England tourist attractions include Big Ben, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, ancient Roman Baths in Bath, and Stonehenge.
Big Ben (www.parliament.uk/bigben) clock tower is one of the most famous landmarks in the world, and also among the most famous symbols of London.
The tower is located within one end of the Houses of Parliament (Westminster Palace), in London.
This 96.3 meter (315 ft) tall tower was built as a section to the Palace of Westminster (designed by Augustus Pugin and completed in 1859)..
…which replaced on earlier palace that had been destroyed in 1834.
Nearby Big Ben in London, you can find several other famous London landmarks, including London Eye Ferris wheel, just a short walk away.
Of the England tourist attractions, Tower of London (hrp.org.uk) is a historic fortress within central London, next to the Thames river.
The fortress has its origins in a Norman’s White Tower, built by William the Conqueror in 1078.
During its long history, the building complex has been many things, including a
- defensive fortress,
- king’s palace, and
- prison.
The best way to get a vivid picture of the history of the Tower of London, is to participate in a walking tour guided by a Yeomen Warder.
Among the top highlights within the fortress are England’s royal jewels, stored here since 1303.
Buckingham Palace (royal.gov.uk/BuckinghamPalace), on the other hand, is the official residence for the British monarch in London.
Originally, in 1703, the house was a residence for the Duke of Buckingham…
…but it was acquired by King George III in 1761, after which the building was heavily rebuild and extended, all the way to the 20th century.
Today, the palace has floor-space for a total of 77,000 square meters(828,818 sq.ft).
One of the attractions related to the palace is the is the daily (every other day in winter) change of guards in front of the Buckingham Palace.
Bath’s Roman Baths (romanbaths.co.uk) are one of the most important ancient Roman sites in England, in conjunction with Hadrian’s Wall (the ancient northern boundary for the Roman Empire).
These historical spas consist of four parts:
- Sacred Spring,
- Roman Temple,
- Roman Bath House, and
- Museum exhibiting objects from the Roman Bath.
The ancient Roman Empire built these baths originally about 60-70 AD, with the construction work continuing for the next 300 years.
As Romans withdrew from England during the 5th century AD, the baths largely remained unused and without maintenance.
Finally, Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument, located in the province of Wiltshire, about 13 km (8 miles) north of Salisbury.
It is, in fact, one of the most important prehistoric landmarks in the world, and among England’s most famous tourist sites.
According to archaeologists, this round stone monument was built around 2500 BC…
…and it was built by a culture that did not have a written language, with the monument’s original purpose still unclear and under discussion.