LIME STREET, Liverpool, England.—Situated on the north-east side of the River Mersey, near its mouth, stands the above city, extending for miles along its banks. Liverpool is noted for the magnificence of its docks, which are constructed on the most stupendous scale, and said to cover, including the dry docks, over two hundred acres, and fifteen miles of quays. Its principal avenue is Lime Street, represented by the above picture. The large building in the centre is the Terminal Hotel, of the London and Northwestern Railway, which starts from the rear of the building.
MANCHESTER, England.—Manchester is the chief industrial town of England, and the great metropolis of the manufacturers of cotton, silk, worsted, chemicals and machinery. Most of the streets of the older parts of the city are narrow, but those in the new parts are wide and attractive. The above picture represents Piccadilly Street, which is one of the principal thoroughfares. This avenue is bordered by magnificent shops, and always crowded with pedestrians, omnibuses and other vehicles. The statue in the centre is that of the Duke of Wellington. Piccadilly has a very animated appearance.
WARWICK CASTLE, Warwick, England.—Warwick, a quaint old town with 12,000 inhabitants, is situated on a hill rising from the River Avon, and is a place of great antiquity, having been originally a British settlement, and afterward occupied by the Romans. Legend goes back for its foundation to King Cymbeline, and the year one. On a commanding position, overlooking the Avon, stands Warwick Castle, the ancient and stately home of the Earl of Warwick. The Castle, which is one of the finest and most picturesque feudal residences in England, dates from Saxon times.
SHAKESPEARE'S HOUSE, Stratford-on-Avon, England.—Of all the ancient castles and monuments throughout England, the house of William Shakespeare at Stratford-on-Avon is perhaps the most interesting and popular. The chief literary glory of the world was born here, April 23, 1564, which gives his home an ancient and noted history. The house has undergone various vicissitudes since his time, but the framework remains substantially unaltered. The rooms to the right on the ground floor contain interesting collections of portraits, early editions of his productions, his school-desk and signet-ring. The garden back of the house contains a selection of the trees and flowers mentioned in his plays.
BRIGHTON, England.—This town, situated on the English Channel, forty-seven miles from London, extends three miles along the coast, and is fronted by a sea wall sixty feet in height, which forms a magnificent promenade. The town has elegant streets, squares and terraces, built in a style equal to the best in the metropolis. Its fisheries furnish large quantities of fish to the London market. In the time of George III., it was a mere fishing-village; but since his day, it has become the most fashionable watering-place in England.
OSBORNE HOUSE, Isle of Wight, England.—This is the residence of the Queen of England; it was completed in 1845, and is located near Cowes. The latter town is on the north coast of the Isle of Wight, directly opposite to the mouth of Southampton Water. The port between them is the chief one of the island, and the headquarters of the Royal Yacht Squadron. Behind the harbor the houses rise picturesquely on gentle wooded slopes, and numerous villas adorn the vicinity. Magnificent residences and castles are located near by, of which the above picture is a fair representation.
HAMPTON COURT PALACE, Hampton Court, England.—This palace was built by Cardinal Wolsey, the favorite of Henry VIII., and was afterwards presented to the King. It was subsequently occupied by Cromwell, the Stewarts, William III., and the first two monarchs of the House of Hanover. Since the time of George II., Hampton Court has ceased to be a royal residence, and is now inhabited by various pensioners of the Crown. The various rooms that were formerly occupied by the royalty, are now devoted to the use of an extensive picture-gallery.
GREENWICH OBSERVATORY, Greenwich, England.—Greenwich Observatory is situated six miles from London Bridge, on a hill one hundred and eighty feet high, in the centre of Greenwich Park. It marks the meridian from which English astronomers make their calculations. The correct time for the whole of England is settled here every day at one o'clock P. M.; a large colored ball descends many feet, when the time is telegraphed to the most important towns throughout the country. A standard clock, with the hours numbered from one to twenty-four, and various standard measures of length are placed outside the entrance, pro bono publico.
WINDSOR CASTLE, England.—This favorite seat of the sovereigns of Great Britain, twenty miles from London, at the town of Windsor, was frequently extended under succeeding monarchs, until finally, in the reign of Queen Victoria, when it was completed at a total cost of $4,500,000, it became one of the largest and most magnificent royal residences in the world. The Saxon kings resided on this spot long before the castle was founded by William the Conqueror. In its vaults are buried the sovereigns of England, including Henry VIII. and Charles I. The interior of the castle is richly and profusely decorated, and filled with pictures, statuary, bronze monuments and other works of art.
GREEN DRAWING-ROOM, Windsor Castle, England.—Windsor Castle, the residence of the Queen, is one of the largest and most magnificent royal residences in the world. The interior of the drawing-room, which is fitted up at an expense of many hundred thousand dollars, gives a person a fair conception of the elaborate and artistic display to be witnessed in numerous other apartments. The interior, beautified with colored marble, mosaics, sculpture, stained-glass, precious stones, and gilding in extraordinary profusion and richness, places it among the finest castles in all Europe.