STRATFORD-UPON-AVON: One of the reasons many
people come to the Cotswolds is to visit the home of Sir William
Shakespeare. One is able to see where he was born, where he
grew up, where he went to school, where he was married and
first lived with Ann Hathaway and, of course, where he is
buried. Part of this pilgrimage for many is to go on one of
the Shakespearean plays put on by the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
The hotel can arrange tickets. BLENHEIM
PALACE: The vast palace of Blenheim, home of the
dukes of Marlborough, was built by the first Duke of Marlborough
in 1705. Winston Churchill was born here and is buried without
pomp or circumstance in the nearby churchyard of Bladon.
The art collection at Blenheim is one of the finest in private
hands in the country. This is considered one of the greatest
stately homes in England.
OXFORD:
The city of Oxford is known for its famous university, although
it is an industrial city in a small way also. The university
dominates the town and is made up of a number of colleges
built on monastic lines. Each college has its own dormitories,
dining hall and chapel and is built around a quadrangle
or cloister. The largest college is Christchurch, and the
chapel of this great college is also the cathedral of Oxford.
Merton is the oldest college, founded in 1264. Many of the
colleges are known for specific training such as law or
medicine, and any Oxford college is considered an elite
training ground. In addition to the university colleges,
a visit should be made to the Ashmolean Museum, which has
one of the finest archeological collections in the country;
Far Eastern and European art are also important parts of
the collection. The Bodleian Library is one of the most
important libraries in the world, with over 2,500,000 printed
books and 50,000 manuscripts. See the Sheldonian Theatre,
built by Christopher Wren, where every year the graduation
ceremonies are held. The Radcliffe Camera, built by James
Gibbs, is a handsome classical rotunda with a fine dome.
BERKELEY
CASTLE: This is one of the oldest inhabited castles
in England, having been lived in by the Berkeley family
for the past 500 years. It is also famous for a particularly
gory story having to do with the death of Edward II.
BATH:
The beautiful Georgian city of Bath stands on the ancient
Roman city of Aqua Sullis, which means "healing water.”
The city is a spa to this day, but its heyday was the Georgian
period, when society gathered in Bath for the "season.”
Jane Austen came here as did Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton.
Visit the ROMAN BATHS and the Georgian PUMP ROOM. The ABBEY
is architecturally very interesting, and nearby is the attractive
POLTNEY BRIDGE with its little shops. The ASSEMBLY ROOMS
are where society gathered for balls and meetings, and the
rooms are still used for this purpose to this day. But,
essentially, Bath is a city to walk in and admire for its
elegant buildings and parks. This is also a great town for
antiques. |
