868 Best Sights in England

Looking at the neon of the major movie houses, the fast-food outlets, and the gaudy casino and disco entrances, you'd never guess that Leicester Square (pronounced "Lester") was a model of aristocratic formality and refinement when it was first laid out around the 1670s (it was named after its first inhabitant, the 2nd Earl of Leicester). By the 19th century, the square was already bustling and disreputable, and although it's not a threatening place, you should still be on your guard, especially at night—any space so full of people is bound to attract pickpockets, and Leicester Square certainly does. Although there's an underlying glamour (major red-carpet blockbuster film premieres often happen here), Londoners generally tend to avoid the place, though it's worth a visit for its hustle and bustle, its mime artists, and the pleasant modern fountain at its center. Also in the middle is a famous statue of a sulking William Shakespeare, perhaps remembering the days when the movie houses were live theaters—burlesque houses, but live all the same. On the northeast corner, in Leicester Place, stands the Catholic church of Notre Dame de France, with a wonderful mural by Jean Cocteau in one of its side chapels. For more in the way of atmosphere, head north and west from here, through Chinatown and the narrow Georgian streets of Soho.

The former home of leading Victorian artist Frederic (Lord) Leighton now dazzles more than ever. Leighton spent 30 years (and a lot of money) transforming the Holland Park residence where he lived and worked into an opulent "private palace of art." His travels through the Middle East inform the sumptuousness of the interior: think peacock-blue tiled walls, beautiful mosaic wall panels, marble pillars, and gilded ceilings. The centerpiece is the Arab Hall, with its intricate ceramic murals under a stunning gold leaf dome. Leighton's fascinating Winter Studio is now fully restored, as is the original entrance hall to the house. Look out for an unassuming door to the right of the reception desk: it's the separate entrance for Leighton's models, designed to keep them away from prying Victorian eyes. There's also a delightful garden-side café.

Facing the cathedral across Exchequer Gate, this castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1068, incorporating the remains of Roman walls. The castle was used as a debtor's prison from 1787 to 1878. In the chapel you can see cagelike stalls where convicts heard sermons; they were designed this way so inmates couldn't tell who their fellow prisoners were, thus supposedly preserving a modicum of dignity. The castle's star exhibit is an original copy of Magna Carta, signed by King John in 1215. This is one of only four surviving copies of the original document, and one of few ever to have left the country—it was secretly moved to Fort Knox for safekeeping during World War II. A major renovation in 2015 opened up the wall walk for the first time, allowing visitors to make a complete circuit of the battlements (totaling more than ¼ mile). In addition, a 3-D cinema shows a high-tech film about the history of Magna Carta.

Lincoln's crowning glory (properly known as the Cathedral of St. Mary, although nobody calls it that), this was, for centuries, the tallest building in Europe. The Norman Bishop Remigius began work in 1072. The Romanesque church he built was irremediably damaged, first by fire, then by earthquake. Today, its most striking feature is the west front's strikingly tall towers, best viewed from the 14th-century Exchequer Gate in front of the cathedral or from the castle battlements beyond. Inside, a breathtaking impression of space and unity belies the many centuries of building and rebuilding. The stained-glass window at the north end of the transept (known as the Dean's Eye) dates from the 13th century. Look for the Lincoln Imp on the pillar nearest St. Hugh's shrine; according to legend, an angel turned this creature into stone.

Through a door on the north side is the chapterhouse, a 10-sided building with one of the oldest vaulted ceilings in the world. It sometimes housed the medieval Parliament of England during the reigns of Edward I and Edward II. The cathedral library, designed by Christopher Wren (1632–1723), was built onto the north side of the cloisters after the original library collapsed. Guided tours of the ground floor are included in the price. You can also book tours of the roof and tower (£7.50); these can be booked in advance with the visitor services team. For safety reasons, children under 14 are not allowed on those tours.

In the year 875, Vikings destroyed the Lindisfarne community; only a few monks escaped, carrying with them Cuthbert's bones, which were reburied in Durham Cathedral. The sandstone Norman ruins of Lindisfarne Priory, reestablished in the 11th century, remain an impressive and eerily beautiful sight. A museum here, which is currently being renovated, tells the story of the monks living on Lindisfarne and displays a selection Anglo-Saxon carvings.

