England Travel » Medieval Days

The Surging City of Manchester, England

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:55:00 +0000

With a 2007 population of 458,000, Manchester is located in northwest England and is part of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom. The city has experienced a recent upsurge following the collapse of its traditional manufacturing base, as the city was once a powerful textile center. To illustrate this transformation, a 2006 poll of British business leaders showed Manchester to be the best place in the UK to locate a business. Manchester is also the third most visited city in the UK by foreigners, and is well known for its football -- most notably the most famous football team in the world, Manchester United.

Although Manchester has been in existence since medieval days, very little medieval architecture remains. The city was heavily damaged during World War II, and a 1996 IRA bomb caused further damage. The result however has been an extensive amount of redevelopment, with more recent replacement of unremarkable postwar buildings with some striking modern architecture. A fair amount of the old, most notably Victorian architecture still remains juxtaposed, which makes for a pleasing effect. For a great example of Victorian architecture at its best, check out the Victorian Gothic Revival style Manchester Town Hall in Albert Square.

There is a strong cultural tradition in Manchester, and the city boasts many excellent museums, with a wide range of subject matter. The Museum of Science and Industry is located in the former Liverpool Road railway station, and features a huge selection of steam locomotives, aircraft and industrial machinery. The Manchester Museum has been open to the public since the 1880s with its Egyptology and natural history collections.

Manchester also features a very active music scene, and has a vibrant nightlife which has expanded exponentially since the early 1990s. The city has made a significant investment in the bars, clubs and public houses. The real strength of the city's character however is the many diverse quarters, such as The Village, The Northern Quarter and Chinatown. Manchester is truly a lively city with a bright outlook for the future.

By: Alyssa Mendell

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Exeter, England – A Perfect English City

admin — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:41:54 +0000

With a 2005 population of 118,000, Exeter is located in the southeast part of England on the River Exe. Exeter is known as "a perfect English city", second only to Bath in that regard. It is a popular tourist destination for many reasons, and has also been identified as one of the top 10 most profitable cities for a business to be located in the country.

Exeter may not be considered to be a beautiful city by a tourist's standard, but this county town has much to offer. Exeter is a lively place, and has a bit of a big-city touch featuring a buzzing arts scene, thriving cafe and bar life, and a substantial student population.

The city center was hard hit and almost completely demolished by bombing in World War II, and unfortunately many historical buildings were destroyed. There was very little attempt to rebuild the damage structures, and some unremarkable more modern architecture took its place. There are however some particularly notable survivors, most strikingly the splendid St. Peter's Cathedral, also known as the Exeter Cathedral which was founded in 1050 with later additions. As impressive as it is from outside, the interior is full of fascinating features such as the great clock, minstrels' gallery and the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England.

Also worth visiting is the remains of the Norman Rougemont Castle and the Church of St. Mary's Steps with its wonderfully ornate clock. The Guild of Tuckers and Weavers is a fine reminder of medieval Old Exeter and the city that was destroyed by the bombs in World War II. Other reminders of medieval days include the half timbered houses on the steep cobblestone Stepcote Hill.

There are other aspects to the city worth exploring as well, such as the Quayside area and Exeter University's parkland grounds with its sculpture trail.

By: Alyssa Mendell

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Visiting Norwich, England

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:17:42 +0000

With a 2007 population of 132,000, Norwich is situated on the River Wensum in the East of England region. This ancient city was a thriving prosperous place in the 11th century, second only in size to London, and still has many remnants of the Norman conquests. The Norman marketplace is still in use today, and is the largest open-air six-days-a-week market in the country.

There was a good amount of damage to the city center in World War II, but the city has managed to retain its character despite. The 11th century Norwich Cathedral dominates the skyline, and is in fact the second tallest spire in England after Salisbury. Norwich has more medieval churches than most anywhere else in Western Europe, with most of them existing in the city center. In its medieval days, Norwich was bounded by a huge medieval wall, of which large sections still exist today. The wall was so vast that it encompassed an area larger than the city of London. The 12th century castle is a dominant figure in the city, and has been functioning as a museum since 1895.

Norwich is also known as a shoppers heaven, and besides the open air market in the city center, there are two major malls, The Castle Mall and Chapelfields. The Lanes area and the chic Art Nouveau Royal Arcade are also fine shopping destinations.

Take a boat trip on the River Wensum or just take a stroll along the riverside walk to enjoy the sights. And visit some of Norwich's many fine museums, the largest of which is Norwich Castle Museum, with a fine array of art, local archaeological finds, natural history and much more. Another very interesting visit is the Dragon Hall in King Street, which is a wonderfully restored medieval trading hall, said to be unique in Western Europe.

By: Ian Ellison

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