Touring London and Kent - Short but far from Simple
Dear Readers,
Many of my friends, knowing that I enjoy travelling to England one and two times a year, have asked me what they should do if planning a "first time quick visit" - or even an extended stay. My favorite area is in the South of England so this document will concentrate mostly there. The following is my reply to one friend's specific request for information.
Here are some observations and highlights gleaned from many of my past visits to the southeastern area of England.
I returned to London and Kent in April and took along two friends. Connie had visited Kent and London with me in the past but this was Maxine's first trip abroad so the trip was planned to show Maxine, in a short period of time, what I have learned to love over the many years I have visited.
Rather than
London, we stayed in
Canterbury and worked out from there. The
Cathedral
Gate Hotel, is more than 400 years old and is situated at
the heart of the walled city of Canterbury as well as being a part of the
actual wall of the Canterbury Cathedral. Canterbury
Cathedral is the mother church of the Church of England. When
we walked out the door of the hotel each morning there was no doubt we
were in England. Everything in sight is old. The city is tiny enough
to walk around, shop, visit museums, or just plain "people watch". My English
friend, Frank, lives close by and kindly spirited us away to other sites
during our stay.
We took the train to London one of the days we were there. We also spent a whole day at Dover Castle. In fact, I showed the castle to Frank as he had never been there.
You may choose to stay in London. My favorite hotel there is The Forum. It is first class, large, modern, comfortable, not expensive and is convenient to the Gloucester Road tube station.
When in
London I plan to revisit many favorite places.
Most any guide book will tell you everything begins and ends at
Trafalgar Square. In one corner of Trafalgar
is the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
They have noontime concerts most days but best of all is its basement
"The Crypt Cafe". The kids should enjoy this.
Ancient vaulted ceilings and arches and walls of stone surround the cafe
that serves coffee and light lunches There also is a gift shop in the Crypt.
From another corner of Trafalgar is
Whitehall, the street leading to
10 Downing Street, the
Horse Guards (pictured
left) and my two favorite
trinket shops - for souvenirs. The shops
are on the left side of Whitehall, across from the horse guards and
not many doors away from Trafalgar. From another corner of Trafalgar (you
will find this is actually NOT a square - too many corners - it is really
a circle) you should go through the Admiralty Arch
and walk straight up The Mall to
Buckingham Palace. This is a spectacular
approach and a pleasant walk. Stay on the left hand sidewalk (on the park
side). Keep in mind that at one place in St. James
Park will be a man feeding the birds. If you go near him, he will
put seeds on your shoulders and the birds will hop down and take them. (little
birds) There are pigeons too but most of them congregate in the middle of
Trafalgar.
No public transportation, except taxies, stop anywhere near the palace. A London cab ride must be done at least once! A ride on the Underground (Tube) must be also experienced as well as riding atop a red double decker bus. The best Tube station to experience the depth of the Underground and the steepness of the escalators is one that connects to the Central Line. It is hard to get lost in London but it is easy to wander farther away than your time and energy provides. This is a good time for a taxi.
Iíve not done this but the "Hard Rock Cafe" is a pilgrimage to most young people. I think kids can go if accompanied by an adult. Most pubs are open to all ages as they are really not just bars but are restaurants/lunchrooms too. All the young folks from our tours would arrive back at the hotel with T-shirts they purchased there. However I am not sure if they could hear anything when they returned. Harrods is its own experience. Only you can tell if the visit is worth the time. The year I came home on crutches we went to Harrods and I was very happy to spend ten pounds a head for Cream Tea in their Georgian Room! I would have spent ten pounds just to sit undisturbed for that long a time. British teatime is not hurried. Cream Tea is not a drink, it is a luncheon consisting of tiny crustless sandwiches followed by scones spread with Cornish clotted cream (an extra thick cream the consistency of soft butter) and strawberry jam, followed by tiny pastries - not recommended on many diets. Oh, yes, you can have tea too - or coffee - or whatever to drink.
