Great Britain: Roads Less traveled

The countryside of Great Britain is not extreme (no Grand Canyons or Mount Everests), but it is varied. A journey of 100 miles may take you through two, three or more distinct landscapes.

The rail journey east from Manchester Airport to my home town of Scunthorpe is about 100 miles. It goes through the urban sprawls of Manchester and Sheffield, which are separated by the spectacular hills of the Peak District. It flattens out through the post-industrial area between Sheffield and Doncaster, before the levels of the Isle of Axholme and the low escarpments of Lincolnshire.

The following locations are ones that best exemplify the British landscape to me. Others, I am sure, will have their own favorites.

The locations in each section are in alphabetical order.

'Old' has a different meaning in Great Britain. There is a story that, on visiting the 15th Century Bodleian Library in Oxford, an American tourist asked the docent whether it was 'pre Victorian'. The docent replied 'Madam, it is pre-America!'.

Not all of these sites are ancient, but for me they all typify the rich history of the island.

Great Britain specializes in historic homes, castles, churches and other buildings, some going back almost 1000 years. It's easy to get a little blasé when you are surrounded by them, but I've lived away for 30 years now, and these are the ones that have stayed with me.

Great Britain has more than its share of Museums and Galleries. Here I've tried to pick out some of the more unusual.

Similarly, it has a long history with rail, and there are many active and preserved lines around the country. These are some I'm particularly fond of.

Natives of most countries and regions can point to locations and groups of people that are known for their eccentricity. Great Britain is no different. In fact I think it specializes in it.