Embark on a journey to the United Kingdom, an archipelago where history and modernity intertwine in a rich tapestry that spans thousands of years. Located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe, the UK is composed of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, each with its own unique heritage and allure. From the Neolithic Orkney to the Roman baths of Bath, the Norman conquest to the industrial revolution, the UK's legacy is as diverse as its landscapes.
The United Kingdom's narrative is marked by legendary monarchs, literary greats, and epoch-defining events. Its sovereignty has influenced global history, language, and culture, with a monarchy that continues to capture the world's imagination.
In the heart of the UK, London stands as a global metropolis, boasting landmarks such as the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and the Houses of Parliament, alongside the modernity of the Shard and the cultural haven of the West End.
Travel north to Scotland's Edinburgh, where the iconic Edinburgh Castle looms over a city renowned for its festivals, arts, and the historic Royal Mile.
England's Lake District offers tranquil beauty, with its idyllic lakes, mountainous landscapes, and literary associations with Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter.
In Northern Ireland, the Giant's Causeway showcases an awe-inspiring coastal landscape of basalt columns, born from volcanic fury and Irish legend.
From the rugged coasts of Cornwall to the sweeping valleys of Wales, and the picturesque glens of the Scottish Highlands, the United Kingdom invites exploration of its castles, cathedrals, and quaint villages. As you traverse through travel.frogsfolly.com, let us guide you through the UK's living history, its vibrant cultures, and its awe-inspiring natural beauty. Join us to discover the United Kingdom—a land where every stone tells a story and every landscape inspires a dream.
![<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/pompeyroy/">Roy Richard Llowarch</a> posted a photo:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pompeyroy/55473594286/" title="Southwark Cathedral. London"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55473594286_8a819fe040_m.jpg" width="240" height="170" alt="Southwark Cathedral. London" /></a></p>
<p>Photo taken with my Samsung phone camera on a beautiful day in London. The cathedral is surrounded by other buildings which makes it difficult to photograph. <br />
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Southwark Cathedral formally the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, is a Church of England cathedral in Southwark, London, near the south bank of the River Thames and close to London Bridge. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Southwark. It has been a place of Christian worship for more than 1,000 years, but the church was not raised to cathedral status until the creation of the diocese of Southwark in 1905.<br />
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Between 1106 and 1538, it was the church of an Augustinian priory, Southwark Priory, dedicated in honour of the Virgin Mary (St Mary – over the river, 'overie'). Following the dissolution of the monasteries, it became a parish church, with a dedication to the Holy Saviour (St Saviour). The church was in the diocese of Winchester until 1877, when the parish of St Saviour's, along with other South London parishes, was transferred to the diocese of Rochester. The present building retains the basic form of the Gothic structure built between 1220 and 1420, although the nave is a late 19th-century reconstruction.<br />
The 16th-century London historian John Stow recorded an account of the origins of the Southwark Priory of St Mary that he had heard from Bartholomew Linsted, who had been the last prior when the priory was dissolved. Linsted claimed it had been founded as a nunnery "long before the [Norman] Conquest" by a maiden named Mary, on the profits of a ferry across the Thames she had inherited from her parents. Later it was converted into a college of priests by "Swithen, a noble lady". Finally in 1106 it was re-founded as an Augustinian priory.<br />
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The tale of the ferryman's daughter Mary and her benefactions became very popular, but later historians tried to rationalise Linsted's story. Thus the author of an 1862 guidebook to the then St Saviour's Church suggested it was probable that the "noble lady" Swithen had in fact been a man – Swithun, Bishop of Winchester, from 852 or 853 until his death in 863.<br />
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In the 20th century this identification was accepted by Thomas P. Stevens, succentor and sacrist, and later honorary canon, of Southwark Cathedral, who wrote a number of guidebooks to the cathedral, and a history that was revised and reprinted many times. He went on to date the foundation of the supposed original nunnery to "about the year 606", although he provided no evidence to support the date. Although recent guidebooks are more circumspect, referring only to "a tradition", an information panel at the east end of the cathedral still claims that there had been "A convent founded in 606 AD" and "A monastery established by St Swithun in the 9th century".<br />
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It is unlikely that this minster pre-dated the conversion of Wessex in the mid-7th century, or the foundation of the "burh" c. 886. There is no proof for suggestions that a convent was founded on the site in 606 nor for the claim that a monastery was founded there by St Swithun in the 9th century.</p>](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55473594286_8a819fe040_s.jpg)
