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Hever Castle (Kent)
by happysh2009 I have lived in the United Kingdom for 5 years. During this time I have travelled to a few places around England and have seen a few castles. Hever Castle was one of them. Brief information about Hever Castle: Hever Castle is an important historic castle on the English landscape. Different from many traditional ... castles, Hever Castle has no keep. Historically the castle was the home of different owners' family. Back to 1270 it was built as a country house. From 1462 to 1539 it was the property of Boleyn family. Anne Boleyn, the intriguing second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I, spent her early youth there and became the most famous resident of the house. After her death the castle became into the possession of King Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. Now it's a tourist attraction and open to the public. Location: Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever, near Edenbridge, Kent, England. You can drive your car to get Hever Castle. There are two parking areas, the bigger one of which is nearby the main entrance. What to see at Hever Castle: As a tourist attraction Hever Castle has an impressive building which has links to Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. There is a wooden bridge over the moat. Entering the house and following the guide signs you can see a drawing room, which has a tudor decoration and furniture. However most of them were not original. In the living room you can see the portraits, furniture and tapestries. At the second floor there was a room, which was said to be the bedroom of Anne Boleyn. It's a very small room. To be honest I was surprised to see she stayed in a such small room as the daugher of the house owner. Next her bedroom you can see some displays, two of which were her prayer boos, both signed and inscribed by Anne Boleyn. You can also see the original letters between Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. From these letters I would like to belive there was a real love between them, not only for the interests of politics. Continuously walking I visited the Long Galley in which you can see the Henry VIII and his six wives portraits. Just at this moment I knew the relationship between Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth First. ( Shame on me). In the thirteenth century gatehouse there was a collection of historic swords, armour, instruments of execution, torture and discipline. You can also see the history of the house at the next room, particularly about the last owner William Waldorf Astor. There were pictures of some famous visitors including the queen Elizabeth Second and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. My last see at the house was the fashion exhibition of Tudor ages. You can see the dress Anne Boleyn had when she married to Henry VIII. Hever Castle Garden is a beautifully designed garden.It was laid out between 1904 and 1908 by Joseph Cheal & Son. To me the most magnificent areas of the gardens was the Italian Garden, which was designed to display William Waldorf Astor's collection of Italian sculpture. I was very impressed with the water features around the gardens too. Last but not least walking along Anne Boleyn's Walk amid enjoying the views was very enjoyable too. Opening times and prices: Hever Castle is open daily between 1 April and 31 October. The garden is open from 10:30am to 6pm and the Castle is open from 12 noon to 6pm. Currently the admissions are £15 for adult and £8.50 for child. Conclusion: Hever Castle is a beautiful and impressive Tudor building, which has a strong connection of Anne Bolyen and Henry VIII. It's a great place for a day out. Extra information: Nearby Hever Castle you can also visit Chartwell, the home of Winston Churchill and Knole, the Childhood Home of Vita Sackville-West. Read the complete review |
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Peoples Palace (Glasgow)
by angelboouk We enjoy going on day trips and as my fiance was off work at the weekend, we decided to head into Glasgow and visit a museum. We had originally decided to go to Kelvingrove but decided on People's Palace and Winter Gardens as neither my son or fiance had been here before. So, we visited on a fairly warm and dry Saturday ... afternoon. ~People's Palace and Winter Gardens - Essential Information~ The museum is located within Glasgow Green which is around a 15 minute walk from the main shopping area in Glasgow. Several bus services stop nearby including the 16, 40 and 263. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and also the 1st and 2nd of January from 10am-5pm and 11am-5pm on a Sunday. There is on site parking and the museum is disabled and pushchair friendly. Entry to the museum is free but donations are welcome. ~What Is There To See/Do?