871 Best Sights in England

The country's only remaining old-style Victorian pottery factory's traditional bottle kilns are surrounded by original workshops where you can watch demonstrations of the old skills of throwing, casting, and decorating or even try your hand at throwing a pot.

The ruins of this great abbey, in the center of town, are on the site where, according to legend, Joseph of Arimathea built a church in the 1st century. A monastery had certainly been erected here by the 9th century, and the site drew many pilgrims. The ruins are those of the abbey completed in 1524 and destroyed in 1539, during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries. A sign south of the Lady Chapel marks the sites where Arthur and Guinevere were supposedly buried. Guides in period costumes are on hand to point out some of the abbey's most interesting features. The visitor center has a scale model of the abbey as well as carvings and decorations salvaged from the ruins. Buy tickets online at least one day in advance for a 10% reduction.

It's a stiff climb up the conical Glastonbury Tor, but your reward is the fabulous view across the Vale of Avalon. At the top stands a ruined tower, all that remains of St. Michael's Church, which collapsed after a landslide in 1271. Take the Glastonbury Tor bus to the base of the hill. Nearby at the foot of the Tor is Chalice Well, the legendary burial place of the Grail.

Less than a mile north of Winchcombe at Greet, this steam-hauled train, run by a team of volunteers, chugs its way along the foot of the Cotswolds connecting Winchcombe with Toddington, Cheltenham Racecourse, and the northern hub at Broadway.

This moorland village, 8 miles southwest of Whitby, has a charming 1865 train station that was the location for Hogsmeade Station, where students bound for Hogwarts disembarked, in the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. While there, hop on the 18-mile-long North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which travels between Grosmont and Pickering, passing through picturesque towns and moorland. The route of the steam-powered trains extends to Whitby three times a day.

Forming the southeast corner of the town's medieval wall, this late-13th-century gatehouse was expanded in the early 14th century, at the start of the Hundred Years' War, to incorporate a two-story gallery and three-story tower. After extensive restoration, the gallery space is now used for a changing roster of art installations and programs. Before this, it served as a gunpowder factory, the town jail, and an archaeology museum. Don't miss the far-reaching views over the city from the roof. There's also a café and bar.

This is a full-size reconstruction of the little galleon in which the famed Elizabethan explorer Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe in 1577–80. Launched in 1973, the exact replica made one full and one partial round-the-world voyage, calling in at ports—many along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the United States—to serve as a maritime museum. Now berthed at the St. Mary Overie Dock, the ship continues its educational purpose, complete with a "crew" in period costumes and three decks of artifacts. Lessons in crew functions like how to haul anchor or get a cannon ready to fire are especially popular with younger visitors. There are also frequent musical evenings. The ship is occasionally closed for maintenance and private functions so be sure to check the website before visiting.

Looming dramatically over the River Wye at Kerne Bridge, from the south, the castle looks like a fortress from the Rhineland amid the green fields; you quickly see its grimmer face from the battlements on its north side. Dating from the late 12th century, the red sandstone castle is surrounded by a deep moat carved out of rock, from which its walls appear to soar upward. Built to repel Welsh raiders, it was destroyed in the 17th century during the Civil War. Today you can walk around the ruins and view the only surviving Civil War mortar, known as "Roaring Meg." The castle is 4 miles south of Ross-on-Wye.

Not everyone thinks graffiti can be a bonus to the urban landscape, but those who do should head for this leading gallery of contemporary street art. The big name here is Banksy, but there are works for sale by several other artists in the same vein, such as TRUST.iCON and Code FC, who are more concerned with social commentary than tagging. Private two-hour master classes are available during the week upon request, with less-expensive public workshops running weekends at 1:15 pm (be sure to book at least a week in advance).

Now the heart of King's Cross, Granary Square is one of London's liveliest open spaces. Pride of place is given to the ever-changing 1,000-strong fountain display, which is even more spectacular by night when lights accompany the choreography. It's also home to The Outside Project (essentially a permanent alfresco art space) as well as the immense, six-story granary building—designed in 1852 to store wheat for London's bakers—that now houses University of the Arts London, plus a small selection of excellent bars and eateries. The square's south-facing steps double as an amphitheater for site-specific art events.

