871 Best Sights in England

A church has been here since 1312, but the current building—consecrated in 1747 and later extended in 1877—is a fine example of neoclassical serenity, enhanced by Ionic columns and vaulting arches. Also known as the Hampstead Parish Church, it stands at the end of Church Row, a narrow street lined with flat-fronted brick Georgian houses that gives you a sense of what Hampstead was like when it truly was a rural village as opposed to a traffic-clogged north London neighborhood. Many local notables are buried in the picturesque churchyard, including painter John Constable (some of whose most famous works depict the Heath), John Harrison (the inventor of the marine chronometer at the heart of the book Longitude), members of the artistic du Maurier family, Jane Austen's aunt, and British comedy god Peter Cook.

Accessing Parliament Square, the green space opposite the Palace of Westminster, isn't always easy—it's regularly filled with protestors hoping to get the attention of the lawmakers across the road. But it's worth the effort to get a closer look at the statues of political figures that line the square. Notable among the 12 are Winston Churchill; Sir Robert Peel, the 19th-century prime minister who created the modern police force (it's because of him that British police officers are known as "bobbies"); U.S. president Abraham Lincoln (this statue is a replica of the one in Chicago's Lincoln Park); Nelson Mandela; and Mahatma Gandhi. The newest statue, erected in 2018 as part of celebrations of the centenary of British women being granted the right to vote, portrays the women's rights campaigner Millicent Fawcett and is the first statue of a woman in the square; it was designed by Turner Prize–winning artist Gillian Wearing.

These 23 acres are home to a miniature train, a boating lake, a play area, and the 1870s Pavilion building. With its ornate iron-and-glass roof, the latter was originally a concert hall and ballroom, but it's now the setting for an arts center, three cafés, an ice-cream parlor, a market hall, and a gift boutique.

This charming pedestrianized mews is lined with Victorian stable blocks recently converted to house-fashionable independent shops and specialty food providers for the wealthy. Here you'll find bags from Kate Spade, bikinis from Heidi Klein, nightwear from Olivia von Halle, and Sarah Chapman skincare, as well as a cheesemonger, bakery and baking school, family-run butcher, and a fishmonger-cum-Champagne bar. There are also dining options including a casual, all-day Australian restaurant, a plant-based restaurant, and a bar and grill, all with lots of outside tables.

Caves riddle the town and surrounding area, and in this massive example, rope making has been done on a great ropewalk for more than 400 years—as evidenced by the remains of a rope-makers' village dating from the 17th century. Some trivia to keep kids amused: the cavern was called the "Devil's Arse" due to the flatulent noise that water makes when draining out of the caves. Events held here include pop-up cinemas, concerts, and Christmas carols.

During the 19th century, Birmingham was the hub of the world pen trade with 129 factories employing nearly 8,000 people, and this museum celebrates the heritage of this lost city trade and tells the stories of past workers in poignant detail. Located within a former pen factory, the exhibits illustrate the industry's heyday through a decorative array of nibs, quills, fountain pens, inks, and all the paraphernalia of the pre-ballpoint era. You can try your hand at calligraphy, make your own nib, and listen to recollections of previous employees for insight about the working conditions of yesteryear.

A small collection in this gracious Victorian villa in Penlee Park focuses on paintings by members of the so-called Newlyn School from about 1880 to 1930. These works evoke the life of the inhabitants of Penzance and Newlyn, mostly fisherfolk. The museum also covers 5,000 years of West Cornwall history through archaeology, decorative arts, costume, and photography exhibits.

The 250-mile-long Pennine Way starts in the village of Edale, 4 miles northeast of Castleton, and crosses Kinder Scout, a moorland plateau and nature reserve. If you plan to attempt this, seek local advice first, because bad weather can make the walk treacherous. However, several much shorter routes into the Edale Valley, such as the 8-mile route west to Hayfield, give you a taste.

In a 16th-century building that served as a school from 1670 to the 1970s, this museum contains Stone Age axe heads, interesting fossils and minerals, and an informative film about Cumbria's Neolithic history. The Penrith Tourist Information Centre is here, too.

The evocative remains of this 15th-century redbrick castle stand high above a steep, now-dry moat. Home of the maligned Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III), who was responsible for keeping peace along the border, it was one of England's first lines of defense against the Scots. By the Civil War, the castle was in ruins, and the townsfolk used some of the fallen stones to build their houses. The ruins stand in a park, across from the town's train station.

At the center of the adorable hamlet of Penshurst stands this fine medieval manor house, hidden behind tall trees and walls. Although it has a 14th-century hall, Penshurst is mainly Elizabethan and has been the family home of the Sidneys since 1552. The most famous Sidney is the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip, author of Arcadia. The Baron's Hall, topped with a chestnut roof, is the oldest and one of the grandest halls to survive from the early Middle Ages. Family portraits, furniture, tapestries, and armor help tell the story of the house, which was first inhabited in 1341 by Sir John de Pulteney, the very wealthy four-time London mayor. There's also a Victorian kitchen exhibit. On the grounds are a toy museum, a gift shop, and the enchanting 11-acre walled Italian Garden, which displays tulips and daffodils in spring and roses in summer. Take time to study the village's late-15th-century half-timber structures adorned with soaring brick chimneys. To get here from Hever, take the B2027 east and follow signs to Penshurst.

