Norman/medieval period (when the monks of Durham busily copied manuscripts), the Reformation and the 17th century.

Over in Wales, Caernarfon Castle's Eagle Tower now houses the "Princes of Wales" exhibit - featuring a chessboard of Welsh and English princes as life-size chess pieces - and a skimpy exhibit on the life of Eleanor of Castile, wife of King Edward I.

Meanwhile, in Ireland: The Republic is preparing for the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Uprising - so this year, expect higher lodging prices, longer lines and more traffic snarls. Among events planned, the General Post Office in Dublin - the rebels' headquarters - will host a "GPO: Witness History" exhibition, and the National Library and Kilmainham Gaol will host temporary exhibits. (For a good prep, be sure to watchthe documentary, "1916 The Irish Rebellion," which debuts in the U.S. on PBS in March.)

Also in Dublin, look for a new Museum of Tenement Life to open sometime in 2016 (possibly soon to be renamed the 14 Henrietta Street Townhouse Museum). And at the Book of Kells exhibit in the Trinity Old Library, purchasing a ticket online now allows you to skip the line at the entrance. In another sign of changing times, ferries no longer run from Dun Laoghaire (near Dublin) to the UK.

Up in Northern Ireland, a new Discovery Tour, part of the Titanic Belfast museum, explains the striking design and architecture of the new building and the adjacent slipways where the ship was built. And the Museum of Free Derry, currently closed for renovations, should