- Most visited places in United

Kingdom -

LUCRARE PENTRU OBTINEREA ATESTATULUI DE LIMBA ENGLEZA

ELEV CANDIDAT: DOLHA MARIA FLORINA

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 CONTENTS

London's Big Ben3

Palace of Westminster6

Winsor Castle8

Buckingham Palace12

London Eye.16

Eden Project18

Victoria and Albert Museum20

London's Big Ben

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 The clock inside the tower was the world's largest when it was installed in
the middle of the nineteenth century. The name Big Ben actually refers to the
clock's hour bell, the largest of the clock's five bells. The other four are used as
quarter bells.

The Houses of Parliament's iconic clock tower is one of London's most

famous landmarks. Don't leave London without visiting Big Ben!

What is Big Ben?

The Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower, commonly called Big Ben,
are among London's most iconic landmarks and must-see London attractions.
Technically, Big Ben is the name given to the massive bell inside the clock tower,
which weighs more than 13 tons (13,760 kg). The clock tower looks spectacular at
night when the four clock faces are illuminated.

When was Big Ben Built?

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 The Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire in 1834. In 1844, it was
decided the new buildings for the Houses of Parliament should include a tower and
a clock.

A massive bell was required and the first attempt (made by John Warner &
Sons at Stockton-on-Tees) cracked irreparably. The metal was melted down and the
bell recast in Whitechapel in 1858. Big Ben first rang across Westminster on 31
May 1859. A short time later, in September 1859, Big Ben cracked.

A lighter hammer was fitted and the bell rotated to present an undamaged
section to the hammer. This is the bell as we hear it today.

How Tall is Big Ben?

Elizabeth Tower stands at over 96 metres (105yrds) tall, with 334 steps to
climb up to the belfry and 399 steps to the Ayrton Light at the very top of the
tower.

Where is Big Ben?

Big Ben is found in the Elizabeth Tower at the north end of The Houses of
Parliament in Westminster, Central London, next to the river Thames.

There are a several London bus routes that go past the tower, and
Westminster Tube station is directly across the road, serviced by the Jubilee,
District and Circle lines. Westminster pier is next to the tower and is served by a
number of river bus travel options.

Why is Big Ben Called Big Ben?

The origin of the name Big Ben is not known, although two different
theories exist.

The first is that is was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the first commissioner
of works, a large man who was known affectionately in the house as "Big Ben".

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 The second theory is that it was named after a heavyweight boxing
champion at that time, Benjamin Caunt. Also known as "Big Ben", this nickname
was commonly bestowed in society to anything that was the heaviest in its class.

Views

Unfortunately the clock tower is not publicly accessible, but if you're

looking for views over London the London Eye, the Shard or the Monument are
currently the best options.

Palace of Westminster

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 The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons
and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Commonly known as the Houses of Parliament after its occupants, it is also known
as the 'heart of British politics. The Palace lies on the north bank of the River
Thames in the City of Westminster, in central London.

Its name, which derives from the neighbouring Westminster Abbey, may
refer to either of two structures: the Old Palace, a medieval building complex
destroyed by fire in 1834, and its replacement, the New Palace that stands today.
The palace is owned by the monarch in right of the Crown and, for ceremonial
purposes, retains its original status as a royal residence. The building is managed
by committees appointed by both houses, which report to the Speaker of the House
of Commons and the Lord Speaker.

The first royal palace was built on the site in the 11th century, and
Westminster was the primary residence of the Kings of England until fire destroyed
much of the complex in 1512. After that, it served as the home of the Parliament
of England, which had been meeting there since the 13th century, and also as the
seat of the Royal Courts of Justice, based in and around Westminster Hall. In 1834,
an even greater fire ravaged the heavily rebuilt Houses of Parliament, and the only
significant medieval structures to survive were Westminster Hall, the Cloisters of
St Stephen's, the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, and the Jewel Tower.

