When I visited the Unfinished Church in St. George's at Duke of Kent St., St. George's GE 05 on…read moreJune 27, 2016, a tour guide drove me past the ruins of the uncompleted church building, which people don't have to pay a fee to go look at and look inside through the arches, and informed me of the history. Parishioners thought a new church needed to be built because the old one was falling apart. As St. George built the new church, events happened that showed them that the new church wasn't meant to be used. The parishioners couldn't agree on the inner designs of the church because of theology differences, they had to divert money from the project to rebuilding a church that was torched by arsonists, they still had a use for the Old St. Peter's church: it continued to serve as a Parish church, and a tornado blew the roof off the new church once it was completed. It was interesting to see a building constructed with a different architectural design than I usually see. I couldn't go inside and people still can't go inside today because the St. Peter's Church closed the inside except for an area where scheduled weddings are conducted so they could get the weathered down interior repaired. The site is for tourists, and the inside is for weddings. It doesn't explicitly state a mission, but from the website, it seems as if St. Peter's Church's intention is for the Unfinished Church to serve as a beautiful piece of history for tourists to look at and for people to have church officiated weddings inside. I rated the Unfinished Church in St. George's a three because a visitor can see what a church from a long time ago looks like, but they can pull up pictures of the church on the internet, and they can't learn much from looking inside through the arches and at the outside. I'd probably give it a higher rating if I could visit it once the interior was repaired. My rating is based on how it functions as an educational historical site. It's a good place to visit if a person wants something to do that's good for most ages. St. Peter's Church is the managing entity. The site succeeded in its mission because I saw other people there when I visited, although I didn't get to look inside, so I don't know if it succeeded with its goal as being a place for weddings. http://www.stpeters.bm/UnfinishedChurch http://www.gotobermuda.com/profile/unfinished-church/1147

I didn't expect discovering Rock of Gibraltar is owned by the British Peeps! Who knew? I surely…read moredidn't know this fact . . . I was also surprised learning that Spain wants the Rock returned to them, too. Visiting here was astonishing because Spain is right outside, but peeps living on the Rock-everyone uses British currency. Everyone in McDonald's spoke with a British accent! http://gibraltar.costasur.com/ http://www.gibnet.com/tourist/basics.htm http://www.gibnet.com/tourist/general.htm http://www.andalucia.com/gibraltar/home.htm

The rock of Gibraltar is indeed something very, very special. Just the thought of all sailors that…read morefor thousands of years that have shared this grand view is breathtaking. Lord Nelson, Marco Polo, Vasco da Gama are just a few that have passed this mighty rock. The view from the top of the Rock is just as breathtaking as its history. If possible - wait for clear skies before going to the top. It is worth it. Clear days it is possible to see far along the Spanish coast and across the sea to Africa. And - beware of the apes. No kidding. Already when docking at the top they may enter the cabin in search for food. According to the guards they are calmer and nicer in the morning than in the hot afternoon.

Towering 160m above both what was once the old-money village of Alderly Edge (now a mecca for…read morePremiership footballers and Wags) and the Cheshire Plain in general, the edge has some of the best views of anywhere in the area thanks to the dramatic edge - a steep cliff-like drop. The edge has historic associations with, somewhat incongruously, mining and wizardry, but these days it's a great place to go for a walk with either the kids, the dog, visitors or even a solitary stroll. There are car parks at both the foot of the edge and the top (the latter is the main one) giving the option of a quick trip to the edge itself and back or a longer, more demanding up-and-down walk.

As a member of English Heritage, it's nice to take advantage of the variety of properties around…read moreEngland. Boscobel House in Shropshire provides a great afternoon out, and is only 30 miles from Birmingham. This house dates back to the 1600s, and was used to shelter Catholics from religious persecution. There are a number of priest holes inside the hunting lodge. Out back there is a small garden, a dairy barn, and the Royal Oak. This is the famous tree in which King Charles II hid in. There is also a lovely tea room in the stables offering fresh and affordable lunch. There are 2 guided tours each day, 11am and 2pm. Our guide Robin was very knowledgeable and provided an excellent tour throughout the hunting lodge. He even opened up one of the priest-holes to allow our group to try and squeeze in. If you are feeling ambitious, there is a lovely country walk along the farmland to visit a free English Heritage property, White Ladies Priory. Apparently King Charles II hid here as well. If you're looking for something unique and very affordable, give Boscobel House a visit.

