ISLES OF SCILLY

 The archipelago of the Scilly Isles, 28 miles west of Land's End, numbers around 150 islands, but only five are inhabited by people; many others are home to colonies of seals and seabirds. These share a mild yet windbeaten climate, lovely white beaches, clean, yet chilly seas, much birdlife and a profusion of flowers, both wild and commercially grown daffodils and narcissi. Otherwise, they are distinctively individual.

Porthcressa Bay, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly

 

Most people live on St. Mary's at up to 3 miles wide the largest island. Passenger launches depart for the other island from the little capital, Hugh Town. Star Castle was built in Tudor times against the Spanish and can be explored. Paths allow to follow the bays and headlands of the beautiful coastline - Peninnis Head is the most dramatic feature - and to search out the many prehistoric burial chambers in the interior.

WELLS

 England’s smallest cathedral city, with a population of 10,000, lies at the foot of the Mendip Hills. Many believe the 800-year-old tiny cathedral of this Somerset city to be the most beautiful in England. Its outstanding feature is its west front, a huge screen adorned with some 300 angels, saints and kings. This unparalleled concentration of medieval sculpture would have looked even more spectacular at the time, when it was vividly painted.

Market Place and Cathedral

 

 In the surrounding moat, by the drawbridge, swans traditionally rang a bell with their beaks at feeding time. Among Wells' handsome streets of  old limestone houses, Vicar's Close is the pick of the bunch, cobbled and lined with 14-century cottages in which the clergy used to live. Wells Market Place has been a focal point of the City over the ages and still is today with a twice weekly market on Wednesday and Saturday selling local produce and goods.

 

PLYMOUTH

Devon’s largest city has long been linked with England’s commercial and maritime history. Plymouth actually means "the navy", and special navy days are held every other year in August. Its vast natural harbor has played a significant role in Britain's maritime affairs. Sir Francis Drake sailed from Plymouth to defeat the Spanish Armada. Bomb damage during World War II decimated the city, but the cobbled streets and timber-framed  houses of an old district called the Barbican, escaped damage. The Merchant's House is a particular fine timber building and a local museum. The promenade of the Hoe commands the best views over the nautical comings and goings in Plymouth Sound. Alongside are an excellent aquarium, a vast 17th-century citadel and Plymouth Dome, a high-tech introduction to the city.

Armada Way, Plymouth, Devon

Britain's Ocean City

EXMOOR

 Exmoor, England's smallest national park, packs in a great variety of scenery, from towering cliffs along the coast, to lush, wooded combes riven by sparkling streams, to gentle farmland in the east and wilder moorland in the center and south. The heathland of Exmoor starts abruptly at around 1,000 feet above  sea level, leaving behind lush wooded valleys and productive farmland well sheltered from the prevailing westerly winds. You'll be very lucky to spot any of the resident red deer, but you'll certainly meet a few hardy, dun-colored Exmoor ponies on your travels. To set the scene, you might want to read R.D. Blackmore's historical novel, Lorna Doone, based on stories about a group of 17-th century outlaws who lived in a beautiful part of the park now commonly known as  Doone County.

LORNA DOONE FARM, EXMOOR,  NORTH DEVON

Received from Thomas, Northamptonshire

LAND'S END

Land’s End, the westernmost tip of Britain, known for its savage land- and seascapes and panoramic views. Each year over one million visitors journey to Land's End, mainland Britain's south-west tip. Come at sunset or in clear weather, when you can spot the offshore lighthouses or maybe even the Isles of Scilly, 28 miles out to sea. Don't worry about the crowds or the insensitivity of a theme park being sited here: you can leave them all behind on a short walk along the cliffs. The scenic grandeur of Land’s End remains undiminished.

Received from Thomas Goatherd

PURBECK

The Isle of Purbeck, Dorset

This promontory of Dorset downs and heathland is an island only by name. Its chief sight is Corfe Castle, a jumble of jagged Norman graystone ruins set dramatically on a hilltop. It stands on the site of a hunting lodge. The Castle was reduced to ruins you see today by Oliver Cromwell's forces during the English Civil War. On the coast north of the resort of Swanage stand the chalk stacks of the Old Harry Rocks, and the long, dune-backed sandy beaches of Studland Bay. Near Wareham the Tank Museum displays more than 250 fighting vehicles from around the world. Wareham is one of the few remaining Saxon walled towns in England. The popular beauty spot of Lulworth Cove is a fine example of sea winning the battle against cliffs, which in this case are made of crumbly chalk. At Durdle Door, the sea has gnawed away to form a spectacular natural arch.

Wareham   Swanage   Studland

Lulworth   Corfe Castle   Lulworth Cove 

Visit the Isle of Purbeck 

Received from Tom Goats 

SOUTH DEVON

With its rolling meadows, narrow lanes and remote thatched cottages, Devon has long been idealized as a vision of preindustrial, "authentic" England. But while many of its cosy, gentrified villages are inhabited largely by retired folk and urban refuges, having little common with its county's strong agricultural, mercantile and maritime traditions, at least the stereotyped image has helped to preserve the countryside and coast in the undeveloped condition for which they are famous, and the county offers an abundance of genuine tranquility, from moorland villages to quiet coves on the spectacular coastline. The south coast's traditional resorts are at their liveliest along the English Riviera around Torbay. The coastline is at its prettiest around the Darmouth and Kingsbridge estuaries - both yachting meccas - while the best of the beaches are at Bigbury Bay.

Postcrossing postcard: GB-174366

STONEHENGE

The circle of vast, standing stones in the midst of the chalk downlands of Salisbury Plain is probably the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe.
It certainly does have a particular grandeur, which has been unfortunately marred by the way the site is managed.
The sheer size of Stonehenge can only really be appreciated up close. The stones weigh around 4 tonnes each and the gigantic sarsen stones weigh between 25 to 50 tonnes! How they got there is anybody's guess!

Stonhenge, Wiltshire. This property is cared for by English Heritage.

The site aligns with the midsummer sunrise, suggesting it had astronomical and calendrical significance, while the many nearby burial mounds attest to its sacredness.

Despite a plethora of theories to explain the stones' significance - more fanciful ones suggests a bird trap, a model of the solar system or an inspiration from outer space - Stonehenge remains a mystery.