Once at the heart of Leeds's decaying industrial zone, this regenerated development in the Canal Basin along the River Aire is now a trendy hub of chic bars and pleasant cafés. Granary Wharf is reached via the Dark Arches, brick railway tunnels now full of shops, where the River Aire flows under City Station.

This visitor center 10 miles north of Skipton has guidebooks, maps, bus schedules, and EV charging points to help you enjoy a day in Yorkshire Dales National Park. Grassington is deep in the dales on the tiny B6265, also known as the Grassington Road; buses travel here from nearby towns. It's a small stone village with stores, pubs, and cafés, so it makes a good base for exploring Upper Wharfedale. The Dales Way footpath passes through the village. In summer, it becomes crowded with day-trippers and hikers, but you can escape them on other area walks.

Although the least architecturally interesting of the four Inns of Court and the one most heavily damaged by German bombs in the 1940s, Gray's still has romantic associations. In 1594 Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors was performed for the first time in the hall, which was restored after World War II and has a fine Elizabethan screen of carved oak. You must make advance arrangements to view the hall, but the secluded and spacious gardens, first planted by Francis Bacon in 1597, are open to the public every weekday afternoon.

Combining a large timber-frame hall with an inventive cottage garden on a grand scale, this place will get your green thumbs twitching. The house dates to 1464 (you can tour a few rooms) and was restored in 1910 by noted architect Edwin Lutyens, who also designed the garden. From these beginnings, the horticulturist and writer Christopher Lloyd (1921–2006), whose home this was, developed a series of creative, colorful "garden rooms" and a dazzling herbaceous Long Border; Fergus Garrett continues to develop this stunning garden. The house is 7 miles northwest of Rye.

A solidly built, early-Norman, Benedictine abbey restored in the mid-19th century, the priory dominates the steep streets downtown. The fine glass has examples from the 15th century—including a magnificent east window and the vibrantly blue Magnificat window in the north transept—to the beautifully evocative Millennium Windows, installed in 1999. Also here are a splendid set of misericords (the elaborately carved undersides of choir seats) and the oldest known carving of a merman.

Known as the "university church," Great St. Mary's has its origins in the 11th century, although the current building dates from 1478. The main reason to visit is to climb the 113-foot tower, which has a superb view over the colleges and marketplace (though it may be closed in bad weather). Also here is the Michaelhouse Centre, a small café, gallery, and performing arts venue with frequent free lunchtime concerts.

Having smelled the waft of sweet hops in the air, head to the source of the aroma with a visit to the Greene King Brewery. Part architectural experience, part tasting session, the guided tours take you around the 1930s Westgate building, ending with the opportunity to sample some of the brewery's finest ales.

Known primarily as the location of the Millennium Dome, built at great expense to commemorate the dawn of the 21st century, Greenwich Peninsula has been undergoing something of a quiet but dramatic reinvention— the largest single regeneration project in London. Ten years into a 30-year development program, this 150-acre neighborhood, bordered by over a mile of the River Thames, has already been transformed with art, community, and sustainability at its heart; it even has its own low-carbon energy center. Sculptures by Damien Hirst and other artists dot the landscape, with Hirst’s 60-foot bronze statue, Demon with Bowl, looming large underneath the IFS Cloud Cable Car route. Ravensbourne, a leading creative and digital industries university, has moved into state-of-the-art premises here while nearby the Design District offers affordable workspaces for artists and businesses with the NOW Gallery serving as a dedicated community hub and exhibition space. The Tide, a linear garden walkway, offers calm, green spaces to enjoy a quiet moment while the Ecology Park is a bio-diverse urban wetland.

