Most tourists in England just visit London, and perhaps Stonehenge. But there are many more things to see in the English countryside.
The village of Wareham, on the Isle of Purbeck. It's a popular holiday spot for Londoners, but not many Americans go here. Nearly every villager, of all ages, wanted to stop and chat with me once they heard my American accent.
River in Wareham.
Street in Wareham.
Church in Wareham. It dates back to the 11th century.
Sheep pasture at edge of town.
A cricket game. I had no idea what was going on, but it sure looked like they were having fun. :)
A pub frequented by Lawrence of Arabia.
Remains of the Saxon defensive wall-and-ditch that once surrounded the town of Wareham.
Corfe Castle. Isle of Purbeck.
View from Corfe Castle.
Cadbury Castle, an old hilltop wall-and-ditch fortress. It is traditionally the site for King Arthur's Camelot.
View from Cadbury Castle. Each stepped terrace would have been surrounded by a wooden wall and defensive ditches.
The Tor. According to tradition, this was the site of the Isle of Avalon. The Tor is the remains of the Church of St Michael.
A church in Glastonbury. Glastonbury was one of the earliest centers of Christianity in Britain.
Wells Cathedral.
Wells Cathedral.
Moat at the Bishop's Palace, Wells Cathedral.
The White Horse. An ancient figure carved into the chalk.
Avebury Stone Circle. Much larger than the more famous Stonehenge.
The defensive bank-and-ditch surrounding Avebury. Having earlier studied the ramparts surrounding Wareham, I was probably the only tourist there who realized that the Avebury defensive ditch faced INWARDS, not outwards.
Stonehenge.
Silbury Hill. An artificial hill painstakingly built up one basketfull at a time. Nobody knows why it was made.
The Cerne Giant. An ancient figure, perhaps representing Hercules, carved into the chalk.
English countryside landscape.
English Channel at Portland Bill.
Lighthouse at Portland Bill.
Poole Harbor.
OK, it was cold, wet and cloudy the whole time---but by golly, England had some of the prettiest snails I have ever seen: