Visit the UK

UK Bank Holidays and UK Public Holidays

2017-10-20T09:00:00.000+01:00

Aztec calendar stone
National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales enjoy similar sets of bank holidays every year. Some are celebrated in all four countries, and some are only celebrated in one or more countries.

We all think of bank holidays and public holidays as being the same, and often use the terms interchangeably. However, there is a difference: bank holidays are those holidays when banks and some other businesses are closed, and public holidays are those holidays that have become established through common practice.

Many tourist attractions hold special events on bank holidays, but check your travel arrangements because some train and bus companies offer a reduced service.

Bank holidays in England and Wales

England and Wales celebrate the same eight bank holidays every year:

New Year's Day
Good Friday
Easter Monday
May Day Bank Holiday
Spring Bank Holiday
Summer Bank Holiday
Christmas Day
Boxing Day

Bank holidays in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland celebrate 10 bank holidays every year. These include the same eight as England and Wales, with two that are unique to Northern Ireland:

New Year's Day
St. Patrick's Day
Good Friday
Easter Monday
May Day Bank Holiday
Spring Bank Holiday
Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day)
Summer Bank Holiday
Christmas Day
Boxing Day

Bank holidays in Scotland

Scotland celebrates eight bank holidays every year. Six are common with England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with two that are unique to Scotland:

New Year's Day
2nd January Bank Holiday
Good Friday
May Day Bank Holiday
Spring Bank Holiday
Early Simmer Bank Holiday
Christmas Day
Boxing Day

New Year's Day

New Year's Day is celebrated on January 1 every year, unless that is a weekend day when it is moved to the following Monday. Consequently, it can be celebrated on January 1, 2, or 3.

2nd January Bank Holiday

The 2nd January bank holiday is only celebrated in Scotland. It falls on the first weekday after New Year's Day. Consequently, it can be celebrated on January 2, 3, or 4.

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17 every year, unless that is a weekend day when it is moved to the following Monday. Consequently, it can be celebrated on March 17, 18, or 19.

Good Friday

Good Friday is celebrated on the Friday immediately before Easter Sunday every year. As the date for Easter Sunday varies each year, so does the date for Good Friday. Easter Sunday is known as a movable feast, and can fall between March 22 and April 25. Consequently, Good Friday can be celebrated between March 20 and April 23.

Easter Monday

Easter Monday, which is not observed in Scotland, is celebrated on the Monday immediately after Easter Sunday every year. As the date for Easter Sunday varies each year, falling between March 22 and April 25, so does the date for Easter Monday. Consequently, Easter Monday can be celebrated between March 23 and April 26.

May Day Bank Holiday

The May Day bank holiday is celebrated on the first Monday of May every year. Consequently, it can be celebrated anywhere from the May 1 to May 7.

Spring Bank Holiday

The Spring bank holiday is celebrated on the last Monday of May every year. Consequently, it can be celebrated anywhere from the May 25 to May 31.

Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day)

The Battle of the Boyne bank holiday, which is only observed in Northern Ireland, is celebrated on July 12 every year, unless that date falls on a weekend when it is moved to the following Monday. Consequently, it can be celebrated on July 12, 13, or 14.

Early Summer Bank Holiday

The Early summer bank holiday, which is only observed in Scotland, is celebrated on the first Monday in August every year. Consequently, it be celebrated anywhere from August 1 to August 7.

Summer Bank Holiday

The Summer bank holiday, which is not observed in Scotland, is celebrated on the last Monday in August every year. Consequently, it can be celebrated anywhere from August 25 to August 31.

St. Andrew's Day

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on November 30 every year, unless that is a weekend day when it is moved to the following Monday. Consequently, it can be celebrated on November 30, December 1, or December 2.

Christmas Day Bank Holiday

The Christmas Day bank holiday is celebrated on December every year, unless that date falls on a weekend when it is moved to the following Monday. Consequently, it can be celebrated on December 25, 26, or 27.

Boxing Day Bank Holiday

The Boxing Day bank holiday is celebrated on the first weekday after the Christmas Day bank holiday. Consequently it be celebrated on December 26, 27, or 28.

UK Bank Holidays Dates for 2017

New Year's Day: January 2
2nd January Bank Holiday: January 3
St. Patrick's Day: March 17
Good Friday: April 14
Easter Monday: April 17
May Day Bank Holiday: May 1
Spring Bank Holiday: May 29
Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day): July 12
Early Summer Bank Holiday: August 7
Summer Bank Holiday: August 28
St. Andrew's Day: November 30
Christmas Day: December 25
Boxing Day: December 26

UK Bank Holidays Dates for 2016

New Year's Day: January 1
2nd January Bank Holiday: January 2
St. Patrick's Day: March 17
Good Friday: March 25
Easter Monday: March 28
May Day Bank Holiday: May 2
Spring Bank Holiday: May 30
Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day): July 12
Early Summer Bank Holiday: August 1
Summer Bank Holiday: August 29
St. Andrew's Day: November 30
Christmas Day: December 27 (substitute day)
Boxing Day: December 26

UK Bank Holidays Dates for 2015

New Year's Day: January 1
2nd January Bank Holiday: January 2
St. Patrick's Day: March 17
Good Friday: April 3
Easter Monday: April 6
May Day Bank Holiday: May 4
Spring Bank Holiday: May 25
Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day): July 13
Early Summer Bank Holiday: August 3
Summer Bank Holiday: August 31
St. Andrew's Day: November 30
Christmas Day: December 25
Boxing Day: December 28

Top tourist attractions in England

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British Museum
Great Russell St., London WC1B 3DG

Every year the VisitEngland web site publishes a list of the most popular visitor attractions in England.