Housed in the old flower market at the southeast corner of Covent Garden, this intriguing transport museum is filled with highly impressive trains, posters, and photograph collections. As you watch the crowds drive a Tube train simulation and gawk at the Victorian steam locomotives and horse-drawn trams (and the piles of detritus that remained behind), it's unclear who's enjoying it more: children or adults. Best of all, the kid-friendly museum (under 18s admitted free, and there's a play area) has a multilevel approach to education, including clear information for the youngest visitors and transit aficionados alike. Food and drink are available at the Upper Deck Canteen café, and the shop has good options for gifts. Tickets are valid for unlimited entry for 12 months.

The family seat of the Marquesses of Bath, Longleat House is one of southern England's most famous stately homes, and possibly the most ambitiously, even eccentrically, commercialized, as evidenced by the presence of a drive-through safari park (open since 1966) with giraffes, zebras, gorillas, monkeys, rhinos, and lions. A two-hour, first-come, first-served Safari Bus tour of the park is provided twice daily (£8). The house, considered to be one of the finest remaining examples of High Elizabethan, was largely completed in 1580 for more than £8,000, an astronomical sum at the time. It contains outstanding tapestries, paintings, porcelain, furniture, and one of the largest private collections of books in England (more than 40,000 volumes housed in seven libraries). Notable period features include Victorian kitchens, painted ceilings, and an Elizabethan great hall with massive wooden beams and a minstrels' gallery. You can wander at will or take one of the specialized one-hour guided tours (such as the "Rooftop" tour or the "Scandalous History" tour) for an extra fee. In addition to 900 acres of parkland designed by Capability Brown, plus formal and pleasure gardens and the safari park, the property has a miniature steam railway, a koala family, an extensive (and fairly fiendish) hedge maze, a "jungle cruise" past a colony of lowland gorillas, and an "adventure castle," all of which makes it extremely popular, particularly in summer and during school vacations. Be sure to book your tickets online before you visit. You can stay at one of seven cottages on site (from £375).

The 14th-century half-timber Lord Leycester Hospital at Warwick's Norman gate is a genuine hidden gem. The Lord Leycester has effectively been a retirement home for soldiers since Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, dedicated it to that purpose in 1571. Within the complex, there is a 12th-century chapel, an impressive beamed hall, and a fine courtyard with a wattle-and-daub balcony and 500-year-old gardens. It's currently undergoing a major renovation, and you should expect improved visitor experiences when it reopens as the project has attracted major investment. Hopefully tours with one of the guides dressed in Elizabethan robes will still be available, along with the chance to enjoy a cream tea in the very friendly Brethren’s Kitchen, where food has been served for centuries.

Lord's Cricket Ground—home of the venerable Marylebone Cricket Club, founded in 1787 and whose rules codified the game—has been hallowed cricketing turf since 1814. Tickets for major test matches are hard to come by: obtain an application form online and enter the ballot (lottery) to purchase them.

The "very perfection of decay," according to author Daniel Defoe, the ruins of this red sandstone castle date from 1085. No wonder the massive structure dwarfs the town: it served as a vital stronghold for centuries and was the seat of the Marcher Lords who ruled "the Marches," the local name for the border region. The two sons of Edward IV—the little princes of the Tower of London—spent time here before being dispatched to London and before their death in 1483. Follow the terraced walk around the castle for a lovely view of the countryside.

The River Lyd carved a spectacular 1½-mile-long chasm through the rock at Lydford Gorge, outside the pretty village of Lydford, midway between Okehampton and Tavistock. Two paths follow the gorge past gurgling whirlpools and waterfalls with evocative names such as the Devil's Cauldron and the White Lady Waterfall. Currently, the Devil's Cauldron trail and viewing platform are closed for extended repairs, though the river trail, taking in most of the gorge, and the shorter waterfall trail are both open. Prices will increase once the site is fully reopened. Sturdy footwear is recommended. Although the walk can be quite challenging, the paths can still get congested during busy periods. Two tearooms are open from late March through October. In winter, access is restricted: usually only the waterfall and the top of the gorge remain open.

In a refurbished transit shed on the harborside, this museum is dedicated to the city's history. The collection comprises three main galleries—Bristol People, Bristol Places, and Bristol Life—that focus on everything from the slave trade to scientific inventions to recent cultural innovations associated with the city. Check out the artifacts, photos, and sound and video recordings of and by Bristolians, all jazzed up with the latest interactive technology. Don't forget to take in the magnificent harbor views from the top-floor terrace.

