By Chris Cavey (amended by Jon Porter)

Theres more to tourism in Britain than you might think.

When you think of tourist sites in Britain, what do you think of? Big Ben and the Tower of London? Loch Ness? Shakespeares birthplace at Stratford-upon-Avon? There are many famous tourist attractions in the UK and they attract millions of visitors each year.

But along with the famous names there are thousands of other interesting places that are only open to the public for a few days each year. Heritage Open Days take place each September and let the public visit places that would normally be out of bounds. Among the thousands of historic sites there are castles and factories, town halls and churches. Here we look at some of these places that most tourists might not know about.

Roman baths—Chester

Chester, in the north-west of England is one of the oldest cities in the country. It was founded by the Romans over two thousand years ago. They stayed for more than three hundred years and you can find evidence of their stay all over the city.

Most visitors, however, dont see the remains of a Roman bathhouse in the centre of the city. For most of the year it is impossible to visit this fascinating site because it is situated under a clothes shop and a shop that sells baked potatoes!

During the week of Heritage Open Days visitors can go downstairs to the cellar of the shop and find a little piece of history.

Tennis club—Birmingham

If you think about tennis in England you probably think about the Wimbledon Championships in London. The oldest tennis club in the world, however, is not in London but in Birmingham.

Edgbaston Tennis Club opened in 1860 and the modern rules of tennis were written here. The club is normally closed to the public but during Open Days visitors can come and see the clubs collection of tennis clothes and equipment and learn about the games rich history.

Aardman Animation—Bristol

Wallace and Gromit, an absent-minded inventor and his unusually intelligent dog, have starred in animated films like A Close Shave and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. During Heritage Open Days visitors can visit the Aardman Animation studios in Bristol, which produced the Wallace and Gromit films, as well as award-winning films like Chicken Run and Shaun the Sheep.

The studios are in an amazing new building where visitors will see each stage of the animation process.

Paddock Wood—Kent

Visiting the house of local resident Sarah Hamilton in the small town of Paddock Wood is like stepping back in time. From the outside, it looks like any other early 20th-century house but inside it is a trip through Sarahs family history. Some of the rooms havent changed since Sarahs grandfather bought the house in 1920 and visitors can get an idea of what life was like for our great-grandparents.

Sarah is happy to open her doors to the public, saying, ‘Im passionate about history and I love talking to people.

These are just four of the thousands of places to visit each September. If you want to see more of Britain than the traditional tourist destinations then look out for Open Days!

Answers

Activity 1

A 4; B 3; C 1; D 2

Activity 2

1 piece; 2 peace; 3 site; 4 sight;

5 here; 6 hear

Activity 3

1 out of bounds

2 absent-minded

3 stepping back in time

4 hidden treasures

a absent-minded

b stepping back in time

c out of bounds

d hidden treasures

Activity 1

Put the four attractions in the right order—from newest (1) to oldest (4).

A Roman Baths ________

B Tennis club ________

C Ardman Animation ________

D Paddock Wood ________

Activity 2

Homophones are words that have the same sound but different spelling and different meanings. Choose the right word to complete the sentences.

1 The house in Paddock Wood is a little piece/peace of history.

2 I go and sit in the park when I want some piece/peace and quiet.

3 The site/sight of the Roman baths is under a clothes shop.

4 He lost the site/sight in one eye after the accident.

5 The rules of tennis were written here/hear.

6 Speak up. I cant here/hear you.

Activity 3

Complete the sentences with the words and expressions from the box. All the expressions are in the article.

absent-minded? ? stepping back in time

out of bounds? ? hidden treasures

1 All the places would usually be ________ to the public.

2 Wallace is an ________ inventor.

3 Visiting the house is like ________.

4 These are just some of the ________ you can see on Heritage Open Days.

Which expression means:

a forgetful?

b visiting the past?

c not allowed to go to?

d special things not well known?

Over to you

Which of the four places would you most like to visit? Why?

What are the main tourist attractions in your country? Are there any hidden treasures you would recommend?