In 2013, the British Museum in London was again the most popular free attraction, and the Tower of London was again the most popular paid attraction.

Attractions in London filled 9 of the top 10 and 15 of the top 20 positions in the list, with Brighton Pier in East Sussex, in sixth, being the most popular outside the London area.

15 of the top 20 in the list were free attractions, with only 5 being paid attractions.

Top 10 tourist attractions in England

British Museum, London - 6,701,036
National Gallery, London - 6,031,574
National History Museum, London - 5,356,884
Tate Modern, London - 4,884,939
Epping Forest, London - 4,400,000 (estimated)
Brighton Pier, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex - 4,000,000 (estimated)
Science Museum, London - 3,316,000
Victoria and Albert Museum, London - 3,290,500
Tower of London, London - 2,894,698
St. Paul's Cathedral, London - 2,138,130

Top 10 tourist attractions outside London

Brighton Pier, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex - 4,000,000 (estimated)
Heaton Park, Manchester - 2,020,000 (estimated)
Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo, Ryedale, North Yorkshire - 1,521,901
Chester Zoo, Cheshire - 1,413,936
Windermere Lake Cruises, Bowness, Cumbria - 1,411,995
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Bristol - 1,300,503
Stonehenge, Wiltshire - 1,241,296
Cantebury, Kent - 1,001,266
Malvern Hills, Worcestershire - 1,000,000
Roman Baths, Bath, Somerset - 996,143

Top 10 free tourist attractions in England

British Museum, London - 6,701,036
National Gallery, London - 6,031,574
National History Museum, London - 5,356,884
Tate Modern, London - 4,884,939
Epping Forest, London - 4,400,000 (estimated)
Brighton Pier, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex - 4,000,000 (estimated)
Science Museum, London - 3,316,000
Victoria and Albert Museum, London - 3,290,500
Heaton Park, Manchester - 2,020,000 (estimated)
National Portrait Gallery, London - 2,014,636

Top 10 paid tourist attractions in England

Tower of London, London - 2,894,698
St. Paul's Cathedral, London - 2,138,130
Westminster Abbey, London - 2,020,637
Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo, Ryedale, North Yorkshire - 1,521,901
Chester Zoo, Cheshire - 1,413,936
Windermere Lake Cruises, Bowness, Cumbria - 1,411,995
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens, London - 1,325,917
London Zoo - 1,294,483
Stonehenge, Wiltshire - 1,241,296
House of Parliament, London - 1,041,000

Visa requirements for visitors to the UK

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Map of the UK
Image by nearby.org.uk

Visitors to the UK who live in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland have the right of free movement and residence in the UK. Hence they do not need a visa to enter the UK. Members of their family need an EEA family permit.

Visitors from other countries need a visa to visit the UK. Visitors from some countries might need an entry certificate instead of a visa, but it functions in much the same way as a visa. A visitor to the UK is normally allowed to stay for up to 6 months.

Types of visas

There are a number of types of visa, depending on the reason for your visit:

General visitor - to visit the UK as a tourist or to stay with friends in the UK
Family visitor - to visit family members in the UK
Student visitor - to study a short course in the UK, who will not work while they are in the UK
Business visitor - to do business in the UK. There are also some special case types for visas for prospective entrepreneurs, sportspeople, entertainers etc.
Visitor for marriage or civil partnership
Visitor for private medical treatment
Visitor in transit - for visits to the UK for less than 48 hours on their way to another country

Visitors from China

Visitors from China who want to visit the UK for less than 30 days as a member of a group of tourists can apply for a visa under the UK/China Approved Destination Status (ADS) agreement.

Saint George's Day History and Celebrations

2013-04-22T16:39:00.002+01:00

Saint George's Flag
Image by James Yardley

Saint George is the patron saint of England. Saint George's Day, is England's official national day, and is celebrated on April 23rd every year.

It is believed that Saint George died on April 23rd in 303 AD in Lydda, Palestine. It is traditionally understand that he was a Roman soldier and a priest who was renowned for his support of those in need. Saint George is venerated as a Christian martyr.

Saint George's Day celebrates the feast day of Saint George. Since the revision of the Roman Catholic calendar by Pope Paul VI, it has held the rank of "Memorial", which means that its celebration is optional.

Saint George is said to have appeared to the crusading armies during the Battle of Antioch in 1098, and was subsequently adopted as the Patron Saint of soldiers. The Byzantine troops to the Crusaders told similar stories, and they were later circulated more widely by troubadours.

King Richard I, known as "Richard the Lionheart", put his army under the direct protection of Saint George during his campaign in Palestine during 1191 and 1192.

Patron Saint of England

In 1222, the Synod of Oxford declared that a special celebration would take place on April 23rd every year in Saint George's honour. By the end of the 14th Century, Saint George was officially acknowledged as the Patron Saint of England.

Archbishop Chichele raised the importance of Saint George's Day in 1415, the year of Battle of Agincourt, decreeing that it should be observed on a par with Christmas Day. By 1778 the holiday had switched back to being a simple day of devotion.

