Ten More Reasons Why Americans Love England
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Perhaps you are familiar with my Top 15 Reasons Why Americans Love England hub. It was one of my favorites to write, and it gave me the opportunity to talk to many lovely Britons across the pond. Everyone seems to have their own reasons why they love England and all things British, from Portobello Road to the Beatles to Marmite. Anglophile that I am, fifteen reasons just aren't enough anymore! So here are another ten reasons to love England.
10) The Royal Guard
The Queen's Guard outside of Buckingham Palace has to be one of the first pictures that pops into the average American's head when thinking about England. I suppose many of us think that the Guard are hardly human, dressed up in their stiff red-coat uniforms and over-zealous chin-blistering hats called bearskins. They stand so still! Note: Every time the Queen's Guard is portrayed in a Hollywood movie, there is inevitably an American trying to distract one of them from their statue duty.
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9) The Afternoon Tea
I often wonder why I'm not in England right now: the sedate and peaceful Englishness appeals to me so much. I imagine rainy afternoons with a Jane Austen book enjoyed at the cozy window seat. And, of course, the afternoon tea. I've heard that High Tea is hardly an institution in most British homes anymore, yet still I dream of cucumber sandwiches and scones and loads of country butter.
8) The Castles
With tales of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, of Robin Hood, of William the Conqueror, the American imagination is fed with pictures of cavernous castles surrounded by moats and drawbridges. Scalloped turrets scrape the sky, holding inside either captured fair maidens or evil-nosed witches or rooms of golden wealth.
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7) The Gardens
Perhaps it's the eternity of time I've spent watching Jane Austen movies and reading her books (in which dramatic events always happen in the garden), but the English garden is definitely something we Americans love and yet know nothing of. Sure we have gardens in America, but gardens with expertly trimmed hedgerows and green-aged statues and clean gravel paths? That's something we only know through the English.
6) The Double Decker Buses
Big, red, and two stories high - the Double Decker Bus is pure British. Maybe they're just there for the American tourists, but they have to be a London institution. To quote Prime Minister Gladstone: "The way to see London is from the top of a bus."
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5) The Oxford
Just the name - OXFORD - resonates with history and strength. I think of days spent reading Greek and Latin and studying the by-laws of Parliament. I'm not sure exactly why this appeals to me, but maybe it's just the essence of studying inside stone walls that students have been beating their heads against for ages. Of course, for the more physically persuaded there's always punting along the River Cherwell. (Here I go again, pretending I'm in a Dorothy Sayers novel.)
4) The Pubs
Definition of a good English pub: brick walls, a hand-painted pub sign, a spit-shined bar, plenty of pints of ale, crispy fish and chips, and pipe smoke seeping out of the corner occupied by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Oh, and a hearty assortment of Dickensian characters with thick accents.
3) The Royal Weddings
What?? You mean the British Royals don't have extravagant, sumptuous weddings just for the sake of English-loving Americans? Well... From the beautiful 25-foot train of Princess Diana's dress to the fairy-tale ceremony of Prince Willam and Catherine, Royal Weddings are always important events, and with the invention of television, everyone gets to watch.
2) The Rain and Fog
I know I'm bound to receive some funny looks when I say that rain and fog are reasons to love England, but I'm going to say it all the same. The rainy climate is partly why I feel like I could live in England. There's just something so cozy about it - plenty of atmosphere for the imagination. Or maybe I'm just rebelling against the incessant sunshine of Hawaii...
"Mrs. Preston...." - watch the beginning of "Midnight Lace" for some chilling London fog
1) The London
One of these days, when I become a world traveler and receive my passport, I will find myself stepping off an airplane (or cargo barge, if it comes to that) in my lovely London town. Sights to see: the Eye, the Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Notting Hill, Kensington Gardens, the Tower, St. Paul's, Hampton Court, Highgate Cemetery.... ok, I'll stop now.
Let me know what your favorite thing about England is in the Comments Section below!
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I'd say the educational system is the biggest reason I like England. Young men and women leave with a genuine education, and as a writer, that tends to make my job a bit easier. When your audience has no knowledge of history or geography (and few traditions of its own), there's very little you can present that doesn't require a big explanation in order to bring the reader up to speed, and that tends to break narrative style. In short, a more educated, worldly audience lends itself to better stories and more avenues for entertainment.
