The English countryside is thick with historical ruins, but some of the most formidable were created by the world’s first superpower, ancient Rome.  Conquered by Emperor Claudius in 69 AD, Britain became one of the remotest provinces of the sprawling Roman Empire, and amongst its most troublesome.  Decade after decade, Roman legions were dispatched to subdue the Pictish “barbarians” of the northern part of the islands (modern Scotland), but were defeated by its dismal weather, rugged terrain and savage resistance.  Worse, defiant Pictish raiders swept down from the highlands to pillage peaceful Roman settlements, causing endless headaches for local governors.

Finally, in 180 AD, the visionary Emperor Hadrian had had enough of the troublesome frontier.  He decided to build a 180-mile-long defensive wall through the narrowest neck of the island, with military towers set up every mile; forts would be manned by 1,000 men each to keep the enemy at bay.  These sodden, windswept outposts were amongst the least popular postings in the Empire for Roman soldiers, who longed for the warmer climates of the Mediterranean, but thanks to their impregnable stone barrier, they successfully kept the peace in Roman Britain for over 200 years.  Only when the Roman Empire itself began to crumble around 400 AD, and the once-disciplined Roman soldiers themselves became vicious bands of marauders, was Hadrian’s Wall abandoned.  Even so, the edifice remained more or less for another thousand years, until the Normans in the Middle Ages realized that the beautifully-cut Roman stone would make excellent material for their castles, so the masonry has been largely pillaged.  Today, anyone driving from England to Scotland can turn off from the main highways and visit the eerily abandoned remains of Hadrian’s once-splendid Wall – now peaceful and picturesque, wandered by herds of sheep instead of wild-eyed barbarians.

None of England’s rural settings are so closely associated with a single writer as the Lake District is with the poet William Wordsworth, an immensely popular figure who draws crowds of devotees every summer.  Wordsworth was born in the region in 1770 and throughout his long life (he died in 1850, at the age of 80) celebrated its spectacular mountains, idyllic forests and shimmering waters.  His youthful spirit still feels present in his quaint 18th century abode, Dove Cottage, which sits amidst classic English gardens by the village of Grasmere.  Wordsworth moved here in 1799, at the age of 29, with his beloved younger sister Dorothy, and wrote some of the most influential poetry in the English language.

The beauty of the Lake District was a constant inspiration: As a child, he went on long walks through this picturesque countryside to escape his distant father and cruel grandparents, and later in life the habit of vigorous hiking prevailed; his writings in praise of the healing power of nature would become cornerstones of the Romantic movement, and change the way we view the world.  Today, the cottage, with its cozy little rooms, blackened fireplaces and perfect views of his rose-filled garden still has a lived-in feel; the adjacent museum contains poignant mementoes of Wordsworth’s life, including the original manuscript of Daffodils, which was written here.  (“I wandered lonely as a cloud…”)  Literary pilgrims continue to the poet’s grave at St. Oswald’s churchyard nearby, but perhaps the most genuine homage is to take an afternoon stroll in the countryside Wordsworth loved so much: Start at the nearby village of Elterwater and follow the mile-long path along a shady brook to lakes filled with swans and surrounded by daffodils.  Return for a pint of ale at the 18th century Britannia Inn, and you start to feel like a Romantic poet yourself.

If you are planning a family vacation to England encourage your children to prepare for their travels by reading about the sights and history of the UK. Writers often spin their tales in the places they love best, and we’ve found some favorites for kids and teens.The books included here should help your children understand the setting and culture of England—and also inspire them to visit. Take a look and let the excitement begin:

• Harry Potter series
• “The London Eye Mystery” by Siobhan Dowd
• “Thames Doesn’t Rhyme with James” by Paula Danziger
• “The Borribles” by Michael de Larrabeiti
• “This is London” by M. Sasek
• “Charlotte in London” by Joan MacPhail Knight
• “The Time Thieft” by Linda Buckley-Archer
• “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens

London is littered with exotic artworks pillaged during its 19th century heyday as the seat of the British Empire.  But certainly no Victorian relic has had a more colorful journey than Cleopatra’s Needle, a 3500-year-old, 68-feet-high ancient Egyptian obelisk that looms, flanked by two bronze sphinxes, in front of the Embankment Gardens by the Thames.

The red marble obelisk was carved in the quarries next to the River Nile in 1380 BC, to honor Pharaoh Thutmose III, and moved by Queen Cleopatra to Alexandria around 40 BC.  Rediscovered by archaeologists in the early 1800s, it remained in Egypt until 1877, when the British Government decided that it wanted a suitable memorial to commemorate Lord Nelson’s 1801 victory over Napoleon in Egypt.  At the time, Egypt was a British possession, and the authorities easily parted with their national treasures.  But the logistics of transporting a 180-ton monument to London were hugely complex.  A doctor named Sir William Wilson organized a public fund of £10,000 to build a special cigar-shaped pontoon, called The Cleopatra, for the obelisk, which had to be towed by steamship through the Straits of Gibraltar.