In addition, there are high-end apartment blocks that stretch as far as the eye can see, where you can take advantage of the adjacent riverside tracks for a run or a walk. It’s a lively place to meet for shopping or drinks, with well-known outlet stores and some of the best of London’s food franchises, including Gaucho and Gordon Ramsay Street Burger. The funky Canteen Food Hall & Bar—a kind of giant, architectural plastic bubble on two floors—offers street food with a hipster vibe and terraced seating in the summer. Obvious attractions here include concerts and events at the O2, but there's also a golf driving range along with fine dining and spa days at the InterContinental London–The O2 to entice a longer stay.

Start a visit to this local history museum with a look at the Roman Stones Gallery, which displays Roman-era tombstones previously used to repair city walls (keep an eye out for the wounded barbarian). Afterward you can skip a few centuries to explore the period house for a tour that covers the1680s to the 1920s.

Pronounced "Grove-na," this leafy square was laid out in 1721–31 and is as desirable an address today as it was then. Americans have certainly always thought so—from John Adams, the second president, who as ambassador lived at No. 38, to Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose wartime headquarters was at No. 20. The entire west side of the square was home to the U.S. Embassy for more than 50 years until its relocation south of the river. In the square itself stand memorials to Franklin D. Roosevelt and those who died on September 11, 2001. Grosvenor Chapel, completed in 1730 and used by Eisenhower's men during World War II, stands a couple of blocks south of the square on South Audley Street, with the entrance to pretty St. George's Gardens to its left.

This historic chapel is the noble centerpiece of Stratford’s Guild buildings, including the Guildhall, the Grammar School, and the almshouses—all well known to Shakespeare. It also houses some of the finest surviving medieval wall paintings in Europe. The ancient structure was rebuilt in the late Perpendicular style in the 15th century. The paintings were covered with limewash during the Reformation on orders given to Shakespeare’s father, who was mayor at the time. Some of the most impressive paintings, rediscovered centuries later, have been restored and can be viewed, including an ornate painting known as The Doom above the chancel arch. Restoration on other paintings continues.

Constructed shortly after the Norman invasion of England in 1066, the sturdy keep of Guildford Castle still stands watch over the city center, surrounded by colorful gardens (look out for the statue Alice Through the Looking Glass, in honor of local resident Lewis Carroll). Step inside the keep to learn more about its fascinating history, to see a model of the castle as it appeared circa 1300, and to enjoy stunning views of the gardens and the city from the rooftop terrace. Nearby, the castle's old gatehouse houses part of the Guildford Museum (free), with exhibits on local history and archaeology, as well as memorabilia of Lewis Carroll.

On a hilltop across the River Wey, this is only the second Anglican cathedral to be built on a new site since the Reformation in the 1500s. It was consecrated in 1961. While the industrial-looking redbrick exterior may look rather dauntingly severe, even brutal (so much so that it was even chosen as a key location for the 1976 horror movie The Omen), the interior, with its stone and plaster, looks bright and cool.

Once inside, see if you can spot the brass stag on the floor, which marks the highest point of the hill. You'll also see some of the 1,468 "kneelers" which were individually designed for the cathedral with patterns appropriate to the time; look out for cushions dedicated to everything from Sputnik to the 1960 Olympics.

The cathedral has a lively program of events, including music recitals and art exhibitions, and is also used as a performance venue by the local Shakespeare society on certain dates in the summer. Call or check the website for details.

On the city's main shopping street, this is said to be the oldest municipal building in the country still in use. The current hall, with its Renaissance portico, dates from 1330, although a guildhall has occupied this site since at least 1160. The walls are adorned with imposing portraits of royal figures, civil war generals, and noteworthy locals, and its timber-braced roof, one of the earliest in England, dates from about 1460. Book online or call for private tours for individuals and groups.

For centuries, this building has been the administrative and ceremonial base of the Corporation of London, the world's oldest continuously elected municipal governing authority (the Corporation still oversees The City's civic administration but now in a more modern building). Built between 1411 and 1440, it is The City's only surviving secular medieval building, and although it lost roofs to both the Great Fire of 1666 and the Blitz of 1940, its Gothic Great Hall has remained intact. Adding to the Hall's period atmosphere are the colorful coats of arms and banners of the 110 city livery companies, descendants of medieval trade guilds, which still officially elect the Lord Mayor of London. These range from older companies originally formed by trades of yesteryear to new ones representing modern activities like information technology, along with several that remain eternally relevant (e.g., carpenters, upholsterers, and fishmongers).

