Tourist Attractions

14 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in England - The 2018 Guide
Written by Bryan Dearsley
One of the most visited countries in the world, England offers almost endless
possibilities for things to see and do. Part of the beautiful British Isles, this small but
influential countrybursts with fascinating history, exciting cities, and rich cultural
traditions. Historic sites are at every turn, from prehistoric megaliths and ancient
Roman sites to centuries-old castles and town centers dating back to the Middle
Ages.
England is also extremely easy to get around, with its most popular tourist
destinations well connected by trains and buses. Or you can drive between points of
interest on a well-planned system of motorways. Whether you choose to tour the
country by car or public transport, you're guaranteed an unforgettable experience.
1 Stonehenge
Stonehenge, 10 miles north of Salisbury on Salisbury Plain, is Europe's best-

known prehistoric monument (the site is so popular that visitors need to purchase a
timed ticket in advance to guarantee entry). Exhibitions at the excellent visitor center
set the stage for a visit, explaining through audio-visual experiences and more
than 250 ancient objects how the megaliths were erected and telling about life when
they were placed here, between 3000 and 1500 BC. After walking around the
enormous stones, visit the authentic replicas of Neolithic Houses to see the tools and
implements of everyday Neolithic life as volunteers demonstrate skills from 4,500
years ago. Although you can't go inside the circle to wander among the stones
during normal opening hours, you can reserve special early morning or late evening
access into the circle through English Heritage, which manages the site.
2 Tower of London
Prison, palace, treasure vault, observatory, and menagerie - the Tower of

London has done it all. Widely considered the most important building in
England, there's enough to see and do at this World Heritage Site to keep visitors
busy for hours. The centerpiece is the White Tower. Built in 1078 by William the
Conqueror, it's home to amazing exhibits such as Line of Kings, the world's oldest
visitor attraction (1652) with its remarkable displays of royal armor. Other
highlights include the wonderful Crown Jewels exhibition, classic Yeoman Warder
Tours, the Royal Mint, and exhibits and displays regarding prisoners and executions.
All told, the Tower of London covers some 18 acres, so there's a great deal of
exploring to do.
3 The Roman Baths and Georgian City of Bath
If you only have time to visit one smaller city in England, you couldn't do much
better than Bath. This remarkably beautiful city boasts more fantastic tourist
attractions than you could hope to visit in a day. While most famous for the
magnificent 2,000-year-old Roman Baths built around the city's rejuvenating hot
springs, it's equally well known for its honey-colored Georgian Townhouses such as
those located on Royal Crescent. Some 500 of the city's buildings are considered of
historical or architectural importance, a fact that has resulted in the entire city
being granted World Heritage status. Bath makes an ideal location from which to
explore some of England's most stunning countryside, including the Avon Valley,
the Mendip Hills, and countless other fantastic Somerset landmarks.
4 British Museum
With collections of antiquities that are among the world's finest, the British
Museum holds more than 13 million artifacts from Assyria,
Babylonia, Egypt, Greece, the Roman Empire, China, and Europe. The most famous
ancient artifacts are the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Athens and the Rosetta
Stone, but there are many other outstanding pieces on show here. The Ancient
Egyptian collection is the largest outside of Cairo, and the hoard of Roman silver
dating from the fourth century known as the Mildenhall Treasure, unearthed in
Suffolk in 1942, is nothing short of spectacular.
5 York Minster and Historic Yorkshire
The magnificent York Minster is second in importance in the Church of England

only to the cathedral at Canterbury. It stands in the center of York, surrounded by
half-timbered homes and shops, medieval guildhalls, and churches. In turn, York's
romantic streets are surrounded by three miles of magnificent town walls that you
can walk atop for views of the city and its surroundings. While there, visit
the National Railway Museum, one of England's most visited tourist attractions. York
is a good base for exploring the countryside, in particular the rugged beauty of the
Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. Elsewhere in Yorkshire, you'll find some
of England's most beautiful historic towns and cities,
including Durham and Beverley.
6 Chester Zoo
Located in Upton, just over a mile north of Chester city center, Chester Zoo is
England's most visited attraction outside of London and a particular favorite for
families. The more than 11,000 animals living in this 125-acre site represent about
400 different species. But the zoo's appeal reaches to more than animal lovers, with
prizewinning landscaped gardens. You can tour these extensive grounds on the zoo's
monorail system to reach highlights that include Chimpanzee Island, a penguin pool,
and Europe's largest tropical house.
While in Chester, take time to walk its walls, the best preserved of their kind in
Britain, and see Chester's other most distinctive feature: its galleried
walkways running the length of stone and half-timbered buildings dating from the
14th century.
7 Lake District National Park
Covering some 900 square miles, the Lake District National Park is a must-visit
destination for travelers to England. With 12 of the country's largest lakes and more
than 2,000 miles of rights of way waiting to be explored, there's little wonder the
region continues to inspire, with its magnificent views and scenery straight out of a
painting. Other things to do include visiting the park's many fells, including Scafell
Pike (3,210 feet), the highest mountain in England; lovely little towns and villages
such as Grasmere; as well as boat excursions across Lake Windermere and Ullswater.
8 Canterbury Cathedral
Located in the heart of the historic city that bears its name, Canterbury Cathedral
(a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is home to the Archbishop of Canterbury and is
the cradle of English Christianity. It all started when St. Augustine converted the
pagan Anglo Saxons here in 597 when he became the first bishop. But there's much
more to this beautiful medieval city than its cathedral. Canterbury is also a popular
cultural and entertainment destination with great shopping, galleries, and cafés, as
well as attractions such as those focused on Chaucer's medieval England and the
city's Roman past.
9 Eden Project
The incredible Eden Project is a collection of unique artificial biomes containing

