Things You Didn't Know About Britain. By VisitBritain Wednesday, 10th June 2009

Most people know that Britain is home to the ‘Mother of Parliaments’, that Queen Elizabeth II lives at Buckingham Palace, and that the Scottish Highlands are malt whisky country.

But here we offer a selection of things that you might not know. Aside from being interesting facts, they help make a visit to these intriguing islands even more enjoyable.

1. One pass can give you free access to hundreds of stately homes, castles and gardens – and it’s only available to visitors from overseas. The Great British Heritage Pass allows you to skip the queues at places including Hampton Court Palace and  Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Valid for a choice of days between four and 30, it will also save you money.

2. There are many galleries just as exciting as Tate Modern but less well known. In London’s East End, the century-old Whitechapel Gallery has reopened after an expansion which doubles its size and showcases an intriguing mixture of local and international art. Chichester, on the South Coast, has the Pallant House Gallery, its contemporary art collection set in a Queen Anne townhouse.

3. You don’t have to go to the coast to take a cruise. There are regular sailings on Windermere, England’s largest lake. In Scotland, sail Loch Katrine on the steamship SS Sir Walter Scott, into Rob Roy country. On the tranquil upper reaches of the Thames, summer sailings head through ‘Wind in the Willows’ country from places like Windsor and Oxford.

4. You can walk freely, off-road, in beautiful countryside. There are 130,000 miles of public footpaths in England and Wales alone. For serious hikers, there are 15 long-distance National Trails, the latest being the Cotswold Way through the hills of the same name. 

5.Waterway holidays are a delightful way of seeing Britain. A self-drive narrow boat (no previous experience needed) is a comfortable base from which to explore the 200 year-old canal system at a leisurely pace. Birmingham has more canal mileage than Venice!

6. The modern game of tennis originated here in the 19th century. Wimbledon, home of the world’s leading tournament (and with a retractable centre court roof for 2009) has a fascinating museum devoted to the sport, with artefacts dating from 1555. The world’s oldest tennis court still in use is 11km away, at Hampton Court.

7. There are about 90 populated islands off Scotland’s coasts. ‘Island-hopping’ between them is fun, using the regular ferries which also carry vital supplies. Tickets such as the Island Hopscotch allow you to tailor-make a voyage. 

8. Staying in a historic building need not be expensive. A moated castle; a 16th century manor house; a Dominican friary and a watermill – these are just a few examples of YHA hostels which can cost from £12 per person a night. Many have been newly restored: the rambling, gothic manor-house at Ilam in Derbyshire resembles a set from a Victorian costume drama.

9. With reputedly haunted buildings scattered throughout the country, it’s not surprising that ghost-themed walking tours are popular. Though entertaining, they invariably make you look twice at shifting shadows. Locations include York, Bath, Lincoln, Edinburgh and London: tourist offices have details.

10. From Beatrix Potter to Jane Austen; Thomas Hardy to William Wordsworth: no country has more writers’ homes open to visitors. Nothing beats stepping into an author’s home to see what made them tick.

11. Taking a look at the subjects of the country’s weird and wonderful museums, you’ll realise why Britons have a reputation for being eccentric. There’s the British Lawnmower Museum (Southport), the Bakelite Museum (Williton, Somerset) and, for a nostalgic collection of packaging, venture to the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in London’s Notting Hill.

12. There are almost 4,000 festivals devoted to everything from Agatha Christie to rhubarb, as well as the more conventional dance, music and literature. There’s one going on somewhere virtually all year round – just see VisitBritain’s events database.

13. This was the northernmost outpost of the Roman Empire and, though Bath’s Roman Bath and Hadrian’s Wall are renowned, there are gems in unlikely places. There’s a Roman gold mine at Dolaucothi in Mid Wales – with tours of the underground workings. One mosaic-filled villa was only unearthed in 1949, at Lullingstone, Kent.

14. The British passion for gardening has influenced the world. The first botanic garden was established at Oxford in 1621 and Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was busy landscaping the estates of the rich by 1751. New, 21st century gardens are equally groundbreaking, such as the futuristic Eden Project with its massive bio-domes in Cornwall, and the National Botanic Garden of Wales near Carmarthen.

15. Thousands of Brits open their gardens to visitors for a small fee (donated to charity) once a year, so if you are curious to see how they live - outside at least - scan the National Gardens Scheme’s ‘Yellow Book’ calendar for locations.

16. It’s easy to spot residences of (deceased) famous people in London – there are 800 distinctive blue plaques affixed to walls, spotlighting poets, pioneers and politicians. From Jimi Hendrix and Handel to Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore. Up to 15 new ones are added to the roll-call each year.

17. You can ride a classic red Routemaster bus on two routes through London, for the price of an ordinary fare. Numbers 9 and 15 travel via Trafalgar Square every 15 minutes and are a fine way to see the sights, especially from the upper deck. 

18. Many British cathedrals (and some churches) have good-value restaurants where you can dine in the most historic of settings. Try Liverpool’s Anglican or London’s Southwark Cathedrals.

19. It’s not just homes that are stately. Some pubs are more like palaces, filled with varnished mahogany, ceramics and engraved mirrors, all enjoyed for the price of a drink. Most cities have at least one example: the newly restored Princess Louise in London’s Holborn; The Philharmonic, Liverpool; The Counting House, Glasgow are just three.

20. For a scrumptious afternoon tea, visit a National Trust property. The charity has more than 140 tea-rooms, many in unusual buildings including castles, lighthouses, stables, and even hot-houses. Some serve historical menus reflecting the heyday of the property.

Images available to download from VisitBritainImages photolibrary, www.visitbritainimages.com.

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