The Hall has been the site of several historic trials, including that of the "Nine Days Queen" Lady Jane Grey in 1553 and the landmark Zong case (1783), which helped end Britain's involvement in the slave trade. Even more ancient are the 11th-century East and West Crypts, survivors of the original Saxon Hall and the largest remaining medieval crypts in London.

To the right of Guildhall Yard is the Guildhall Art Gallery, which includes portraits of notables, cityscapes, and a slightly cloying pre-Raphaelite section. The construction of the gallery in the 1980s led to the exciting discovery of London's only Roman amphitheater, which had lain undisturbed for more than 1,800 years. Visitors can walk through the excavation, although most of the artifacts are in storage, set to be displayed at the Museum of London, which will reopen in 2026. There are monthly 75-minute guided tours on select Thursdays when the city council meets at 10:45 am (advance booking required); check the website for dates.

This unique museum tells the story of the British Army's Gurkha brigade, whose Nepalese soldiers have fought alongside the British since the early 19th century in virtually every deployment, through tableaux, dioramas, uniforms, weapons, artifacts, and interactive touch-screen displays. A program of lectures on the last Friday of the month includes a two-course Nepalese curry lunch (£35, includes museum admission).

To the west of Richmond Park, overlooking the Thames and nearly opposite the memorably named Eel Pie Island, Ham House was built in 1610 and remodeled 60 years later. It's one of the most complete examples in Europe of a lavish 17th-century house, and as such you can get a clear sense of how the English aristocracy really lived during that period (in short: comfortably). The beautiful formal gardens, with their distinctive spherical and conical topiary, have become an influential source for other palaces and grand villas seeking to restore their gardens to how they were in their heyday. The original decorations in the Great Hall, Round Gallery, and Great Staircase have been replicated, and most of the furniture and fittings are on permanent loan from the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Note that from January to March, visits are by guided tour only, lasting around 30 minutes (no need to book). A tranquil and scenic way to reach the house is on foot, which takes about 30 minutes, along the eastern riverbank south from Richmond Bridge.

The prestige and popularity of English sparkling wines produced in the chalky soil near the country's south coast has been growing by leaps and bounds over recent years, to the point where they're taking on the better-known variety across the English Channel. Some of the most highly regarded come from this spot, the oldest commercial vineyard in the United Kingston, located 14 miles from Winchester. Informative tours and tastings from the selection of sparkling and still wines are offered along with afternoon tea as an add-on to the tour, and a set-price lunch and dinner in the on-site restaurant.

This fascinating museum celebrates the lives of not one, but two musical geniuses: classical composer George Frideric Handel and rock guitar legend Jimi Hendrix. Comprising two adjoining buildings, the bulk of the museum centers on the life and works of Handel, who lived at No. 25 for more than 30 years until his death in 1759. In rooms decorated in fine Georgian style, you can linger over original manuscripts and gaze at portraits. Some of the composer's most famous pieces were created here, including Messiah and Music for the Royal Fireworks. Fast-forward 200 years or so, and the apartment on the upper floors of No. 23 housed one of rock's great innovators, Jimi Hendrix, for a short but creative period in the late 1960s. The apartment has been lovingly restored, complete with replica furniture, fixtures, and fittings from Hendrix's heyday.

Few houses in England evoke the late Elizabethan era as vividly as Hardwick Hall, a beautiful stone mansion and walled gardens 10 miles east of Matlock. The vast state apartments well befit their original chatelaine, Bess of Hardwick, who, by marrying a succession of four rich husbands, was second only to Queen Elizabeth in her wealth when work on this house began. Unique patchwork hangings, probably made from clerical copes and altar frontals taken from monasteries and abbeys, grace the entrance hall, and superb 16th- and 17th-century tapestries cover the walls of the main staircase and first-floor High Great Chamber. Access is signposted from Junction 29 of the M1 motorway.