Outside the city limits
If the unthinkable occurs and you lose interest in
London, fresh pastures are close by, writes Adrian
Nisbett.
You’re in London. You’ve been run off your feet seeing all the
sights (in truth, you have barely scratched the surface) and you
are sick of crowds. You want to stay in London but take a break
from the city. What is there to do?
Plenty, even if you narrow the choice by restricting travel to
rail and reject any destination that requires uncivilised early
morning starts or late night returns. You may be surprised to learn
that within those limits you could consider everything from a day
in Paris to learning falconry at the National Birds of Prey Centre
in Newent, Gloucester, to touring the Ashmolean museum at Oxford,
to visiting a Roman villa near Chichester. The choice is
astonishing, from the familiar castles and stately homes to places
that cater to specialised interests. I chose three destinations,
each with a strong historical flavour, but with enough general
interest to satisfy those who are “museumed out”.
Imperial War Museum, Duxford
This is one for aviation buffs and what a treasure trove it is.
The setting is Duxford airfield, used in World War II by the Royal
Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces. It remains in much
the same state as it was in 1945. To get there, take a fast train
to Cambridge (50 minutes from King’s Cross) and a C7 bus from
Cambridge station (45 minutes), which drops you at the museum’s
front door.
Duxford has a wonderful collection of display aircraft but it is
best known for its flying displays. Many of the planes you see in
the hangars are in airworthy condition and perform in air shows
held on weekends from April to November. Bear in mind that flying
days are popular and a lot of patience will be required to deal
with bus queues and crowds.
The best time to be sure of a relaxed visit is during the week.
The aircraft are displayed in five hangars and there is another
building housing land warfare vehicles. The range of aircraft to be
seen is comprehensive to say the least. There can be few, if any,
British military and commercial aircraft built between the 1920s
and today that are not displayed. There are many German and
American military aircraft including a fine collection of Grumman
carrier planes. One of the great features of this museum is that
you can get close to all the aircraft, whether under the wings of a
Sunderland flying boat, alongside an Avro Anson or looking into the
cockpits of numerous fighters and bombers. You can walk through a
Concorde, watch conservation and restoration work underway on a
large number of vintage planes and soak up the atmosphere of
thematic displays including a fascinating Battle of Britain
scenario. Excellent interactive displays will delight children of
all ages.
The Land Warfare building contains tanks, armoured carriers,
artillery pieces and other vehicles from all sides of both world
wars and later conflicts. Of particular interest are the caravans
used by Field Marshal Montgomery during the North African and
European campaigns.
The final building is a stunning piece of architecture (designed
by Sir Norman Foster): the American Air Museum. To reach the
entrance visitors walk along a path reminiscent of the Vietnam
memorial in Washington, except that instead of panels full of
names, every aircraft lost by the American forces operating from
England in World War II is represented by a silhouette of the
aircraft type. Inside, a B-52 bomber dominates the floor space,
though the SR-71 Blackbird is hard to miss. American combat
aircraft from the 1930s to the present are here, with a strong
emphasis on bombers and fighters that served in Britain during
World War II. This is a most impressive range of planes, probably
the finest outside the US.
As I was waiting for the bus to return me to Cambridge station I
heard a roar that sends an immediate shiver up the spine of anyone
who recognises it: a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine being brought to
full thrust. It was a Spitfire, taking off on a test flight. As it
banked over the end of the airfield, those 12 cylinders producing a
special kind of music, it was not hard to imagine Duxford in the
1940s with many more Spitfires, Mustangs, Liberators and the like
filling the skies over this unspoilt piece of English
countryside.
Eton College
Schools may not come immediately to mind as tourist destinations
but Eton is different. From its founding in 1440 by Henry VI (yes,
later than Winchester College) Eton has held a special place in
British life. Its old boys no longer fill the Cabinet Room at 10
Downing Street (the prime minster’s residence) and it has been
nearly half a century since an Old Etonian lived there but the
school’s influence on Britain is quite unlike that of any other
anywhere.
A train from Waterloo station will take you to Windsor and Eton
Riverside station and from there it is a 10-minute walk across the
Windsor footbridge and along Eton High Street. The school is spread
throughout the town (the school’s 1300 boys are accommodated in 25
boarding houses) and outside it, and has the space and outdoor
facilities that most schools can only dream of. Eton has it all -
from golf course to Olympic-standard rowing centre. Of course, for
%26#163;27,000 ($60,600) a year you would expect nothing less.