Saint George and the Dragon

The legend of Saint George and the Dragon comes from the 10th or 11th Century, an era when the Dragon was used to represent the Devil. Many versions different versions of the legend exist, but they share a common narrative:

The Dragon was terrorising a town
A young princess was offered to the dragon in an attempt to appease it
On hearing the story, Saint George rode to the town
Saint George killed the dragon and rescued the young princess

The Flag of Saint George

The Flag of Saint George, also known as Saint George's Cross or the Colours of Saint George, consists of a red cross on a white background. These colours were adopted for soldiers' uniforms, probably during the reign of King Richard I. Later, the Flag of Saint George became the flag of England and the White Ensign of the British Royal Navy.

Celebrating Saint George's Day

Traditionally people wore a red rose on Saint George's Day, but this custom has become less common. Likewise, fewer people fly the Flag of Saint George on April 23rd since it has been adopted by supporters of English football and other sports fans.

The hymn Jerusalem is often sung during religious ceremonies on Saint George's Day, or on the nearest Sunday to it.

Saint George, Patron Saint of Scouting

Scouts and guides throughout England hold parades and attend special St George's Day services at their local church on the Sunday nearest to the Saint's Day.

Saint George, Patron Saint of many countries and cities

In addition to being the patron saint of England, Saint George is also the patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia, as well as the cities of Amersfoort, Beirut, Ferrara, Freiburg, Genoa, Ljubljana, and Moscow.

St. Patrick's Day History and Celebrations

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St. Patrick's Day Parade in Houston
Image by Sarah Worthy

St. Patrick's Day, which was originally a Catholic holiday, is now a recognized all over the world as a celebration of Irish Culture.

St. Patrick, Pádraig in Gaelic Irish, is the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th each year, to commemorate the death of the saint in 461 AD.

Originally St. Patrick's Day was a Catholic holiday. It was made an official feast day early in the 17th Century. St. Patrick's Day was made an official public holiday in 1903. Northern Ireland also celebrates a Bank Holiday on St. Patrick's Day.

The first known St. Patrick's Day Parade was held in Boston, USA, in 1737. The first parade in Ireland was held in Dublin in 1931.

In the mid-1990s the Irish Government launched an initiative to use St. Patrick's Day as a way to showcase Ireland and Irish culture. As part of the initiative an annual St Patrick's Day Festival is held in Dublin.

St. Patrick's Day Customs

It is documented that the tradition of wearing shamrocks in celebration of St. Patrick's Day had started by the early 17th Century. St. Patrick is believed to have used the 3-leaved shamrock as a way of demonstrating the Holy Trinity in his sermons to Irish pagans. A song about wearing shamrock is the source of the phrase "the wearing of the green".

Many people wear a green ribbon on their clothing on St. Patrick's Day, a tradition that can be traced back to the 17th Century.

These days, the color green is synonymous with celebrating St. Patrick's Day. People in many parts of the world over wear green clothes, eat green food, and even drink green drinks. Green food colourings are used to colour such drinks.

No celebration of St. Patrick's Day is complete without traditional Irish dancing, singing, and music.

St Patrick's Day Festival and Parade in Dublin

The first St Patrick's Day Festival in Dublin was held on St Patrick's Day, March 17th, in 1996. The next year, 1997, the festival lasted three days, and in 2000 it became a four day festival. In 2006, the festival was extended to five days, and lately it has become a six day festival. If this trend continues, it may become a year-round celebration! It is estimated that about 700,00 attend the parade on St. Patrick's Day itself, and about 1 million people visit the festival in total.

St Patrick's Day Parades and Celebrations Around The World

St. Patrick's Day celebrations are held in many cities around the world. The Irish like to say that they will occur wherever there are two Irishmen, and often wherever there's only one.

In the USA, the Chicago river has been dyed green every year since 1962, by using vegetable dyes. That first year the river stayed green for a week, but these days it only lasts for a few hours. In New York, the world's largest St Patrick's Day Parade is held. It is estimated that there are 150,000 participants in the Parade, and at least two million spectators.

In the UK, Birmingham holds the third largest Parade in the world, with only New York and Dublin being bigger. Liverpool, the UK city which has the highest proportion of citizens of Irish ancestry due largely to its history as a port, has a strong tradition of celebrating St. Patrick's Day with music, culture, and a Parade.

Saint George's Day History and Celebrations

British Summer Time

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National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Image by Richard Croft

British Summer Time (BST) starts every year in the Spring, and ends every year in the Autumn (or the Fall as our American cousins call it), when the UK reverts to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Reasons for British Summer Time

The UK switches to British Summer Time so there is more daylight in the evening during the warm summer months, with the consequence that there are darker mornings. Clocks are set forward by one hour in the Spring, and set back by one hour in the Autumn.

BST leads to a beneficial reduction in power usage due to the lighter evenings, and, for the many people who work or are in education in the daytime, an increase in leisure time whilst there is still daylight. Significantly, the drop in traffic fatalities in the lighter evenings is greater than the increased number in the darker mornings.

When does BST start and finish?

Every year, the UK switches from GMT to BST by setting clocks forward by one hour at 01:00 GMT on the last Sunday in March. The UK switches back from BST to GMT by setting clocks back by one hour at 02:00 BST (01:00 GMT) on the last Sunday in October.
Since 2002, all countries in the European Union (EU) have started and ended their Daylight Saving Time (DST) on the same dates. Prior to that year, there was much confusion because different countries in the EU started and ended DST on different dates. Unfortunately, other countries in the world, including the USA, still start and end DST on different dates to the UK.

Spring forward, Fall back

People in the USA use the expression "Spring forward, Fall back" to help them remember which way the clocks are changed. Unfortunately, the UK equivalent, "Spring forward, Autumn back", doesn't work half as well.