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 The subsequent competition for the reconstruction of the Palace was won by
the architect Charles Barry, whose design was for new buildings in the Gothic
Revival style, specifically inspired by the English Perpendicular Gothic style of the
14th16th centuries. The remains of the Old Palace (with the exception of the
detached Jewel Tower) were incorporated into its much larger replacement, which
contains over 1,100 rooms organised symmetrically around two series of
courtyards and has a floor area of 112,476m2. Part of the New Palace's area of 3.24
hectares (8 acres) was reclaimed from the Thames, which is the setting of its nearly
300m long faade, called the River Front. Barry was assisted by Augustus Pugin, a
leading authority on Gothic architecture and style, who designed the interior of the
Palace. Construction started in 1840 and lasted for 30 years, suffering great delays
and cost overruns, as well as the death of both leading architects; works for the
interior decoration continued intermittently well into the 20th century. Major
conservation work has been carried out since then to reverse the effects of
London's air pollution, and extensive repairs took place after the Second World
War, including the reconstruction of the Commons Chamber following its bombing
in 1941.

The Palace is one of the centres of political life in the United Kingdom;
"Westminster" has become a metonym for the UK Parliament, and the Westminster
system of government has taken its name after it. The Elizabeth Tower, in
particular, which is often referred to by the name of its main bell, Big Ben, is an
iconic landmark of London and the United Kingdom in general, one of the most
popular tourist attractions in the city, and an emblem of parliamentary democracy.
The Palace of Westminster has been a Grade I listed building since 1970 and part
of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

Winsor Castle

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 The State Apartments

Windsor Castle has been the home of 39 monarchs, and the appearance of
the State Apartments today reflects the changing tastes of the Castles royal
occupants, particularly Charles II (r.1660-85) and George IV (r.1820-30).

Charles II set out to rival the achievements of his cousin, Louis XIV, at
Versailles in France. He modernised the Castles interiors, which became the
grandest State Apartments in England, with painted ceilings by Antonio Verrio and
carvings by Grinling Gibbons.

With his architect Sir Jeffry Wyatville, George IV gave the State Apartments
a new grand entrance and staircase, and he added the colossal Waterloo Chamber,
celebrating the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815, introduced in the short film
below by Desmond Shawe-Taylor, Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures.

The State Apartments are furnished with some of the finest works of art from
the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Canaletto.
Many of the works of art are still in the historic settings for which they were first
collected or commissioned by the Kings and Queens who have lived at Windsor.

On 20 November 1992 a fire destroyed or damaged more than 100 rooms at

the Castle. Four thousand gallons of water a minute were used against the blaze at

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the fires height, the equivalent of the entire weight of Niagara Falls descending on
the Castle for two seconds. The restoration of the Castle, particularly St Georges
Hall and the Grand Reception Room, is a testament to the extraordinary skills of
some of the finest craftsmen in Europe.

Today Windsor's State Apartments are frequently used by members of the

Royal Family for events in support of organisations of which they are patrons.

Queen Marys Dolls House

Among the highlights of a visit to Windsor is Queen Marys Dolls House,

the largest, most beautiful and most famous dolls house in the world. Built for
Queen Mary by the leading British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens between 1921 and
1924, this most magical of residences is a perfect replica in miniature of an
aristocratic home.

The house is filled with thousands of objects made by leading artists,

designers and craftsmen, nearly all on the tiny scale of 1:12. From life below stairs
to the high-society setting of the saloon and dining room, no detail was forgotten.
Among the most striking features of Queen Marys Dolls House are the library,
bursting with original works by the top literary names of the day, a fully stocked
wine cellar and a garden created by Gertrude Jekyll. The Dolls House even

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includes electricity, running hot and cold water, working lifts and flushing
lavatories.

In the adjoining display two remarkable French dolls, France and Marianne,
are shown with part of their extensive wardrobe of clothes and accessories. They
were presented to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth for their daughters, the
Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose, by the French Government during the
1938 State Visit to France. The dolls clothes and accessories were designed and
made by the leading Parisian fashion houses, including Worth, Lanvin, Cartier,
Herms and Vuitton.

