South Cornwall
The ‘ah’ factor goes into overdrive at this sea-life centre in Gweek, about 12 miles drive from Falmouth along the Helford River. It cares for sick and…
Must-see attractions in The United Kingdom
Dartmoor National Park
Three miles northeast of Chagford, this outlandish architectural flight of fancy was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens for self-made food-millionaire Julius…
The Lake District
This old slate mine has been reinvented as a centre for all kinds of activities: you could venture underground into the bowels of the old 'Edge' and …
Orkney
A half-mile west of Pierowall stands this sturdy ruined tower house, built in the 16th century by Gilbert Balfour, aide to Mary, Queen of Scots. The…
Dartmoor National Park
Founded as a Cistercian monastery and abbey-church in the 13th century, Buckland Abbey was one of Henry VIII’s ‘acquisitions’ during the Dissolution of…
Keswick
Keswick's quirky town museum explores the area's history, from ancient archaeology through to the arrival of industry in the Lakes. It's a diverse…
Exmoor National Park
Exmoor's most famous landmark is an ancient stone clapper bridge shaded by gnarled old trees. Its huge slabs are propped up on stone columns embedded in…
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
The contents of Newcastle University's museums and the prestigious Hancock Museum's natural-history exhibits come together in the latter's neoclassical…
South Cornwall
It's been off-limits for many years to everyone except film crews, but since spring 2017 Charlestown's historic port has reopened to the public. You can…
Wiltshire
The mother of all makeovers at this 16th-century manor house used original techniques and materials to recreate interiors spanning five periods. Being…
Dorset
For a real sense of Portland's remote nature, head to its southern tip, Portland Bill, to climb the 41m-high, candy-striped lighthouse. It offers…
Guernsey
In the middle of the vast, landscaped Sausmarez Park, this excellent museum is an enjoyable romp through Guernsey life a hundred years ago. Walk through a…
Exmoor National Park
Most visitors buzz straight past tiny, tumbledown Cleeve Abbey, but it’s one of the best examples of traditional Cistercian architecture in southwest…
The Lake District
An impressive sight with its turrets and battlements, this mock-Gothic castle was built in 1840 for James Dawson, a retired doctor from Liverpool, but it…
Aberdeen
This excellent museum records the history of one of the British Army's most famous fighting units, described by Winston Churchill as 'the finest regiment…
The Lake District
Two miles off the B5285 from Hawkshead, a winding country lane leads to this famously photogenic artificial lake, now owned by the National Trust. Trails…
Stirling
This impressive Victorian prison building lay derelict from the 1960s until 2015, when it was reopened as a visitor attraction. Costumed guides lead tours…
Peak District
Adjoining Buxton's opulent opera house are the equally flamboyant Pavilion Gardens. These 9.3 hectares are dotted with domed pavilions; concerts take…
Holkham National Nature Reserve
Norfolk
Beach, dunes, salt marsh, grazing marsh, pinewoods and scrub – a high number of habitats pack into 37-sq-km Holkham Reserve. It's easily accessed from the…
Isle of Wight
The exquisitely preserved mosaics here (including a famous cockerel-headed man) make this one of the finest Romano-British sites in the UK. Wooden…
Glasgow
One of Glasgow's top attractions, this outstanding museum 3 miles out of town houses everything from Chinese porcelain and medieval furniture to paintings…
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
At almost 1000 hectares (the largest urban parkland in Europe), this park offers everything from formal gardens and ancient oaks to unsurpassed views of…
Cardiff
Cardiff Castle's fanciful little brother sits perched atop a thickly wooded crag on the northern fringes of Cardiff. It was the summer retreat of the…
The Cotswolds
During its thousand-year history, this magnificent castle has welcomed many a monarch, including Richard III, Henry VIII and Charles I. Half a mile…
Southeast Wales
The seat of the Morgan family for more than 500 years, Tredegar House is a stone and red-brick 17th-century building set amid extensive gardens, 2 miles…
Orkney
Hoy’s best-known sight is this 137m-high rock stack jutting from the ocean off the tip of an eroded headland. It's a tough ascent and for experienced…
Nottingham
Nottingham's castle crowns a sandstone outcrop worm-holed with caves and tunnels. Founded by William the Conqueror, the original castle was held by a…
The West End
The only church (1684) Christopher Wren built from scratch and one of a handful established on a new site (most of the other London churches are…
Northwest England
The lifeblood of Blackpool's commercial life is the Pleasure Beach, a 16-hectare collection of more than 145 rides that attracts some seven million…
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
An 18th-century Palladian peach conceived as an idyllic escape from the hurly-burly of city life, this majestic love nest was originally built for George…
Whitby
In 2018, a full-size replica of Captain Cook’s HM Bark Endeavour became a permanent fixture in Whitby harbour and opened to the public as a visitor…
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Oxford
Housed in a glorious Victorian Gothic building, with cast-iron columns, flower-carved capitals and a soaring glass roof, this museum makes a superb…
Outer Hebrides
One of Scotland’s most evocative historic buildings, the Arnol Blackhouse is not so much a museum as a perfectly preserved fragment of a lost world. Built…
North & West Coast
Photogenically sited at the entrance to Loch Duich, Eilean Donan is one of Scotland’s most evocative castles and must now be represented in millions of…
Northumberland Coast
Northumberland's most dramatic castle was built around a powerful 11th-century Norman keep by Henry II. The castle played a key role in the border wars of…
Belfast
Built in Belfast in 1911, the SS Nomadic is the last remaining vessel of the White Star Line. The little steamship ferried 1st- and 2nd-class passengers…
Liverpool
Liverpool's most impressive building is the Grade I–listed St George's Hall, a magnificent example of neoclassical architecture that is as imposing today…
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
Known as ‘Hampton Court in miniature’, much haunted red-brick Ham House was built in 1610 and became home to the first Earl of Dysart, unluckily employed…
South Cornwall
On the hills above the gentle crescent of Porthluney Beach, this crenellated country mansion was originally built for the Trevanions and later remodelled…
St Ives
Barbara Hepworth (1903–75) was one of the leading abstract sculptors of the 20th century and a key figure in the St Ives art scene. Her studio on Barnoon…
