UK holiday fun doesn’t have to cost a bundle, in fact it doesn’t have to cost a penny. This is because all of Great Britain’s national museums (not just those in London) are free to everyone, every day. There is also free access to most of the field: recreation, bird watching, kite flying, and more. If you are looking for a way to save money on your trip to the UK this year, these
Explore the Roman fort of Arbeia and the museum
Direction
Baring St , South Shields NE33 2BB , Reino UnidoGet directions
Telephone
+44 191 277 1410
Web
Visit the website
The Roman fort of Arbeia once housed the garrison that guarded the entrance to the Tyne Estuary. Although a large part of the fort was destroyed, the site was rebuilt based on excavations and finds from the historic fort.
The Romans did not think of moving legions of their soldiers to where they were needed in the Empire, and this garrison was manned by the Iraqi legionnaire, which is reflected in their name, Arbeia, which means “Arabic” in Latin. If you go during the winter, check the museum’s calendar and schedule your visit for a candlelight tour in December to celebrate the Roman festival of Saturnalia.
Enjoy the view in Arthur’s seat
Direction
Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh EH8 8AZ , United KingdomGet directions
Arthur’s Seat is an extinct volcano and one of the seven hills of Edinburgh. It is a considerable hike to the top, but it is not out of reach for most adults and children reasonably well, and the views from its ridge take in Edinburgh Castle, the sea, the distant mountains of the Western Highlands and all of the town. If you don’t like to climb, there is a bus (for a small fee) that goes up to Holyrood Park, which is almost at the top of the hill.
Relax on beautiful beaches
Direction
Mullion , United KingdomGet directions
Web
Visit the website
The UK has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, which may not be surprising considering Britain is an island kingdom with almost 7,800 miles of coastline. In fact, nowhere in the country is there more than two hours of beach.
However, UK beaches are not the kind of beaches where you can sunbathe (not very often anyway) or spend hours swimming in warm seas. The water, even in those washed by the Gulf Stream, is quite cold. Fortunately, what these beaches lack in tropical charm, they make up for in sheer drama: These are some of the most beautiful and secluded free beaches in the world for walking, surfing, exploring, and wildlife viewing.
If you’re a fan of the “Poldark” show, you really should visit Kynance Cove, one of the places that doubles as Nampara in the series, and where Demelza and her lieutenant have an illicit moment in the 2017 season.
Marvel at the Big Pit and the National Coal Museum
Direction
Pontypool NP4 9XP , UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 300 111 2333
Web
Visit the website
The Big Pit Coal Mine is a modern and operational coal mine that also houses the UK National Coal Museum, with galleries, exhibits and historical artifacts focusing on the history of coal in the UK.
Guests can meet a virtual miner at the Mining Galleries, explore exhibits at Pithead Baths, and wander through the historic mine buildings open to the public for the first time. However, the highlight is the world famous underground tour that takes visitors 300 feet underground to the coal face with a real miner. Located in Blaenavon, Wales, it is part of the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape UNESCO World Heritage site.
Stop by the gift shop for a Welsh-made brass Davy Lamp, the miners’ lamp invented in 1815 by Sir Humphrey Davy as a safer alternative to underground candles, which has been used until modern times.
Explore the paintings at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Direction
Chamberlain Square , Birmingham B3 3DH , United KingdomGet directions
Telephone
+44 121 348 8032
Web
Visit the website
The city of Birmingham was one of the manufacturing centers of 19th century Britain, and wealthy Victorian industrialists endowed their city with art and culture. The 120-year-old Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, known locally as BMag, is a reminder of this generosity. The museum’s collections range from Renaissance paintings to 9,000-year-old Middle Eastern treasures.
BMag is best known for his outstanding collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. It is one of the largest collections of this once radical art school in the world, and the collection is searchable online.
Respect at Bury St. Edmunds
Direction
Bury St Edmunds , Bury Saint Edmunds , Reino UnidoGet directions
Saint Edmund, King of East Anglia, was martyred by Danish Vikings and (before Saint George) was a patron saint of England. His shrine, at Bury St. Edmunds, was a place of pilgrimage.