The Semi-State Rooms

One of the best times of the year to visit Windsor Castle is between
September and March, when the spectacular private apartments created for George
IV are open. These Semi-State Rooms are among the most richly decorated
interiors in the Castle and are used by The Queen for official entertaining.

George IV had a well-developed love of fine objects and a taste for the
theatrical. With his architect, Sir Jeffry Wyatville, he completely remodelled the

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Castles exterior during the 1820s, giving it the romantic and picturesque
appearance seen today. He also decided to create a new suite of private rooms on
the sunnier east and south sides of the Castle, including the magnificent Crimson
Drawing Room. This was George IVs last and greatest commission, and one of the
most lavish and costly interior decoration schemes ever carried out in England.

Always over budget, the project was only just completed at the time of
Kings death in 1830. Among the many designers and craftsmen employed on the
scheme was the 15-year-old AWN Pugin, who worked for the principal furniture
suppliers, Morel and Seddon. The Semi-State Rooms also contain some of the
finest surviving 18th-century English and French works of art from Carlton House,
George IVs former London residence.

The Semi-State Rooms were severely damaged by the fire of 1992,

although, by good fortune, their contents had been moved elsewhere at the time.
They were completely restored to their 19th-century appearance using the original
designs supplied to George IV.

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is home to one of the largest natural history
collections in the world from microscopic slides to mammoth skeletons. The
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building itself is impressive with cathedral like structure, frescoes and sculptures
and the central hall is home to an astounding Diplodocus skeleton.

The museum is divided into four coloured zones. The green zone
concentrates on facts about life, the planet, environment and evolution. The red
zone explores our ever changing planet, how it was shaped and its place within the
universe. In the blue zone you can marvel at the diversity of life on our planet from
blue whales to the smallest invertebrates. Finally the orange zone takes you into
the Wildlife garden (open between April and October) and to the Darwin centre
although you need to book an explore tours to do this.

Most young boys make a pilgrimage to the museum just to see the dinosaur
exhibits but there are numerous daily activities, behind-the scenes tours and you
can borrow an explorer backpack complete with binoculars and hat!

Plenty of places to eat, and you can take your own picnic. Best advised to
plan your visit in advance and the website can help you do this.

Buckingham Palace

Top 10 Things To See On Buckingham Palace Tour

Buckingham Palace is one of the world's few remaining working royal

palaces. It has been open to visitors during the summer months for more than 20

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years. Whether you're a first-timer or a palace aficionado, here's our pick of what
to see when you drop into Her Majesty's residence in Central London.

1. The State Rooms

There are 775 rooms in Buckingham Palace including the 19 State Rooms
and 78 bathrooms. The State Rooms are a suite of lavishly decorated public rooms
in Buckingham Palace where the monarch receives, rewards and entertains her
subjects and visiting dignitaries. Several of these rooms were used for the Royal
Wedding reception for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Kate).
When you take a Summer Opening tour, it's the State Rooms that you'll see. These
rooms are awash with sparkling candelabra, marble columns, sumptuous carpets,
damask wallpaper, fine furniture, sculpture and works of art.

2. The Grand Staircase

Buckingham Palace's grand staircase is a highlight of the tour. The

magnificent bronze staircase was designed by the architect John Nash as part of his
commission to remodel the palace for King George IV from 1825 to 1830. The
impressive double balustrade features an intricate pattern of acanthus, oak and
laurel leaves and represents some of the world's finest bronze casting work. The
stairs are lit by an etched glass dome in the ceiling.

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3. Fine Art

Some big names are on show at the palace. On your tour, you'll come across
paintings by Van Dyck, Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto and
Claude as well as sculpture by Canova and Chantrey. The paintings in the State
Rooms also include some wonderful portraits of past and present royals including
Queen Victoria, George III and Queen Charlotte, William IV and his wife Queen
Adelaide and, of course, the current Royal Family.

4. Audio Tour with Prince Charles

As part of your Buckingham Palace tour, you'll get a free audio guide to the
palace. The tour is introduced by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales (Prince
Charles) and takes you through all 19 State Rooms as well as the annual special
exhibition. Audio guides are available in English, French, German, Spanish,
Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian and Mandarin. There's also
interactive family tours and tours for deaf and blind visitors.