You make a wonderful case for the attractions of England, and I'd love to visit again to enjoy all the things you mention. My one visit to England was for a week in the winter, so I missed the gardens and didn't have time to really see the country. Your photographs make even the fog attractive! However much I'd love to visit England and spend time there, I think I still prefer living in the U.S. England looks like a great place to visit, but... well you know...
jimmylesaint, thanks for reading! Oh, I wouldn't say that the US controls England; I like to think we're working together as allies :)
It seems like there are too many historical sites in England to see in a single lifetime! (I just hope I get to see a few someday)
Jarn, I agree that education is super important and beneficial from the writer's perspective. I'm not altogether familiar with the educational system in England, but I know enough of the system in the States to realize that it would be hard to get worse.
Stephanie, I think I prefer living in America as well. I haven't been to England yet though, so I can't say for certain. It sounds like you'll have to go back to England during the summertime - I'm sure it's beautiful yearround though :)
Hi, Rose, you made me want to go up to London and Oxford to visit again! lol did you know the Queens guards take it in turn to guard her, but most of the time they are serving in Afghanistan etc? I love Oxford, I have only been once, but I went into an old church, and you could go up into the tower or out on the balcony bit, the bit in front of the clock? anyway, I started to climb the steps, and my, where they steep! so they had a rope attached to the walls to pull yourself up, it must have been about 300-400 steps, and then, pulling yourself out, you are on a ledge! luckily there is a wall about waist high, but there is only about 2ft to move in, but you can see for miles! I loved the way that the town was modern, then you walk into the central part, and with one foot stepping over the cobbles, you are back in time! cheers nell
Hi Nell, thanks for stopping by! Didn't know that about the Queen's Guards - wow, they must be very brave! Oxford sounds lovely to me :) It must have been quite a view from up in the tower! Reminds me of Gaudy Night... It's always nice to hear from you, Nell, and one day I really will get out to England!
As an English person, my favourite thing about England is the supermarkets. No, seriously; whenever I'm in another country for over 2 weeks, I start yearning for Sainsbury's or M&S. There's just such a wide variety of food available here. In America, Spain, China, etc. I have such a problem with food. It's very easy for me to eat here, even as a vegetarian.
Oh, and also, I like it here simply because it feels 'real'. During the times I have stayed for prolonged periods in the US, it has come to feel very fake and manufactured to me. All on a grid system with straight roads and 90 degree corners, with painted buildings that are almost all of them prefabs. England feels more organic, with a lot more brick buildings, all from different time periods, from medieval to 2011. It doesn't seem 'made up'.
And the NHS.
And the fact that the UK is a lot more open to socialism and left wing politics than the US and some other countries.
Anyway, those are just my reasons for why I would never leave the UK.
(What do I not like? The fixation with football!)
Hi Ella - really? The supermarkets? I'll have to keep that in mind for the next ten reasons :) although I never would have guessed. I do agree that parts of America are fake, but there are lots of historical places that are just beautiful - I think of New England and the old city of Philadelphia... of course, Old England has a much larger history than America, which is one of the reasons I love it. Americans are often obsessed with football too, but not the same sport ;) Thanks for coming by and sharing your reasons! I always love to hear from across the pond!
Nicely summarised- I do love the sense of history everywhere in Europe and especially in the UK. The small island has such a sense of time and is seeped in stories. Well written and listed,Rose. loved it.
Hi Docmo, thanks for your visit! Europe has such a deep history - I would love to explore it for myself, but for right now must trust to books :)I am amazed at how much England means, for being such a small country.
Well I have just loved reading these wonderful comments. I think all countries offer something special, but it is just the familiar things of England which comfort me and I love my country and would never live anywhere else. I travel all over the world and I always have a new appeciation of it when I return. I love the cold and rainy days, which is why England is so green and lush, I love the fact that we don't have disease ridden mosquitos, I love the fact that you can drive for 10 miles and see several castles (ruins maybe),and I love our tolerance, our optimistic demeanour, the fact that we get excited about having a cup of tea and feel naughty if we have a biscuit with it. I cherish songs of praise and the antiques roadshow, BBC documentaries and Last Night Of THe Proms! - even though I am only 30! I love talking about the weather to stranges whilst in a que and going to stately houses and looking around their gorgeous gardens, is there anything truly more beautiful than an english country garden...and the smell of one after the rain..I love listening to radio 2 and the fact that I grumble about driving 2 hours - as if it were the other end of the earth, but don't mind travellng 4 days to get to outer Mongolia! I hold onto these things, and hope we don't get corrupted by greed, commercialism and the concept of instant gratification. I love the way we pull together in times of adversity. England holds a very special place in my heart, it has helped to define who I am and for that I am truly grateful. Not to mention our intellectual feats, our contribution to the world, our self depreciating humour, the way we respond to aid throughout the world...I could go on and on, but I am beginning to tear up...