~ People's Palace opened in 1898. The museum part of the building is located on the upper floors and is said to tell the story of people who have lived in Glasgow from 1750 through the 20th century. Social history is explained via various photographs, interactive displays and artefacts. Alongside People's Palace, there is also Winter Gardens which is an indoor garden featuring exotic trees and plants. There is access to a cafe within Winter Gardens, toilet facilities and also a gift shop within the museum. ~Our Thoughts~ I remember visiting People's Palace when on a school trip and throughly enjoyed it. We decided upon visiting here as we figured we could go to the nearby play park at the same time. We walked to the museum past the River Clyde and it didn't take long at all. As you enter Glasgow Green from the main entrance, People's Palace isn't even visible to the eye. It is quite a walk in from the entrance but the walk is relaxing. The exterior of the museum is very exquisite looking. We approached the museum from the back where the Winter Gardens building was visible. Access is via the front of the building where one will pass a stunning fountain. The surrounding gardens of the museum are enclosed and are perfect for just relaxing in. They are well maintained as is the entire museum and Winter Gardens - just lovely. A small reception area is present in the lobby if you need any help. The museum was quite busy on our arrival and we made our way through to Winter Gardens as the toilets are here (and are very clean/well stocked). This is a beautifully arranged building but very warm as you would expect. I took time to walk around and admire the various trees and plants that were in the gardens. Many others had the same idea as the gardens were quite busy. As the boys headed to the little boys room, I simply relaxed on one of the many benches and found it to be idylic despite the noise from the cafe nearby. I'm not usually a plant person but they were gorgeous to look at and photograph. There was a little pond where you could throw coppers in to. We had already had lunch but did make a pit stop at the cafe. There are plenty of tables to relax at but most are suitable for larger parties so you may find yourself sitting with strangers. It did take a while for us to be served due to how busy the cafe was but the staff appeared to be friendly. The food on offer included soup, sandwiches, cakes and drinks. I was very tempted by the display of cheesecakes and sponges but we settled for a drink and a piece of crispy cake to share. Cones were also available. Prices were typical for this type of establishment but not extortionate. Soup was around £3.50, cans of juice £1.10 and ice cream around £1.40. From outside, the actual museum part of the building doesn't look very big. It is set across a three floors which are accessed via lifts and stairs. The main lobby offers a grand looking stair case which took us to the first display area which is suprisingly spacious. My son is 5 in a few weeks but I feel that People's Palace is more suited to older children as he got bored easily. The first display focusses on the war and is very realistic through the use of little 'shops', and Anderson shelter and various props. My son did enjoy going in the Anderson shelter but wasn't as interested as me when it came to looking at how things were rationed. I found the displays to be highly informative. Some exhibitions did not allow for full access but children were able to try out washing clothes 'in the olden days'. As well as exhibits on World War 1 and 2, this floor is also home to a dancing display focussed around the Barrowlands (the Barras to us Scots lol). I always enjoy looking at old fashioned dancing dresses and my fiance and I had a giggle at the popular 'bevvy' display from over the years. I had a wander out to the lift area which also featured a balcony overlooking Winter Gardens - visually gorgeous. Heading up a rather steep and narrow of stairs (access are two ends of the museum), we arrived at the top floor. This floor is my favourite. The main part of this floor is titled 'Visions of the City' and included some paintings and historical exhibits. My favourite section was dedicated to the housing situation in Glasgow from several years ago until recently. I found this to be an interesting section with excellent exhibits and I feel older children would enjoy it more than my son. Various displays and information plaques illustrated what living and washing conditions were like in the tenament houses. There is a temporary exhibition space on this floor too and until February 2014, this space is home to the Red Road exhibition. For those who aren't from Glasgow, the Red Road flats dominated the Glasgow skyline for near on 50 years. They were recently demolished. This exhibition including the video of the demolision which I found very interesting as I love watching controlled demolisions! This exhibition was well executed and featured videos and stories from those involved in the developement and upkeep of the flats over the years. ~Conclusion~ We spent an hour or so walking around the museum but could have easily spent longer had my son not been as impatient about wishing to go the park! If I lived nearby, I could easily go here and spend a few hours just sitting in the Winter Gardens during quieter times as I found them to be idylic. We were pleased with the facilities on offer and the general maintenance of the building and surrounding areas cannot be faulted. We did make a quick detour to the shop which offered a range of souvenirs and sweets. Prices were reasonable but we didn't buy anything as the shop is quite small. It was rather busy so we didn't want to wait around. We did encounter a few members of staff on our trip around the museum and they appeared to be well informed and friendly. Tours are available. I can recommend a visit to People's Palace and Winter Gardens as it passes the time and is interesting if you want to learn about the people who lived in Glasgow. There isn't quite as much to do when compared with other museums in Glasgow but is lovely to walk around. I wouldn't go back with an under five as he found it boring but for a school child learning about life in the olden days, it is the perfect place to be. It is free too which makes it even better. On my next visit, I will go alone and just chill in the Winter Gardens! Thanks for reading :) Read the complete review |
