England has plenty in store for nature lovers, history buffs, people who love the bright lights or those who want to get away from it all. This short travel guide to England briefly describes some of the interesting aspects of both the north and south of the country.
Like most European countries England shows you many different faces. The south is gentler than the north, which has harsher winters, higher hills and more rugged countryside. The 50 million or so inhabitants are concentrated mainly in the towns surrounded by open country with farms and pretty villages with thatched cottages.
Hadrian's Wall was built, close to the border in the north with Scotland, to symbolise the power of the Romans early in the second century AD. You can still hike the length of the wall between Wallsend on the east coast and Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast of the country.
This is a great way to see the hills and dales of England and there are many trails and short walks all over the country. In the beautiful Lake District you can see the views that inspired the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge in the 18th century. In the Peak District you can also see some of the grim, looming mills of the industrial revolution, and great aristocratic houses like Chatsworth.
You can walk in the south too, of course. The south west coast path runs along the south coast from Poole Harbour, all the way down to the southern most tip of the country at The Lizard, then the western tip at Land's End and up the Atlantic coast to Minehead on the edge of the Exmoor National Park.
On the way take time to visit beautiful gardens like those at Abbotsbury in Dorset, close to Chesil Beach; see the fossils of the jurassic coast at Lyme Regis; head inland to Dartmoor and climb Haytor Rock for a distant view of the sea; watch an outdoor play at the famous Minack Theatre; eat at Rick Stein's famous fish restaurant at Padstow and visit the legendary birthplace of King Arthur at nearby Tintagel Castle.
If you prefer more sophisticated activities, you could base yourself in famous London town, or perhaps Birmingham in the midlands, which is the second largest metropolis. Here you'll find theatres, cinemas, night clubs, art galleries, museums and shopping opportunities.
You will also find these on a smaller scale in the coastal holiday resorts, like Blackpool and Scarborough in the north, or Bournemouth and Torquay in the south. Visit these resorts to combine trawling the shops in the morning with lazy afternoons on the beach, before the exciting night life begins.