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The most helpful backpacking books on the planet, England

England isn't just about history and Royal family, there is a flourishing music business as well as art, fashion, theme parks and film industry. However if visiting England, you cannot get away from a country steeped in history, from tales of King Arthur and Camelot, Stonehenge, Sir Francis Drake, and Shakespeare, to the more modern 'historical' figures & places, such as The Beatles & the Beatles museum in Liverpool. The royal family, in spite of bad press, continues to fascinate visitors and residents alike, a fact demonstrated by the extraordinary manner in which the death of Princess Diana was reported and mourned. A major part of England's attraction is the abundance of historical towns and buildings. from trails over hills and around lakes to rural villages, where life seems to have stood still for centuries. Virtually every town bears a mark of former wealth and power, whether it be a magnificent Gothic cathedral financed from a monarch's treasury, a parish church funded by the tycoons of the medieval wool trade, or a Victorian civic building, built with the income from the British Empire. In the south there are patchwork fields, dockyards that were once teeming with navy patrols that once ruled the waves and imported goods, while in the north there are mills that employed whole town populations .(in fact the towns only existed because of the mills). England's museums and galleries, some of which are among the finest in the world, are full of treasures brought from Europe and farther afield. Large stores, one of which used to boast that if they didn't sell it they could get it,(Harrods) and was once reputed to have sold an elephant, are in abundance and co-exist with the small 'corner shops' that were once plentiful but are now fast becoming extinct. To get to know the people and the culture of this great country, the best way, and some would say, the only way, is to visit the local pub. Many of them, especially outside of cities and big towns, still have the old piano in the corner, where somebody would always play, another person would get up and sing and before long everybody would be joining in, young and old alike. Another plus for the pub, apart from the beer of course, is pub grub, or better known as food. We have come a long way from the curled up sandwich (another invention by an Englishman, The Earl of Sandwich), nowadays the licensee usually hires a good chef and gourmet meals can be taken at a reasonable price.

Hostels and Student Accomodation

There are over 230 Youth Hostels in England and Wales, you can use our Hostel Booking form to book your hostel.
I will recommend you visit this site Youth Hostelling Association it is absolutely full of all the information you will need, discounts, maps, facilities, local places, prices,everything you want to know, this site will tell you.

Places to See

The spa town of Bath, is a very popular place, its Georgian architecture is a sight to see and after a day sightseeing and/or a visit to the spas, have a drink and listen to live music in The Bell, a live music pub.

The resort of Brighton, day trips from London have been taken for over 100 years. The Lanes is the place to visit, boutiques, cafes and antique shops, amongst the alleyways and through the cobbled streets is very atmospheric and steeped in history.

Cornwall has an abundance of beautiful little fishing villages with narrow street and little gift shops, St Ives, Mevagissey, Polperro and Looe to name a few.

Apart from the beaches in Devon, there is Dartmoor, wild moorland, one of England's largest, is ideal trekking terrain. It is a very scenic part of the coast and the home of the famous Dartmoor ponies.

The love and inspiration of poets, Wordsworth & Keats, The Lake District is commonly known as 'Little Switzerland', boasting some of the most beautiful scenery in England. Take in the quiet of Lake Buttermere and for a faster pace visit Lake Windermere. Hadrians Wall is to the north and separated the two borders of Roman England and Scotland. Visit one of the many National Trust Visitors Centers along the remains of the wall.

Apart from the famous museums, galleries and Royal Palaces, London boasts a vast amount of boutiques and markets, a definite must is Covent Garden with its small shops and street theatre.

Sankey's Soap, Equinox, and Paradise Factory, part of Manchester's club scene for House and Dance venues. Manchester Cathedral and on a lighter note, Granada Studio Tours home of the famous 'Coronation Street'.The Manchester Museum has a superb collection of Egyptology amongst other collections, also in one of the art galleries, you should be able to find paintings of Salford's own, 'Lowrie'.

Poling a punt along the rivers that meander through them, is a memorable way to take in the "dreaming spires" of England's two illustrious university towns, Oxford and Cambridge.

Stonehenge is an amazing sight, in spite of fencing and crowds of people viewing it. Avebury nearby is another place to visit whilst in the area, more atmosphere but not as touristy.

Stone houses, cobbled streets, moorland, a castle, these all describe York, which also has a superb Minster and the Jorvic Viking Center this is a nostalgic look at life in the past, the Shambles is the old part of town with cobbled narrow streets. . York is one of the few remaining walled cities where you can see and walk on the original walls

Beaches

Britains beaches are cleaner than ever following the Governments belated efforts to clean them up, but still only 1/3rd of the beaches meet the criteria required by the Marine Conservation Society, whos independant report indicates aprox 180 MILLION litres of raw or partially treated sewage is pumped into Britsh rivers, estuaries and seas every DAY. They have for years, lagged behind the rest of Europe in this aspect. This was finaly highlighted last August when a holiday maker, Heather Preen, died after contacting E-Coli on a beach in Dawlish, Devon. As you may know I lived in England until 1996, and for the last 23 years I would not let my children in any waters in the North West areas. Out of 9,300 miles of coastline there are only 215 (35 more than 1999) beaches clean enough to make it into the Good Beach Guide.
Here are the top 10 beaches in England. As at July 2000

WooIacombe North Devon: Two miles of golden sands with excellent surfing.

Durdle Door, Dorset: Quiet, scenic beach backed by cliffs. Ideal for diving, snorkeling and fishing.

Ramsgate, Kent: Lively sand shingle beach next to a historic harbour, popular with families and jetskiers.

Allonby, Cumbria: One of the few beaches in the North-west considered safe to swim in.

Warkworth,Northumberland: Beautiful sandy beach backing on to Impressive dunes.

Manorbier Bay, Pembrokeshire: Sandy beach in one of the most beautiful spots in Wales.

White Sands Bay, East Lothian, Scotland: Attractive golden sands hemmed in by a rocky shore and grasslands.

Benone (Magilligan Strand), In Londonderry, Ireland: Seven miles of sands, 12 miles from the nearest town.

Beauport, Jersey, Channel Islands: A warm, sheltered, sandy, horseshoe bay.

Sheringham, Norfolk: A picturesque village is a huge expanse of flat golden sand.

The Good Beach Guide also shames beaches which fail EC standards. The list includes nine In Scotland and ones in Devon, Cornwall. North Yorkshire and the Isle Of Man.

Click here for information on British rail passes