5. The Throne Room

Buckingham Palace's majestic Throne Room is a favourite with visitors. It

contains the thrones that are used for investitures and ceremonial receptions such
as at The Queen's Jubilees and has also doubled as a ballroom on occasion (on your
tour, you'll also see the official Ballroom the palace's largest multi-purpose
room). You may recognise the Throne Room as the backdrop for some famous
royal wedding photos including Princess Elizabeth (now the Queen) and The Duke
of Edinburgh in 1947 and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.

6. Sevres Porcelain

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 Buckingham Palace houses a spectacular collection of Sevres Porcelain
one of the world's finest in fact. The pieces were mostly acquired from the famous
French manufacturer by King George IV between 1783 and 1830. As well as finely
painted and gilded "useful" wares such as dining services, broth basins, cups and
saucers and dejeuners, you'll see fabulous ornamental vases, bibelots and porcelain
busts.

7. The Garden: Separate Tour

The gardens at Buckingham Palace cover an impressive 39 acres (15.8

hectares) and contain more than 350 types of wildflowers, around 200 trees and a
three-acre lake. The gardens are the location for The Queen's annual Garden
Parties. With your Garden Tour Ticket you'll be shown through this beautiful oasis
in the centre of London. Highlights of the tour include the tennis courts where
King George VI and Fred Perry played in the 1930s, the stunning herbaceous
boarder, a wisteria-clad Summer House, the Rose Garden and the huge Waterloo
Vase. (The Garden Tour ticket includes a tour of the State Rooms).

8. Flags and Clocks

As you enter or leave Buckingham Palace, be sure to keep an eye out for the
flag on the roof there is always one flying above the palace. When the Queen is
at home, the flag is the Royal Standard, when she's away, the Union Flag is raised
instead. Once inside, you can go clock-spotting. With more than 350 clocks and
watches throughout the palace, it holds one of the largest collections of working
clocks in the world! Two full-time horological conservators are employed to wind
and maintain them all.

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9. The Special Exhibition

Each year, the Summer Opening offers a special exhibition. Details of the
2017 exhibition have not yet been announced.

10. Garden Cafe and Garden Shop

Your State Rooms or Garden Tour ends at the tranquil Garden Cafe on the
West Terrace of Buckingham Palace. The cafe offers a range of light refreshments
including tea, coffee, sandwiches and pastries. During the Summer Opening, the
Garden Shop contains a delightful range of gifts and souvenirs exclusively created
for the Royal Collection. You'll find homewares, china, clothing, jewellery and
children's toys, books and postcards. Most of the products on sale are inspired by
works of art in the Royal Collection.7

London Eye

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 The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River
Thames in London. Also known as the Millennium Wheel, it has also been called
by its owners the British Airways London Eye, then the Merlin Entertainments
London Eye, then the EDF Energy London Eye. Since mid-January 2015, it has
been known as the Coca-Cola London Eye, following an agreement signed in
September 2014.

The London Eye has now become one of the iconic sights of London.
Opened in March 2000 the wheel is a metaphor for the turning of the century.

The London Eye is 135m/443ft high and weighs 2100 tonnes.

There are 32 capsules attached to the wheel which travels gently at a speed
of 26cm per second. Each rotation takes 30 minutes in which time you can marvel
at the views that span up to 40km in all directions (depending on the weather).

This is the UKs most popular paid for visitor attraction, visited by over 3.5
million people a year.

There are also lots of special packages avaible.

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 The London Eye is within walking distance from several underground
stations including Waterloo, Embankment, Charing Cross and Westminster.
Waterloo is the closest tube station.

Eden Project

With a worldwide reputation, and recognised by the British Travel Awards as

the Best UK Leisure Attraction 4 years running (2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011) and
the Silver Award for Best Leisure Attraction in 2016, Eden barely needs an
introduction, but this epic destination definitely deserves a day of your undivided
attention. More than just a huge, tropical garden, Eden is a gateway into the
relationships between plants and people, and a fascinating insight into the story of
mankind's dependence on plant life. Not only a mind-blowing visitor attraction,
Eden is also fast-becoming a unique resource for education and knowledge towards
a sustainable future.

