I was fortunate enough to visit Great Britain earlier this month with my friend and colleague Eric, a historian of British politics. I tried a couple of times to write this post as a day-by-day, but it kept turning out either truncated and choppy or way too long. Instead, I think just posting some highlights and lowlights might be a good idea. It'll give me room for more history and remove a lot of needless stuff about taxi rides and dinner, but still allow me to keep a good flow. None of these are in any particular order, and I haven't included everything from the trip, but hopefully you enjoy!
The Highlights
1. Hampton Court Palace
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| The main courtyard of Hampton Court Palace |
The first major site we visited, and one of my favorites of the trip. In 1515 construction of the current
palace was begun by Henry VIII's favorite adviser Cardinal Thomas Wolsey who envisaged it as the greatest country manor in England. In 1529 he gave it as a gift to Henry in an attempt to save his own skin but soon fell from favor anyway. It became a favorite of Henry's, and served as a royal residence until the reign of George II, undergoing a renovation in the 1600's to make it a rival of Versailles. The project was never finished and this left the palace a curious mix of styles. Today Hampton Court is no longer used as a residence by the royal family, but a suite of apartments still occupies some of the buildings. These are given to revered civil servants or friend of the royal family as a form of state gift; as an example, the widow of the founder of the scouting movement was granted an apartment in the 1950's. Today the palace sits in the outer suburbs of London, and sits surrounded by neighborhoods and parks. Its packed with history but because the palace is a bit out of the way it doesn't draw the huge crowds you might expect. |
| The massive reflecting pool doesn't really work in the rain... |
The palace is gorgeous, and unlike other palaces and castles open to the public in London, not entirely packed with tourists. Much of the estate's art work is on display, and a visitor gets a nice mix of history, architecture, and art on their visit. The gardens extremely beautiful, and the reflecting pool was awesome to see even in the rain. You can easily spend the better part of a day there, and I'd love to return, especially in nicer weather, to take more time there.
2. The British Museum
I mean, what can I say that hasn't been said about this truly special museum? It was founded to house artifacts acquired throughout the British domains during the years of her empire, and it has something for any historical taste. You can view the Rosetta Stone, the Sutton Hoo helmet, gates from ancient Mesopotamian cities, a copy of The Great Wave, Roman armor, African religious items, a death mask made of Napoleon's face, and more. The museum covers pretty much every period and location of human history, and it does it in a way that's not entirely overwhelming. It's also free to enter! Prices at the gift shop and cafes aren't too insane either, and Eric and I each eagerly donated a few Pounds for a map.
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| The British Museum's George III Library |
The only real downside was that we were only able to see the museum for a few hours. On my next trip to London I am hoping to take most of an entire day to visit, to really explore the galleries.
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| Yes, I elbowed my way through the crowd of tourists like any good American to get a selfies with the Rosetta Stone... |
3. The Imperial War Museum London
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| Me outside IWM |
This has been my grail museum ever since I found out it existed, and it did not disappoint. I have wanted to visit IWM for years, but have never had the chance until this trip. Located inside of the old British Admiralty College, IWM London tells the history of the British military in the 20th and 21st Centuries. It has taken a leading role in all of the WWI commemoration events you may have seen on the news, and I was especially excited to see their First World War gallery.
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| I kept tearing up in the galleries. |
Which turned out to be maybe the best single museum exhibit I have ever seen. It managed to be entertaining, informative, sobering, and well laid out all at once. They had some great artifacts - I was able to see T.E. Lawrence's headband that he actually wore in Arabia, as well as an original Mk. V Tank. The World War II exhibit was a bit of a let down (but I might be biased on that one...) but overall I really enjoyed our visit. If you're ever there also be sure to check out the surrounding neighborhood. In addition to hip restaurants and such, it includes a number of "blue plaque" historical markers. One of these is just across the street from IWM's gate, where it marks the house that William Bligh (of the Bounty mutiny) lived in during his time at the admiralty.
