4 Best Sights in England

In the year 875, Vikings destroyed the Lindisfarne community; only a few monks escaped, carrying with them St. 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 tells the story of Cuthbert and the monks living on Lindisfarne and displays a selection of Anglo-Saxon artifacts, from carvings to knitting fragments, as well as some very early Christian prayer beads.

A fine historical anecdote concerns this idyllic Augustinian priory, founded in the early 12th century and located 15 miles southwest of Alnwick. Scottish "reivers" came to raid and loot the place, but because it was hidden by forest, they were unable to find it and gave up. The happy monks then sounded the bells in celebration, thus revealing the location—and the Scots promptly returned and sacked the place. Most of the beautiful, light-filled building is the result of a loving Victorian restoration, though the spirit of the original has been retained, along with a few physical elements. Highlights of the interior include the stone-carved altar, the stained glass windows, and the William Hill organ, regularly used for classical music concerts. On the same site are a mill and a 19th-century manor house; the latter incorporates the undercroft from the former monks' refectory. The house is said to be inhabited by the spirits of a monk and a nun, and several workmen have reported sightings in recent years. The walk from the car park takes 10 minutes, but it's a lovely way to encounter the priory. Those with mobility issues can drive all the way down.

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.

John and Charles Wesley were among the Dissenters from the Church of England who found a home in Bristol, and, in 1739, they built the New Room, a meeting place that became the first Methodist chapel. Its simplicity contrasts with the style of Anglican churches and with the modern shopping center hemming it in. Upstairs you can visit the Preachers' Rooms, now containing a small museum. Charles Wesley's house, situated nearby, is also visitable (online bookings only).