The United Kingdom offers not only some of the best scenery in the entire world but also some lovely places of interest that you may want to visit.
These are just some of the reasons why so many people visit it on holiday each year and explore the United Kingdom. Even the more urban areas of the UK, such as London, offer uniquely beautiful scenery.
Some Interesting Facts about the United Kingdom
- Tea is by far the most famous drink among the Brits, and it is estimated that they drink 165 million cups of tea every day.
- Although English is the official language of the UK, you will find a variety of different accents throughout the country.
- London is home to more than 8 million citizens, and it is estimated that more than 300 languages are spoken in the city
- London is the largest city in the U.K. and also the most expensive to live in
- Stonehenge which you will find in the United Kingdom is claimed to be one of the oldest monuments in the world, scientists believe that it was built over in 3,000 B.C.
- The Union Jack Flag is the United Kingdoms flag. Its design represents a blending of the Scottish flag, English and the flag of St Patrick (which represents Ireland)
- There are over 170 museums in London
- The railway system in the U.K. is ranked as 17th largest railway network in the world.
- All horses in the U.K. must possess a passport
- The British Library is the 2nd largest library in the world, and it houses over 150 million items.
Take a look at Some of the Places of Interest that you can Visit
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, two miles west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around 13 feet high, seven feet wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connecting horizontal lintel stones.
It is the most architecturally sophisticated and only surviving lintelled stone circle in the world. The earliest stage of the monument is one of the largest cremations cemeteries known in Neolithic Britain.
Find out more information about Stonehenge.
Are pets allowed at Stonehenge ?
Food and drink at Stonehenge
Plan your visit to Stonehenge.
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.
The tower is a historic, 900-year-old castle, which was built by William the Conqueror following his conquest of England in 1066
The Tower which has been used for many different roles throughout its long history, was a grand royal palace in its early history, and was later used as a fortress and prison. It was also used as a place of execution, an arsenal, royal mint, menagerie (or zoo) and is currently home to the priceless Crown Jewels of England.
The Tower is home to 37 Yeoman Warders, whom are a body of men and women taken from the British military who each must have recorded at least 22 years of active service. They are nicknamed Beefeaters, and they have been guarding the Tower since Tudor times.
Planning your visit to the Tower of London
Travel options for visiting the Tower of London
A self-guided visit to Tower Bridge allows you to see the inside at your own pace. Find the right ticket for your visit to Tower Bridge
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It documents the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present.
It is one of the world’s best-known and most-visited museums – and it’s free and open to all.
Galleries
There are more than 60 free galleries at the British Museum that can be explored.
Guided Tours
Explore some of the most famous objects on display at the Museum on the guided highlights tours.
Learn
The British Museum’s learning team create and deliver accessible world class cultural learning experiences for all ages and levels.
View the opening hours of the British Museum
Plan your visit to The British Museum
Support The British Museum. Support is vital and helps the Museum to share the collection with the world.
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost 1000 years of architectural history.
Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest inhabited castle in the world. It is located about an hour from central London and visitors can see the sumptuous State apartments, the spectacular display of heraldry in St George’s Chapel and even take a peek at the Royal residential apartments.
The Queen lives at Windsor Castle which is said to be her favourite London residence. You can tell when she is home by looking at the flag pole above the famous Round Tower – the Royal Standard is raised as soon as she gets there and lowered once she leaves to be replaced by the Union Jack.
Queen Mary’s Dolls House is on display in the State Apartments at Windsor Castle. It is a 1/12th scale masterpiece with the building designed by the famous Architect Sir Edwin Lutyens and gardens by the renowned Gertrude Jekyll.
The royal wine cellar keeps about 18,000 bottles of vino in the cellar. But according to Jancis Robinson, one of the queen’s wine advisors, not all of it is so fancy. Each year, Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace host more than 300 events, requiring 5000 bottles of wine.
