Essentially England
For England Lovers Everywhere
What is in your mind if you hear someone speak of England?
- A mist-shrouded island?
- Ancient stone circles?
- Roman villas or proud castles?
- Quaint villages of mellow stone?
- A cricket match on a village green?
- A lavish afternoon tea?
Or do you see a bright, vibrant metropolis with busy streets, shops, restaurants, clubs, galleries and theatres?
Whichever it is, you'd be right.
The British Isles - of which England is the largest part - boast stunning landscapes, more than 5000 years of history, top hotels and restaurants, a thriving art scene and modern, buzzing cities. But this country also has a quirky, unexpected side. It has castles and ruins galore, unusual buildings, glorious parks and gardens, traditional festivals and events and truly wonderful regional food.
All these you'll find on the site along with:
English History
Over 6000 years of it. Whether you prefer the Tudors or prehistoric stone circles, whether you want to explore Norman castles or Saxon fortresses or to know when Richard the Lionheart was king - you've come to the right place. Explore different periods in history, or browse our long and eventful history a month at a time.
English Food
Take a new look at English food. Check out the wonderful, regional foods made here, look up old favourites in the extensive recipes section or eat your way around our food festivals.
Travel Tips
Everything you need to know to plan a successful business trip or holiday. Travel information from visas to weather, from finding cheap flights to means of getting around and suggestions where to stay.
What to Do and See
Ideas for the perfect holiday. Explore this island's counties - one at a time. Check out historical and picturesque sites and English gardens, find ideas for amazing days out or try one (or more) of our England tours.
Turn your visit into that one special memory by sharing my love for this country's quirky side. So go where your whimsy takes you and do things you've never attempted before:
- Stay in a lighthouse or drive a steam train.
- Follow the invading Romans across the country.
- Solve an ancient murder.
- Join a cheese rolling contest.
- Walk in the footsteps of your favourite characters from books or films.
- Eat your way around the country if your waistline can handle it.
Or just sit back, relax and soak up the atmosphere.
Come with an open mind and discover the unexpected.
We will be here to welcome you!
The Guide to Essentially England
| Pictures of England: Remember the Magic Let me share my favourite pictures of England, the moments when holidays in England become pure magic. |
| Books About England Share my library: all your favourite books about England in one place! |
| English Legends: Robin Hood English Legends: I'm sure you've heard of Robin Hood and King Arthur, but they're far from the only ones... |
| English Music: From Plainsong to Indie English music has a long,exciting history and an even more exciting future. |
| England Travel Tips A successful trip starts with good preparation. Find England travel tips and useful facts about England in this section of the site. |
| Things to do in England From the interesting to the unusual to the downright wacky: this is my guide to feasts, festivals and fun days out and other things to do in England! |
| Ideas for England holidays and tours Driving, walking, boating? History lover or food buff? This page features tours and ideas for your England holidays. |
| English Gardens Perfect lawns, colourful borders, ornate knot gardens, or grandiose landscape parks: English gardens can be all these and more. |
| England Travel Stories: Share your magic moments Share the magic of England! Share England travel stories and pictures of England. |
| England Travel Links - Helpful Sites Information on these sites could come in useful planning your England travel adventure! |
| This month in history: an English history calendar This month in history: Dive into the past and find out what happened in England |
| English Monarchs English Monarchs - Who Ruled England When (and How) |
| Prehistoric England From cave dwellings to stone circles and hill forts: the people of prehistoric England are as elusive as they are surprising. |
| Norman England From the Norman conquest to the end of England's first civil war: Norman England was a land in turmoil in a time of change. |
| Northumberland From empty beaches to remote mountain scenery to ruined castles and churches, Northumberland has it all! |
| Norfolk: Endless Skies and Endless Beaches Long known as a holiday paradise, Norfolk has a long, fascinating history and one of England's most wonderful nature reserves. |
| Suffolk: The Peaceful County Heath, shingle beaches, little lanes and pretty churches - Suffolk is a holiday location that's seriously peaceful. And it offers wonderful fresh fish and vegetables, too! |
| Gloucestershire: Fashion and Opportunity Gloucestershire does picturesque like few other English counties, but don't let that fool you. It's fashion-consicous and very modern underneath. |
| Wiltshire - An Ancient County Prehistoric stone circles, steam trains, quaint villages and endless open spaces - Wiltshire is an ancient county worth exploring. |
| Devon: The Glorious County Beloved of poets and holidaymakers alike, Devon is warm (for England), friendly, inviting and as spectacular inland as along its famous coast. |
| Share Essentially England Share Essentially England: spread the word about the site for lovers of English history, food and culture. |
| My Handbag: shopping tips from Essentially England A handbag: an incredibly sensible place for storing all manner of bits and bobs. This page is a bit like that handbag. |
| Site Map Lost in England or just looking for a specific topic? Use the site map to browse available topics or pinpoint the one you're looking for. |
| Web to Success: Online business building made easy. Web to Success: the site that helps you build a successful online business. |