British Summer Time 2012

Start: March 25 2012

End: October 28 2012

British Summer Time 2013

Start: March 31 2013

End: October 27 2013

British Summer Time 2014

Start: March 30 2014

End: October 26 2014

British Summer Time 2015

Start: March 29 2015

End: October 25 2015

Penzance, Cornwall: Holidays, St Michael's Mount, and the Pirates

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St Michael's Mount, near Penzance
Image by Sheila Russell

Penzance in Cornwall, known as Pen Sans ( the Holy Headland) in Kernowek, the ancient Cornish language, is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and in England.

The town is situated in Mount's Bay and faces south-east into the English Channel, giving it a temperate climate, which is milder than most of the rest of the country. Penzance's gardens provide a colourful backdrop to the town from early spring to Late Autumn, with many sub-tropical flowers and palm trees.

The first recorded mention of the town, under the name of Pensans, was in the Assize Roll in1284, although there is evidence of Roman remains in the area.

Golowan Festival

Golowan is the Cornish word for the Midsummer celebrations that traditional took place place in Cornwall from St John's Eve on June 23 to St Peter's eve on June 28. Since 1990 Penzance has held a Golowan Festival every year.

The modern festival is based around 3 days, called Mazey Eve, Mazey Day, and Quay Fair Day.

Mazey Eve is centered on Penzance's harbour area, and includes the election of the 'Mayor of Quay' and a firework display.

Mazey Day, the following day, is a community and arts celebration. Artists, school children, and members of the public join in processions that include music, giant sculptures, and other artistic activities. On Mazey Day, Penzance is decorated with large amounts of greenery, a practice that mirrors the practice during the ancient festival. Mazey Day attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the town, visiting the market stalls, shops, restaurants, and public houses.

Quay Fair Day is a celebration of the harbour and of Penzance's maritime history. Visiting boats are welcomed and are decorated to add to the festive atmosphere.

St Michael's Mount

The castle on the island of St Michael's Mount is still partially occupied by the St Aubyn family, with the remainder being run by as a visitor attraction by the National Trust. The medieval church and castle sit at the high point of the island, and date from the 12th Century. The slopes of the island are partially laid out as a subtropical terraced garden.

Accessed on foot at low tide by a causeway, or by boat at other times, the island is a major tourist attraction. Rumour has it that a senior German officer has earmarked it as his home after the planned invasion of the UK in the second world war.

The Pirates of Penzance

Penzance is probably best known as the home port of the pirates in the comedy opera, The Pirates of Penzance; or The Slave of Duty, by Gilbert and Sullivan. The opera was debuted in 1879, and has been popular ever since. The Major-General's Song, which has often been parodied, is the opera's best known song.

In recent years, Cornwall's leading rugby union team that is based in Penzance, was re-branded as the Cornish Pirates in 2005.

Cornwall, UK: Holidays, Tourism, and Pasties
Land's End, Cornwall
The Eden Project, Cornwall
St Ives, Cornwall: Holidays, Art, and The Tate Gallery
Newquay, Cornwall: Holidays, Beaches, and Surfing

Newquay, Cornwall: Holidays, Beaches, and Surfing

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Surfing at Fistral beach
Image by Geoff Tydeman

Newquay is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall, and is known as the "Surfing Capital of the UK".

Newquay was originally a fishing village catching mostly pilchards, but these days only a small amount of edible crabs and lobsters are caught by the local fishermen. In the last century, the town has blossomed as a holiday resort, with its population swelling five times at the height of the season.

Newquay is particularly popular with families, due to its ten long sandy beaches, and with surfers, due to the powerful, hollow waves and good sized swell at the Fistral Beach.

Surfing at Newquay

Fistral Beach is the centerpiece of Newquay's reputation as the surf center of the UK. Fistral Beach is capable of producing powerful, hollow waves, and of holding a good sized swell. The Beach is regularly used for international surfing competitions. The Towan, Great Western, and Tolcarne beaches, which are near the town, and the nearby Crantock and Watergate Bay are also popular with surfers because they have high quality breaks.

Holiday Activities in Newquay

Newquay provides many holiday activities to suit people of all ages:

Newquay Zoo - hundreds of animals from all around the world, ranging from small rare monkeys to shy red pandas, live amongst the exotic lakeside gardens
Trenance Park & Gardens - a 26 acre sub-tropical garden, including a 60 meter high flume in the water park
Ten sandy beaches that are all easily accessible, with some very close to the main part of the town
Blue Reef Aquarium - situated on Towan Beach, has more than 40 species from around the world
South West Coast Path - popular with walkers of all ages
Fishing and diving - there are reefs and wrecks to explore at depths to suit divers of most abilities
Boating and Sailing - experience the cliffs and coastline from the sea, or take a pedalo or rowing boat on the lake in Trenance Park

Cornwall, UK: Holidays, Tourism, and Pasties
Land's End, Cornwall
The Eden Project, Cornwall
St Ives, Cornwall: Holidays, Art, and The Tate Gallery
Penzance, Cornwall: Holidays, St Michael's Mount, and the Pirates

St Ives, Cornwall: Holidays, Art, and The Tate Gallery

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Porthminster Beach, St Ives
Image by Chris J Dixon

The seaside town of St Ives, Cornwall, is situated on the coast of the Celtic sea, in the South-Western corner of the county.

Originally a thriving fishing port, St Ives is now primarily a popular holiday resort, boasting a rich artistic culture. Many artists live and work in St Ives for the perceived quality of the air and of the light.