Hello Suzanne, thank you for reading and sharing all your favorite reasons why you love England (I especially liked what you said about feeling naughty for eating a biscuit ;)! How to cool to be able to live there! You confirm all my dreams of how beautiful England must be. I just looked up Last Night of the Proms - sounds splendid! You're also one of the first people to agree with me that the rain is one of the best parts :) So thanks for coming by! Cheers!
Great examples. English Patriotism at its finest!
I re-read this and I have to add..
I don't know anyone thats ever had "high tea"? But I drink roughly 6 or 7 cups a day as does every other member of my family, so tea is still our crutch, it's an addiction impossible to kick.
Castles, okay I get that, I can actually see a castle from my bedroom window, complete with the turrets, but it's basically now a small erm.. I don't know what a farm that has no crops or livestock is called, it's just got horses. I actually live right in the "suburbs" of a city as well.
Double-decker buses aren't just in London, they're everywhere, they just don't look as pretty as the ones in London do (for the sake of tourists of course), and on Friday nights you're likely to see a lot more kids carrying plastic bags filled with cheap alcohol.
Pubs should have been at numero uno. Lunches at the pub with family or pints in the evening, the Pub is perfect, I've been to so many "pubs" (usually named "Irish Pub" or "English Pub" pssht, original guys...) in America, but they never have the same atmosphere and tend to feel more like a sports bar, just because you have pint glasses doesn't mean you can call it pub!
London is probably one of if not the most history-rich modern cities in the world, obviously being from England it's hard for me to marvel at it but there you go.
Great hub again, if you really love England that much you need to visit! You won't be disappointed by the sites or the history, there are plenty of gardens, castle and even opportunities for afternoon tea and scones (or crumpets).
builtoncupsoftea, thank you for all your comments! I always enjoy hearing from across the pond :) Seven cups of tea a day!? Wow, that is a lot! But I love tea, so that doesn't sounds too extreme to me. How many people can say that they have a castle out their window? That is so cool! I didn't know there were double deckers outside of London; good to know. True English pubs sound delightful, and one of these days I'd like to find myself in one. I agree, many of the "pubs" here are just sports bars - no character! London London London - you are calling my name. I would love to visit someday, but for now I'll just dream about it :) I'm sure it's simply lovely there.
Cute post, after traveling to quite a few states in America, from cities to little towns i think America is great and the people tend to be nicer. I mean ask someone in central london on a week day for directions and they will 9 times out of 10 ignore you! But what i don't like about America is how big it is and how you have to drive everywhere, i mean when i stayed their in florida i had to drive 20mins for a shop! Within England you can get from one end of the country to the next within 5ish hours (driving) and buses and trains just didn't seem to be available, i find getting around England very easy without a car. I'd also be very fat if i lived in America, the food isn't amazing but lots of it. And England food can be great - average, but prepare to pay maybe 3x the price than you would in America
I don't drink tea, i live in Manchester city centre and live next door to a super cute vintage style coffee shop, so coffee for me!
Anyway, i am rambling :) your posts have alot of English sterotypes which the majority of England would probably not live up to, but you seem to have done your research on the areas you want to go, and those Areas are as great as they look on pictures! So i hope you get to visit soon :D
Hi Fran, thanks for your visit! America is great (though not everybody is as nice as the people you met). It is a very big country, and I enjoy all the variety of it. But I think I would like the accessibility of England too - 5 hours across is a pretty easy road trip. I've been on 3 day road trips here in the US, and we still didn't get across the entire country. Something I don't like about the US is the way people view quantities of food - I've heard that Europe serves smaller portions, which would explain why we have a weight issue here. Living next door to a vintage coffee shop sounds wonderful! Thanks again for reading, and I do hope I make it out there sometime soon.