I donít recommend fish and chips anyplace but near the sea. Coming from Maine, I doubt I would go to Topeka for boiled Lobster. Pub grub is the best England has to offer for "real" food. Most touristy restaurants serve French cuisine. (if I wanted French cooking I would have gone to France!) My favorite pub lunch is the "Ploughman's". Often served with a salad, it comes with cooked, cold vegetables (beets, pickled onion, etc), a dob of chutney, bread, butter and a huge hunk of cheddar - actually you may have your choice of cheese. Frank often orderes Stilton. You can ask for a small serving or save some cheese for snacking later. Donna likes to talk about food - you know that anyhow. Another pub favorite, Shepherds Pie, is not my favorite but is for many.
Why Dover?
The City of Dover
is built upon the silted in anchorage of the Roman fleets. There are high
hills on either side of this city and these are the well-known
"White Cliffs of Dover". If you take a train
to Dover's Eastern Docks you will see where
the ferries leave to ply the 24 mile Straights of Dover to
Calais, France. On a fine day you can see
France across the English Channel. France has white cliffs too. This geology
is unique to this small part of the world. On top of the Eastern hill are
the remains of a Roman lighthouse and a Saxon church. These stand on the
land that now encircles Dover Castle. The Castle was built in 1180 for King
Henry II. Dug 200 feet into the chalk cliffs below the castle during the
Napoleonic Wars is a network of tunnels. (chalk
is what makes the cliffs white). Later during World War II, the
tunnels were extended and a British force of 700 manned them. It was here
that Winston Churchill and Adm. Ramsey directed the
evacuation of Dunkirk.
The Battle of Britain was fought overhead.
The tunnels remained top secret for 50 years
following WWII when visitors were welcomed to tour them. The tours take you
through the war rooms showing the plotting rooms, telephone systems and a
hospital. Even a ghost is reported to inhabit the tunnels. I have enjoyed
these tours and recommend them highly. It is REAL and not Disney stuff.
Dover Castle (above) is also full of adventure. Each year there is a new "show" presented to tourists. There are also gift shops, cafeterias, museums and other attractions to take up a lot of time. Inside the castle, the walls for the most part are bare stone. There are no fancy trappings except in a highly decorated chapel where 800 years ago King Henry II worshipped. It is very easy to fantasize. A "don't miss" inside is the well. It is hundreds of feet deep and is highlighted by separate lights that turn on sequentially as they go deeper and deeper. Climbing to the top of the keep is a chore (especially if you have just climbed the hill from the tunnels) but the view from the top is spectacular. Go there on a nice day! Be prepared for wind.
.
Left: The White Cliffs. Seen from inside the secret tunnels. Right: View of the city from the top of the castle keep.
What is in style for touring England? Jeans, comfortable shoes/sneakers and layering for the top. Don't forget to take along your umbrella! The weather will probably be dry - but "dry" for England usually means for only part of the day. The only place you aren't welcome in sneakers is at the Ritz. I haven't been there.
What else to do if time permits?
There are many things I haven't done simply because other things took preference on my list. I enjoyed both Westminster Abby and St. Paul's Cathedral because of seeing so much of them on TV and magazines in the past. One particular place I visited that hasn't made the tour guides yet was "Winston Churchill's Battle of Britain Museum" on Tooley Street across the river from the Tower. It is just down the street from the London Dungeon (which I visited during this trip - along with its "Blood and Guts Cafe"). Museums are enjoyable to some people and not to others. I think the Museum of London was fascinating. It shows, sequentially, the history of London from before the Roman invasion to present day. Churchill's Cabinet War Rooms and the Tower of London with its Crown Jewels, Bloody Tower and exhibits of arms and armaments are also major attractions.
Outside of London
Although
Stonehenge is a big attraction, it is a long
way to go for something that can be photographed in one shot. I am happy
to have been to Stonehenge but enjoyed
Avebury more. Avebury also has standing stones
- and more of them - and they cover much more area. There is even
a little town in the middle of one huge stone circle.
.
.
.
