Photo ops in England?

[Andre]

I have an opportunity in May to visit England for the first time in my life. I'm looking at it as a chance to take some pictures of course, but I would like some advice on some places to visit.

I believe I'll be around the Sheffield area for a couple of days, then the southwest for a couple of days, then probably a couple in London. I think I'll have a car for most of the trip.

I think I'm interested in landscapes and old buildings. I'll be trying to travel light, so I'll probably have my 24-120VR and the 12-24 Sigma. Probably no room for a tripod, but maybe a small monopod.

There's a lot of you English folks on here, so I'm hoping you can give me a couple of things to look for.

Thanks
Andre

[sandman]

Couple of things to photograph?? .
Can't speak for the Sheffield area it's 300 miles from me in deepest Yorkshire (think Deliverence) maybe Andyphoto or Keith ****er will help out there
London and the South i can help with .
Southwest
Cornwall andthe atlantic coast
Tintagel . home of king arthur and camelot .
Padstow , beautiful harbour town
Minack theatre , a open air ampitheatre built out of the hillside .
St micheals mount .
The eden project , at St Austell , this you must see .
Cheddar gorge , a spectacular view .
Stonehenge.
Kynance cove on the ''lizard''
any of the small cornish villages .
Bristol , old english seaport.

London and the south east

Buckingham palace
Windsor castle
Hampton court
The tower of london
The London Eye
Carnaby street
London dungeons
Canary wharf
Houses of parliment
Tower Bridge
The Cutty Sark
Greenwich Oberservatory
Big Ben
Westmister Abbey
St Pauls Cathedral.
river Thames at sunset

South east

Leeds castle
Hever castle
Bodium
Scotney castle
Colchester . oldest town in england
Millienium bridge
south downs
Arundel castle
Canterbury cathedral
Dover castle
Rye , beautiful medievil town
Portmouth (H.M.S.Victory)
Brighton Pavillion
Westerham (home of General Wolfe)
Chartwell (Winston Churchills mansion)
small mid kent villages
Reculver towers

For everyone i've mentioned i'm sure i've missed 5 .
small country packed with goodies .
be sure to bring plenty of cash , the cost of living over here will surprise you .
especially petrol prices £4.00 a gallon =$7.20 US

Pm me when you know, maybe we can meet up .

Brian

[easternherp]

Hope you will enjoy your visit. I don't have any other places to add to Brian's list as I am in East Anglia where the Norfolk Broads are and am 150+ miles from London.
If you get the chance to come to East Anglia then Norwich is the main City with lots of old streets and also modern architecture. The Broads are a haven for wildlife.
King's Lyn In North Norfolk is an old port town with some nice areas to photograph.

[Andre]

Thanks guys.

That's quite the list Brian! I will research them though, as I respect your opinions on what makes a good photo scene.

Yes, I've heard about the prices. I guess I couldn't live there permanently, as one of my favorite things to do is drive around all day!

Cheers

[Keith Cocker]

Andre,

When you are in Sheffield you are on the edge of two marvelous areas of beautiful landscapes. If you go west from Sheffield you are in the peak District National Park (Derbyshire). The scenery is magnificent almost everywhere you turn. Places to head for are Matlock, Buxton, Chatsworth House, Hardwick House, Bakewell, Eyam, Hathersage, Castleton.

If you go north from Sheffield you can visit the Yorkshire dales - another gorgeous national park - places to look for - Malham, Settle, Bolton Abbey, Dentdale, Wensleydale, Hawes, richmond etc.

Enjoy your visit.

Best wishes

[deMille]

Couple of things to photograph?? .
Can't speak for the Sheffield area it's 300 miles from me in deepest Yorkshire (think Deliverence) maybe Andyphoto or Keith ****er will help out there
London and the South i can help with .
Southwest
Cornwall andthe atlantic coast
Tintagel . home of king arthur and camelot .
Padstow , beautiful harbour town
Minack theatre , a open air ampitheatre built out of the hillside .
St micheals mount .
The eden project , at St Austell , this you must see .
Cheddar gorge , a spectacular view .
Stonehenge.
Kynance cove on the ''lizard''
any of the small cornish villages .
Bristol , old english seaport.

