Winchester College
A visit to Winchester College in southern England is an important part of study trips. The UK’s oldest private school is one of the nine most prestigious public schools in England. In particular, the original buildings, some of which are under the highest level of monument protection, are of great interest to visitors. In addition, the school in Winchester in Hampshire, the former capital of England, is picturesquely situated on the River Itchen.
Winchester College – a building steeped in history
The private school was founded in 1382 by Bishop William of Wykeham and comprises buildings from a total of six centuries. However, the medieval architectural style is predominant, which gives the school a special charm. When traveling, you should definitely take the time to visit the cloister and the well-tended monastery gardens.
From the poor school to the elite school for boys
Winchester College was originally designed as a school for poor boys. Traditionally, only boys are taught on site to this day; the school is attended by almost 700 students. However, Winchester College has the highest school fees in England. The boarding school enjoys an excellent international reputation and paves the way for numerous students to study at the University of Cambridge or Oxford.
Particularly recommended: a guided tour
During a guided tour through selected rooms, visitors gain insights into former school life. A 17th century classroom and an old dining room are open to the public. A Gothic chapel, which dates from the 14th century, can also be admired. The tour lasts just under an hour. You can then visit a museum that opened in 2016.
Buckingham Palace in London
Buckingham Palace is one of the major landmarks in Great Britain. It mainly serves as the official residence of the English royal family. The palace is inhabited by the British Queen Elizabeth II as well as her husband Prince Philip. In addition, presidents and heads of government are regularly guests at state events in the venerable walls.
A crowd puller in the center of London
Buckingham Palace is not far from central London. It was built in 1703 and has been in royal possession since 1761. Over the centuries, architects expanded the building complex. Today it consists of three wings that surround a large inner courtyard. The number of rooms and staff is impressive. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms and around 450 people can work. Every year around 50,000 people take part in various events such as receptions, banquets, garden parties and audiences with Queen Elizabeth II on the palace grounds.
Open to visitors in the summer months
Buckingham Palace is a must for many trips. In the summer months, some areas are open to visitors. Including 19 feudal state apartments, which are sumptuously furnished and decorated with treasures from the royal collection. Buckingham Palace is a particularly attractive destination for study travelers. Deep insights into the British monarchy from the Victorian era to the present open up here. Annually changing special exhibitions complete the information offer.
Petworth House
Petworth House, a 12th century mansion from the 12th century in the county of West Sussex in the south of Great Britain, has been awarded the Official Seal of Monument Protection for Buildings of Extraordinary and International Importance “Grade I”. The three-story building in the center of the eponymous 3,000-inhabitant town of Petworth is also known outside of England, primarily due to the almost 300-hectare park that surrounds it. The former baroque garden was converted into an English garden in the middle of the 18th century and redesigned several times in the 19th century. The spacious green area includes a walled kitchen garden and a so-called pleasure ground with linden, laurel trees, plane trees and cedars. There’s a Doric style summer house
The imposing interior of the main rooms of the mansion is determined by valuable Chippendale furniture and an extensive collection of paintings with works by Elsheimer, Tizian, Anthonis van Dyck, Hieronymus Bosch, William Blake and William Turner, among others. The main rooms are the picture gallery in the Somerset Room, where historical Chinese porcelain is also exhibited and the dining room, the small dining room, the baroque entrance and marble hall Marble Hall and the large staircase. Also included is the Carved Room with impressive woodwork and the Red Room with 20 pictures by Turner and a marble bust from the 4th century BC.
Also worth seeing is the chapel, built at the beginning of the 14th century and largely rebuilt in Baroque style in the 17th century, as the oldest room in Petworth House. Visitors to the property are recommended to take a short detour to the small and lovingly decorated Petworth Cottage Museum on High Street, which is very close by. The former home of a seamstress employed in Petworth House is as true to the original as possible from 1910. A carnival in the city that has been popular with locals and guests for hundreds of years is the nine-day Petworth Fair held in late November each year.