Rose it's touching you like england so much, you should come to cambridge, parts of london aren't so lovely and are ridden with youth gangs, and we don't all love afternoon tea, alot concidently alot of my friends do. Cornish pasties are delicous though, if you do go to england, i'd visit wales too, landscape is breath-taking and the welsh are friendly too
Jon, Cambridge is definitely a place I would like to see in person! I'm sure London does have its faults (as every place does), but it's still my favorite unvisited place in the world! Wales would be lovely too. Throw in some cornish pasties and a boatload of afternoon tea, and I would be one ecstatic traveller :)
Hi you have just reminded me why I love my country.Someimes it is so easy to take things for granted.If you ever get to live your dream and visit England try and visit some of the provincial towns and cities like Lincoln,York,Nottingham and Leicester to name but a few. These places are steeped in history and have some great sights to visit oh and pubs lots and lots of pubs
Hi Foxy, I agree, it is easy to take things for granted. For instance, I would love to see England, but I happen to live in Hawaii, which most people call paradise. Everywhere is beautiful in different ways, I think. And I really want to see London, but I would love to get out of the city and see some of the places around the country, like the ones you mentioned. Pubs? Oh yes.
An interesting fact: Oxford marks it's own time, kind of. At 9.05pm GMT (9.00pm Oxford Time) each night the Great Tom bell at Christ Church college rings out 101 times (once for the college's original 101 students). The bell is then silent until 8am the following day where it rings out on each hour GMT until 9.05pm.
May Day (1st May) is very important in Oxford. At 6am a choir sings Madrigals (including The Hymnus Eucharisticus and Now Is The Month Of Maying) from the top of the tower at Magdalen College. After that, many students break bones when they jump off the Magdalen Bridge into the Cherwell!
Hi Victoria, such great info about Oxford! Thanks! I hope I can hear the Oxford bells for myself someday.
I live in Lancashire in England and I have to say, we don't all have crumpets every day. The thing myself I love about England is the lovely little villages with little streams or rivers going through, where you can go and get a cuppa or a nice cold drink after a long walk. If you go to a seaside that is not near a city somewhere in the country, the cliffs are just outstanding, espiacially the white cliffs of Dover. ;)
Hi Luke, oh dear, no crumpets? What has this world come to... The English seaside sounds lovely, and from photos I've seen, the cliffs look amazing. I'd love to see those little villages someday! Thanks for your comments!
This sort of makes me love England (the UK in general actually!) even more, I guess I am more patriotic than I thought! I live in Oxfordshire so have the benefit of living in the beautiful countryside with the city so close, it's such a relaxed city as well, completely different from London although the capital has lots of positives as well! One of the things I like about the English is their self deprecation and the constant need to say sorry all the time, although believe me there are some less likeable public! I hope when you do get a chance to visit England that you're not too disappointed considering how much you seem to value it! Also if you do get the chance to come over here then make sure you visit as many little villages as possible, the houses are lovely...the Cotswolds in Oxfordshire are particularly popular with tourists and please take a trip to Scotland, it's absolutely beautiful, the lochs, the people...it has a romantic intensity to its landscape that I think you would love by looking at your posts, look up Loch Lomond, the highlands, Edinburgh etc it's just so pretty!
sb, thank you so much for your comments! Oxford seems like such an interesting, scholarly place - I'm sure I would love it too. I just looked up the Cotswolds - looks perfect! I've heard Scotland is amazing as well... *sigh* someday I will cease to be a mere armchair traveler :)
I didn't realise that Americans actually liked England this much O.o It really suprised me :) Although, I've always admired America! I went there once when I was younger, and everyone seemed so friendly and you end up talking to people who you've never met before and they're really kind and helped (especially when we got lost :$). I've always thought that people in England see less approachable though...
I personally don't like crumpets, but, I have to admit it, I'm a tea addict :)) Drinking at least 4 cups a day since I was a toddler xD :) If you do visit England, I would recommend visiting the Yorkshire Dales, its a very rural part of England, and is made of mostly small towns a little villages, with the occasional manor house lying around. There are beautiful natural features too, infact just up the lane from me there is a lovely woodland path with a stream running beside it, which goes through fields surrounded by cobbled walls- if you go far enough you even come to a little waterfall! :)
I've always wondered though, on TV I've heard Americans saying how they love English accents- Theres so many accents though! Which do you actually like? :S They're many ranging from posh 'Queen's English' to the broad, but warm, Yorkshire accent...
I hope you manage to visit sometime! I really want to visit America again too, it seems like such a diverse and lovely place!