Not everyone in 19th-century Manchester owned a cotton mill or made a fortune on the trading floor. This museum recounts powerfully the struggles of working people in the city and in the United Kingdom as a whole since the Industrial Revolution. Displays include the story of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre—when the army attacked a crowd of civil rights protesters in Manchester's St. Peter's Square, killing 15 and almost sparking revolution—together with an unrivaled collection of trade-union banners, tools, toys, utensils, and photographs, all illustrating the working lives and pastimes of the city's people.

If you don't get your fill of Egyptian artifacts at the British Museum, you can see more in the neighboring Petrie Museum, located on the first floor of the D. M. S. Watson Building, home to the UCL (University College London) Science Library. The museum houses an outstanding collection of Egyptian, Sudanese, and Greco-Roman archaeological objects, including jewelry, art, toys, and some of the world's oldest garments.

Located 13 miles northeast of Chichester (en route to Guildford), Petworth is one of the National Trust's greatest treasures. The imposing 17th-century home of Lord and Lady Egremont, it holds an outstanding collection of English paintings by Gainsborough, Reynolds, and van Dyck. There are also 19 oil paintings by J. M. W. Turner, the great proponent of romanticism who often visited Petworth and immortalized it in luminous drawings.

A 13th-century chapel is all that remains of the original manor house. Other highlights include Greek and Roman sculpture and Grinling Gibbons wood carvings, such as those in the spectacular Carved Room. Six rooms in the servants' quarters, among them the old kitchen, are also open to the public. The celebrated landscape architect Capability Brown (1716–83) added a pleasure garden and a 700-acre deer park; today, it has the largest herd of fallow deer in England.

In 1176, Henry II added the square tower to this Norman castle, whose ruins occupy a dramatic crag. From here you can still see a curving section of the medieval defensive earthworks in the town center below. Peveril Castle is protected on its west side by a 230-foot-deep gorge formed by a collapsed cave; unsurprisingly, it was considered the best-defended castle in England in its day and was never captured or besieged. However, its relative lack of strategic importance meant that it wasn't well maintained, and, in 1609, it was abandoned altogether. Park in the town center, from which it's a steep climb up.

The origins of the name "Piccadilly" relate to a humble 17th-century tailor from the Strand named Robert Baker who sold piccadills—stiff ruffled collars all the rage in courtly circles—and built a house with the proceeds. Snobs dubbed his new-money mansion Piccadilly Hall, and the name stuck. Pride of place in the circus—a circular junction until the construction of Shaftesbury Avenue in 1886—belongs to the statue universally referred to as Eros, dating to 1893 (although even most Londoners don't know that it is, in reality, a representation of Eros's brother Anteros, the Greek god of requited love). The other instantly recognizable feature of Piccadilly Circus is the enormous bank of lit-up billboards on the north side; if you're passing at night, frame them behind the Tube entrance sign on the corner of Regent Street for a classic photograph.

The grandest of Cheltenham's remaining spa buildings, the pump room is set amid parkland, a 20-minute walk from the town center. The classic Regency structure, built in the late 1820s, now serves mainly as a concert hall and a theatrical venue. It's wise to check before visiting as there's often a private function taking place. There's also a café.

This gorgeous, cream-yellow Regency mansion, built in 1824, contains impressive collections of fine French furniture, Chinese porcelain, and Dutch and Italian paintings from the early part of the 20th century. Edwardian society hostess Margaret Greville was responsible for the lavish interiors—including the extraordinary, slightly over-the-top gold saloon—which have been enjoyed by everyone from British royalty to Indian maharajas; the future King George VI stayed here for part of his honeymoon in 1923. On summer days you can wander its vast landscaped lawns (you can even rent croquet equipment from the house) and walled garden. The house is in Great Bookham, 10 miles east of Guildford.

As you're heading west from Porlock to Lynton, the coast road A39 mounts Porlock Hill, an incline so steep that signs encourage drivers to "keep going." The views across Exmoor and north to the Bristol Channel and Wales are worth it. Less steep but quieter and equally scenic routes, up the hill on toll roads, can be accessed from Porlock and Porlock Weir.

Two miles west of Porlock, this tiny harbor is the starting point for an undemanding 2-mile walk along the coast through chestnut and walnut trees to Culbone Church, reputedly the smallest and most isolated church in England. Saxon in origin, and dedicated to the Welsh Saint Beuno, it has a small Victorian spire and is lighted by candles, making it hard to find a more enchanting spot.

With a commanding position over the harbor, the remains of this medieval castle are surrounded by what is believed to be the most complete set of Roman walls and the best preserved Roman fort north of the Alps, built in the 3rd century to fend off Saxon pirates. On its completion in the mid-12th century, the castle was appropriated by Henry II and remained a royal residence until the 17th century. From the keep's central tower you can take in sweeping views of the harbor and coastline.