The plan was fraught with mishaps.  The boats hit a storm off the coast of France and the Cleopatra was cut loose and abandoned; six crew members of the towing boat were drowned in a rescue effort.  (A plaque records their names at the obelisk’s foot today).  Miraculously, the Cleopatra did not sink.  Instead, after bobbing about for four days, the mysterious iron cigar-boat was found by a Spanish trawler and towed to port.

After endless legal wrangling and more British fund-raising, the sea-battered relic was safely towed by sea the rest of the way to London, where the obelisk was erected in 1878 to great fanfare.  Today, it remains less a memorial to Nelson’s hard-won victory than to the obsessive perseverance of the Victorian Age.

While vacationing in London, England you may spend time in the British Museum, touring Madame Tuassauds famous wax figure collection, or taking in the views from the top of the Tower Bridge walkways.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And when you watch one of the movies listed here, they’ll have a film’s worth of London, England’s famous sights, historic buildings, and dramatic landscapes. We think these fun films will inspire you to travel to England and see the action unfold!

• About a Boy
• Finding Libery
• National Lampoon’s European Vacation
• Bridget Jones
• Love Actually
• Closer
• Matchpoint
• 28 Weeks Later
• Johnny English
• The Bourne Supremacy
• Sliding Doors and
• James Bond’s The World Is Not Enough

For a travel experience befitting royalty, there’s truly no place vacation destination like London.

The British Museum in London is a vast and overwhelming place, so on a first visit, head straight for the Enlightenment Hall — the oldest part of the Museum building, and easily the most atmospheric.  Simply climb the grand exterior staircase of the main entrance, pass beneath the vast neo-classical columns and turn right through the museum gift shop.  Suddenly you are in a soaring, mahogany-lined Georgian parlor, 300-feet-long and with 40-feet-high ceilings.  But the real wonders can be found inside the mahogany cases – true cabinets of curiosities.

Opened in 1827, this was originally the King’s Library, built to house a collection of 60,000 books gathered by George III and donated by his son, George IV, to the British public.  It remained so until 1997, when the books were moved to the new British Library site at St. Pancras and multi-million dollar renovations began.  Reopened in 2003 as the Enlightenment Hall, it is now a magical place dedicated to the vigorous scientific spirit of the 18th century, when brilliant men of learning first set out to chart and plot every aspect of nature and history.  The former bookcases are now overflowing with colorful relics, bones, seashells, models of Egyptian tombs, rusting antiquities and other exotica brought back to London by overseas explorers from Africa, Australia, Antarctica and the South Seas.

It’s easy to lose yourself in an antique fantasy, imagining Sherlock Holmes, perhaps, poring over such exotica.  From here, you step directly into the modern world: A side doorway leads to the Great Hall, a soaring, sky-lit courtyard embracing the classical British Library Building where, amongst others, Charles Dickens, George Bernard Shaw, Virginia Woolf and Karl Marx once wrote.  Covered in 1990, the Hall remains a breathtaking piece of contemporary architecture.

Continuing our post from yesterday, here are a few more London must-see sights to make your vacation to England more memorable.

Local Cuisine
Sample the ultimate in British food and drink-fish and chips with a pint of bitter in a local pub.

Covent Garden
Stroll through Covent Garden, the famous glass-covered market with its fashionable boutiques, cafés, and arts and crafts stalls.

Royal Parks
Visit the zoo, row a boat on Hyde Park’s Serpentine, or feed the ducks, geese, and swans in St. James’ Park.

Harrods
Admire the amazing displays in the food halls and discover the delights of the world’s most famous luxury department store.

When traveling to England here are some must-see sights of London:

Chelsea Football Club – Stadium Tours
You probably know Chelsea as home to one of Britain’s top football clubs. The Chelsea FC stadium tour offers a unique glimpse inside the very heart of Stamford Bridge where you can visit the world class changing rooms, be the manager in the dug-out, walk up the players’ tunnel and see some of the best views of the stadium. Make sure you bring your camera!

The Saatchi Gallery
Housed in the former military barracks of the Duke of York’s Headquarters, you find 70,000 square feet of contemporary art exhibition. The former ad man Charles Saatchi champions young artists and many of them are unknown when first exhibited, not only to the general public but also to the commercial art world.

Check back on Thursday for Part #2 of our London, England not-to-be-missed sights. Start planning your European vacation today!

Don’t forget to read our London must-see sights from our last trip to England: Part #1, Part #2, Part #3.