an old English university town and the regional centre of the county of Cambridgeshire. It lies approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of London and is surrounded by a number of smaller towns and villages. It is also at the heart of Silicon Fen, which has a reputation as the high-technology centre of Britain.
Cambridge is best known for the University of Cambridge, which includes the renowned Cavendish Laboratory, the King’s College chapel, and the Cambridge University Library. The Cambridge skyline is dominated by the last two. The city’s name is pronounced “Came-bridge”, as opposed to another Cambridge in Gloucestershire, England, which is pronounced “Cambridge” :as it is spelt.
According to the 2001 census, the population was 108,863 (including 22,153 students).
Carlisle : Britain
Carlisle is a city in the extreme north west of England, some 10 miles from the border with Scotland in the county of Cumbria. It is part of the City of Carlisle local government district, and acts as the administrative centre for both the district and the county. It was the historic county town of Cumberland.
History of Carlisle
Carlisle has a compact, historic centre, including a fine castle, unique museum, excellent cathedral, and intact city walls. The law courts are also of architectural interest.
Because Carlisle was the last English town before the Scottish border, in the days when the two countries were separate kingdoms, it developed importance as a military stronghold, and Carlisle Castle is still relatively intact. Built in 1092 by William Rufus, and having once served as a prison for Mary, Queen of Scots, it still houses the The King’s Own Royal Border Regiment. Because of the frequently changing position of the Anglo-Scottish border during the Wars of Independence, Carlisle has a distinct Scottish ambience, despite being in England.
Chester Travel Guide : Britain
Chester is the county town of Cheshire in the north-west of England, close to the border with Wales. It is one of the best-preserved walled cities in the country. It is situated north of the River Dee. It is the main settlement in the City of Chester local government district. The adjective associated with the city is Cestrian.
Culture of Chester
Shopping in Chester
The city is a popular shopping centre, with its unique ‘Rows’ or galleries (basically two levels of shops) which date from medieval times. The city is heavily populated by chain stores both in the centre and on retail parks to the west, and also features two indoor shopping centres, an indoor market and a department store, Browns of Chester, once known as ‘the Harrods of the North’. There are two main indoor shopping centres, The Mall Grosvenor and the Forum. The latter refers to the city’s Roman past, and is to be demolished in the Northgate Development to make way for new shopping streets, a new indoor market, a new library and a performing arts centre.
Chichester Travel Guide : Britain
Chichester is a small city in the south of England, in the county of West Sussex, with a population of about 25,000. It is the administrative centre of the Chichester district, a largely rural area with a population of over 100,000.
The area is believed to have been a bridgehead for the Roman invasion of Britain and the city centre stands on the foundations of the Roman city of Noviomagus. It was captured towards the close of the fifth century, by Aella, and renamed after his son, Cissa, the second king of the South Saxons, who made it the royal residence and capital of his dominions. The city streets have a cross-shaped layout, inherited from the Romans: radiating outwards from the medieval market cross lead the North, South, East and West shopping streets. Quite a lot of the city walls are in place, and may be walked along for some of their length.
Chichester cathedral is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and contains a shrine to Saint Richard of Chichester. Its spire, built of the weak local stone, collapsed suddenly and was rebuilt during the 19th century. Within the nave of the cathedral can be seen the remains of a Roman mosaic pavement.
City of Canterbury : Britain
The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. The main settlement in the district is Canterbury, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
It was formed on April 1, 1974 by the merger of the existing city of Canterbury with Whitstable and Herne Bay urban districts and Bridge-Blean Rural District. There are 26 parishes within the district (see link below), as well as the towns of Herne Bay, Whitstable and Fordwich. All those, and the cathedral city itself, make up the ‘City of Canterbury’ district.
Geography of the City of Canterbury
The area is in the main rural, although the entire coastal strip is taken up by the almost unbroken sprawl of seaside towns from Seasalter to Herne Bay. Between them and the city there is high land, well wooded, south of which the River Stour flows from its source beyond Ashford. The city of Canterbury stands upon this river. Although it was primarily religious in its foundation, Canterbury is now also the home of the University of Kent. Canterbury stood at the end of the Pilgrims Way, and also on the Roman road Watling Street: the main London to Dover road which replaced the latter now bypasses the city.
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