London and the south east

Buckingham palace
Windsor castle
Hampton court
The tower of london
The London Eye
Carnaby street
London dungeons
Canary wharf
Houses of parliment
Tower Bridge
The Cutty Sark
Greenwich Oberservatory
Big Ben
Westmister Abbey
St Pauls Cathedral.
river Thames at sunset

South east

Leeds castle
Hever castle
Bodium
Scotney castle
Colchester . oldest town in england
Millienium bridge
south downs
Arundel castle
Canterbury cathedral
Dover castle
Rye , beautiful medievil town
Portmouth (H.M.S.Victory)
Brighton Pavillion
Westerham (home of General Wolfe)
Chartwell (Winston Churchills mansion)
small mid kent villages
Reculver towers

For everyone i've mentioned i'm sure i've missed 5 .
small country packed with goodies .
be sure to bring plenty of cash , the cost of living over here will surprise you .
especially petrol prices £4.00 a gallon =$7.20 US

Pm me when you know, maybe we can meet up .

Brian


Gee ,,, and I was going to say "nothing I can think of"!

Dale

[Andre]

Thanks Keith, District National Park is exactly where I am headed. There is a small town there (Bradwell) that my family comes from, and I intend to learn some of my heritage.

Andre

[jhawk1000]

Remember-----they drive on the other side of the road so be careful or be prepared to see those looks of terror on oncoming driver's faces/

Mel

[Andre]

Remember-----they drive on the other side of the road so be careful or be prepared to see those looks of terror on oncoming driver's faces/

Mel

I should have no problem with that - I've driven in the Caribbean a number of times.

:)

[robinp]

You're going to have a great time Andre and take home lots of interesting photos. If it weren't for the grey weather, overcrowded roads and most of the people Britain would be a really nice place ;)
I'll constrain my list of photo opps to within 30 miles of home - you'll pass this way (Gloucestershire) between Yorkshire and Cornwall so if you have a day (or more) to spare try this itinerary :-
Starting with the glories of Gloucester's cathedral and its "historic docks" pass through the Forest of Dean to see Symonds Yat Rock near Monmouth, then follow the River Wye past Tintern Abbey to Chepstow castle. From Chepstow cross the River Severn by the "old" bridge (toll free in this direction), then go up the Avon Gorge under Brunel's fantastic suspension bridge to the heart of Bristol.

If you haven't already done so reading Bill Bryson's "Notes From A Small Island" will help you to be amused rather than annoyed by Britain & the British :)

Cheers, Robin

[Bilbo]

Definitely the Cornwall sites that Brian listed ... and if you're interested in seeing Oxford when you're passing through give me a shout - lots of old buildings and universities!

Bob

[KeithM]

One area I'll add is Wales !! :)

If you head westish from the Sheffield area and head over to North Wales to LLandudno, then follow the A470 all the way to Cardiff - through Snowdonia, the Cambrian Mountains, the Brecon Beacons with a final drive down the old coal mining area through Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff. Then turn left onto the M4 ( which takes you towards some of Robins suggested places - Forest of Dean, Symonds Yat, etc but you could get to them better via the A40 from Brecon to Ross ) and cross the Severn Estuary to reach the M5 and head south.

Bit like a Welsh version of Route 66. The road twists and turns through some stunning scenery with many interesting and historic places nearby.

You would bypass the Midlands but it makes a change to driving down the M6 ;)

Keith.

[Andre]

Thank you Gentlemen. I knoew I could count on the people in this forum to help me out. Now I have quite a shopping list :)

I have bought the European map software for my GPS, so when I research all of these areas, I can mark the ones I want to visit - and then maybe even find them :)

I'm growing a bit concerned about driving in England. Everyone tells me it's bad, and that I'd be better off to travel by rail or coach. Is the driving that bad? I don't think driving on the left will be a problem - I've done that a few times.

Cheers

[sandman]

Depends where you go , what time you go in , and how good a driver are you ?
As a driver of nearly 40 years experiance of british roads i don't find them a problem , avoid scoool times , 8.30 10.00 am -3.30 4.430 pm ..rushhours 7-10 am ....4-7pm ....dinner times 11-2.00pm ...and night driving . whats left should be fine :rofl:
In other words all roads are congested over here most of the time , parking can be a nightmare in all towns , not just big cities , and road rage is common .
public transport stinks , it'll get you there , somewhere? proberbly not near where you want to go , or the times you want to go in . trains are late , buses are dirty and overcrowded , taxi's are expensive .
My advise ? hire a car , leave twice as long as you've planned for any trip , expect delays .
buy a decent A-Z road map , GPS is a bit hit and miss , and you might not get one in a hire car anyway ..i've given up on mine after it had me going 5 times around a roundabout the wrong way looking for a right turn exit .
The south east will be worse , It'll pay you in London to park up and use public transport , never runs on time but at least it's getting better .
Ahhh you'll love it over here Andre ....really .