an amazing collection of plants from around the world. Located in a reclaimed
quarry in Cornwall, the complex consists of huge domes that look rather like massive
igloo-shaped greenhouses. Each houses thousands of different plant species in
tropical and Mediterranean environments. As well as these stunning displays of plant
life, the Eden Project hosts numerous fantastic arts and music events.
10 The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds cover some 787 square miles and encompass parts of some of
England's prettiest counties - Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Somerset,
Worcestershire, and Warwickshire. And all of it begs to be explored. Designated
an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty due to its rare limestone grassland habitats
and old growth beech woodlands, the beauty of the Cotswolds has much to do with
its quaint villages and towns, such as Castle Combe, Chipping Norton, and Tetbury.
Like so much of England, the Cotswolds is perfect to discover on foot, particularly
along the Cotswold Way, a 10-mile footpath with spectacular views of the Severn
Valley and the Vale of Evesham
11 National Gallery
Displaying one of the most comprehensive collections of paintings in the

world, the National Gallery is London's second-most visited museum. The
collections, which present an almost complete cross-section of European painting
from 1260 until 1920, are especially strong in the Dutch Masters and the Italian
Schools of the 15th and 16th centuries. In the Italian galleries look for works by Fra
Angelico, Giotto, Bellini, Botticelli, Correggio, Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese, and
especially for Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna and Child with St. Anne and John the
Baptist, Raphael's The Crucifixion and The Entombment by Michelangelo.
In the German and Dutch galleries are works of Dürer, van Dyck, Frans Hals,
Vermeer, and Rembrandt, and among the artists from the 18th century through 1920,
Hogarth, Reynolds, Sargent, Gainsborough, Constable, and Turner are standouts.
French works include those by Ingres, Delacroix, Daumier, Monet (including The
Water-Lily Pond), Manet, Degas, Renoir, and Cezanne.
12 Warwick Castle
If you're looking for a truly memorable English family excursion - one that
offers a fascinating insight into life in medieval times - you couldn't do much better
than visit Warwick Castle. Located in the beautiful city of Warwick on the River
Avon, this impressive fortress has dominated the landscape and history of the region
for more than 900 years. Today, it serves as a backdrop to medieval-themed events
and reenactments, from jousting festivals to fairs and concerts. Warwick is a great
base from which to explore the Cotswolds, as well as nearby cities such as Stratford-
upon-Avon, Liverpool, and Manchester, all just an easy drive away.
13 Tate Modern
When the Tate Modern opened its new 10-storey extension in June 2016, adding
60 percent more gallery space, visitor numbers jumped by almost one-fourth, making
it one of England's most visited attractions.
Among the world's largest museums of modern and contemporary art, the Tate
Modern shows a wide range of artistic expression, including paintings, works on
paper, sculpture, films, performances, installations, and other forms of artistic
expression. Among the well-known artists represented here are Picasso, Rothko, Dali,
Matisse, and Modigliani. Be sure to go to the viewing level for 360-degree views of
the London skyline and the River Thames far below.
14 Royal Museums Greenwich
Downstream from Tower Bridge, Greenwich is the London base of the Royal
Navy and holds England's largest expanses of preserved historic architecture and
parks. And although lovers of things maritime will certainly gravitate to Greenwich,
there's a lot more there than ships and boats. The highlight for most visitors is
the Cutty Sark, the last surviving of the 19th-century clippers from the lucrative tea
trade between Britain and China. Built in 1869, the Cutty Sark was one of the finest
and fastest ships of its day, and you can board it to explore the clipper, from its figure
head to the sailors' quarters below decks.
At the Discover Greenwich Visitor Centre exhibits show more than 500 years of
maritime history. In Queen's House, the National Maritime Museum is the largest of
its kind in the world, featuring the Royal Navy from Tudor times to the Napoleonic
Wars. Greenwich Park, dating from the 15th century and the oldest of London's eight
Royal Parks, is filled with beautiful gardens and walking paths, and here you'll find
the Old Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian Line, marked by a steel rod in the
floor of the Meridian Building. This is the zero meridian of longitude, dividing the
world into eastern and western halves; you can stand with one foot in each
hemisphere.

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14 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in England - The 2018 Guide

Written by Bryan Dearsley

Stonehenge, 10 miles north of Salisbury on Salisbury Plain, is Europe's best-

Prison, palace, treasure vault, observatory, and menagerie - the Tower of

The magnificent York Minster is second in importance in the Church of England

The incredible Eden Project is a collection of unique artificial biomes containing

Displaying one of the most comprehensive collections of paintings in the

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