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Chelmsford Cathedral
Chelmsford is bustling city in the County of Essex, approximately 30 minutes from central London. An historic location, set on the River Chelmer and River Can, Chelmsford gained city status in 2012, and welcomes many visitors who can enjoy attractions such as the beautiful Cathedral, its museums and parks, as well as a vast array of restaurants and shops, located throughout the city.
The month of August has been packed full of all kinds of enjoyable and interesting festivals, for the older festival goer, the younger generation and families looking for a weekend of fun. Here at Azure we’ve picked seven of our favourite festivals, giving you the lowdown on what each festival was about.
Carlisle Castle
Carlisle is situated in the county of Cumbria, close to the Lake District and is often referred to as the border city, being approximately 10 miles to the south of Scotland. Carlisle gained city status in 1974, and attracts many visitors who are drawn to its historic attractions such as Carlisle Castle and Cathedral, as well as its museums and galleries.
Canterbury Cathedral
Located on the River Stour, Canterbury is a beautiful and historic city situated in the county of Kent. Canterbury has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As well as the Cathedral, there are ancient ruins to explore, an abundance of picturesque buildings together with an amazing array of shops and restaurants. It combines the historic with the modern, offering a popular destination for a city break.
Kings College Chapel, Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is rich in heritage and is located in East Anglia, situated approximately 50 miles to the North of London, on the River Cam. Steeped in history, Cambridge offers breath-taking architecture and is home to the world renowned University of Cambridge. A beautiful place to explore, by punt on the River, by bicycle or via the many walks which take you through this remarkable city.
Arial View Of Bristol
Bristol is a city situated in the South West of England, close to both Gloucester and Bath. Located alongside the River Avon, Bristol borders Somerset and Gloucestershire and was awarded a Royal Charter in 1155 as well as county status in 1373. Bristol is recognised as being a city steeped in history, as well as a prosperous city of culture.
View of Brighton Pier by night
Brighton and Hove are seaside resorts situated in East Sussex. Both were jointly awarded city status in 2000. Hugely popular, Brighton and Hove have a wide range of attractions for the many visitors they receive each year, offering the traditional seaside experience as well as the lively and culturally diverse, there really is something for everyone in these cities.
Skyline view of the city of Bradford
Situated in West Yorkshire in the North of England, Bradford is a city which has much to offer. Located close to Wakefield and Leeds, at the base of the Pennines, in 1847 it became a municipal borough and achieved city status in 1897. In 1974, this status was extended to the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford, following the introduction of the Local Government Act 1972.
Here at Azure, we love a festival. Especially when that festival is jammed full of food tasting, musical performances and dancing! The Big Cheese Festival definitely provides all these plus much more and the fact that it’s free to get in makes it one of our favourite festivals of the summer.
The town of Caerphilly is famous for its Caerphilly cheese, which is rumoured to have been created in the town way back in 1831. It is believed to have been developed to provide coal miners of the town with an effective way of replenishing the salt lost through their gruelling ten hour shifts underground.
Caerphilly cheese
Held every year in the historic town since 1997, the festival is situated on the Owain Glyndwr Playing Fields, just a twenty minute drive from the Welsh capital, Cardiff.
This year’s festival starts on Friday 26th of July and continues over the weekend, ending on Sunday 28th. On the first day, many festival goers, both adults and children, will be competing in the annual Great Cheese Race! The race itself is staged around the grounds of Britain’s second largest castle, the magnificent Caerphilly castle, built in the 13th century. Every year there is a theme with participants having to wear fancy dress. This year’s theme is the Olympics, with prizes going to the best dressed and not to forget, the winner of the race itself! Sadly it is now too late to apply to take part in the race, but we’re sure that watching this fun filled event will be just as enjoyable.Aside from the Great Cheese Race, a packed entertainment programme will ensure visitors have lots of fun over the three days.
Festival goers can expect the following;
• Funfair & traditional funfair
• Firework display (Friday 26th – around 10pm)
• Re-enactment displays
• Musical entertainment
• Educational activities
• Food hall
• Craft stalls
• Activity marquee
• Tommy Cooper tent
Caerphilly Castle viewed from David Williams Park
There is so much to do at the festival, but if you just want to relax with your friends and family there are designated picnic areas on the site, allowing you to take in all the atmosphere the charming town has to offer. This year around 80,000 people are expected to experience the Big Cheese Festival, we highly recommend that you visit, it’s definitely one of Azure’s favourite summer festivals. Remember, it starts on Friday 26th July and ends on Sunday 28th, all ages are welcome and it’s free!
http://your.caerphilly.gov.uk/bigcheese/home-page
Image credits
http://pixabay.com/en/caerphilly-cheese-milk-product-food-3500/
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2570067
Birmingham is situated in the West Midlands, approximately 100 miles north of London, and is the second most populated city in Britain, with London being the first. The Domesday Book lists Birmingham as a small manor in 1086, valued at 20 shillings. In 1889, Birmingham was granted city status. Previously, the presence of an Anglican cathedral in a town was a prerequisite of gaining city status. However, this connection with the Anglican diocese stopped when Birmingham, which didn’t have a cathedral at the time, was awarded city status due to the size of its population and its local government history. Some years later in 1905, St Philip’s parish church became a cathedral.