Brian

[KeithM]

Out of major towns and cities is OK. The National Parks will be very pleasant ( watch out for silly sheep though - not as bad as hitting a moose but still a car stopper ;) ). Built up areas get progressively more congested and subject to busy times as Brian has said. Provincial towns can be frustrating and inner cities - well I don't ride around places like Manchester or Birmingham city centres - I go in by train....

The roads will seem claustrophobic - a 100mile journey here can be a bit epic. The standard of driving is frankly appalling, but I suspect not that much worse than many other countries. Problem here seems to be impatience - everybody considers their journey to be more important than everyone else's and give no quarter. Hire cars tend to be less noticable these days so no-one considers the possibility of a slightly disoriented foreign driver in a car with UK plates. Not much different though I guess to arrivals time at Orlando International and Brits pouring onto the Beeline Expressway or Greenway ( my colleague informs me :) )

Re public transport - you really should ( if you haven't ) read Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island"... it's worse than when he wrote that :o London is the exception - definitely use public transport there.

Not sure if you have experience of 'safety' or speed cameras - we have quite a few but that means less traffic police ( which in some ways is not a good thing ). If you have someone travelling with you, it helps to have a spotter keep an eye on speed limit signs.

Don't let all this put you off Andre - we've got a compact little jewel of an island here - it's just not appreciated by most of the inhabitants !

Keith.

[Andre]

Thanks Brian & Keith.

I'm a pretty good driver - but that's in my own territory, and driving on the right. I will return the hired car at Heathrow before venturing into London, as I know better than to try and drive into the city.

I have a hand-held GPS, which I think will help. Brian, I have been researching your list, and have marked several in my GPS - thank you again for those. It looks like you have a lot of castles in the Kent area, but I'm not sure if we'll have time to get over there.

Yes, we have speed cameras here as well as red-ligth cameras. I'm not so much worried about that as I am bumbling along being in others' way. Then there's the roundabouts :)

I've heard about the delays. I figured about 3 hours to get to Sheffield from Heathrow, but I am told it is more like 5-6 hours. I will stick to the countryside as much as possible, as that's what I am more interested in anyway.

Thanks guys!

[sandman]

Andre try to leave Heathrow for Sheffield in the evening the driive then will be so much easier at night , you'll find the M25 -M1 a nightmare , even for experieanced drivers .
Your idea of returning the car is a good one , there's a train service from heathrow straight into london and the underground will then get you just about anywhere , but with all undergrounds , watch your valuables and beware of pickpockets , also London stations are full of illegal imigrants always begging.
It'll be a pity if you miss some of the beauty of Kent , but thats life .

before anyone asks why i'm up at this hour in the morning , i've a busy day ..even on sunday :)

Have a safe trip

Brian

[Andre]

Thanks again Brian.
We've decided to not make the trek to Sheffield right away, but rather drive somewhere like Northampton and spend the night, leaving for Sheffield in the morning. This should split things up a bit, as I expect I'll be tired after being on a plane all night.

[robinp]

Now the challenge for us UK members is to find you somewhere near the M1 but more interesting than Northampton ( :( ) to spend the night.....
Anyone familiar with that territory? (I was born and lived for 3 years about 14 miles from Northampton but don't get that way much now).

Cheers, Robin

[Andre]

Now the challenge for us UK members is to find you somewhere near the M1 but more interesting than Northampton ( :( ) to spend the night.....
Anyone familiar with that territory? (I was born and lived for 3 years about 14 miles from Northampton but don't get that way much now).

Cheers, Robin

There's still time!
I chose that because it was a good distance from London - close enough to drive there tired, but a good head start for the morning.

