Planning to visit the UK later this year, I’ve been researching what there is to see and do. The following is what I want to do while I’m overseas, categorised by city. I might not get to do all of it, but this list provided some small direction to my trip. It also helps with looking forward to the trip (and I am so getting excited for it!!!).
London
London is a brilliant city full of history and culture. I would love to spend several days just walking around, looking at things, discovering hidden gems that might not be in travel guides and tourist brochures. However, I wouldn’t just wander around aimlessly; I have a book (bought 2nd-hand) called “Walking Village London” which details a selection of walks around different areas of London that I would use as a rough guide.
I absolutely must go to The British Museum and The Museum of London. We did go to The British Museum in 2015 but couldn’t spend as much time there as I would have liked (I could spend a week in there, easily). Both museums are free to visit and I intend to spend a significant amount of time at them.
I would love to spend a day at The Tower of London and another at Westminster. However, both places cost quite a bit for a proper visit (£22.50 entrance to The Tower), so I might have to content myself with walking around outside.
As a day trip from London, I would like to visit St. Albans. Apparently, St. Albans used to be one of Roman Britain’s largest cities. It is now home to St. Albans Cathedral and Verulamium Museum, both of which I would like to visit. I also wouldn’t mind a trip out to Windsor Castle, but that would cost a bit much.
Cambridge
One of the sisters I’m hoping to stay with lives a short train ride from Cambridge. I’ve been looking at what there is to do, both in and around Cambridge as well as at various stops along the train line that runs past her place. If I can’t stay with her, I will still spend a week or two in Cambridge (by the look of things, I could easily find plenty of enjoyable things to do there).
Cambridge has a lot of free churches, museums, and university colleges that sound interesting and that I would like to look around. Of these, I particularly want to visit Little St. Mary’s Church, Magdalene College, Fitzwilliam Museum, and the Polar Museum. King’s College Chapel and Round Church aren’t free, but also sound like they would be worth a visit.
When looking at the train line, I looked at King’s Lynn, a coastal town at the end of the line with a selection of interesting looking sites. While King’s Lynn doesn’t have a hostel for staying overnight, I would like to visit, just as a day trip. I have always wanted to see Ely Cathedral and when I looked, I found that Ely had other sites that I would like to visit on a day trip. Another day trip that I might take is to Bury St. Edmunds. There’s a church, cathedral, hall, and gardens that I would like a look around.
Closer to my sister’s house are the towns of Hertford, Hitchin, and Stevenage. Hertford (the county town of Hertfordshire) has a castle and a museum that I would like to visit, and a heritage trail that I might follow if the weather’s not too bad. Hitchin is home to the North Hertfordshire Museum, along with cobbled streets and a selection of historic buildings. Stevenage has Knebworth House and Park, and the New and Old town centres. Other miscellaneous sites an easy train ride away include Hatfield House and the International Garden Cities Exhibition.
Paris
I would love to duck down to Paris for a week. However, such a trip would add about $1000NZ to my budget, even with my cheepskate attitude to money (I’m looking into Lille instead: the Eurostar also goes direct from London to Lille, and transport and accommodation costs might be cheaper). If I do make it to Paris, there are several things that I would like to do or buy.
One thing I would like to do is to climb up the Eifel Tower during the day; when my family was in Paris in 2015, we went up the Eifel Tower at night and the city lights that we could see were pretty but indeterminate and it was impossible to get a decent photo. (the Eifel Tower isn’t going anywhere; if I don’t get to Paris this trip, I can always do it later)
Aside from that I really just want to wander around, absorbing the ambiance, looking at things. I want to practice speaking French, eat French food, and experience French culture (to a degree). I can do that just as well in Lille as I can in Paris.
If I can find a decent bookstore, there are some books that I would like to buy. I have been trying to read books in French in order to improve my skills in the language. So far, I have stuck to cheap books, but there are a couple of stories that I have read (and loved and reread again and again) in English that I would like to try in French, just because I already know the story really well. However, getting a French copy in New Zealand costs too much.
York
York, in the north of England, has a rich and fascinating history: from its foundation by the Romans, through tussles between invading Vikings and the local Anglo-Saxons, to destruction and rebuilding by the Normans. When thinking about possible places for a trip within a trip, York really stood out.
York Minster is one of my York must-sees; it’s the largest cathedral in Northern Europe and the centre of Christianity in Northern England. Built on the site of a 7th century wooden chapel, the current building is a spectacular Gothic style act of worship. I particularly want to see the crypt and the Rose Window. Another church that I might visit is the Church of the Holy Trinity (it’s free).
I also really must explore the Museum Gardens. They contain several old buildings and ruins that I want to look at, including the Multangular Tower (first built by the Romans), St Mary’s Abbey (a Benedictine Monastery), and St Leonard’s Hospital (also a church and a school). The Yorkshire Museum is found at the edge of the Gardens and contains exhibits on Eboracum (Roman York) and other archaeology. I also want to look at York Castle Museum (not in the Museum Gardens) and their exhibits on every-day life in York over the centuries.
A walk around the York City Walls is another thing I really must do. It still has several Bars (gates) that are well preserved (or restored) and appear to be worth the visit. A couple of the Bars (Monk and Micklegate) house small exhibitions dedicated to Richard III (England’s final Yorkist king) and Henry VII (England’s first Tudor king), both of whom I find interesting.