One of West Cornwall's finest beaches thanks to its natural setting, Porthcurno has a crescent moon of white sand (from crushed shells) at the foot of imposing dark, blocklike granite cliffs. The extraordinary Minack Theatre—carved from solid rock—is on one side, and there are cafés and a pub nearby. A steep slope can make swimming a challenge at times, but one area near a stream is good for families. The village and beach are signed off B3315, and the coastal path runs behind it. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: picnics; swimming; walking.

Here, an unrivaled collection of historic ships includes the HMS Warrior (1860), Britain's first iron-clad battleship, as well as the HMS Victory, which served as the flagship of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson, Britain's most celebrated naval hero, at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) and is still the ceremonial flagship of Britain's First Sea Lord. You can inspect the cramped gun decks, visit the cabin where Nelson met his officers, and stand on the spot where he was mortally wounded by a French sniper. There's also an interactive gallery that explores the ship's history and audio guides to take along during your visit.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy has extensive exhibits about Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar, a fine collection of painted figureheads, and galleries of paintings and mementos recalling naval history from King Alfred to the present. Action Stations, an interactive attraction, gives insight into life in the modern Royal Navy and lets you test your sea legs with tasks such as piloting boats through gales. Boathouse 4 is a training center for traditional boatbuilding skills required to maintain and build wooden boats; it contains an exhibition that explores the role of smaller wooden boats in the Navy's history. HMS M.33 is one of just three British warships from World War I still in existence. You should allow one or two days to tour all the attractions in the Historic Dockyard. The entrance fee includes a boat ride around the harbor.

This family-friendly museum is an interactive ride through the history of the Royal Mail. From learning about the history of the Penny Black (and having a go at designing your own stamp) to attempting to sort mail while being tossed around in a mock-up of an early 20th-century mail-sorting train carriage, there's a lot to see and do here. The highlight is a 15-minute trip on the Mail Rail, the little-known underground train system under the capital which was used exclusively for letters and parcels from 1927 to 2003. Just be warned that a seat on the snug Mail Rail trains is not for the claustrophobic. Book online for the cheapest prices.

This modern venue has a world-renowned, 5,000-piece ceramic collection that includes unique Staffordshire pottery. It also has a number of items from the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and metalworks ever found. Other highlights are an original World War II Spitfire and works by Picasso, Degas, and Dürer.

One of Salisbury's best-known landmarks, the hexagonal Poultry Cross is the last remaining of the four original medieval market crosses that gave shelter to market traders (other crosses indicated the dairy, wool, and livestock markets). A cross on the site was first mentioned in 1307, though the current structure dates from the late 15th century. The canopy and flying buttresses were added in 1852.

Owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and under the aegis of King Charles III since he was Prince of Wales, this development in a traditional architectural vernacular style showcases his vision of urban planning, environmental sustainability, and community living. Zoning is strict, with an emphasis on conservation and energy efficiency; private houses coexist with shops, offices, small-scale factories, and leisure facilities. Dorchester's Farmers' Market is held in the Queen Mother's Square the first Saturday of the month. Poundbury, a mile west of Dorchester on the B3150, has attracted the ire of modernist architects, but any properties for sale are quickly snapped up.

The seat of the earls of Devon, this notable stately home 8 miles south of Exeter is famed for its staircase hall, a soaring fantasia of white stuccowork on a turquoise background, constructed in 1739–69. Other sumptuous rooms, adorned with family portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller and Sir Joshua Reynolds, were used in the Merchant-Ivory film Remains of the Day. The Belvedere Tower built in the 1770s offers inspiring views over the Exe Estuary, and a second tower, built in 1400 by Sir Philip Courtenay (ancestor of the current owners), stands in the deer park.

House tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and children will enjoy a range of activities such as animal feeding, pony grooming, and goat and alpaca walks (some activities will need booking ahead). Check the website for dates of the "safari" rides (a tractor pulling a trailer) to see the 600-odd fallow deer that live on the grounds, and, in October, the weekly "Deer Rut Safaris." There is a farm shop, a plant center, and various options for eating and drinking (alternatively, bring a picnic to enjoy on the grounds).

Delightful views are the reward of a short stroll along the River Wear's leafy banks, especially as you cross this 17th-century stone footbridge, reached from the southern end of Palace Green. J. M. W. Turner adored the view from here and painted a celebrated scene of Durham from the bridge.

A vision to warm Jane Austen's heart, Bath's grandest house lies a mile or so southeast of the center, with splendid views over the Georgian townscape. Built around 1738 by John Wood the Elder, the Palladian mansion was the home of quarry owner and philanthropist Ralph Allen (1693–1764), whose guests included such luminaries as poet Alexander Pope and novelists Henry Fielding and Samuel Richardson. Today it's a school, and the interior is not open to the public, but you may wander through the beautiful grounds, designed by Capability Brown and embellished with a Palladian bridge and lake. A leisurely circuit of the landscape garden should take around an hour. The parking here is reserved for people with disabilities, so take a taxi or bus from the center. The City Sightseeing bus also calls here.