Cheers

[bushman]

Hi Andre,
I'll second everything that's already been said, but add a point of interest on Bradwell. The shape if the tin hats worn by British troops in both World Wars came from the shape of a protective hat worn by the miners of Bradwell. I learnt this a few years ago when I was on a course in the area.
Cheers, John

[Andre]

Hi Andre,
I'll second everything that's already been said, but add a point of interest on Bradwell. The shape if the tin hats worn by British troops in both World Wars came from the shape of a protective hat worn by the miners of Bradwell. I learnt this a few years ago when I was on a course in the area.
Cheers, John

Thanks John. That's an interesting tidbit.
Did you know that the inventor of the modern umbrella was also from Bradwell? The same man founded Stocksbridge Steel. I know this because he was my great-great-great uncle. I hope to get a picture of his house, which still stands today.

[sandman]

Now the challenge for us UK members is to find you somewhere near the M1 but more interesting than Northampton ( :( ) to spend the night.....
Anyone familiar with that territory? (I was born and lived for 3 years about 14 miles from Northampton but don't get that way much now).

Cheers, Robin
Well if you were really tired and wanted to sleep i'd head for Milton Keyes that'll send you off quicker than mogadon . :rofl:
But it would proberbly be better to drive the extra 45 minutes up to Nottingham and spend the night there (got a spare bed Jacqui)
Nothing against Northamton , if you're just planning on stoping over for a sleep , but there really is nothing much of historical interest there , unless your into shoes.
Brian

[Andre]

I'll read up on Nottingham. I really only need a place to eat & sleep for the night though - I'd leave early in the morning.
Thanks!

[robinp]

Andre,

I'm sure you've heard all about our grey skies and generally dismal light but who knows, you may be lucky!
Anyway here's one I took today in Herefordshire looking towards Wales which shows that even when the sky is grey you can make photos if you're willing to brave a few raindrops....

Cheers, Robin

[jknights]

Nice shot Robin.

Andre,
Around Sheffied there are loads of landscape opportunities in the Peak District.

There are also loads of quaint villages in the Derbyshaire dales and loads of pubs !!
:cheers:

[Jacqui Jay]

Cor Blimey!!!

I've lived in Great Britain for over 40 years and I haven't seen a small fraction of these places. Thank you to everyone who reponded to Andre – you've just given me an itinerary for the summer. I'm determined to see at least some of these sights before next winter.

Enjoy yourself, Andre. Don't worry too much about the driving – I used to be in the same game as Brian many years ago and I would say drivers are much the same the world over (but our lorry drivers are the best!). If you see a little old lady driving past you in a four wheel drive with a gang of kids in the back and a tripod hanging out of the window, then you'll know your thread was responsible for that expedition!

[Jacqui Jay]

Sorry, mised the note about Nottingham, Brian! There's bugger all in Nottingham and don't even think of the castle – it's a monstrosity. But if you're passing through, Andre, let me know. I'll try very hard to think of something interesting!

[robinp]

Sorry, mised the note about Nottingham, Brian! There's bugger all in Nottingham and don't even think of the castle – it's a monstrosity. But if you're passing through, Andre, let me know. I'll try very hard to think of something interesting!
I was going to be very rude about Nottingham (my brother lived there for a while) but didn't want to offend you Jacqui so said nothing :)

Cheers, Robin

[Andre]

Andre,

I'm sure you've heard all about our grey skies and generally dismal light but who knows, you may be lucky!
Anyway here's one I took today in Herefordshire looking towards Wales which shows that even when the sky is grey you can make photos if you're willing to brave a few raindrops....

Cheers, Robin

Nice shot Robin. I was kind of hoping to have clear sunny skies for the visit. :)

[Andre]

Nice shot Robin.

Andre,
Around Sheffied there are loads of landscape opportunities in the Peak District.

There are also loads of quaint villages in the Derbyshaire dales and loads of pubs !!
:cheers:

I've just received a color pamphlet in the mail all about the Peak District. It looks great! I will have to try the pubs too :)

[Andre]

Well, I've just booked all my hotels and hired a car. I've put all the interesting places into my GPS (thanks again Brian), and planned my routes.

I've submitted an application to go into the Stonehenge circle after-hours. They don't usually let you actually go up close apparently - unless you pay them twice as much, and arraqnge it in advance.

I have also arranged for some great weather. So all of you can thank me for the sunshine you're going to get :LOL:

Thanks again to all for your suggestions and comments.

:cheers:

Andre