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| Lawrence stuff! |
4. The Tower of London
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| One of the Tower's Ravens; legend says that if fewer than 6 reside on the grounds at any time the monarchy and England will be destroyed. |
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| The Tower is still a military garrison. Sorry, no photos allowed of the Crown Jewels. |
This was one of the best sites we got to see in London proper. I was able to meet the first female Yeoman Warder in history (these are the guards of the tower who also serve as tour guides), see the Crown Jewels of Great Britain including the Koh-i-Noor diamond used by Queen Victoria and the current crown used by Elizabeth II, and tour a great military history exhibit. The Beefeaters are fantastic guides and insanely knowledgeable not only about the Tower's history, but also the history of London and British history in general. They're also happy to stop and have a chat. When you're done (you can do the entire complex in a few hours), Tower Bridge and St. Paul's Cathedral are both quite nearby.
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| Tower Bridge is right next door too! |
5. Dinefwr
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| The Ruins of Dinefwr |
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| The views from the castle are amazing. The haze in the distance isn't fog, it's the rain rolling in! |
My personal connections aside, Dinefwr was still a great visit despite some rain and wind. The surrounding countryside is absolutely gorgeous, and the views from the top of the ruined castle is one of the most beautiful sites we saw in Great Britain. Unfortunately the house was closed for the day, but the tea room was cute and apparently the tour of the building is great. There's also a ton of wildlife nearby (the estate was maintained as a hunting reserve until Victorian times and as a result the area was never depopulated of animals like most of the rest of Britain), and some great walking and hiking in the area. If I am ever able to make it back to Wales I'd like to stay in the nearby village and spend a full day on the grounds, but even if I'm not this will remain one of my favorite places I've ever been.
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| Stone cottages and streams, Wales really looks like the Shire! |
6. The White Cliffs and Dover Castle
Perhaps the most iconic natural site in England, the White Cliffs sit at the furthest southwestern corner of England, looking across the English channel at nearby Calais, France. The area has served as the primary entry to England (and later Great Britain) for all of recorded history; Julius Caesar landed here, as did the Roman army which later fully conquered Britain. Some of the first Anglo-Saxon settlements are nearby, and William the Bastard landed nearby at the start of his conquest. Henry II realized the strategic importance of the area, and built imposing Dover Castle overlooking the harbor. The fortress was expanded and improved dozens of times throughout history; it was fortified during the Seven Years War, and had major gun batteries improved to fend off a potential invasion by Napoleon. It was fitted with anti-aircraft batteries during the First World War. During WWII the site was used to organize the British retreat from Dunkirk, and then served as the front-line headquarters and a focal point for local radar stations during the Battle of Britain. Today the site is mostly a tourist attraction, but the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment maintains a small garrison and several military installations are located nearby.
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| View of an Anglo-Saxon church and Roman lighthouse from the top of Dover's main Keep |
The Cliffs are just awesome, and are probably the only location we visited which rivaled Wales for natural beauty. A series of trails runs along their tops and down to the beach, and there is little in the way of signage or protective barriers making the area perfect for photography. The castle is great, and if anything, I would say that it's too big; we were there for more than 3 hours and barely saw a tiny fraction of the fortress. Dover also is an interesting town, and France is just a short ferry ride away. On my next trip I would like to do two or three days in Dover, just hiking the cliffs, touring the castle, and exploring the town and nearby Calais.
7. The Guards Museum
I was peripherally aware of this museum, but stumbled upon it completely by accident. On our last day Eric and I split up, and I had intended on looking around Westminster. Unfortunately a massive political protest was going on, so I just started walking. I soon stumbled upon Wellington Barracks, with a large sign outside saying "Guards Museum: OPEN". So I decided to take a peek inside, and I'm glad I did. The museum is owned, run, and maintained by the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army (you might know them better as the "royal" guards, the guys in the big black hats). It has exhibits on their regimental histories dating back to the English Civil War, and they had some truly stupendous stuff including uniforms owned by monarchs (including Her Majesty Elizabeth II). My favorite was a display on the Mahdist war, which contained weapons, banners, and a full suit of chain mail taken from Dervish forces at the battle of Omdurman.
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| Unfortunately due to the reverence which the Guards hold their trophies and relics, no photos are allowed inside of the museum. So here's a statue of Lord Alexander! |
The museum was smallish, and sadly totally empty on the day I visited. All of the docents were retired guardsmen, and one was kind enough to give me a personal tour after I told him I was a historian from the US. The museum contained some GREAT military history, and it's totally free. You can do it easily in less than an hour, and the site also contains a small armor (as in tank) exhibit and a building dedicated to toy soldiers. If you decide to visit London and have even just 20 minutes to spare, I encourage you to get over and support these guys, they have a great little exhibit!