Experience the sights, smells and scale of the rainforests in the Rainforest
Biome - the world's largest greenhouse - and discover the tropical plants that are
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used to produce everyday products. Travel to South Africa and California, as you
amble amongst the orange and lemon trees, olive groves and gnarled vines of the
Mediterranean Biome, and in the 30-acre Outdoor Garden see hemp, sunflowers
and other plants that could change your future, flourishing under the Cornish sun.

A fascinating location, but, more importantly, Eden is a fun and family-

friendly day out. Curious kids can find out where tea, rubber and sugar come from,
and travel the world to the simulated environments of tropical destinations that
they dream of traveling to in the future. There are themed events according to the
seasons, workshops for adults and children, activity days, music concerts and much
more besides.

There's no stress about packing up a family survival kit - facilities include

on-site restaurants and cafes, gift shops and well equipped child- and baby-friendly
toilet facilities. In fact, for a day out you needn't worry about taking much more
than yourselves. Eden also offers easy access to wheelchairs and buggies, and dogs
on leads are welcome in all the outdoor areas of the site.

There's so much going on at Eden that it's good to check their own events
calendar and food menus before a visit to make sure you don't miss out on
anything.

Top 10 reasons to visit the Eden Project:

1. The world's largest rainforest in captivity with steamy jungles and waterfalls

2. Cutting-edge architecture and buildings

3. Stunning garden displays all year round

4. World-class sculpture and art

5. Evening gigs, concerts and an ice rink in the winter

6. Educational centre and demonstrations to inspire all ages

7. Brilliant local, fairly-traded food in the restaurants and cafes

8. A rainforest canopy walkway that takes you above the treetops

9. Living example of regeneration and sustainable living

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10. Free land train pulled by a tractor

Victoria and Albert Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A), London,
is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent
collection of over 4.5 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The V&A is located in the Brompton district of
the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in an area that has become known
as "Albertopolis" because of its association with Prince Albert, the Albert

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Memorial and the major cultural institutions with which he was associated. These
include the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Royal Albert
Hall.

The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the

Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Like other national British museums,
entrance to the museum has been free since 2001.

The V&A covers 12.5 acres (5.1 ha) and 145 galleries. Its collection spans
5,000 years of art, from ancient times to the present day, from the cultures of
Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa. The holdings of ceramics, glass,
textiles, costumes, silver, ironwork, jewellery, furniture, medieval objects,
sculpture, prints and printmaking, drawings and photographs are among the largest
and most comprehensive in the world. The museum owns the world's largest
collection of post-classical sculpture, with the holdings of Italian Renaissance
items being the largest outside Italy. The departments of Asia include art from
South Asia, China, Japan, Korea and the Islamic world. The East Asian collections
are among the best in Europe, with particular strengths in ceramics and metalwork,
while the Islamic collection is amongst the largest in the Western world. Overall, it
is one of the largest museums in the world.

Since 2001, the museum has embarked on a major 150m renovation

programme, which has seen a major overhaul of the departments, including the
introduction of newer galleries, gardens, shops and visitor facilities.

New 17th- and 18th-century European galleries were opened on 9 December

2015. These restored the original Aston Webb interiors and host the European
collections 16001815.

The Victoria & Albert Museum is split into four Collections departments: 1)
Asia; 2) Furniture, Textiles and Fashion; 3) Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics &
Glass; and, 4) Word & Image. The museum curators care for the objects in the
collection and provide access to objects that are not currently on display to the
public and scholars.

The collection departments are further divided into sixteen display areas,
whose combined collection numbers over 6.5 million objects, not all items are

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displayed or stored at the V&A. There is a repository at Blythe House, West
Kensington, as well as annexe institutions managed by the V&A, also the Museum
lends exhibits to other institutions.

The Ceramic StaircaseDesigned by Frank Moody

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