Literary Trails in Wales
A new "Writer's Routes" website, and accompanying compact discs, bring to life the rich literary heritage of South-West Wales. Motoring routes allow visitors to follow in their steps, and two free CDs containing audio tours can be ordered.

SeaBritain 2005 - Sea Britain Festival
Britain will be celebrating its relationship with the sea with an exciting, year-long programme of events under the banner of SeaBritain 2005. At the heart of the celebrations is the Trafalgar Festival, commemorating the 200th anniversary of Admiral Lord Nelson's death at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805.

England's Oldest Hotel
The hotel reputed to be England's oldest has welcomed guests since it opened for business in 1220. Almost 800 years on, it has completed an extensive refurbishment. The Old Bell in Malmesbury, Wiltshire stands next to the medieval abbey in the centre of the town.

York Minster Nave cleared
The Nave of York Minster will be cleared of all chairs on 18th January 2004, so that people can see how spacious the Nave would have originally seemed. It is only empty once a year, at a quiet time in the Minster's year, making this a special opportunity to see the Nave free of all its usual furniture.

Border Reivers Festival
From 24-27th March you can experience the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the days of the Border Reivers at Hawick, in the Scottish Borders.

Bridget Jones Movie Map
A free movie map featuring all the London spots in the new "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" film is available free from VisitBritain offices overseas, UK tourist information centres or from the Visit London website.

Valentine's Day Holiday Breaks in Britain
"Aphrodisiac Adventures", a stately home soirée and romantic train rides are among the delights Britain will have on offer in February 2005 for the coming Valentine's season.

Helmsley Castle cannon-ball comes home
A resident of Helmsley, Yorkshire, has helped a cannon ball arrive at its target – Helmsley Castle – 360 years after it was fired! It is believed that the cannon ball dates from the siege of Helmsley Castle in 1644.

UK Genealogy at the National Archives - new Family History Guide
The National Archives has put a useful new guide to tracing your British ancestors on its website. "Family History, the Basics and Beyond" contains all you need to know to start researching the history of your family in the UK.

Follow the King Arthur Trail in Shropshire
Residents of Wiltshire and Cornwall won't agree, but England's Shropshire now claims that the legendary King Arthur was a "Shropshire lad." A new trail has been created for visitors to follow with the aid of a free booklet, "On the Trail of King Arthur in Shropshire." The new trail highlights places associated with Arthur's life, plus other locations associated with his legend.

Britain's 2005 Literary Anniversaries
Britain will be celebrating the achievements of several of its literary ‘greats’ in 2005. From Charlotte Brontë to William Wordsworth, some of the nation’s renowned men and women of letters will be remembered in the areas they loved.

Royal Ascot moves to York
Along with Henley Royal Regatta and Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship, Royal Ascot is one of the major events of the English summer 'season'. In 2005, due to the redevelopment of Ascot Racecourse, Queen Elizabeth II has consented to the Royal Ascot fixture being relocated to York Racecourse (June 14-18).