England Things to Do

Aside from football and how to make a good cup of tea, there are few things the British take as seriously as a good pint. Whether you want to learn more about the country’s historic brewing practices or just sample a pint fresh from the source, here are some of England’s best breweries to help you sort out your bitter from your stout.

Despite its idyllic country surroundings, the West midlands city of Coventry is marred by its gloomy industrial façade, but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find the city teeming with historic charm. Nicknamed the ‘cathedral city’, Coventry’s key landmarks are its historic churches, including the 12th-century Holy Trinity Church, one of the largest medieval churches in England.

The image of a snow-covered Victorian London as immortalized in Charles Dickens’s famous novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ has long been the blueprint for English Christmas traditions, with carol singers, Christmas decorations and plates of freshly baked mince pies. London might have changed a little since then, but traditions hold strong and December 25th remains the biggest event on the British calendar – a holiday season that’s all about family, present swapping and over-indulging.

2008’s European Capital of Culture, Liverpool, still reigns strong as one of Northern England’s most visited cities. Whether you’re looking to discover the music scene that gave birth to The Beatles, walk along the famous Pier Head Waterfront or catch one of the city’s world famous football teams in action, there’s plenty to keep you busy in the legendary Liverpool. An extensive bus and train network serve the city, but for a more entertaining way to get around town, here are a few alternatives.

Since the country’s first steam railway opened up in 1825, England has become a champion of rail travel, with a vast network of tracks running the length and breadth of the country. Today, high speed, comfortable trains run from London to destinations in every corner of the UK, as well as the cross-channel Eurostar running to locations in France and Belgium.

“Remember, remember the fifth of November. Gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason, why gunpowder treason, should ever be forgot.” So goes the famous British rhyme, a reminder of the fateful night back in 1605 when Guy Fawkes and a team of catholic conspirators hatched a bold plot to smuggle gunpowder into the cellars of the House of Lords and blow up the capital’s famed Houses of Parliament with the King, Lords and Commons inside. The conspiracy, uncovered the night before, didn’t quite go to plan, with Fawkes, being arrested, tortured and executed for his part and Londoners taking to the streets to light bonfires in celebration of their King being saved.