Here are my selection for the Top Ten engineering Wonders of United Kingdom.
10. Big Ben and Elizabeth Tower – The Icon of London
Wonders of United Kingdom
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London. Big Ben is often used to describe the tower, the clock and the bell but the name was first given to the Great Bell.
It is the world’s most famous and recognizable clock. The tower is now officially called the Elizabeth Tower, after being renamed in 2012 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The tower holds the largest four-faced chiming clock in the world and is the third-tallest free-standing clock tower. The tower was completed in 1858 and now has become one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and is often in the establishing shot of films set in London.
9. Stratford-upon-Avon – The Birthplace of Shakespeare
Birthplace of Shakespeare
Stratford-upon-Avon is the birthplace of the poet William Shakespeare and Elizabethan playwright.It’s a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire. It is the largest and most populous town of the non-metropolitan district Stratford-on-Avon. The town is a popular tourist destination owing to its status as birthplace Shakespeare, receiving about 4.9 million visitors a year from all over the world. The Royal Shakespeare Company resides in Stratford’s Royal Shakespeare Theatre, one of Britain’s most important cultural venues.
8. Buckingham Palace – Britain’s Queen Residence
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is The Queen's official London residence, but St. James's Palace is the ceremonial Royal residence.Buckingham Palace is one of the Beautiful Royal Palaces in the world. Originally known as Buckingham House, the building which forms the core of today’s palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1705. This Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain’s sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. Buckingham House has 775 rooms. Which include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. In measurements, the building is 108 metres long across the front, 120 metres deep (including the central quadrangle) and 24 metres high. Statistics shows that more than 50,000 people visit the Palace each year as guests to banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and the Royal Garden Parties.
7. Tower Bridge – The Iconic Place to Photograph
Tower Bridge
According to Wikipedia 'Tower Bridge' is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become an iconic symbol of London. It is one of the world’s most amazing and photogenic bridges, especially when the two bascules (elevating spans) are raised to allow tall ships to pass through. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name, and has become an iconic symbol of London. The two towers are as high as a modern 20-story building.6. Tower of London – House of the Crown Jewels
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history. It was besieged several times and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
5. York Minster – England’s Largest Gothic Church
York Minster
The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe.York’s cathedral church is one of the finest medieval buildings in Europe. More than 250 years in the building, it is the biggest Gothic Cathedral in Northern Europe. The stained glass window on the East Front is as big as a tennis court – the biggest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world.
4. The Seven Sisters – The UK’s Gleaming White Cliffs
Seven Sisters
Seven Sisters is the common name for the Pleiades, a star cluster named for mythological characters.The Seven Sisters are gleaming white cliffs, visible from miles at sea and terminating in a series of gently undulating chalk Downs. They form part of the South Downs in East Sussex, between the towns of Seaford and Eastbourne in southern England. Compared to the more internationally famous White Cliffs of Dover, the Seven Sisters are more unspoilt. No buildings or developments mar this pristine landscape. But until protected, first by a country park and more recently by being part of the South Downs National Park, they were under pressure and at risk of development.
3. Windsor Castle – The World’s Biggest House
World's Biggest House
Perhaps there’s a bigger house somewhere but Windsor Castle, the Queen’s weekend home, is definitely the world’s biggest occupied castle. The castle is notable for its long association with the British royal family and for its architecture. The original castle was built in the 11th century after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I, it has been used by succeeding monarchs and it is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. During that time, it certainly has spread. The house now covers 13 acres. Besides being the biggest inhabited castle in the world, it’s also one of the most familiar. Fly into London via Heathrow and it will be one of the first recognizably British things you’ll see.2. British Museum – Largest Museum of the UK
British Museum
Established in 1753, the British Museum is a museum in London dedicated to human history and culture. Its permanent collection, numbering some 8 million works, is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence and originates from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present. The Egyptian gallery boasts the world’s second finest collection of Egyptian antiquities outside Egypt, including the Rosetta Stone, carved in 196 B.C.1. Stonehenge – The Archaeological Wonders of United Kingdom
Archaeological Wonders
STONEHENGE – One of the most famous sites and most Iconic Place to Photograph in the world. Stonehenge is the remains of a ring of standing stones set within earthworks. It is in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England. It is surely Britain’s greatest national icon, symbolizing mystery, power and endurance. Its original purpose is unclear to us, but some have speculated that it was a temple made for the worship of ancient earth deities. It has been called an astronomical observatory for marking significant events on the prehistoric calendar. Others claim that it was a sacred site for the burial of high-ranking citizens from the societies of long ago. Archaeologists believe it was built anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC.
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