Queen Elizabeth was one of the longest-established Pembroke corgi breeders on the planet. For nearly 70 years, Windsor was home to her corgi breeding program, which she shut down in 2015.
Book tickets to visit Windsor Castle
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of the UK’s sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visitors every summer.
There are 775 rooms, including 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, 52 principal bedrooms and 19 state rooms.
Built as ‘Buckingham House’ in 1703, Buckingham palace was originally constructed as a large townhouse for Duke Buckingham. In 1791, King George III bought the property as a gift for Queen Charlotte, thus earning it the name The Queen’s House.
The Queen’s royal standard flag billows high above the palace then the Queen is currently in the residence. When the Union Jack in flown instead of the royal standard flag the Queen is elsewhere. One of the Queen’s favorite places to spend the weekend is at the royal residence of Windsor Castle.
A clockmaker works full-time at the palace, maintaining over 350 clocks and watches. To ensure that time runs smoothly at the palace and residence don’t miss any engagements, two horological conservators wind up the royals’ clocks every week.
The garden at Buckingham Palace
Hever Castle and Gardens
Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever, Kent, near Edenbridge, 30 miles south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century. From 1462 to 1539, it was the seat of the Boleyn family.
Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a meander of the River Avon. The original wooden motte-and-bailey castle was rebuilt in stone during the 12th century.
Hampton court palace
Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, 12 miles south west and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chief minister of King Henry VIII.
Camden Town
Camden Town is famed for its market, a warren of fashion and curiosities by the Regent’s Canal. A haven of counter-culture, the area is popular with tourists, teenagers, and punks. The thriving nightlife scene includes live music in alternative clubs and old-school pubs, and major stars playing at the Jazz Cafe and the Roundhouse. Cafes bustle during the day. Nearby Regent’s Park has formal gardens and the London Zoo.
Camden Market is actually a series of markets located in the borough of Camden: Camden Lock, Canal Market, the Stables, Buck Street Market, Electric Ballroom and Inverness Street Market. Similarly, the canal lock that gives Camden Lock its name is actually three locks: Hampstead (twin locks that count as one), Hawley Lock and Kentish Town Lock. The canals are a pleasant way to walk between Camden and the Piccadilly London West End hotels
The very first food stall was opened at Camden in 1974, by a former Olympic sprinter. June Foulds won bronze and silver in the 100m relay in 1952 and 1956, respectively. She named her shop simply “The Stall”, but from these very humble beginnings a whole maze of stalls has sprung.
During the day, Electric Ballroom is filled with shops and stalls, but when evening comes it becomes one of London’s premier music venues. Since the 1950s it has hosted both big names and up-and-coming artists including U2, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and even Paul McCartney. Nowadays it hosts names like Death Cab for Cutie and Kaiser Chiefs
Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in Soho in the City of Westminster, Central London. Close to Oxford Street and Regent Street, it is home to fashion and lifestyle retailers, including many independent fashion boutiques.
Carnaby Street got its start back in the 17th Century after the Great Fire of London burned down much of the surrounding area. Karnaby House and several other homes were built to transform it into a new residential district. Many of these buildings are still there
Most of the shops in the 50s and 60s specialised in men’s fashions as shops for women were mostly located on the King’s Road.
When Lady Jane opened in 1966 by Harry Fox and Henry Moss, it was the first boutique shop on Carnaby Street to cater exclusively to women.
In addition to shops that cater to fashions from all over the globe, Carnaby Street has many restaurants with varying international cuisine.
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum was founded by Marie Tussaud, a native of Strasbourgh, France. She learned the art of sculpting from her mother’s employer, Dr. Philippe Curtius, a physician skilled in the art of wax modeling.
Each subject is invited for a seating to be able to get the right body measurements. However, if the subject is a historical figure or has already passed away, a team of researchers will check and dig on hundreds of pictures and get the measurements from there.
All portraits displayed in Madame Tussauds have their hair washed and make-up retouched regularly.
