tower_bridge

the united kingdom

About the united kingdom

The United Kingdom, made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is an island nation in northwestern Europe. England – birthplace of Shakespeare and The Beatles – is home to the capital, London, a globally influential centre of finance and culture. England is also site of Neolithic Stonehenge, Bath’s Roman spa and centuries-old universities at Oxford and Cambridge.

© Ben Lowes, Brighton Pier, East Sussex

© Ben Lowes, Brighton Pier, East Sussex

Brighton

Brighton is a seaside resort in the county of East Sussex. Brighton is located on the south coast of England and is famous for its diverse communities, quirky shopping areas, large cultural, music and arts scene and its large LGBT population, leading to its recognition as the "unofficial gay capital of the UK".


© Ben Lowes, Liverpool Docks, Liverpool

© Ben Lowes, Liverpool Docks, Liverpool

liverpool

Liverpool is a maritime city in northwest England, where the River Mersey meets the Irish Sea. A key trade and migration port from the 18th to the early 20th centuries, it's also, famously, the hometown of The Beatles. Ferries cruise the waterfront, where the iconic mercantile buildings known as the "Three Graces" – Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building – stand on the Pier Head.

© Ben Lowes, Covent Garden, London

© Ben Lowes, Covent Garden, London

© Ben Lowes, Manchester

© Ben Lowes, Manchester

manchester

Manchester is a major city in the northwest of England with a rich industrial heritage. The Castlefield conservation area’s 18th-century canal system recalls the city’s days as a textile powerhouse, and visitors can trace this history at the interactive Museum of Science & Industry. The revitalised Salford Quays dockyards now house the Daniel Libeskind-designed Imperial War Museum North and the Lowry cultural centre.

london

London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a 21st-century city with history stretching back to Roman times. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and Westminster Abbey, site of British monarch coronations. Across the Thames River, the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the South Bank cultural complex, and the entire city.