Everything starts somewhere. Before the Beatles were the Beatles, they were just some kids in Liverpool, strumming songs in the McCartney family house (the noise probably bothering the neighbors); before he fathered modern physics, Isaac Newton surely spent hours at Woolsthorpe Manor contemplating they mysteries of motion and gravity; before George Washington was born, his ancestors resided at Washington Old Hall, from whence his family would take its surname. Everything starts somewhere, and afterward these starting points are certainly nice to visit.
Woolsthorpe Manor Photo: NTPL Tessa Musgrave
If you’re thinking of visiting the United Kingdom and exploring these historic spots, become a Royal Oak Foundation member ($55 for an individual, $80 for a couple and $90 for a family) for free admission to these sites and all other National Trust properties. The Royal Oak Foundation, established in 1973, is the United States affiliate of The National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which preserves important natural and historical places in the United Kingdom. And they preserve a lot: 272 historic houses, 60 villages, two lighthouses, 17 dovecotes, 39 pubs, 32 National Nature Reserves, 40,000 archeological sites, 468 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 633 miles of coastland and hundreds of thousands of acres of countryside.
For suitably historic accommodation during your stay, consider one of Jonathan Lerner’s “[Top 10 English Country Manor Hotels|http://www.travelmuse.com/articles/general-features/english-country-cottages-and-hotels].”
For more information on the Royal Oak Foundation and National Trust properties and programs, visit www.royal-oak.org.
