by Donald Olson England FOR DUMmIES ‰ 4 TH EDITION s 01_165614 ffirs.qxp 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page iii 02_165614 ftoc.qxp 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page x Plan your trip with For Dummies Covering the most popular destinations in North America and Europe, For Dummies travel guides are the ultimate user-friendly trip planners. Available wherever books are sold or go to www.dummies.com And book it with our online partner, Frommers.com ߜ Book airfare, hotels and packages ߜ Find the hottest deals ߜ Get breaking travel news ߜ Enter to win vacations ߜ Share trip photos and stories ߜ And much more Frommers.com,rated the #1 Travel Web Site by PC Magazine 01_165614 ffirs.qxp 2/1/08 11:27 PM Page i Available wherever books are sold. Go to www.dummies.com or call 1-877-762-2974 to order direct. The fun and easy way ™ to travel! U.S.A. 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LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF W ARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITH- OUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. 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For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: 2008921211 ISBN: 978-0-470-16561-4 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 01_165614 ffirs.qxp 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page iv About the Author Donald Olson is a novelist, playwright, and travel writer. His newest novel, Memoirs Are Made of This, was published in the U.K. by Hodder Headline in 2007 under the pen name Swan Adamson. Earlier Swan Adamson novels include Confessions of a Pregnant Princess and My Three Husbands, which was translated into French and published by J’ai Lu, Paris. Donald Olson’s novel The Confes- sions of Aubrey Beardsley was published in the United Kingdom by Bantam Press, and his play, Beardsley, was produced in London. His travel stories have appeared in the New York Times, Travel + Leisure, Sunset, National Geographic books, and many other publi- cations. England For Dummies, 1st Edition won a 2002 Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Award for best guidebook. His other guide- books, London For Dummies, Best Day Trips from London, Irreverent London, Germany For Dummies, and Frommer’s Vancouver & Victoria, are all published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. London is one of Donald’s favorite cities, and England is one of his favorite countries. Dedication This book is dedicated to the Brits I have known, loved, and worked with over the years. Author’s Acknowledgments I would like to thank RailEurope, the National Trust, and English Heritage for helpful assistance while I was researching this new edition of England For Dummies. 01_165614 ffirs.qxp 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page v Editorial Editors: Lindsay Conner, Production Editor; Michael Kelly, Develop- ment Editor; Christine Ryan, Project Editor Copy Editor: Melissa Bennett Cartographer: Guy Ruggiero Senior Photo Editor: Richard Fox Cover Photos: Front cover: © Dave Sutton/Getty Images; Stonehenge Back cover: © Russ Merne/Alamy; Punting on the River Cam Cartoons: Rich Tennant ( www.the5thwave.com) Composition Services Project Coordinator: Katherine Key Layout and Graphics: Carl Byers, Stephanie D. Jumper Proofreaders: Debbye Butler, Caitie Kelly, Susan Moritz Indexer: Potomac Indexing, LLC Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel Publishing for Technology Dummies Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/ General User Composition Services Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: 01_165614 ffirs.qxp 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page vi Contents at a Glance Introduction 1 Part I: Introducing England 7 Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of England 9 Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into England 15 Chapter 3: Deciding When and Where to Go 25 Chapter 4: Following an Itinerary: Five Great Options 42 Part II: Planning Your Trip to England 55 Chapter 5: Managing Your Money 57 Chapter 6: Getting to England 70 Chapter 7: Getting Around England 78 Chapter 8: Booking Your Accommodations 88 Chapter 9: Catering to Special Travel Needs or Interests 97 Chapter 10: Taking Care of the Remaining Details 105 Part III: London and Environs 115 Chapter 11: Settling Into London 117 Chapter 12: Exploring London 159 Chapter 13: Day-tripping from London 202 Part IV: The Southeast 223 Chapter 14: Kent and Sussex 225 Chapter 15: Kent’s Best Castles, Stately Homes, and Gardens 249 Part V: The West Country 261 Chapter 16: Hampshire and Wiltshire: Old Wessex and New Sarum 263 Chapter 17: Devon: Moors, Tors, and Sandy Shores 277 Chapter 18: Cornwall: Saints, Salts, Sea, and Sun 296 Part VI: England’s Heartland 315 Chapter 19: Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle 317 Chapter 20: Bath and the Best of the Cotswolds 331 Part VII: Way Up North 355 Chapter 21: Yorkshire 357 Chapter 22: The Lake District 383 02_165614 ftoc.qxp 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page vii Part VIII: The Part of Tens 403 Chapter 23: Ten Writers and the Places They Lived 405 Chapter 24: Ten Great English Gardens 409 Chapter 25: Ten (or So) Great English Churches 413 Chapter 26: Ten Important Royals — Past and Present 417 Appendix: Quick Concierge 426 Index 437 02_165614 ftoc.qxp 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page viii [...]... Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle 317 Stratford-upon-Avon: In the Bard’s Footsteps 317 Getting to Stratford-upon-Avon .318 Finding information about Stratford-upon-Avon 319 Getting around and touring Stratford-upon-Avon 319 Staying in Stratford-upon-Avon .319 Dining in Stratford-upon-Avon .321 Exploring the best of Stratford-upon-Avon 323 Finding more to see and do in Stratfordupon-Avon... 93 Surfing the Web for Hotel Deals 94 Reserving the Best Room 95 Chapter 9: Catering to Special Travel Needs or Interests .97 Traveling with the Brood: Advice for Families 97 Locating family-friendly accommodations and restaurants .98 Hiring a baby-sitter in England 99 Making Age Work for You: Tips for Seniors .99 Accessing England: Information for Travelers with Disabilities... Options .42 Seeing England s Highlights in One Week 43 Touring the Best of England in Two Weeks 46 Discovering England with Kids 48 Strolling through England s Greenery: An Itinerary for Garden Lovers .50 Visiting England s Past: An Itinerary for History Buffs 52 02_165614 ftoc.qxp 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page xiii Table of Contents xiii Part II: Planning Your Trip to England .55 Chapter... explore England and wants expert advice on how to maximize your time and enjoy a hassle-free trip ߜ You may be an inexperienced traveler looking for guidance when determining whether to take a trip to England and how to plan for it ߜ You’re not looking for a book that provides all the information available about England or that lists every hotel, restaurant, or attraction Instead, you’re looking for a... places that can give you the best or most original experience in England If you fit any of these criteria, England For Dummies, 4th Edition, gives you the information that you’re looking for! How This Book Is Organized I break this book down into eight parts The first two parts deal with trip planning and organization They provide information, advice, and suggestions that can help you map out a wonderful... I Introducing England 04_165614 pt01.qxp T 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page 8 In this part his part helps to get you going If you’ve never been to England, you need advice and information to start planning your trip And if you’ve been to England before, you may want to refresh your knowledge and look for some new places to visit Chapter 1 gives you a brief overview that fills you in on the best England has to... specific chapter 03_165614 intro.qxp 2 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page 2 England For Dummies, 4th Edition Please be advised that travel information can change at any time — this is especially true of prices I suggest that you write or call ahead for confirmation when making your travel plans The author, editors, and publisher can’t be held responsible for readers’ experiences while traveling Your safety is important,... picture These chapters provide background information on the history, architecture, and dining scene in England; recommend books and movies to enhance your trip; help you to decide when to visit and what to see; and provide sample one- and two-week itineraries 03_165614 intro.qxp 4 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page 4 England For Dummies, 4th Edition Part II: Planning Your Trip to England This part helps take some of... things that are just for fun 03_165614 intro.qxp 6 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page 6 England For Dummies, 4th Edition This icon points out my report on the most newsworthy scandals — I mean stories — about people and places I throw in these tidbits about English personalities and places just for the fun of it I’m not cheap, but I love to save money, and I suspect you do, too Keep an eye out for the Bargain Alert... Digging Deeper into England 15 The Main Events: A Brief History of England 15 Building Blocks: An Overview of English Architecture 19 Dining English Style from Traditional to Modern .20 Visiting the Local Pub 21 Background Check: Finding England in Books and Movies 22 Books 22 Movies 24 02_165614 ftoc.qxp xii 2/1/08 11:28 PM Page xii England For Dummies, 4th Edition . & Orlando For Dummies EUROPE Also available: England For Dummies Europe For Dummies Germany For Dummies Ireland For Dummies London For Dummies Paris For Dummies Scotland For Dummies Spain For Dummies. www .dummies. com or call 1-8 7 7-7 6 2-2 974 to order direct. The fun and easy way ™ to travel! U.S.A. Also available: Alaska For Dummies Arizona For Dummies Boston For Dummies California For Dummies Chicago. For Dummies New Orleans For Dummies New York City For Dummies San Francisco For Dummies Seattle & the Olympic Peninsula For Dummies Washington, D.C. For Dummies RV Vacations For Dummies Walt Disney