Britain Update #56
May 1 , 2001

Welcome friends, its time to put the kettle on, settle into a comfortable armchair, and enjoy the best of Britain with Britain Update. But before you do, please take the time to forward this newsletter to someone who loves Britain as much as you do.

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Contents
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1. Foot and Mouth update
2. Cumbria attractions open
3. Wales Virtual Tour
4. UK Destinations: Llangollen
5. Bed and Breakfast bookings
6. UK Travel news and notes

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Foot and Mouth Update
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Despite government assurances to the contrary, large portions of England's countryside - and healthy chunks of Scotland and Wales too - remain off limits to visitors due to the risk of spreading foot and mouth disease. Once again I'll advise people making travel plans to please check first with local tourism offices. For up to the minute information on whether your preferred destination has been affected by closure, the English Tourism Council has set up a national Visitors Information Hotline for people who want to visit, or take a holiday, in the English countryside. The line will is open seven days a week from 10.00 am - 8.00 pm. The number to call is +44 (0) 870 2415659.

Please note that from April 28th the MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries) Helpline, MAFF's general public enquiry point, has changed its telephone number from +44 (0)645 33 55 77 to +44 (0)8459 33 55 77

If you're planning to visit the countryside and want more detailed information call the Government's 24 hour automated information line - +44 (0)8456 071 071.

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Cumbria - open for business ... somewhat!
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No place in Britain has been more affected by the foot and mouth crisis than the largely rural county of Cumbria (see the contact information at the end of this section). Yet despite the current Foot and Mouth situation, Cumbria is still very much open for business and there is a great deal to do and see around the county. There are over one hundred Cumbrian tourist attractions currently open to the public, including the county's top ten.

On the Furness Peninsula you can feed the animals at Dalton's South Lakes Wild Animal Park; visit the UK's only freshwater aquarium on the shores of Windermere; take a trip on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway or see the world's tallest pencil at the Cumberland Pencil Museum in Keswick.

For a taste of Japan, pay a visit to Tullie House in Carlisle which is currently hosting an exhibition of wood-block prints and offering visitors the chance to experience aspects of Japanese culture. Younger visitors might want to meet Peter Rabbit and his furry friends at the Beatrix Potter Gallery in Bowness or at The World of Beatrix Potter in Bowness, which this year has even more reasons for you to visit. This popular attraction is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a range of special events.

In addition to all of this, 2001 will see the opening of several new visitor attractions.The Quest in Whitehaven offers visitors the chance to go on a series of exploratory journeys around the town and its harbour to gain an insight into Whitehaven's cultural and historical background. Find out how real ales are still brewed and sample some traditional Lakeland ales on the recently launched Jennings Castle Brewery Tour in Cockermouth.

At Blackwell near Bowness a new attraction is opening this July. The Arts & Crafts House is a grade 1 listed building and one of the most important of England's turn-of-the-20th-century houses. The house's purpose is to serve as a public gallery for craft and applied arts and draws upon the collections of Abbot Hall (see article on Kendal) to add to the interiors and interpret the arts and crafts of the time. Website: http://www.blackwell.org.uk/homepage.shtml

CUMBRIA F&M CONTACT INFO
Cumbria County Council Foot and Mouth Helpline : +44 (0)1228-590242 (open Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00)

For Cumbria footpath news, go to http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/news/footandmouth/roads/footpaths.htm
For a list of tourist attractions open in Cumbria go to http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/news/footandmouth/advice/tourists/openbusiness.asp

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NEW AT BRITAIN EXPRESS :
WALES VIRTUAL TOUR
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After months of preparation, our new Virtual Tour of Wales is online at http://www.britainexpress.com/wales/tour/ . A companion to our Virtual Tour of England, the Wales VT is a graphically rich region-by-region overview of where to go and what to see throughout Wales. You can follow the tour as we take you through Wales step by step, or jump ahead to any region that interests you. The Wales VT was written and edited by Barbara Ballard.

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UK Destinations: Llangollen
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To celebrate the l;aunch of the Wales Virtual Tour, this issue's UK Destination is Llangollen, in Denbighshire, North Wales.

The village takes its name from Saint Collen who founded it in the 7th century. Two hundred years ago it consisted mainly of a green and a street joined by one of the "Seven Wonders of Wales", a four arched bridge, built in the 16th century on parts of a 13th century one. Llangollen, clustered around the River Dee, nestled in the Vale of Llangollen, and surrounded by hills is as scenic as it gets. It is best known today as the home of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. For one week in July this village comes alive with dancers, singers, choirs and musicians from all over the world and the village of 3000 people swells to 120,000 as cultural competitions and celebrations dominate the scene.