The smallest wax figure in the museum is of Tinkerbell, a fiction character. Other fiction characters include- Shrek, Burger King and Incredible Hulk.
Tussauds suffered a fire in 1925 and many statues were lost. Fortunately, all the moulds remained intact and several pieces were recreated.
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 is one of the best places to visit in England for families.
There are more than 11,000 animals living in this 125-acre site represent about 400 different species.
Chester Zoo has a large team of conservationists, scientists, educators, veterinary experts, botanists, wildlife managers, animal behaviourists, endocrinologists and environmental policy influencers, and together they are fighting wildlife extinction.
There is also an award winning garden to explore, which not only makes the zoo look beautiful but also plays an important part in helping local wildlife.
Plan your visit to Chester Zoo
Lake district national park
The Lake District is a region and national park in Cumbria in northwest England. A popular vacation destination, it’s known for its glacial ribbon lakes, rugged fell mountains and historic literary associations. Market towns such as Kendal, Ambleside and Keswick on scenic Derwentwater are bases for exploring the area and home to traditional inns, galleries of local art and outdoor equipment shops.
Special qualities of this national park are cool, clear lakes, tarns and rivers, nationally important stretches of water for their range of habitats, and species such as vendace, charr, crayfish and schelly. The lakes and tarns give the Lake District a quality of scenery found nowhere else in England.
A guide to the best places to stay in the Lake District.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a county on England’s rugged southwestern tip. It forms a peninsula encompassing wild moorland and hundreds of sandy beaches, culminating at the promontory Land’s End. The south coast, dubbed the Cornish Riviera, is home to picturesque harbour villages such as Fowey and Falmouth. The north coast is lined with towering cliffs and seaside resorts like Newquay, known for surfing.
Newquay
Newquay is a town on the north coast of Cornwall, in southwest England. It’s known for sandy Fistral and Watergate Bay beaches, where waves from the Atlantic Ocean create strong surf. On the seafront, the Blue Reef Aquarium features an underwater tunnel going through a coral-reef tank with pufferfish, sharks and rays.
Devon
Devon is a county in southwest England. It encompasses sandy beaches, fossil cliffs, medieval towns and moorland national parks. The English Riviera is a series of picturesque, south-coast harbour towns including Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. The South West Coast Path follows the coastline, taking in the towering cliffs of the northern Exmoor Coast and rock formations on the fossil-rich southern Jurassic Coast.
Yorkshire Dales National Park
The Yorkshire Dales National Park is in northern England. It encompasses thousands of square miles of moors, valleys, hills and villages. Southeast, on the River Wharfe, the Bolton Abbey Estate includes the ruins of a 12th-century monastery. Malham Village features a towering cliff, and a footpath leading to Gordale Scar, a limestone ravine with waterfalls. A 5-arched bridge crosses the river at Burnsall Village.
Peak District
Peak District National Park is in central England. Steep limestone valleys like Dovedale, with its famed stepping stones, and Lathkill Dale characterise the park’s southern area, which is known as White Peak. North, the Dark Peak area has dramatic gritstone ridges and stark moorland plateaus like Kinder Scout, the park’s highest point. The nearby village of Edale marks one end of the iconic Pennine Way footpath.
south downs way
The South Downs Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway running along the South Downs in southern England. It is one of 16 National Trails in England and Wales. The trail runs for 160 km from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Sussex
Some of the best weekend breaks in England
Explore the United Kingdom with Google Street view. Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides interactive panoramas from positions along many streets in the world. It was launched in 2007 in several cities in the United States, and has since expanded to include cities and rural areas worldwide.
- London: The UK’s All-in-One Destination.
- Edinburgh: Scotland’s Capital.
- Roman-Era Bath.
- Ancient Stonehenge and Medieval Salisbury.
- Wonderful Windsor.
- Idyllic England: The Cotswolds and Lake District.
- Medieval York and its Minster.
- The University Towns of Cambridge & Oxford.
