Page 78 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

76  BRIT AIN AND IRELAND

in St. Austell was built in
1998–2000 in an old Cornish
china-clay pit. The aim of this
vast educational and research
center is to teach visitors about
the vital relationship bet ween
plants, people, and reso urces
in an informative and fun way.
Two bulbous “greenhouses,”
huge segmented geodesic
domes known as biomes,
dominate the site, which holds
some 4,500 species of plants.
The administrative capital of
Cornwall is Truro, a city of A wild Dartmoor pony, a familiar sight in
gracious Georgian buildings Devon’s national park
West front of the Cathedral Church of
St. Peter in Exeter, Devon and cobbled streets. Here, the 0 Bristol
Royal Cornwall Museum has
8 Devon and displays on mining, smuggling, Avon. * 450,000. k £ @
Cornwall and Methodism. n E Shed, 1 Canon’s Road (0906-711
Devon’s capital is Exeter,
2191). ( daily. _ Harbor Festival
£ @ Truro (Cornwall), Exeter a lively city with fine Roman (mid-Jul), International Balloon
(Devon). n Boscawen Street, Truro and medi eval relics. The mainly Fiesta (Aug).
(01872-274 555); Quay House, 14th- century Cathedral Church
Quayside, Exeter (01392-271 611). of St. Peter is one of the most The city of Bristol, at the mouth
superbly ornamented of the Avon, was once the main
Miles of stunning coastline cathedrals in Britain. British port for transatlantic
dominate this magical corner Devon’s most popular trade, pioneering the era of the
of Britain. Busy seaside resorts recreation area is Dartmoor steam liner. The city grew rich
alternate with secluded coves National Park. At its heart on the transportation of wine,
and fishing villages rich in is a bleak and windswept tobacco, and, in the 17th
maritime history. Inland, lush landscape, dotted with tors – century, slaves.
pastures contrast with stark out-crops of granite rock – and There is a covered market in the
and treeless moorland. grazed by herds of wild ponies. city center, part of which occupies
Britain’s most westerly point, the Corn Exchange, built by
Land’s End, is noted for its O Eden Project John Wood the Elder in 1743.
remote and wild landscape. St. Austell. Tel 01726-811 911. £ St. St. John’s Gate has colorful statues
Nearby, the former Benedictine Austell, then local bus. Open daily. of Bristol’s mythical founders, King
monastery of St. Michael’s Closed Dec 24 & 25. & 7 Brennus and King Benilus.
Mount rises dramatically from ∑ edenproject.com Bristol’s cathedral took an
the waters of Mount Bay off O Dartmoor National Park unusually long time to build.
Cornwall’s southern coast. On Devon. £ @ to Exeter, Plymouth, The choir was begun in 1298,
the north coast, St. Ives, with Totnes then local bus. n Visitor the transepts and tower were
its crescent of golden sands, is Centre, Princetown (01822-890414). finished in 1515, but the nave
internationally renowned for its took another 350 years to build.
two art museums, the Barbara 9 Bath Designed by Isambard
Hepworth Museum and the Tate Kingdom Brunel, the SS Great
Gallery St. Ives. The Eden Project See pp78–9. Britain was the world’s first large
iron passenger ship. Launched in
1843, it traveled 32 times round
the world. The ship is now in the
dock where it was originally built,
undergoing restoration.
Housed inside the former
goods shed of Temple Meads
station, At-Bristol is an
innovative science and
technology center, complete
with a 3D planetarium.
The Arnolfini Gallery is a
showcase for contemporary art,
dance, drama, and film. It is on
the harborside, which is lined
Cornwall’s wild and rugged southern coastline with cafés, bars, and galleries.
For hotels and restaurants see pp104–6 and pp107–9

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