3 Best Sights in England

Regular boat trips from the little village of Seahouses, 3 miles down the coast from Bamburgh, provide access to the Farne Islands with their impressive colonies of seabirds—including puffins, kittiwakes, terns, shags, and guillemots—and barking groups of gray seals. Inner Farne, where St. Cuthbert, the great abbot of Lindisfarne, died in AD 687, has a tiny chapel. Look out for the ruined lighthouse beacons as you pass Brownsman Island. A few companies are licensed to make the trip to Farne and the other islands, including Billy Shiel's Boat Trips ( www.farne-islands.com), Serenity ( www.farneislandstours.co.uk), and Golden Gate ( facebook.com/GoldenGateFarneIslandBoatTrips). All boat services leave from Seahouses Harbor; look for the tiny booth selling tickets or the outlet in the main village parking lot. Each company offers a variety of other cruises, such as seal-spotting expeditions and Lindisfarne landing trips, which vary from 90 minutes to 4½ hours; check the websites. In addition to the cost of the boat trip, Inner Farne has a National Trust landing fee of £13 (May through September).

Fondly regarded in folklore as the lost land of Lyonesse, this compact group of more than 100 islands 30 miles southwest of Land's End is equally famed for the warm summer climate and ferocious winter storms. You can find peace, flowers—wild, cultivated, and subtropical—swarms of seabirds, and unspoiled beaches galore. There's a 2¾-hour ferry service from Penzance, a plane service from Land's End airport and other mainland airports, and a helicopter service ( www.penzancehelicopters.co.uk) from Penzance. Planes and ferries both arrive at the largest of the five inhabited islands, St. Mary's, while up to 11 helicopter flights connect Penzance with St. Mary's and Tresco. St. Mary's has the bulk of the lodgings, though the most palatial retreats are on the islands of Tresco and St. Martin's.

Rising out of Mount's Bay just off the coast, this spectacular granite-and-slate island is one of Cornwall's greatest natural attractions. The 14th-century castle perched at the highest point—200 feet above the sea—was built on the site of a Benedictine chapel founded by Edward the Confessor and has served as a church (Brittany's island abbey of Mont St. Michel was an inspiration), a fortress, and a private residence. The castle rooms you can tour include the Chevy Chase Room—a name probably associated with the Cheviot Hills, from the French word chevaux (horses), after the hunting frieze that decorates the walls of this former monks' refectory. Family portraits include works by Reynolds and Gainsborough.

Don't miss the wonderful views from the castle battlements. Around the base of the rock are buildings from medieval to Victorian times, but they appear harmonious. Fascinating gardens surround the Mount, and many kinds of plants flourish in its microclimate.

To get to the island, walk the cobbled causeway from the village of Marazion or, when the tide is in, take the £2.80 ferry (summer only). There are pubs and restaurants in the village, but the island also has a café and restaurant. Wear good walking shoes for your visit, which requires a steep climb. Visits may be canceled in severe weather.