Founded in 1458, with a handsome main quadrangle and a supremely monastic air, Magdalen (pronounced maud-lin) is one of the most impressive of Oxford's colleges and attracts its most artistic students. Alumni include such diverse people as P. G. Wodehouse, Oscar Wilde, and John Betjeman. The school's large, square tower is a famous local landmark. To enhance your visit, take a stroll around the Deer Park and along Addison's Walk; then have tea in the Old Kitchen, which overlooks the river.

This University of Manchester--owned museum is located in a superb Gothic Revival building with modern add-ons. Its latest extension had added a superb South Asia gallery and a Chinese culture gallery. Embracing anthropology, natural history, and archaeology, it features one of the U.K.'s largest ancient Egyptian collections as part of the extensive Ancient Worlds galleries, a beautiful Living Worlds gallery designed to raise questions about our attitude towards nature, and a vivarium complete with live frogs and other amphibians and reptiles. A lively events program for all ages helps lure in repeat visitors.

This wonderful museum captures the triumphs and tragedies of Liverpool's seafaring history over five floors. Besides exhibits of maritime paintings, models, ceramics, and ships in bottles, it brings to life the ill-fated stories of the Titanic and Lusitania; the Battle of the Atlantic; and the city's role during World War II. Seized, the gallery for the Border Force National Museum, explores the heroes and villains of the world of smuggling, together with the story of mass emigration from the port in the 19th century, while the Life on Board gallery looks at everyone from merchant sailors to leisure cruise-liner passengers.

An on-site museum houses the Mary Rose, the former flagship of Henry VIII's navy and the world's only 16th-century warship on display. Built in this same dockyard more than 500 years ago, the ship sank in the harbor in 1545 and remained there until raised in 1982. In an accompanying exhibition, you can see artifacts retrieved from the seabed ranging from the ship's large guns to personal possessions like surgeon's tools, tankards, bowls, nit combs, and games.

By the harbor you can visit the Mayflower Steps, marking where the Pilgrims embarked in 1620. The actual steps no longer exist, but a granite block, the Mayflower Stone, marks the approximate spot, and there is a commemorative portico with Doric columns of Portland stone. Local historians believe that the true site is roughly where a Victorian pub, the Admiral MacBride, now stands. The Pilgrims had originally sailed from Southampton but had to stop in Plymouth because of damage from a storm.

Cambridge University maintains some fine museums in its research halls on Downing Street—the wonder is that they're not better known to visitors. At the recently renovated Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, highlights include an array of objects brought back from Captain Cook's pioneering voyages to the Pacific; Roman and medieval-era British artifacts; and the oldest human-made tools ever discovered, from the African expeditions of British archaeologist Louis Leakey (1903–72).

The venue's historic buildings, one of which is the world's oldest passenger rail station (1830), hold marvelous collections relating to the city's industrial past and present, although conservation, restoration, and expansion over the next few years will mean certain areas are off-limits or obscured by scaffolding. You can walk through a reconstructed Victorian sewer, be blasted by the heat and noise of working steam engines, see cotton looms whirring in action, and watch a planetarium show. Allow at least half a day to get the most out of all the sites, temporary exhibitions, talks, and events.

In contrast to the West End's grand aristocratic town houses, this charming museum is devoted to the life of the city's middle class over the years. Originally a row of almshouses built in 1714, it now contains a series of 11 rooms that re-create everyday domestic interiors from the Elizabethan period through the 1950s to the present day. The Home Galleries, located in the basement of the museum, puts it all in context with a wider history of the concept of home that includes plenty of interactive exhibits.

Outside, a series of gardens charts the evolution of the town garden over the past 400 years; next to them is a walled herb garden. In the museum's front garden, you'll find a statue of Sir Robert Geffreye, the English merchant who founded the almshouses; the museum used to bear his name, but in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and the acknowledgment of Geffreye's connections with the transatlantic slave trade, the museum has been renamed. After consultation, the museum decided against removing the statue and instead commissioned displays and artwork to recontextualize it. Molly's Café, the excellent on-site eatery, provides appropriately homely lunches and snacks.