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The Deep (Hull)
by NUDUL I had never been interested in going to sea life centres and the like as I am claustrophobic and really never liked the thought of walking under water (in the glass tunnels) but a couple of years ago we got vouchers to visit The Deep in Hull and my idea of a sea life centre was completely transformed! The Deep is a sea life ... centre in Hull, it is just fifteen minutes away from Hull city centre and if you are travelling by car with a sat nav you just need to pop the post code in (HU1 4DP) for it to take you straight there. There is plenty of on sight parking available as well as disabled parking bays and they are directly in front of the entrance. There is a wheel chair service offered as well as free entrance for carers as well. There are many facilities for disabled visitors and the centre encourages you to get in touch via phone or email if you are unsure of whether you will be able to get around the centre or have any other questions. Entrance to The Deep is on the left hand side of the building. The ticket prices are reasonable at £10.75 per adult and £8.75 per child (3 - 15 years), you can also buy a family ticket, there are two rates - a family of four is £35 and a family of five is £42. If you book online through the website (http://www.thedeep.co.uk/) you can get 10% discount on the stated prices. Once you have paid for the day, you get the Day Plus Pass, which is the ability to return for free for the following 12 months. Once you have paid, you will receive a form and be required to take passport photographs and photo ID - any member of your party can return free as long as they take the Day Pass Plus with them then. The Deep is open from 10am until 6pm Monday through to Sunday. When you arrive and have paid you have a number of different exhibits to visit. These include The Awakening Seas, The Lagoon of Light, Endless Oceans, Slime, Amazon Flooded Forest, Cool Seas, Kingdom of Ice, and the Viewing Tunnel. I have never seen so many different types of aquamarine animals. It takes roughly two hours to walk around the centre, be sure to take a camera as there are lots of friendly creatures willing to come and pose for you. There are around 6,500 creatures at the centre including sharks, sting rays and all manner of other things there. When walking around the centre you start on ground level and eventually you get further and further down (there are all ramps for disabled access) taking in the information and getting closer to the bottom of the ocean. Once at the bottom, there is a glass tunnel that takes you under the main tank. I thought this would be where I would struggle, however, the tunnel is a lot roomier than I expected and I was fine - fascinated by the views around me and talking my husband out of taking me diving when we go away next! Once through the tunnel you have the option of the lift or stairs to take you back to the surface level. The lift travels up (inside the tank) giving you a full view of the marine life, however, if you go on a busy day, be prepared for a wait for the lift. We took the stairs. Three small flights and in the middle of each one there are large viewing windows into the same tank that the lift travels through. The benefit of using the stairs is that you get to take your time looking out at the different levels as not many people seem to use them. Once you are back to the surface, there are plenty of facilities including a gift shop, picnic areas and a cafe (two if you go during busy periods). There are baby and toddler food stations for you to warm up bottles and food jars. There are changing stations in all toilets and there is lift access to all floors for people with buggies and wheelchairs. The restaurants aren't too expensive either. The Observatory Cafe is situated on the 3rd floor and there are brilliant views over the Humber too. We will definitely be going back. If you have never been have a look on the website, you can take a virtual tour, book tickets have a look into school visits, see what research and conservation is being done and even there is an online shop. I would recommend The Deep to anyone. Read the complete review |
Sightseeing National |
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1 review City: Orkney / Sightseeing National / Country: Scotland |
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1 review Sightseeing National / Country: Scotland |
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1 review Address: Exmoor National Park / Sightseeing National / Dulverton Somerset / Tel: +44 0 1398 323841 |
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Address: Water St / Sightseeing National / Cunard Building / Liverpool / L3 1QB |
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Address: Yarpole / Sightseeing National / near Leominster / HR6 9PW |
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Princess Street / Sightseeing National / Edinburgh |
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Sightseeing National / Day out comprising steam train, ferry, river boat and bus. |
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1 review restoration.Wordsworth lived here for some years and hated it. - National Trust / Sightseeing National / This house has only recently been opened to the public by the National Trust. |
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Address: Fovant / Sightseeing National / Salisbury / Wiltshire / SP3 5JW |
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Address: Gold Hill / Sightseeing National / Shaftesbury / Dorset / SP7 8JW |
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