Oh, and I forgot to mention, those double decker buses aren't exclusive to London! We have them in probably every single town, :) Basically of the local school buses are all double decker... Although I have to say, I love those typical red ones in London :)
Thanks for the great hub on England! My family and I
visited England about 4 1/2 years ago. We spent 3 1/2
weeks there. I want to go back. We really enjoyed the
cotswolds, double-decker buses, big ben, chocolate pud-
ding, strawberry scones, truffles, and chocolate short-
bread. Also, the fish, the castles, the small cafe's, and York.
Heyyas! LOL love your hub...its great! 8) I live in England , and I LOVE IT! theres some times where im cursing it..but at the end of the day i love it as more! There are beautiful gardens in most places and i LOVE THEM! you may be a little dissapointed though , lol because well i hate crumpets...8( although my twin sis loves them! haha! what i love about our country is our humour! its ironic and sarcastic but so fun and cool! dont forget to visit the second biggest city in England! LOL
Hi Charlotte, so nice of you to comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed America. 4 cups of tea a day? And I thought I was an addict ;) The Yorkshire Dales sound lovely - I would love to visit the countryside! I think we pretty much love every single accent from the British Isles. I don't know why, we just do. Oh, and I didn't realize that double-deckers were so widespread! Thanks again!
Hi Marcia, lucky you! Your list of favorites could easily become mine too :)
Hi Addii! I'm so glad you enjoyed reading this! It was really fun to put together. Well, I guess I'll just have to try crumpets myself. I love English humor too!
Being from England myself i was always fasinated as to why americans like us so much. i think it is the accent, sometimes you can get away with loads in america if you have an english accent. i have been given free hot chocolate twice in 5 days when i was skiing there. although it did require me repeating a variety of words in my accent for the waiting staff which was quite amusing.
having visited america quite a few times i have to say most americans are really lovely people, and make you feel so welcome when you visit. and i love how patriotic you all are with your flags and pledging alligence to the flag :)
granted some of your politics is...questionable...but i guess you would say the same about us. like the queen. the queen is head of state but she delegates her powers (she has to) to the Prime Minister so he acts like the head of state. sovereignty lies with parliament so the queen has no power. she is purely a figurehead position and is there to uphold the british aristocracy really. most of us like the royals, the rest aren't too bothered and the ones who are bothered are just bloody miserable and like to complain.
Complaining now thats another great british tradition we love it and queues and the weather cause we can complain about them and when you are stuck in a queue in the rain watch the british complain we are truly in our element.
Some of these misconceptions are adorable... Oh, how I'd love to be sitting in a cosy thatched cottage somewhere, sipping tea out of a china cup and munching on crumpets with jam! Sounds like bliss :)
I happen to live in Cambridge which is a truly beautiful place - lots of history and full of character, I'd definitely reccommend a visit.
I have to disagree with you about the weather though. I absolutely DETEST the British weather and long for the heat and sunshine of America. Just imagine how lovely it would be to plan a day out in the summer, maybe a picnic or trip to the seaside, and not have to worry about it raining? As much as I love the greenness of my country, I'd give it all up for a hint of sun.
As for our royal family... I've got to admit, I love 'em. Especially dear old queenie herself and her charming grandsons, Will and Harry! I've got a lot of love for the royals :P now I'm just waiting for Princess Kate to pop one out, bless her. Hope she doesn't keep us waiting around too long...
Yeah this is the (slightly annoying?!) guy from your other list.
I just thought I'd say that Notting Hill isn't a sight as such, just an expensive area in west London. All public buses in London are red (mainly double decker) but there are only two routes which use the old fashioned kind (called the routemaster, and yes those are mainly for the tourists! There is going to be a new routemaster on the streets soon, very iconic and modern looking in my opinion!)
Greetings from a freezing cold (but not foggy!) southern England.
The british are coming – haha, free hot chocolate? That’s awesome. I’m so glad you love America too. Oh yes, very patriotic, for the most part.
I’m not really happy with the politics in the US either. I can’t really understand why the UK has a queen though. I mean it’s nice and rather romantic to have royalty, but from an American perspective, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Complaining – that’s really funny, because I have heard British people complaining about “queues” and rain. Tradition, I guess?
Thanks so much for your visit!
Hi Eleanor, so maybe the British dream about ideal England too? :) Cambridge sounds great - I'd love to see it! It's not all warmth and sunshine in America. There are so many different climates here: tropical Hawaii, arctic Alaska, and everything in between. I happen to live in Hawaii, so I get a little bored with sunshine sometimes. Thanks for commenting!