The town is well known for its four beaches, for its many galleries, including the Tate Gallery, St Ives, and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, and for its sub-tropical climate.

Beaches at St Ives

St Ives has four beaches, each with its own individual charms and facilities.

Porthmeor Beach

Porthmeor Beach is a Blue Flag beach facing the Atlantic Ocean, suitable both for families and for surfing. It has a surf school, fine golden sands, and restaurant facilities. It is well suited for sunbathing by day and for watching spectacular sunsets in the evening.

Porthgwidden Beach

Porthgwidden Beach is a small sandy cove, which acts as a suntrap, particularly in the morning. It is safe for swimming in the designated areas.

Harbour Beach

Harbour Beach is a sheltered sandy beach in the heart of the town. From the beach you can watch the local fishermen land their daily catches in the sandy bottomed harbour.

Porthminster Beach

Porthminster Beach has nearly half a mile of golden sand. The beach is sheltered, and the calm sea conditions make it an ideal family beach.

Tate Gallery, St Ives

Opened in 1993 by H.R.H. Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, the Tate Gallery, St Ives, overlooks Porthmeor Beach. The award winning building has a spectacular stained glass window by acclaimed painter Patrick Heron. As well as showcasing local artists, the gallery hosts regular exhibitions of world class art works.

Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

Barbara Hepworth, her husband Ben Nicholson, and their young family moved to Cornwall at the outbreak of Second World War in 1939. She lived and worked in Trewyn studios from 1949 until she died in 1975. As she requested, Trewyn Studio, and much of her work that remained there, was given to the nation and placed in the care of the Tate Gallery in 1980, becoming the Barbara Hepworth Museum.

The Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden offers a remarkable insight into the work and outlook of one of Britain’s most important 20th Century artists. The museum and gardens house sculptures made from bronze, stone, and wood, together with paintings, drawings, and archive material.

Cornwall, UK: Holidays, Tourism, and Pasties
Land's End, Cornwall
The Eden Project, Cornwall
Newquay, Cornwall: Holidays, Beaches, and Surfing
Penzance, Cornwall: Holidays, St Michael's Mount, and the Pirates

The Eden Project, Cornwall

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The Eden Project, Cornwall at night
Image by Neil Kennedy

The Eden Project in Cornwall, the most popular visitor attraction in the region, attracting more than a million visitors a year. It is 1.25 miles from St. Blazey, and 3 miles from St. Austell, the largest town in Cornwall. It is housed in an old Kaolinite (clay) pit.

The Eden Project, which is run as a charity, aims to both provide an entertaining and educational day out for all the family, as well as running social and environmental projects, research into plants and conservation, and providing memorable learning experiences for students of all ages.

Biomes

The Eden Project is most famous for its Biomes: the Rainforest Biome and the Mediterranean Biome. The Biomes consist of a set of connected domes that house thousands of plants, with each Biome emulating a natural environment. The domes are constructed from hundreds of hexagonal (6-sided) and pentagonal (5-sided) inflated, plastic cells supported by steel frames.

The Rainforest Biome

The Rainforest Biome, which is 55 meters tall, contains the world's largest indoor rainforest. It houses a mangrove swamp, which is like a tropical island, a Malaysian hut with a vegetable plot and a paddy field, and a waterfall that cascades through a south American rainforest. The plants and trees in the Biome include banana, rubber, and cocoa trees, giant bamboo, and a mini soya plantation.

Visitors can view the rainforest from above, by climbing the Rainforest Lookout, which leads over the treetops.

The Mediterranean Biome

The Mediterranean Biome, which is 35 meters tall, simulates a Mediterranean climate, as found in 5 regions of the world: The Mediterranean, South Africa, South West Australia, Central Chile, and California. The Mediterranean climate has hot, dry summers and frost-free, rainy winters. The main growing seasons are winter and spring, and the climate is known for producing high quality fruits and crops, and for fine wines.

The Biome contains more than a thousand types of plant, including poppies and lupins from California, proteas from South Africa, citrus and olive trees, grape vines, and perfumed herbs.

Gardens and Plants

The outdoor gardens at the Eden Project have more than 80 exhibits, with several thousand plants from around the world. The gardens represent the temperate regions of the world, and are designed to tell the story of plants, and how they are used for medicine, fuel, materials, and, of course, food around the world.

The Core

The Core is the education center at the Eden Project, and also contains a superfoods cafe. The Core has classrooms and exhibition spaces that are designed to communicate the Eden Project 's central message about the relationship between people and plants. Visitors can learn about topics ranging from ecosystems and evolution to climate change and plant resources.

Cornwall, UK: Holidays, Tourism, and Pasties
Land's End, Cornwall
St Ives, Cornwall: Holidays, Art, and The Tate Gallery
Newquay, Cornwall: Holidays, Beaches, and Surfing
Penzance, Cornwall: Holidays, St Michael's Mount, and the Pirates

Land's End, Cornwall

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The famous signpost at Land's End
Image by Lewis Clarke

Land's End is situated at the most westerly point of Cornwall, which, in turn, is the most westerly county in England.

The name Land's End is used for the headland and cliffs which face the Atlantic Ocean, and for the Visitor Attraction that attracts over 400,000 visitors every year.

Land's End is famous for its iconic signpost that shows the distance, 874 miles, to John o' Groats, the most north-easterly point of the UK, the distance, 3147 miles, to New York across the Atlantic Ocean, and the distance, 28 miles, to the Isles of Scilly. The signpost also shows the current date, so that visitors' photographs are easily dated.