8. The Taxi Drivers
Ok, this one is a bit weird but bare with me. Usually I'm not a big taxi problem; I mostly use them when I find myself impossibly lost or tired, and otherwise stick to buses, subways, trams, and my feet. However, at least in central London, you really should take at least a couple of rides in an iconic black cab. They are surprisingly affordable and the conversations Eric and I had with the drivers were amazing. One guy talked with me about the English Premier League (soccer), and it was great to hear his thoughts on the current season. Another took us along a route which passed through an area of the city officially off limits to pedestrians and tourists, and talked to us in depth about the local area's history. A third talked to us about American politics, while a fourth explained his issues with the current political situation in Britain. We got insights from the drivers I don't think I could have heard otherwise. All of the drivers were old-school London Cockneys, and it was great to get an insight into local Londoner's lives. We also learned a lot about local history not necessarily covered by local guides or books, and got unfiltered opinions on a wide variety of topics from locals. It was great, and a very pleasant surprise!
The Lowlights
1. The Museum of London (Sorta)
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| The museum administers what's left of the Roman walls. Here's a statue of my main imperator Trajan near one of the wall sections. |
As the name might have given away, the Museum of London is a museum dedicated to London's history. The first half of the exhibits are great; the sections on Rome, the Anglo Saxons, Prehistory, and Tudor and Civil War times area great. But the second half of the exhibits left a very sour taste in my mouth. I won't get too deep into this, but in short they became VERY political. As in, obviously pro one side of the aisle political. Any hint of trying to keep bias away disappeared, and I was extremely disappointed to see subjects like the Zeppelin raids during WWI (which killed thousands of Londoners) either entirely ignored or barely touched upon in favor of political history which, while of course affecting London, were mostly national or Empire-wide issues. Several other visitors seemed to have similar issues while we were going through the exhibits, so I am hoping that means I didn't just visit on a bad day.The exhibit outside of the museum on the city's ancient and medieval walls was great though! Also, avoid the gift shop; it was by far the most expensive we encountered on our trip.
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| Where else could I get a photo with a Penny-Farthing though?! |
2. Lorry Drivers
Driving in Britain isn't the difficult; I have a very slight advantage in that I've driven around the continent a fair bit, but realigning yourself to drive on the left in a right-hand-drive car isn't difficult in general. My biggest issue was lane placement (I kept drifting left) but I had gotten used to it after a few hours. I also want to start this one off by saying that the vast, vast majority of drivers I encountered in England and Wales were great.
I can not say the same about the lorry (cargo trucks like semi-trucks here in the US) drivers. In Britain the speed limits are much higher on average; even a winding 2-lane back road might have a 60 or 70 mph speed limit, and most motorways have one that's 80. For the most part this works, but the lorry drivers make it sometimes terrifying. They weave in and out of traffic, cut you off, rarely signal, and speed like crazy. Multiple times I had one cut me off without signaling and pass within 2 feet of my front bumper (the Mercedes I rented had a sensor that would warn me when I got to close to the car in front of me, it would beep if I was within 2 feet of another bumper, and it went off like crazy around trucks).
I don't want to dissuade anyone from driving overseas; You get to see way more than you would by sticking to a bus or train system and a car offers way more freedom for exploration. Just, if you're going to Britain, be extra careful around truckers.
3. Half the Site or Museum Websites
I love museums and historic sites, as you might have guessed by my highlights. I've spent a lot of time browsing websites for these institutions, and for the most part the ones in Britain are great; they are modern and professional looking, and pretty easy to navigate. My main issue was that the information was frequently out of date. Repeatedly we arrived at a museum, church, or site which we had researched that morning or the night before, only to find out it was closed. We would read about a great tour or exhibit, only to find out it was no longer being offered or was not yet open. This was extremely frustrating because the information on the websites often conformed with guidebooks and all of the other information we could find. Some of this may have been down to the fact we were visiting in the off season, but up to date on these websites would have made our use of time a lot more efficient!
And that's it! I have freed up more time for writing, so expect more posts soon!
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