I LOVE HISTORY! And…read moreof course this place has a serious bit of relevance to history in the UK. The oak isn't the original oak, but it's a descendant of to, which is a bit of a bummer, but they couldn't do anything about that (and that also means that The Royal Oak pub down the road probably has the best claim to the repetitive name in England!) Good tea rooms and tiny shop- and you can have a tour or go round on your own steam. It's not as extensive as some places around, but they get 5* for letting us go in the priest holes when it was quiet- woohoo!!!

Inexpensive to get in, and although Roman isn't my favourite era, this is a darn decent place- it's…read moregood for both adults and kids. A lot of the ruins are above ground, the bath houses, and the basilica walls. There are "historically accurate" replicas, and they hold some pretty big reenactments to go and watch. It's certainly worth a visit in my opinion, and has a tea room and your standard bits and bobs on site.

We have been meaning to visit this place for years and eventually took the plunge after seeing the…read more"Rome Wasnt Built In A Day" TV show. The villa from the TV show is still there with audio aids to tell you all about it. Cross the road (ancient Wattling Street) and go to the Roman Town Ruins (Wroxeter used to be the 4th biggest settlement in Roman England). The place is quite well preserved considering its age and has lots of great visual aids to help you to understand the ancient layout of the bath house and city. The museum is quite small but really well laid out and informative. The attached shop has all the EH accompaniments. About £13 for a family of 4 and free for English Heritage members, well worth a visit.

Spanning the River Severn, this was the first arched bridge in the world to be made out of cast…read moreiron (in the 18th century) and has been described as the 'Stonehenge of the Industrial Revolution'. Now a famous landmark and tourist attraction, it is still a marvellous sight. We enjoyed walking across it and also admiring the views of the surrounding town and countryside. Well worth a visit.

A magnificent iron bridge that spans the River Severn running through, funnily enough, Ironbridge…read more Built by Abraham Darby III and now recognised as one of the great symbols of the Industrial Revolution, the remarkable structure still dominates the small town. The secrets of how and why it was built are revealed in an exhibition housed in the original Tollhouse on the south side of the Bridge. The bridge was the first major iron bridge of its time, although you can still see a mini prototype of this bridge (and I mean mini), 5 miles south of Shrewsbury. It's called the Cantlop bridge and it is a very small cast iron road bridge that spans the Cound Brook (http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/cantlop-bridge/ ). It has particular historical significance as it is believed to have been designed by Thomas Telford as a fore runner to and inspiration behind the Ironbridge, and is the only Telford-approved cast-iron bridge remaining in situ in Shropshire. More detailed information can be found at http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/our_attractions/the_iron_bridge_and_tollhouse/history/ It's lovely to take a walk across for great views of the River Severn and the Severn Gorge, although the best views are from the many local pubs and cafes which run adjacent to it!

I have a soft spot for Anthony Gormley's work, so much so I was even one of the lucky ones that…read morestood on the 4th Plinth in London. The statue represents the traditional skills of Birmingham and the Black Country practised during the Industrial Revolution. The controversy of public opinion when it was installed makes me further believe that it really does represent the Brummie and Yam-Yams naysaying nature. I can't really recall why it was so hated back in 1993 when it was given as gift from the Trustee Savings Bank, but when they moved down south there was an outcry that the Iron: Man should be moved with them. I love that it started out as an untitled work until the Iron Man nickname stuck, only for the artist to insist on making his own stamp by insisting on a stupid colon in the middle. Brilliant! Maybe my soft spot for Gormely is because he utilises many local resources to make his large scale iron works with the Iron:Man being cast at Bradley and Fosters Castings (now Firth Rixson Castings) in Willenhall. Whether you love or hate it this 6m tall, leaning man whose feet are sunk in the ground is worth a look.

The most overlooked art in victoria square. I love this art by one of my favourite artist/sculptor.read more