Plas Newydd sits high on a hill overlooking Llangollen. This black and white timbered house was the home of two eccentric Irish ladies, known as the Ladies of Llangollen. Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsoby, who always dressed as men, lived in the house for 50 years, entertaining famous literary and political figures, including Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth. The beautiful grounds surrounding the home are now a public park.

Hill climbers might almost believe the crumbling ruins of the medieval Castell Dinas Bran, perched on another hilltop high above the town, were designed with a challenge in mind. Breathtaking views are the reward for the steep 750-foot climb. The 13th century castle, named for a Celtic god, is partly surrounded by the remnants of an Iron Age hill-fort and ditch. In the 18th century its status grew when it was considered a "romantic ruin", and it became the most famous landmark in the Vale.

A stone's throw from Llangollen, in a setting both romantic and stunning, the Gothic stone ruins of 13th century Valle Crucis Abbey beckon. This Cistercian abbey, founded by a Welsh prince, boasts an almost intact chapter house. One of the enterprising abbots was accused of minting his own money.

Visitors are spoiled for choice as a 7 ½ mile (12km) steam rail journey along the Dee Valley and past Horseshoe Falls provides a scenic trip in another direction.

Another favourite ride is aboard a horse drawn canal boat at the village wharf, location of the Canal Museum. This trip on a branch line of the Shropshire Union Canal provides a relaxing contemplation of the green hills and valleys as it follows the Vale of Llangollen. The famous Pontcysylite Aqueduct, supported by four iron arches, stands 121 feet in the sky above the River Dee dazzling the eye as boats seem to sail through the air. Built to carry traffic from the northern rim of the valley to the far side, this cast-iron trough is the longest and highest in Britain.

Horse drawn boat trips run April through Sept. For more information: tel. (0) 1978 860 702. The Postal Museum is at 41 Castle St. The Victorian School and School Museum is located on Parade St. and is open Easter-October.

Llangollen is on the A5.
Llangollen Tourist Information Centre
Castle St.
Tel. +44 (0)1978 860 828

Web Resource:
http://www.llangollen.com/

Info on Llangollen written by Barbara Ballard

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Bed and Breakfast at Britain Express
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Here's a reminder that Britain Express has partnered with Bed and Breakfast UK to bring you information on hundreds of bed and breakfast properties across the UK and Ireland. Browse the attractive collection of B&B properties at http://www.bedandbreakfasts-uk.co.uk/britainexpress/index.htm . Each B&B listing has details of facilities, contact information, prices, and a location map.

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UK Travel Tips and News
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BALLATER STATION IN SCOTLAND REOPENS
First used by Queen Victoria in 1867 on her way to Balmoral, Ballater station is no longer part of the rail network. But it has had a total makeover at a cost of a million pounds and has been refurbished to create a restaurant and tourist information centre with montages showing the station as it was in its Victorian heyday. The Prince of Wales opened the new facility recently but he had to come by car. There are hopes that the track might be relaid and that steam trains could return in the future to provide a tourist attraction.

FLUSHED WITH PRIDE: TOILETS MAKE THE NEWS
The British Toilet Association prepares to start its annual hunt for the country's best lavatory. Its Loo of the Year competition, supported by the national tourist boards, will be launched in May, with nominations due in by the end of July. Last year's Loo of the Year can be found at the Oracle Shopping Centre inthe Thames-side town of Reading.

For those interested in the history of the subject, a museum in Stoke-on-Trent, British home of china and porcelain manufacture, has a new permanent exhibition, starting in late August, telling the story of the toilet. "Flushed with Pride", at the Gladstone Pottery Museum, includes a reconstruction of Victorian latrines, and some examples of early flushing toilets. Tel: 01782 319232. Website: http://www.britloos.co.uk (Loo of the Year)

MCCARTNEY PAINTINGS ON SHOW IN LIVERPOOL
The first comprehensive exhibition of ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney's paintings will be held in Liverpool, north-west England, this autumn. Staged in the Walker Art Gallery's new special exhibition galleries, it features more than 60 paintings from McCartney's prolific body of work, reflecting his music, humour and links with the city. "I didn't tell anybody I painted for 15 years, but now I'm out of the closet," says Paul. The show opens daily from October 19 - January 6 (not Dec. 23-26). McCartney's childhood home, 20 Forthlin Road, Liverpool L24, is now owned by the National Trust and open to the public, while the city's Albert Dock is home to the permanent Beatles Story exhibition.

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That's all for now. Until next issue, let me remind you that laughter is contagious. Be a carrier.

David Ross
Editor
Britain Express
http://www.britainexpress.com
The UK travel and heritage guide
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Contents © 2001 David Ross and Britain Express