Hi again, Jamie, okay, so my impression of Notting Hill is almost completely derived from the movie "Notting Hill". So, I'm not the best at living in reality.
I'm determined to not be a "tourist" when I get to England, so maybe I'll have to pass on riding the bus...
Feel free to send me some of that cold weather! It's unbearably sunny and summery here, not that you wanted to know.
The bus is actually in my opinion the best way to see London (as a tourist!). It's slow and relaxing. If you want to be un-touristy, though, you can use the Tube. That's the quickest way to get around and it's quite cheap.
-8c this morning and heavy snow on the way...
Hi Jamie, the Tube it is. Rather like the subway, isn't it? Heavy snow sounds kind of nice right now. I haven't seen that in years!
Yeah Rose it is basically a subway, but much older. The first line was built in the 1860s. Many of the stations were used as air raid shelters during the second world war.
You'd probably like it; some stations have got so much history to them, many are haunted and a lot of the lines have quite quaint names like the Bakerloo line, the District line, the Piccadilly line etc... Sometimes if you're lucky the train slows right down when passing through an abandoned station in the tunnel- a great time to look out for ghosts!
Hi Jamie, I had no idea the Tube was that historic! Extremely cool, and I rather think it deserves a spot on my next list (if I ever write that). I rather doubt the haunted part though... but still, the abandoned stations must be rather creepy.
Yeah the Underground was the very first subway built in the world. They only invented it because London's railway station's were at that time a very long walk or coach ride from the City. The streets were as you can imagine very crowded and very filthy.
Regarding the Royal Guard, my dad was one many years ago (he was a sergeant in the Welsh Guards regiment). He's told me lots of stories of bus loads of tourists (mainly Americans and Japanese) arriving at Buckingham Palace in the middle of the night, then going off to see the other main sights for a couple of hours before flying to Paris to continue their 'grand tour of Europe'! He also spent time guarding the Tower of London (lots of scary stories!) and Windsor Castle, where more tourists would ask such enlightened questions as "Why did the Queen build her (1000 year old) castle so close to the airport?!"
Some people... :D
Hi Jamie, I bet your dad has lots of funny stories :) Here in Hawaii, we get lots of tourists too. It can be pretty hilarious the ideas they have about "paradise" and "the natives." So I'd rather not be a tourist myself - I prefer "traveler" :)
The best way to seem more like a 'traveller' than a 'tourist' would probably to learn about the culture that you're visiting before you arrive so you prevent all the potentially awkward moments when you realise you've just said something stupid! obviously, that'll be no problem for you being an Anglophile, especially if you watch those comedies I suggested.
Another way of seeming less touristy is if you explore away from the beaten track. If you look beyond the clichéd attractions (Big Ben, Stonehenge, Windsor etc), you'll then meet the real England and proper English people. If you have any particular preferences on the sort of places you'd like to visit (history, countryside, coast, galleries, towns etc...) in London and around the UK in general, I'd be more than happy to suggest actual locations and tell you a bit about them, give you an "insider's view". For example, I've just got back from a short break in Dorset, a seaside county in the south west. You probably haven't heard of it, but it's very rural and pretty, is the home of the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site (Dinosaur fossils on the beaches!), has quaint thatched villages aplenty and is also known for being 'Thomas Hardy country'. It's probably not a place that is on many foreign visitors' radar, but I would highly recommend it.
Hi Jamie, going off the beaten track is definitely my kind of travel. I think living in Hawaii has made me realize how much of the "life" of a place you can miss by just playing the predictable tourist. Of course, I'm interested in the sights and all, but I'm also interested in the people, the culture, the soul of the country. Dorset sounds lovely. Anything seaside sounds lovely, actually.
It's just as well you like seaside, because we've got a lot of it! According to various mathematicians, Great Britain's coastline is infinitely long (I don't know how that works but it's something to do with fractals and weird decimal places) so there's no shortage of things to do!