Land's End Visitor Attraction including Arthur's Quest

The theme park at Land's End has been owned by Heritage Attractions limited since 1996. The theme pasrk includes these attractions:

Arthur's Quest, an interactive experience that conjures up the magic of King Arthur of the Round Table, of Merlin, and of the dragons they slayed
The Curse of Skull Rock, a cinema show where the audience feels the ship rolling, the wind blowing, and the spray of the sea during the search for hidden treasure
Air Sea Rescue, a motion picture show where an RNLI lifeboat and an RNAS helicopter rescue a fisherman who get into difficulties at sea by the cliffs at Land's End
The End to End story, an exhibition of the journey from Land's End to John o' Groats
Greeb Farm, a farm park with a small animal center, and a collection of craft work studios.

First and Last House

The First and Last House, so called because it is either the first or last house in England depending on your direction of travel, offers gifts, toys, and refreshments to visitors to Land's End. Of course, many visitors choose Cornish ice cream!

Land's End to John o' Groats

Many people make the journey from Land's End to John o' Groats, or from John 0' Groats to Land's End, often just for the sheer joy of travelling between the most south-westerly and north-easterly points in the UK. Many travel on bicycles, typically taking 10 to 14 days to travel the 874 miles (1,407 kilometers) by road. Walkers typically take about a month to complete the journey. The straight line distance between the two places is 603 miles (974 kilometers).

It is common for people to be sponsored to make the journey. Many famous people, including Sir Ian Botham, have raised millions of pounds for charity by making the journey.

Cornwall, UK: Holidays, Tourism, and Pasties
The Eden Project, Cornwall
St Ives, Cornwall: Holidays, Art, and The Tate Gallery
Newquay, Cornwall: Holidays, Beaches, and Surfing
Penzance, Cornwall: Holidays, St Michael's Mount, and the Pirates

Cornwall, UK: Holidays, Tourism, and Pasties

2012-03-17T19:13:00.000+00:00

Land's End, Cornwall
Image by Roger Butterfield

Cornwall is England's most westerly and most southerly county. With nearly 300 miles of coastline, some of England's best weather, and a rich history, Cornwall is a major tourist destination.

Cornwall boasts many world famous tourist attractions including Land's End, The Eden Project, and St.Michael's Mount, as well as towns and cities like St. Ives, Newquay, Penzance, and Padstow that are known throughout the world.

Kernow

Kernow is the name for Cornwall in Kernowek (or Kernewek), the Cornish language that was recognized as a minority language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2002.

Many Cornish children study the language in school, and books, music, and films are published in the language.

Major Towns and Cities in Cornwall

The 10 largest towns and cities in Cornwall by population are:

St. Austell, famous for its china clay and the St. Austell Brewery
Falmouth, with the deepest natural harbour in Western Europe, and third deepest in the world, used by Sir Francis Chicester and Dame Ellen MacArthur for their round-the-world voyages
Truro, the only city in Cornwall, is the center for administration in the county
Penzance, home of the pirates in the comic opera The Pirtaes of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan, is a sheltered port in the South-West coast of the county
Camborne, historically the center of the tin and copper mining industries, is undergoing a major regeneration to reverse its economic decline
Newquay, regarded as the surfing capital of the UK, has been a major tourist attraction for more than a century
Saltash, which faces the Devon city of Plymouth across the River Tamar, is famous for Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge
Bodmin, one of the oldest towns in Cornwall, was founded in the 6th Century by St. Petroc
Redruth, originally a small market town and now a small commercial town, was at the center of Cornwall's copper mining industry in the 19th Century
St. Ives, originally a fishing port, is now primarily a holiday resort famous for the many artists who live there for the quality of the light.

The Eden Project

At the heart of the Eden Project are two huge Biomes, artificial domes that support an ecosystems. One supports a tropical environment, and the other a Mediterranean environment. The Biomes contain thousands of plant species from around the world.

The Eden Project combines education and conservation, whilst providing a fascinating tourist attraction.

Cornish Pasty

The traditional Cornish pasty has been granted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in Europe, meaning they can only be made in Cornwall. A Conish pasty is filled with beef, sliced or diced potato, together with swede and onion, and is seasoned with salt and pepper The pasty makes up six percent of the Cornish food economy.

Originally cooked for miners to eat whilst at work, pasties had a thick crust on one side that would get covered in coal dust from the miners' hands and hence wasn't eaten, and often had baked apple at one end.

Today, pasties are made with dozens of different fillings, and towns like St. Ives have shops that specialize in selling them to tourists and locals alike.

Land's End, Cornwall
The Eden Project, Cornwall
St Ives, Cornwall: Holidays, Art, and The Tate Gallery
Newquay, Cornwall: Holidays, Beaches, and Surfing
Penzance, Cornwall: Holidays, St Michael's Mount, and the Pirates

Counties of Northern Ireland

2012-01-27T11:13:00.001+00:00

Parliament Building, Stormont, Northern Ireland
Image by Ross

Northern Ireland was divided into 26 districts, or councils, for local government purposes by the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Act 1972. The councils of the 26 districts are known as either district councils, borough councils, city councils, or and city and district councils.

These 26 districts replaced the six counties and two county boroughs that had been created by the Local Government Act 1898. These six counties and two county boroughs are still used for purposes such as Lieutenancy.