From the time of Henry VIII until the 1940s, Britain was the world's preeminent naval power, and the collections here trace half a millennia of that seafaring history. The story is as much about trade as it is warfare: in the Atlantic gallery, Slavery, Trade, Empire explores how trade in goods (and people) irrevocably changed the world, while in the Traders gallery, The East India Company and Asia focuses on how the epoch-defining company shaped trade with Asia for 250 years. One gallery, Polar Worlds, includes a sledge from one of Shackleton’s expeditions, while another is devoted to Admiral Lord Nelson, Britain's most famous naval commander; among the exhibits there is the uniform he was wearing, complete with bloodstains, when he died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Temporary exhibitions here are usually fascinating—those in recent years have included personal accounts of the First World War at sea. Borrow a tablet computer from the front desk and take it to the giant map of the world in the courtyard at the center of the museum; here, a high-tech, interactive app opens up hidden stories and games as you walk between continents. The Ahoy! and All Hands galleries are filled with interactive fun for kids, where they can learn about polar exploration, pirates, and more.

The National Portrait Gallery was founded in 1856 with a single aim: to gather together portraits of famous (and infamous) Britons throughout history. More than 150 years and 200,000 portraits later, it is an essential stop for all history and literature buffs, especially following a major overhaul that includes a rehang and plenty of new, better designed, gallery spaces. If you visit with kids, swing by the new Learning Centre to take part in family activities. 

Galleries are arranged clearly and chronologically, from Tudor times to contemporary Britain. Look out for treasures such as the enormous portrait of Elizabeth I—bejeweled and literally astride the world in a powerful display of imperial intent—plus portraits of Shakespeare, the Brontë sisters, and Jane Austen. More of the photography collection is on display since the rehang, including Annie Leibovitz's striking photograph of Queen Elizabeth II. On the top floor, the Portrait Restaurant has one of the best views in London—a panoramic vista of Nelson's Column and the backdrop along Whitehall to the Houses of Parliament.

A must for train lovers, Britain's biggest railway museum houses part of the national collection of rail vehicles. Don't miss such gleaming giants of the steam era as the Mallard, holder of the world speed record for a steam engine (126 mph), and a replica of the prototype steam engine, the Rocket. Passenger cars used by Queen Victoria are on display, as is the only Japanese bullet train to be seen outside Japan, along with railway-related art, posters, and memorabilia. You can climb aboard some of the trains and occasionally take a short trip on one. There's also a miniature railway, very popular with kids (£3.50). Admission is by pre-booked ticket only.

Originally built to house the British Museum’s natural history collection and bolstered by samples provided by Britain’s great 19th-century explorers and scientists—notably Charles Darwin—this enormous Victorian cathedral of science is one of the world’s preeminent museums of natural history and earth sciences. As might be expected given its Darwin connection, the emphasis is on evolution and conservation. The terra-cotta facade is embellished with relief panels depicting living creatures to the left of the entrance and extinct ones to the right (although some species have subsequently changed categories). Most are represented inside the museum, which contains more than 70 million different specimens. Only a small percentage is on public display, but you could still spend a day here and not come close to seeing everything.

The skeleton of a giant blue whale dominates the vaulted, cathedral-like entrance hall. Even bigger than the blue whale is the skeleton of titanosaur Patagotitan mayorum, one of the largest creatures to have ever walked the Earth, now housed in the Waterhouse Gallery (£16). Meanwhile, similarly huge dino bones (technically rocks due to fossilization) can be found in the Dinosaur Gallery (Blue Zone) along with the only known fossil of Spicomellus, a type of armored dinosaur with spikes protruding from its ribs. You'll also come face-to-face with a virtual Jurassic sea dragon and a giant animatronic T. rex (¾ of its actual size) that's programmed to sense when human prey is near and "respond" in character. When he does, you can hear the shrieks of fear and delight all the way across the room.

An escalator takes you into a giant globe in the Earth Galleries, where there's a choice of levels to explore. Don't leave without checking out the earthquake simulation in the Volcanoes and Earthquakes Gallery. The Darwin Centre houses some 80 million items the museum itself doesn't have room to display, including "Archie," a 28-foot giant squid. If you want to see Archie and some of the other millions of animal specimens preserved (including some acquired on Darwin's Beagle voyage), you'll need to book one of the behind-the-scenes Spirit Collection tours (£25). These 45-minute tours take place at various dates and times and can be booked on the same day (space is limited, so come early). Night owls might prefer one of the evening talks or spending an entire night in the museum at one of the "Dino Snores" events (extra charge applies).

The museum also has an outdoor ice-skating rink from October through January and a popular Christmas fair.

This national park, still largely owned by the Crown, consists of 150 square miles of woodland, heaths, grassland, bogs, and the remains of coppices and timber plantations established in the 17th to 19th century. Residents have had grazing rights since the 12th century, and you can still encounter free-roaming cattle, and, most famously, the hardy New Forest ponies. An extensive network of trails makes it a wonderful place for biking, walking, and horseback riding.