The most popular coast is England's south coast (on the English Channel), not surprisingly the warmest part of the country. Starting from the famous White Cliffs of Dover* in the east, soon you arrive in marshland. Dungeness is reputedly the only 'desert' in the UK; it's very flat, very dry and there are apparently loads of interesting metal sculptures, washed up boats and huts. The Kent and Sussex coast is chalk cliff-dominated and forms part of the South Downs National Park. The original seaside resort, Brighton, is on this part of the coast and is now a very trendy and quite wealthy city which has a large student population. In my home county of Hampshire, there are lots of bays and inlets. The maritime city of Portsmouth* is both smaller and much more interesting than its neighbour Southampton*. It is a working naval base but has a Historic Dockyard* where there are several very old ships including HMS Victory, Admiral Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar and still in service to this day with its own crew, and Henry VIII's 'Mary Rose' which was recovered from the bottom of the sea and is now on display. You can also catch a boat tour around the harbour and go up the Spinnaker Tower, a new skyscraper from which you can see the whole of the city. Across the Solent from Portsmouth, is the Isle of Wight which has loads of things to do for such a small place. Further west, Hampshire's New Forest* (planted by William the Conqueror in the 11th century and now famous for its wild ponies) meets the sea in a really lovely way. The retirement resorts (more elderly folk than any other place, apparently!) of Bournemouth and Poole have a long sandy beach and a very interesting harbour respectively. At this point, I'd like to mention Mudeford*, a suburb of Bournemouth, which although not a well-known area is very close to my heart. We have made annual summer daytrips to there for as long as I can remember. We spend the morning on the beach, then catch a little harbour ferry to Mudeford Spit, a sort of peninsular of sand on which you'll find the most expensive beach huts in the world (some are 'worth' $1 million dollars!). From here, we walk onto the heathland called Hengistbury head which is always blustery and a great place to spot wildlife; rare birds, lizards and snakes (I once saw an adder on the path) are all seen here. Having realised that I forgot to bring my kite yet again, we then take a land train back to the ferry and head off for Berties restaurant in Highcliffe, which I promise does the very best Fish and Chips outside the North West (which is 'chippie heaven'!) Anyway, I digress, west of here you'll find Dorset and Devon: the 'English Riviera'. I don't know much about this area but needless to say it's very popular and comparatively hot and sunny (for at least 2 days in midsummer!). The river Tamar marks the border btwn Devon and Cornwall. Cornwall* is a very touristy Duchy (meaning it has a Duke- currently prince Charles) but maintains a strong local identity with its own Celtic language (Cornish/Kernowek) and culture. I'd expect you'd love it; it has so many quaint harbours, bays, fishing villages and lots of green countryside. Its many gardens are particularly celebrated (look up: the Eden Project*; the 'Lost Gardens of Helligan' and Tresco Abbey in particular) and its northern coast is surfers' paradise (not so very different from Hawaii, eh?). Don't expect to see any pixies, though! At the extreme west of the Duchy, is Lands End, what used to be the very end of the earth before America was discovered.
The West Coast is very different in Character to the South, it covers many different seas and is both cooler, wetter and more rugged than what we've so far seen. Cornwall and Devon's Atlantic coast is quieter than it's southern counterpart and the wilds of Exmoor and Bodmin Moor (beware of the 'Beast'!) come right down to the shoreline. Somerset is quieter still and is known for it's farms and orchards (apples for making 'zider') much more than its coast but Weston-super-Mare is one notable resort. Once more heading west, we cross the (£5.80 toll) Severn Bridge into Wales, the Land of My Fathers. It is a principality, Celtic nation and the "most beautiful country in the world" according to Lonely Planet. Having said that, the initial coast is a bit dull until you reach Cardiff Bay* in Wales' capital city. I could say so much about this wonderful city (my Dad's birthplace) but I'm aware of how much I've already written.
Having said that, I do think it's time to stop for now. I hope you have found this interesting and and that it has fleshed out your picture of some of our coastline. If you wish, I am more than happy to carry on going around the UK's coast at a later date to cover the rest of Wales and such places as Liverpool, Morecambe Bay, Scotland's islands and lochs and the long and chilly East Coast, a favourite of Viking raiders, Danish kings and Saxon settlers.
If you don't want me to do this please do say, I don't want you to feel like I'm bothering you.
Any of the places I've mentioned so far are suitable keywords for Google. The * are places that I've been to.
Wow, Jamie, you know your stuff! I very much enjoyed learning more about the English coast :) So thank you! I read every bit, and quite enjoyed imagining myself actually taking the trip around the seashore. All the little harbors and character corners sound like heaven. I'm starting to think you should become a HubPages writer - it seems like you have a lot of interesting things to say!
Thank you so much Rose, you're very kind!
I actually enjoyed writing it so I'll do part 2 in the next couple of days when / if I get a few minutes
Wow...I didn't actually think there were that many reasons to love England! It makes feel a bit prouder to be English than I was.