Districts of Northern Ireland

Antrim
Ards
Armagh
Ballymena
Ballymoney
Banbridge
Belfast
Carrickfergus
Castlereagh
Coleraine
Cookstown
Craigavon
Derry
Down
Dungannon and South Tyrone
Fermanagh
Larne
Limavady Lisburn
Magherafelt
Moyle
Newry and Mourne
Newtownabbey
North Down
Omagh
Strabane

Lieutenancy Areas of Northern Ireland

The Lieutenancy Areas of Northern Ireland are the areas used for the ceremonial Lord Lieutenants, the representatives of the UK monarch in Northern Ireland. The 8 Lieutenancy Areas comprise the 6 counties and 2 county boroughs that existed before the creation of the 26 councils in 1972.

Lieutenancy Councils

County	County town
County Antrim	Antrim
County Armagh	Armagh
County Down	Downpatrick
County Fermanagh	Enniskillen
County Londonderry	Coleraine
County Tyrone	Omagh

Lieutenancy County Boroughs

City of Belfast
City of Londonderry

Countries in the United Kingdom
Counties of England
Counties of Scotland
Counties of Wales

Counties of Wales

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Flag of Wales Image by manuel \| MC

Wales was divided into 22 Principal Areas for local government purposes by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994. 11 of them are known as Counties, and 11 are known as County Boroughs.

These 22 Principal Areas replaced the 8 Ceremonial Counties that had been created by the Local Government Act 1972. These 8 Ceremonial Counties became known as Preserved Counties, which are used for purposes such as Lieutenancy.

Principal Areas of Wales

These lists show the Counties and County Boroughs of Wales, including their Welsh language names if the primary name is English.

Counties of Wales

County	Welsh language name
Cardiff	Caerdydd
Carmarthenshire	Sir Gaerfyrddin
Ceredigion
Denbighshire	Sir Ddinbych
Flintshire	Sir y Fflint
Gwynedd
Isle of Anglesey	Ynys Môn
Monmouthshire	Sir Fynwy
Pembrokeshire	Sir Benfro
Powys
Swansea	Abertawe

County Boroughs of Wales

County Borough	Welsh language name
Blaenau Gwent
Bridgend	Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
Caerphilly	Caerffili
Conwy
Merthyr Tydfil	Merthyr Tudful
Neath Port Talbot	Castell-nedd Port Talbot
Newport	Casnewydd
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Torfaen	Tor-faen
Vale of Glamorgan	Bro Morgannwg
Wrexham	Wrecsam

Preserved Counties of Wales

The use of Preserved Counties as Ceremonial Counties was consolidated by the Lieutenancies Act 1997. Each Ceremonial County has an appointed Lord Lieutenant, who acts as the Monarch's deputy. For this reason, they are also known as Lieutenancies.
The Preserved Counties of Wales are:

Gwent
South Glamorgan
Mid Glamorgan
West Glamorgan
Dyfed
Powys
Gwynedd
Clwyd

Countries in the United Kingdom
Counties of England
Counties of Northern Ireland
Counties of Scotland

Counties of Scotland

2011-07-11T09:55:00.002+01:00

Flag of Scotland
Image by Cayetano

In Scotland, the term county is now officially used to mean the Registration Counties that are used for land registration.

Local government is operated by a separate subdivision of the country into Council Areas.

And, finally, another subdivision of the country, into Lieutenancy Areas, is used for the ceremonial Lord Lieutenants, the representatives of the UK monarch in Scotland.

Registration Counties in Scotland

The Registration Counties in Scotland were defined by the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979, and were based on the counties as they had existed in the previous legislation, the Land Registers (Scotland) act 1868.
The Registration Counties of Scotland are:

County of Renfrew
County of Dumbarton
County of Lanark
County of the Barony and Regality of Glasgow
County of Clackmannan
County of Stirling
County of West Lothian
County of Fife
County of Aberdeen
County of Kincardine
County of Ayr
County of Dumfries
County of Kirkcudbright
County of Wigtown
County of Angus
County of Kinross
County of Perth
County of Berwick
County of East Lothian
County of Peebles
County of Roxburgh
County of Selkirk
County of Argyll
County of Bute
County of Midlothian
County of Inverness
County of Nairn
County of Banff
County of Caithness
County of Moray
Counties of Orkney and Zetland
County of Ross and Cromarty
County of Sutherland

Council Areas of Scotland

The Council Areas were created by the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, and have existed since April 1 1996. The act as unitary authorities, and are often known as councils.
The Council Areas of Scotland are:

Aberdeen City
Aberdeenshire
Angus
Argyll and Bute
Clackmannanshire
Dumfries and Galloway
Dundee City
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Lothian
East Renfrewshire
City of Edinburgh
Falkirk
Fife
Glasgow City
Highland
Inverclyde
Midlothian
Moray
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Perth and Kinross
Renfrewshire
Scottish Borders
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
Stirling
West Dunbartonshire
West Lothian
Na h-Eileanan Siar
Orkney Islands
Shetland Islands

Lieutenancy Areas of Scotland

The Lieutenancy Areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial Lord Lieutenants, the representatives of the UK monarch in Scotland.
The Lord Provosts of the cities Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow are the Lord Lieutenants for their area. All other Lord Lieutenants in the UK are appointed by the Monarch, rather than being elected politicians.
The Lieutenancy Areas of Scotland are:

Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
Angus
Argyll and Bute
Ayrshire and Arran
Banffshire
Berwickshire
Caithness
Clackmannanshire
Dumfries
Dunbartonshire
Dundee
East Lothian
Edinburgh
Fife
Glasgow
Inverness
Kincardineshire
Lanarkshire
Midlothian
Moray
Nairn
Perth and Kinross
Renfrewshire
Ross and Cromarty
Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale
Stirling and Falkirk
Sutherland
The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright
Tweeddale
West Lothian
Western Isles
Wigtown
Orkney
Shetland

Countries in the United Kingdom
Counties of England
Counties of Northern Ireland
Counties of Wales

Counties of England

2011-07-08T14:42:00.000+01:00

Counties of England
Image by PicturesOfEngland.com

England is divided into 48 counties, that together cover all of the country. These counties are commonly called the geographical counties of England for that reason.

Each county has a county town, which historically was the administrative centre for local government and was often the largest town in the county.

Ceremonial Counties, or Lieutenancies, of England

The 48 geographic counties are also known as Ceremonial Counties. The Act of Parliament known as the Lieutenancies Act 1997 defined them as areas of England which have an appointed Lord Lieutenant, who acts as the Monarch's deputy. For this reason, they are also known as Lieutenancies.

Regions of England

The counties of England are often grouped together for reasons of the convenience. The most common groupings are:

South West England
South East England
London
East Anglia
West Midlands
East Midlands
Yorkshire and Humberside
North West England
North East England

Counties of South West England

County	County town
Cornwall	Truro
Devon	Exeter
Dorset	Dorchester
Somerset	Taunton
Wiltshire	Trowbridge
Bristol	Bristol
Gloucestershire	Gloucester

Counties of South East England

County	County town
Isle of Wight	Newport
Hampshire	Winchester
West Sussex	Chichester
East Sussex	Lewes
Surrey	Guildford
Kent	Maidstone
Berkshire	Reading
Oxfordshire	Oxford
Buckinghamshire	Aylesbury

Counties of London

County	County town
Greater London	London
City of London	City of London

Counties of East Anglia

County	County town
Hertfordshire	Hertford
Essex	Chelmsford
Bedfordshire	Bedford
Cambridgeshire	Cambridge
Suffolk	Ipswich
Norfolk	Norwich

Counties of West Midlands

County	County town
Herefordshire	Hereford
Worcestershire	Worcester
Warwickshire	Warwick
Shropshire	Shrewsbury
West Midlands	Birmingham
Staffordshire	Stafford

Counties of East Midlands

County	County town
Northamptonshire	Northampton
Leicestershire	Leicester
Rutland	Oakham
Derbyshire	Derby
Nottinghamshire	Nottingham
Lincolnshire	Lincoln

Counties of North West England

County	County town
Cheshire	Chester
Merseyside	Liverpool
Greater Manchester	Manchester
Lancashire	Lancaster
Cumbria	Carlisle

Counties of Yorkshire and Humberside

County	County town
South Yorkshire	Sheffield
West Yorkshire	Wakefield
North Yorkshire	York
East Riding of Yorkshire	Beverley

Counties of North East England

County	County town
County Durham	Durham
Tyne and Wear	Newcastle
Northumberland	Morpeth

Countries in the United Kingdom
Counties of Northern Ireland
Counties of Scotland
Counties of Wales

Countries in the United Kingdom (UK)

2011-07-05T15:29:00.002+01:00

Map of the UK
Image by nearby.org.uk

The UK consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. More formally, these four countries form the sovereign state known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which itself is also described as a country.

Populations of the countries in the UK

According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2011 census showed that the population of the UK was 63.2 million. The populations of the four constituent countries are shown in this table:

Country	Population
England	53.0 milion
Scotland	5.2 million
Wales	3.1 million
Northern Ireland	1.8 million

Capital cities of the countries in the UK

London is the capital city of the UK. Each of the four constituent countries also have their own capital cities, as shown in this table:

Country	Capital city
England	London
Scotland	Edinburgh
Wales	Cardiff
Northern Ireland	Belfast

Geography of the UK

The UK is located off the north-western coast of mainland Europe, and has France as its nearest continental neighbour. The UK consists of the following land masses:

the island of Great Britain
the north-eastern corner of the island of Ireland
many smaller islands

Counties of England
Counties of Northern Ireland
Counties of Scotland
Counties of Wales

Visit the UK

UK Bank Holidays and UK Public Holidays

Bank holidays in England and Wales

Bank holidays in Northern Ireland

Bank holidays in Scotland

New Year's Day

2nd January Bank Holiday

St. Patrick's Day

Good Friday

Easter Monday

May Day Bank Holiday

Spring Bank Holiday

Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day)

Early Summer Bank Holiday

Summer Bank Holiday

St. Andrew's Day

Christmas Day Bank Holiday

Boxing Day Bank Holiday

UK Bank Holidays Dates for 2017

UK Bank Holidays Dates for 2016

UK Bank Holidays Dates for 2015

Top tourist attractions in England

Top 10 tourist attractions in England

Top 10 tourist attractions outside London

Top 10 free tourist attractions in England

Top 10 paid tourist attractions in England

Visa requirements for visitors to the UK

Types of visas

Visitors from China

Saint George's Day History and Celebrations

Patron Saint of England

Saint George and the Dragon

The Flag of Saint George

Celebrating Saint George's Day

Saint George, Patron Saint of Scouting

Saint George, Patron Saint of many countries and cities

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St. Patrick's Day Customs

St Patrick's Day Festival and Parade in Dublin

St Patrick's Day Parades and Celebrations Around The World

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Reasons for British Summer Time

When does BST start and finish?

Spring forward, Fall back

British Summer Time 2012

British Summer Time 2013

British Summer Time 2014

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Penzance, Cornwall: Holidays, St Michael's Mount, and the Pirates

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