Built in the 1690s by Sir Christopher Wren with 18th-century additions and interiors by Robert Adam, this country house, still home to the original family, is one of Britain's finest examples of 18th-century interior decoration. Of particular note is the ornamental plasterwork, Chippendale furniture, the domed Sculpture Hall devoted to Roman statuary, and the Tapestry Hall, which boasts priceless Gobelin tapestries. The 25 acres of gardens are justifiably famous; a double herbaceous border running down to the river separates garden "rooms," each flowering during a different season. A miniature railroad, playground, dollhouse and teddy bear exhibitions, and pedal boats amuse kids. Entry to the house is restricted to one-hour guided tours, which run from April to September.

The grandest example of Norman architecture in Norwich has a towering 315-foot spire and the second-largest monastic cloisters in Britain (only Salisbury's are bigger). The cathedral was begun in 1096 by Herbert de Losinga, who had come from Normandy in 1091 to be its first bishop; his splendid tomb is by the high altar. The remarkable length of the nave is immediately impressive; the similarly striking height of the vaulted ceiling makes it a strain to study the delightful colored bosses, which illustrate Bible stories with great vigor and detail (binoculars are handy). The grave of Norfolk-born nurse Edith Cavell, a British World War I heroine shot by the Germans in 1915, is at the eastern end. There's also a medieval-style herb garden, a Japanese garden, a restaurant, and a coffee shop. Guided tours are run Monday to Saturday at 10, 11, noon, 1, 2, and 3. The Cathedral Close is one of the most idyllic places in Norwich. Keep an eye out for peregrine falcons; they nest in the spire. Past the mixture of medieval and Georgian houses, a path leads down to the ancient water gate, Pulls Ferry.

The majestic arc of the Royal Crescent, much used as a film location, is the crowning glory of Palladian architecture in Bath. The work of John Wood the Younger, these 30 houses fronted by 114 columns were laid out between 1767 and 1774. The first house to be built, on the corner of Brock Street and the Royal Crescent, was Number 1 Royal Crescent. The museum now crystallizes a view of the English class system in the 18th century—the status, wealth, and elegance of the upstairs in contrast with the extensive servants' quarters and kitchen downstairs. You can witness the predilections of the first resident, Henry Sandford, in the cabinet of curiosities and the electrical machine, as well as a Georgian love of display in the sumptuous dessert table arrangement in the dining room. Several varieties of historic mousetraps make their appearance downstairs. Everything is presented with elegant attention to authenticity and detail.

Built by Sir Christopher Wren between 1696 and 1751 as a rest home for ancient mariners, the college became a naval school in 1873. The site is still used for classes by the University of Greenwich and the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, although you're more likely to recognize it as a film location: blockbusters to have made use of its elegant interiors include Skyfall, Les Misérables, and The King's Speech. Architecturally, you'll notice how the structures part to reveal the Queen's House across the central lawns. The Painted Hall, the college's dining hall, derives its name from the baroque murals of William and Mary (reigned jointly 1689–94; William alone 1695–1702) and assorted allegorical figures. James Thornhill's frescoes, depicting scenes of naval grandeur with a suitably pro-British note, were painstakingly completed 1707–12 and 1718–26, and were good enough to earn him a knighthood. The gallery next door tells the story of the frescoes.

In the opposite building stands the College Chapel, which was rebuilt after a fire in 1779 in an altogether more restrained, neo-Grecian style. It hosts free lunchtime concerts by Trinity students each Tuesday and Friday, beginning at 1:05 pm. The underground passage connecting the two buildings also leads to Skittle Alley, where naval veterans, known as Greenwich Pensioners, played skittles to pass the time. The college's free visitor center includes interactive exhibits on the history of Greenwich, plus an assortment of local treasures and artifacts. Most intriguing among them is a 17th-century "witch bottle," once used to ward off evil spirits. High-tech scans have revealed it to contain a mixture of human hair, fingernails, and urine.

This small but important collection of mostly modern British art includes work by Henry Moore and Graham Sutherland. It's in a modern extension to Pallant House, a mansion built for a wealthy wine merchant in 1712 and considered one of the finest surviving examples of Chichcester's Georgian past. At that time, its state-of-the-art design showed the latest in complicated brickwork and superb wood carving. Appropriate antiques and porcelains furnish the faithfully restored rooms. Temporary and special exhibitions (usually around three at once) invariably find new and interesting angles to cover.