Great Britain Church And State

Restraint was not a popular concept among early Britons. They never held back when a fortress, castle, or cathedral could be defiantly built or defiantly razed. Edward I of England had a rough time containing the Welsh; his “iron ring” of massive fortresses—like Caernarfon or Caerphilly —mark the northwestern Welsh coast. Two castles top extinct volcanoes in Scotland, one ringed with gargoyles in Stirling , the other perched high above Edinburgh . Dover Castle has protected the southern coast since England ruled half of France. You can’t leave Scotland without visiting Dunnottar Castle ; it’s even more astounding on a stormy day. On your way south, stop by the ruined Saint Andrews Castle and scurry through Britain’s only surviving countermine tunnel. In central England, get the full medieval experience at Warwick Castle , complete with banquets and jousts. Stay in the university dorms at Durham Castle . The sumptuous Castle Howard and Alnwick Castle both afford a taste of how the other 0.001% lives.

In northeast England, York Minster , the country’s largest Gothic house of worship, competes with Durham Cathedral for most jaw-dropping, while Canterbury Cathedral has attracted pilgrims since even before the time of Geoffrey Chaucer. Salisbury Cathedral holds the record for England’s tallest spire. In London, thousands flock to Westminster Abbey and Saint Paul’s Cathedral , where Poets’ Corner and the Whispering Gallery inspire appropriately quiet reverence. Up in Scotland, the ruined Border Abbeys— Jedburgh , Melrose , Kelso , and Dryburgh —draw fewer visitors but offer greater vistas of the surrounding valleys.

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