Best on a budget
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The Natural History Museum employed some
of the latest construction techniques at the time, including the
decorative terracotta castings of birds and animals visible around the
entrances. Explore the world of dinosaurs and fossils and trace the history of evolution! A restaurant, a café and a sandwich bar, as well as a snack bar and
picnic area, make sure you are never short of an opportunity to
re-fuel. There are three different shops, The Museum Shop, The Dino
Store and The Earth Shop.
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Ashridge Estate is an area of open countryside and woodland on
the edge of the Chiltern Hills with a rich variety of bird and
wildlife, including fallow deer and red kite. A
network of footpaths criss-crosses the estate, where
ancient woodlands display carpets of bluebells in spring and
spectacular colours in autumn. See
panoramas of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire from the Ivinghoe Beacon
- the 250 metre high site of an Iron Age hill fort. Facilities include a visitor centre,
cafe and shop.
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A favourite of fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, the Wallace
Collection is a national museum which displays the wonderful works of
art collected in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the first
four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th
Marquess. It is probably best known for its paintings by artists such as Titian,
Rembrandt, Hals and Velázquez and for its
superb collections of eighteenth-century French paintings, porcelain,
furniture and gold boxes.
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Nine miles west of Porlock, the Victorian resort of Lynton perches
above a lofty gorge with spectacular views over the sea. This beautiful
area of North Devon has high cliffs, hills, quaint cottages and access
to the inner wilderness of Exmoor with its deer and ponies. Lynton is
connected by cliff railway with Lynmouth, 500 feet beow at the junction
and estuary of the East and West Lyn rivers. Located on the South West
Coast Path, it's a great base for setting out on walks.
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The Ridgeway National Trail travels for 87 miles through the North
Wessex Downs and the Chilterns areas of Outstanding Beauty in south
east England. Walk accross ancient landscapes of rolling, open downland
to the west of the river Thames, through secluded beech woodland, over
neatly cultivated fields and across chalk grassland nature reserves
rich in wildflowers. There's plenty of attractions along the way. Take a short walk with the dog, or hike the whole
of its length!
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Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is particularly admired for its
Pre-Raphaelite paintings and drawings and boasts the largest collection
in the world. Diverse and fascinating objects reside here, from bronze buddhas to
Egyptian mummies, and a range of temporary exhibitions takes place
throughout the year. The collections cover fine art from
the 14th century onwards, applied arts like ceramics and metalwork, and
historic collections ranging from local archaeology to world cultures.
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Discover all about life in Newcastle and Tyneside, from the area's
renowned maritime history and world-changing science and technology
right through to fashion through the ages and military history. The
museum is bursting with interactive displays, which makes it the
perfect place to learn and have fun. The ship Turbinia dominates the entrance to
the Museum. Invented on Tyneside, it is the first ship to be powered by
a steam turbine. This 35 metre vessel was once the fastest ship in the
world.
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Located near Manchester Cathedral in a striking modern building, Urbis is an exhibition centre
focusing on city life. The exhibition programme explores the culture
and dynamism of cities around the world, covering photography, design,
architecture, music and contemporary art. They run thought-provoking
events, which include tours, talks, workshops and family activities,
and the building is also home to a shop packed with original gift ideas
and "The Social" café bar.
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Walk up the 122 steps of Scrabo Tower and take in the views across
Strangford Lough. Scrabo Country Park is centred upon the tower built
on the summit of Scrabo Hill. It includes the woodlands of Killynether,
the disused quarries where Scrabo stone was once quarried, a pond and a
prehistoric hill fort with adjacent enclosures and hut-circles. A ten-minute audio-visual show, 'Ebb and Flow' has been installed in a
display on the upper floor of Scrabo tower and tells the story of
Strangford Lough and its wildlife.
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The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh was Britain's
first collection devoted solely to 20th century painting and sculpture.
The display space is divided between temporary exhibitions and
selections from the gallery's own holdings, including
Post-Impressionists, Fauves, German Expressionism, Cubism and Pop Art.
There is also a good collection of work by the Scottish Colourists. Facilities include a shop and restaurant.
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