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s the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games edge closer, the iconic Olympic torch will start its 70-day journey across the UK. This momentous spectacle begins in Land’s End, Cornwall, on 18 May and promises to be one of many unforgettable celebrations for the London 2012 games.

But don’t worry if you can’t make it to England’s most southerly point for the opening torch relay event. There will be plenty of chances to catch the futuristic golden torch as it makes its journey north from Cornwall all the way up to the historical market town of Alnwick in Northumberland with its film star castle.

In total, 54 English locations will be shined on by the Olympic torch. On 1 June the life-sized statues by sculptor Anthony Gormley that look out to sea on Crosby Beach will be illuminated by the flame. And at the end of the month, England’s industrial heritage will be celebrated as the torch bearer travels by canal boat and tram through the Black Country Living Museum, a fictional town bustling with Victorian costumed craftsmen.

Other highlights include the Lake District, with its vast shimmering lakes and towering mountains creating a fantastical backdrop as the flame makes it way to Bowness-on-Windermere in a steam boat, carried via lanterns and torches.

Whether it’s 2300BC Stonehenge or the modern metropolis of Manchester, there are so many poignant locations to catch a glimpse of the torch as it journeys around England that you’d be mad not to make your way to one of them!

To find out more, visit the website of London 2012.