Some of the
ancient Cinque Port towns, not far from
Canterbury and near the coast of the English Channel
are quaint and yet modern enough to find a pizza if you need a
fix. Sandwich, Hythe and Rye are fun to walk
through while retreading the steps of ancient kings and queens. At
Dover, you can take a ferry ride across to
France. The boats are quite large, offering
restaurants, giftshops and passenger lounges aboard. Dover has a nice, but
modern, little museum as well as an attraction called
"The White Cliffs Experience". There is also
the Roman Painted House which was unearthed
during downtown construction several years ago. In the exhibit you can see
how really modern the ancient Romans were - complete with centrally heated
rooms, frescoes in plaster and tiled floors.
Many "day out" trips are offered by tour companies in London. Although with the farther-away sites more time is spent in transportation than in visiting, some of the closer trips are well worth it. A trip to Greenwich just south of London can be taken by bus or boat. Greenwich houses the Royal Observatory and the "Greenwich Mean Time" at the Prime Meridian. Windsor will supply a full day of entertainment. Like Canterbury, it is an old city with many shops and restaurants (even McDonalds, Burger King and Pizza Hut).
Windsor Castle (shown above with flag at half-staff the day of Princess Dianna's death) makes a wonderful tour. Now that the fire damages have been restored there is more to see inside. This is a "living" castle with real furniture, carpets and living quarters of the Royal Family. The train station is across the street from the castle and Eaton College is just across the river - all in walking distance.
One of the full-day escorted coach tours that may interest you and not make the kids too restless would be one offered to Shakespeare's Stratford, Oxford and the Cotswolds. The coach stops at the Forum Hotel (and many more hotels) at 8:10 am and lasts all day. Lunch is in the village of Stow-on-the-Wold. The tour is run by "Golden Tours". They also offer, though rather expensive, a day trip to Paris through the channel tunnel on the Eurostar.
Back to London - First Things Last
While in London
the way to see the entire city is to take an open top bus tour. These are
known as "hop on-hop off" busses. They ply
the entire city while you hear a running commentary. You can get off at any
point along the route and get back on at any point along the route.
I would strongly suggest doing something like this
FIRST, It will give you a good feel for the city and also add
ideas to your itinerary. Good stopping points: Covent
Garden, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, The Palace of
Westminster (Big Ben and Westminster Abby are here). Of course
all other places I have mentioned are approachable by this open-top bus route...
Buckingham Palace, St. Pauls, Museums, Tower of London,
Tooley Street and the Dungeon - even the Hard Rock Cafe. Busses
come along every 15 minutes all day from 9 am (London doesn't "open" until
9 am).
You can see why I keep going back! I've yet to see and do half of what I would want. I seem to keep going back to the same highlights - can't get enough of the Tower and Canterbury. This past year we were far out into East Anglia on the edge of the North Sea in Cromer, Norfolk. When I went through customs at the airport and showed my landing card, the customs agent took one look and said. "But why are you going to Cromer?" I guess there aren't many foreign tourists who venture that far out. It is a different England over there. When our coachload of Americans arrived in town we became an immediate curiosity. Radio and TV crews were out to interview us! (To see what we were doing in that area check out the Jimmy Sierra link at the bottom of this page.)
Above: Cromer Pier reaches into the North Sea.
I have yet to venture any further into the country. Scotland, hopefully, is in the future. The Lake District, Wales and the North of England must be seen too. I've also been to Cornwall at England's southwesternmost part. From there you see entirely different scenery. It is far away from London and takes a trip of its own to enjoy. Here in the village of Fowey, I found the ancient seat of the Trefry family. I found out that the Treffry Place was a castle! ("place" in Cornish is "palace") Y'all come for tea sometime!
I hope this "travelogue" will be of some help in planning your trip to England. Only you can decide what interests the family most. It will always be a toss up and you will never see everything you want. Have a happy and healty trip!
Bon Voyage
Donna Trefry
Some of the photos above are from the following web sites
Tour
Guide and Slide Show of England
Visit
English Heritage Website
Jimmy Sierra's Discovery
Tours
Go to Donna Trefry's home
page