I must agree with the tea though - we do love tea here. I can't think of one household which doesn't have tea or biscuits. (If it's not tea, most of us still have biscuits and coffee!) Though one thing we'll always boast about is our ridiculous soap operas!
I hope to come to America one day, we have a very mixed view on the people but I think it would be a great place to visit!
It's interesting to note that High Tea and Afternoon Tea are different things entirely. Afternoon Tea usually consists of finger sandwiches, scones, fancy cakes and tea, whereas English High Tea is a hearty rural working class supper consisting of hot meat, cheese, and egg dishes that are served around 6 pm. Scottish High Tea, however is started with tea and toast, then a hot meal is served, then scones, crumpets and fancy cakes, though it is unusual to find English High Tea being served in modern England.
You should really visit the lake district rose, full of everything that you seem to like! Its in the North of England near Hadrians Wall. Tea rooms and scones, pubs and history a plenty!
Hi Kerry, I have a feeling there could be hundreds more reasons to love England :) Tea is so lovely... we Americans don't know what we're missing.
Hi Katherine, I really appreciate your differentiating between the different teas. I didn't realize that, and you quite cleared it up for me. So thanks!
Hi Matthew, I think I would love the Lake District. I hope to go someday!
also visit York in northen england it still has its castle walls around the main city centre :-)
Great list! I live in the north east of England, about 5 minutes from the open countrysides and farms, and it is idyllic. Come and visit Ponteland (pronounced pont-eland not pont-e-land) I think you would love it! Close to the countryside, great schools, not far from a city, not far from alnwick castle and Alnwick gardens, and a lot of bad weather (its raining right now!) and I'm sure that you would enjoy some afternoon tea (not many people have it anymore, me included). To be honest I would rather be in America, but some day.... Some day....
You should definitely check out Scotland, of course England is lovely but Scotland is just as nice and us Scots are very welcoming. Come to Bonnie Dundee. :)
You've focased too much on London, the UK has loads of other different places to visit, York is a must - full of history, old sweet shops, etc. (If you visit - go have afternoon tea in Bettys - lovely place!) Yorkshire dales and lake district are both lovely to go for walks. Scotland and Wales also have some amazing places to go to. The accent is something I've never understood, you yanks seem to only have a strong southern accent and another less strong accent. But in Britain we really do have completely different accents, Liverpool is an hour drive away from where I live and our accents completely different. That said there is many places I would like to visit in the states, New York, the grand canyon just to name a few.
I have to agree. I was born in the royal tunbridge wells about 30miles south of London and have lived in Kent since then. I'm well travelled as a Royal Navy veteran, and yet the most beautiful country with the nicest people and the worst weather is Scotland, I could quite happily up sticks now from my house in Rochester with nothing more than a tent and head straight for loch lomond or campbeltown or avimore or rothymurcus, and as for Glasgow? I could live on sauchiehall street. In my opinion the best country in the world, it would be sad to lose such a country as I'm proud to say we are as one with Scotland as we are both british, but it should be down to the Scotts so I wish all you jocks the best of luck
Hi olly, I just googled images of York - looks very cool!
Hi Michael, I could go for some afternoon tea indoors from the dreary rain right now! Ponteland sounds a great location; I don't recall hearing of it before, but it sounds like the quiet countryside with a castle to boot!
Hi Lubey, I'm sure Scotland is incredible and I would love to get there as well. So many places to see....
Hi Anon, I get overwhelmed thinking about all the places in England I'd like to see. They all sound great! Thanks for the suggestions! We have a lot more accents in America than you might realize - sometimes they're subtle, but still.
Hi Edd, England and Scotland have quite the history together, don't they? It sounds like you would love living in Scotland - I've heard it's gorgeous there.
I love England a lot ... one of the things I love about it is the trains because you can go from one location to another out there....
another thing I love about England are the hamlets/villages & the many countryside towns etc. out there .. they are what I have envisioned since I was a young girl... it is everything I dream of and love ..
I would LOVE to live in England....
jimmylesaint 11 months ago
Hmmm Americans, pfft. Really! I always thought the Americans were the roundabout route for the Irish to beat the English and it looks like it has worked, President Obama and the fact England is presumed to be controlled by the USA:) Slan!
Very good hub though and it does even give us English a reminder that we haven't even seen the historic sites in our own country yet!