Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lots was also happening elsewhere. Manchester was transformed after the 1996
IRA bombing; Birmingham's
Bull Ring shopping center
(p. 473) was rebuilt in
sensational style in 2003, and the city's regeneration continues. Newcastle, Liverpool,
Cardiff, and most recently Swansea have all benefitted from major overhauls.
But care has been taken with this 21st-century makeover, and England and Wales
continue to offer an unbeatable mix of beautiful countryside, a culture rich in history
and the arts, plus modern cities that cater to discerning visitors.
2
THE MAKING OF ENGLAND
& WALES
Prehistory & the Romans (3600
B
.
C
.-ca.
A
.
D
. 400)
England and Wales have several prehistoric sites, but the most famous is
Stone-
henge
near Salisbury (p. 328), which experts believe was a temple, possibly started
in 3600 b.c. and added to over subsequent centuries. Hadrian's Wall is the most
dramatic piece of architecture to survive from the Roman period, although there are
also
Roman baths
at Bath (p. 339) and the remains of Roman walls, villas, temples,
and forts elsewhere.
England, Wales, and the rest of the British Isles became detached from continen-
tal Europe at the end of the Ice Age when sea levels rose and the English Channel
and Irish Sea were formed. The islands have been inhabited for 500,000 years, and
it was these prehistoric inhabitants who built Stonehenge. The Britons were joined
by the Celtic tribes who arrived in about 800 b.c. from mainland Europe, bringing
variants of the Welsh, Cornish, and Celtic languages still spoken by a minority in the
U.K. today.
There were constant clashes between the tribes over territory, which is why they
failed to unite to prevent the first Roman invasion by Julius Caesar, the Roman gov-
ernor of Gaul (France and Belgium), in 55 b.c.
Bad weather damaged Caesar's ships, and trouble in France meant he returned to
the mainland despite landing at Deal, in Kent. But he returned the next year and
defeated the Britons, imposing trade treaties and tax-like tributes. He didn't stay long,
and the tribal Britons continued fighting among themselves without any Roman
Legions to keep order.
That all changed in a.d. 43-44, when Emperor Claudius invaded, pushing farther
than the south coast and capturing the Southeast's capital, present-day Colchester.
You can still see parts of the Roman walls in
Colchester
(p. 512) and the castle that
was built with bricks taken from the
Roman temple that lies beneath it.
Although Colchester remained the
capital for a while, by a.d. 47 the
Romans had founded Londinium as a
garrison with a trading settlement.
Remains of Roman London are still
being discovered as new developments
are built, and you can see part of Lon-
don's original Roman wall near the
Tower of London
(p. 112).
What They Say
“We have really everything in common
with America nowadays except, of
course, language.”
—Oscar Wilde
“The British are special. The world knows
it. In our innermost thoughts we know it.
This is the greatest nation on earth.”
—Tony Blair
