Stonehenge: a prehistoric complex on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, regarded as one of the most important monuments of its kind in Europe, and very popular with visitors. The great circle of standing stones is believed to have had some religious or astronomical purpose.
Windsor: a town on the Thames, not far from London. Its castle has been a royal residence for nine centuries. Seen from a distance it is beautiful beyond imagination. Windsor Castle has a long and fascinating history.
Some of the interior apartaments are open to the public when the Sovereign is not in residence.
Canterbury: an ancient city in Kent, with a majestic cathedral which dominates it. Canterbury is a religious capital of England. It was built in the 11th-15th centuries, and became a place of pilgrimage in medieval times after the murder of Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Brighton: a popular seaside resort, famous for the architecture of the Royal Pavillion built in an oriental style. Brighton is known for its large conference centre, where many important political and scientific meeting are held.
Portsmouth: a large city on the south coast particularly rich in associations with the Royal Navy. The flagship of Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, Victory, still stands in the port and it ranks as one of Britain's greatest tourist attractions.
Portsmouth is the birthplace of Charles Dickens. The house where he spent his childhood is now a museum.
Stratford-on-Avon: an attractive town, world-famous as the birthplace of William Shakespeare (1564-1616). It holds a priceless collection of Shakespeare relics. Stratford is visited by thousands of tourists annually. It is second to London for tourists.
Coventry: it has been an important city since the 14th century. It is now known for its magnificent cathedral, decorated by the best artists and craftsmen in Britain. It was built near the ruins of the old cathedral, destroyed during the Second World War, in memory of those who died in the bombings.
York: a medieval city, built on Roman foundations and strongly influenced by the Vikings, it has, during more than 1900 years of recorded history, been a bright thread in the tapestry of England's history. It is exciting to wander through its ancient alleyways, walk on top of the city walls, wide enough for horses to pass, look at medieval timber-framed buildings, to see the Minster, Britain's largest cathedral, that dominates York.
The Peak District is like a massive English garden rockery, 30 miles long and 20 miles at its widest point. Some peaks rise to 2000 feet (660 metres), attracting rock-climbers.
The Lake District is an area of outstanding beauty, one of the loveliest regions in England, famous for its spectacular mountain scenery, wooded hill slopes and sparkling lakes. The beauty of the Lake District inspired one of England's greatest poets William Wordsworth (1770-1850) and the other Lake Poets. It is a national park.
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