For visitors, Eton provides a variety of tours of varying length
and cost. The Museum of Eton Life is an excellent way to acquaint
yourself with how students were housed, clothed, fed and taught
over the centuries. You will learn a surprising amount about the
complexities and peculiarities of the school as you examine this
occasionally eccentric collection of memorabilia. The museum will
provide you with interesting insights into Eton’s distinctive
structure, teaching methods, uniform and language.
A stroll through Lower School, in use since 1443 and reputed to
be the oldest classroom wordwide still operated daily, demonstrates
that one school’s vandalism is another’s cherished history:
hundreds of names (including those of Princes William and Harry)
are carved into desks and walls.
The College Library, built in 1729, is a remarkably elegant set
of three rooms containing a fascinating collection of books and
manuscripts. Of course, for student use there is also a school
library with all the latest information services. Another
impressive building is the chapel; it was built largely in the 15th
century but has been worked on ever since. This is a church with
interesting details, so take the time to explore it properly. The
chapel forms one side of School Yard, in the centre of which is a
statue of the founder. The yard is a rather barren space, largely
because the original grass was removed to make military drill
sessions easier. In the cloisters surrounding the yard, Old
Etonians’ readiness to serve Britain in war is poignantly
illustrated by the seemingly endless panels listing the names of
old boys killed in war, principally the two world wars, in which
almost 2000 Old Etonians lost their lives.
There is much more to see and to learn about this venerable part
of British life but for a dose of reality, be outside School Hall
after morning tea, when boys button-hole their teachers for quick
conferences. After all the history and impressive statistics you
will be brought sharply back to reality as Eton boys in their
distinctive uniforms quickly demonstrate that they are just as
untidy, rowdy and energetic as schoolboys anywhere.
The National Archives
Many Australians visiting the UK are keen to trace family
history and the National Archives at Kew is the place to begin.
From Kew Gardens underground station it is a 10-minute walk along
well-signposted roads to the vast new National Archives building.
If family history research is not your thing, you may want to view
the extensive collection of documents, such as the Domesday Book
and other artefacts; or, on Saturdays, join a tour behind the
scenes and gain an understanding of just how immense a repository
the archives is.
You will need a reader’s ticket to use the research facilities
and view documents that relate to family members. This is easily
and quickly issued after a quick computer session but don’t forget
to bring your passport.
For first-time visitors the sheer size and complexity of the
place can be daunting; don’t panic. Staff members are patient,
extremely knowledgeable and genuinely interested in helping you
find great uncle Tom’s war record. Also, there are leaflets and
signs to assist you. If you arrive with little information about
the subject you want to research, be prepared for a long day but
the results are usually rewarding. Be warned: before you know it,
the day will be over.
For each of these destinations there is an alternative for
travelling companions whose interests may not extend to old planes,
old schools or old documents. Instead of Duxford, head into
Cambridge and tour the colleges or boat on the Ely; while one
traveller crosses the bridge into Eton, the other may find Windsor
Castle a more attractive place to view; and at Kew, the Royal
Botanic Gardens are ready to delight anyone who prefers the natural
world to human history.
And if you hope that the city itself may have more to offer,
take a walk down St James’s Street from Piccadilly on the left-hand
side until you are a few metres from Pall Mall. Through a narrow
tunnel you will find Pickering Place, site of the last duel fought
in London and of the embassy of the Republic of Texas, as it was
before it joined the United States. Marvel at this tiny square and
its 18th-century walls and remind yourself not to walk past such
dark passages in London without exploring them.
TRIP NOTES
Duxford Aerodrome is reached via train to
Cambridge and a bus to the airfield. Rail fare is %26#163;22 (about
$50) return, bus %26#163;4.50 return, entry to the museum %26#163;15
(more on flying days). Further information at http://www.iwm.org.uk.
Information on Eton College tours is on the
college website, http://www.etoncollege.com, or
email at visits@etoncollege.org.uk. Tours cost from %26#163;4 and are
conducted between March and September.
The National Archives is open Monday to
Saturday. Kew Gardens tube station is on the District Line. Before
visiting it is well worth exploring the website at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
to discover the range of documents and services available.
Source: The Sun-Herald
Posted
on
Monday, January 28th, 2008 at 12:11 am under