Give a comparative description of some ancient English towns

Great Britain is packed with exciting places to go and interesting things to discover – magnificent castles where history can be traced as back as Norman times; ruined forts built by the Romans; elegant stately homes filled with priceless treasures giving a glimpse of a grandeur past; fascinating cities with ancient houses and churches at every turn; seaside resorts with all the fun of the promenade; sleepy villages to wander around and beautiful countryside to explore.

In the hub of Britainlies an area steeped in heritage, unspoiled countryside, bijou villages and lively cities competing for attention. This is an area of contrasting landscapes and architectural styles, with meandering rivers and picturesque market towns that have changed little with time. Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cambridge with its architectural glories and peaceful, unhurried atmosphere, Nottingham, home to the medieval outlaw Robin Hood and its merry men, must all surely merit a visit too.

Historical towns abound in the north-west, dating back to the 12^th century, built over the remains of Roman’s settlements.

Salisbury is one of the earliest new towns. The city was founded in 1220 to replace the town of the old Saaram 3 miles to the north. Old Saaram was founded by the Romans and developed by the Saxons and was already an important town in the 11^th and 12^th centuries. The water supply was poor though and so the town was moved to its present site.

The most striking feature is the cathedral which was founded at the same time as the town. It was built between 1220 and 1258 and is thought to be one of the most beautiful in Europe.

Salisbury is a market town for the surrounding agricultural area and a shopping centre for the large number of the military bases to the north of the city. It is also a tourist centre because of the cathedral and because of Stonehenge which is not far from the city. I should mention that the city centre is particularly pleasant as a ring road takes heavy traffic away.

Caernarfon is situated in north Wales and has always been an important strategic and military site. The Romans built a castle here. The present castle was started by King Edward the 1^st. His son was born here and became the first Prince of Wales. This castle is one of the finest survived castles in Britain. The old town wall is still in good condition. The town is a market center and a tourist center for the Snowdonia National Park which is famous for sailing and fishing.

Durham is in the north-east of England. It is built on a bend of the river and it grew around the Norman castle, which was built to protect England from the Scots. A wall blocked off the peninsula. This cathedral is called the finest Norman building in Britain, if not in Europe. The religious schools developed in the 15^th century eventually becoming the University of Durham. It is England’s third oldest University after Oxford and Cambridge.

Durham is an administrative and market centre and although it is surrounded by coal-mining villages it has remained reasonably quiet and beautiful.

One of the cities I’d like to visit most is Liverpool. It is one of British largest cities. The city population is about one million, but the population of the Merseyside conurbation is more than a million and a half. Its most famous inhabitants are probably are John Lennon, Paul Macartni, and Liverpool has built one million pound Beatles museum. Its fame in the world of football is as widespread as its fame in the pop-music with Liverpool football club has been the most successful European team in the late 70^th and early 80^th winning the European cup three times. However there is a lot more than just music and football.

Liverpool developed very quickly in 18th and 19^th centuries as the British major Atlantic port. It was the center for carton trade and manufacturing industry. However there is an infamous page in Liverpool’s history as it was the center of slave trade. At one time there was 7 miles of continuous stacks along the River Mersey. The river is crossed by two tunnels: a railway tunnel built in 1886 and a road tunnel – The Mersey Tunnel – in 1934. For many years ferries were the main way of cross the river which has no bridges at this point. There are also two 20 centuries cathedrals, one Church of England, and the Roman Catholic. The Catholic Cathedral one of the few in the world built with an underground car park. The famous lime street station can be seen in the center.

Liverpool is a cosmopolitan city. It is even called the real capital of the Welsh and the Irish because of a large number of Liverpudlians, Welsh and Irish there. It is well-known for the wit and humor of its people and its high unemployed figures. There were plans to attract tourism to the area and to the North-West generally by converting areas of Deck land into leasure areas, parks and museums. Finally these plans were realized and now Liverpool attracts more tourists than ever before.