Text 5. Famous British Cities and Towns

Great Britain is mainly an industrial country, and most of the people there live in towns and cities. London, its capital, is the most important city of Great Britain.

The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. It is one of the most written-about and photographed cities on earth. Edinburgh is a delight to explore on foot; most of its attractions are contained within a compact central area. Edinburgh Castle is the natural starting-point for any visit. It is a famous fortress, which is situated in the centre of the city on a high hill called Castle Rock. The oldest parts of the building date back to about 1100. Visitors can also look round the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen's official residence in Scotland.

The main cities of Wales are Cardiff, its capital, Swansea and Newport. Wales is famous for its medieval castles that stretch like an iron chain across Wales. Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, is one of the youngest capitals of the world. It is a city of the 19th century and of the industrial revolution.

In the South part of England there are quite a lot of other famous cities. Brighton is the largest holiday bathing resort of the south coast. It is famous for its Indian-style palace, called the Royal Pavilion. It is a popular place for people to go for a holiday.

Windsor is famous for its castle, which is an official residence of the royal family. When the Queen is at the castle a special flag is put up to tell everybody. Some of the interior apartments are open to the public when the Queen is not in residence. In 1993 the castle was seriously destroyed by fire.

Bath is known for its natural hot spring, the only one in Britain, as well as for its old Roman baths, which remain the heart of the city. Another spectacular sight of Bath is the Abbey, which is called the 'lantern of the west' as it features more window than wall. The city is also famous for its annual agricultural shows and music festivals.

Oxford and Cambridge, known as Oxbridge, are famous for the oldest and most prestigious universities, founded in the 13th century. Most of their students are former public school leavers. The universities have over a hundred societies and clubs, enough for every interest one could imagine.

Stratford-upon-Avon lies at the very heart of England. It attracts people not only by its history and connection with William Shakespeare, but also by its wonderful nature and typical English character. Here you can visit Shakespeare's birthplace (it is a museum now), Grammar school which he attended, Holy Trinity Church where he was buried and, of course, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which is a living memorial to the poet's work.

One of the famous cities in the centre of England is Nottingham which is known throughout the world for its associations with the legend of Robin Hood. At the heart of the Robin Hood legend there is his former home, the magnificent Forest of Sherwood, situated not far from Nottingham. The name of Robin Hood is closely connected with Nottingham Castle, which is in the city itself. At the foot of the Castle there is a statue of Robin Hood. Now it houses a Museum of Fine and Applied Arts and contains paintings by many famous artists.

Another famous city in the central England is York, which was once the capital of a Viking kingdom. It is known for its chocolate factories, the National Railway Museum and the Viking Centre, an archaeological museum where visitors are carried in «time-cars» through a vivid recreation of York under the Danish kings with the sights, sounds and even smells of the period.

Chester is the most historic city in north-west England. Attractively set on the River Dee, the city has an ancient history dating back to its days as a Roman port and a fortress. It is famous for its black-and-white buildings and a splendid red sandstone cathedral. Visitors to Chester can stroll along a reconstructed Victorian street and visit its unique galleried shops called Rows.

The main industrial cities in England are Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle. Liverpool is not only an industrial centre. First of all it is known all over the world as the birthplace of 'The Beatles'. In the Beatles Story Museum you can find everything about this famous group. Among other museums one can mention the Boat Museum and the branch of the Tate Gallery. There is also the largest Garden Zoo there. The city is famous for its sport, too. One of the biggest football stadiums in Britain is in Liverpool.