Not much remains of the Abbey that housed the sanctuary, but enough remains to give you an idea of how important this medieval city was. In addition to the Abbey ruins, there are a number of interesting medieval buildings and monuments that make it worth visiting here. Stroll through the Abbey Gardens to see a typical English lawn bowl game, and if you can’t stay away from the shops, window viewing can be very satisfying.
Stand at the stone circle of Castlerigg
Direction
Castle Ln , Underskiddaw , Keswick CA12 4RN , UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 370 333 1181
Web
Visit the website
On your travels in England, don’t miss this ancient stone circle high up in the Lake District near Keswick. The Castlerigg Stone Circle, which is made of 33 stones, was erected around 3,000 years ago, and the view of the snow-covered Helvellyn and High Seat that you will witness from this site is unforgettable. In a delightfully English way, English Heritage, who runs the site, says that it is open “at any reasonable time during the day.”
Discover the giant of Cerne Abbas
Direction
Cerne Abbas , Dorchester DT2 7AL , Reino UnidoGet directions
Telephone
+44 1297 489481
Web
Visit the website
The best way to describe England’s sexiest national monument, the Cerne Abbas Giant, is to let the respectable National Trust do it. This is how one of Britain’s most established institutions, and the organization that supports the giant, describes it on its website: ‘A huge outline carved into the chalk hillside above the village of Cerne Abbas depicting a naked giant , sexually aroused and wielding a stick. «.
Although no one is sure how long ago the Cerne Abbas Giant was built, it was buried in the grass during WWII to prevent it from becoming a landmark for the Luftwaffe. When it was discovered after the war, archaeologists discovered that its base was larger than originally supposed.
Sometimes called The Rude Man, it has often been the location of jokes. In June 2017, in a rude joke about defending Britain, someone wrote ‘Theresa’ in the rudest and rudest part of the giant. (Don’t bother looking for it, though. The National Trust name has since been removed.)
Stroll through Chester’s Roman Garden
Direction
Pepper St , Chester CH1 1DQ , Reino UnidoGet directions
Chester, or Deva as it was known in Roman times, was an important Roman city, not far from Hadrian’s Wall. The city’s Roman Garden, between Pepper Street and the River Dee, was created during the 1950s to display fragmentary finds from the 19th century, which were discovered during road construction and work in the region.
It is a pleasant walk in good weather and among the remains, you will see carved fragments of military buildings, including the main baths.
See the proclamation of the high cross of Chester Town Crier
Direction
46 Watergate St , Chester CH1 1NP , Reino UnidoGet directions
The medieval town crier tradition lives on in Chester, the only place in Britain where a town crier still makes a daily proclamation at a fixed time and place.
If you are in Chester during the summer, head to High Cross at the pedestrian intersection of the four main streets of the city. This place is where proclamations have taken place since the Middle Ages. There, Chester’s official town criers David and Julie Mitchell proclaim the “big news” of the day while wearing traditional 17th century dress. Proclamations take place Tuesday through Saturday at noon.
Sing Christmas Eve Christmas Carols at Kings
Direction
King’s Parade , Cambridge CB2 1ST , Reino UnidoGet directions
The Carol Christmas Eve service, known as the Festival of the Nine Lessons and Carols, takes place in King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England, and has been broadcast on the BBC World Service since the 1930s. It is one of the most famous Christmas carols services in the world, and millions of performance recordings have been sold worldwide.
All you have to do to attend is show up very, very early and stand in line. Most of the famous British cathedrals have free Carol services, although you may have to book the free tickets in advance.
Discover the old parish churches and cemeteries
England is dotted with small old parish churches. Often, because they were in unimportant villages, they escaped the ravages of the Reformation in England. Unlike the first abbeys and cathedrals that were looted, they have often remained almost exactly as they were in the 12th century or earlier.
The little church of St John the Evangelist, in Bury, West Sussex, for example, has a 12th century spire and nave and a 14th century rood screen. Another visit worth visiting, St Botolph’s in Hardham, dates back to 1050, before William the Conqueror, and has some of the oldest and most comprehensive medieval wall paintings in England. If a church looks old, simple, and small, come in to take a look. You would be amazed at the treasures you might find.
Spend the day in the city parks
Direction
Richmond Park, Kingston Vale, LondonSW15 3RS, UKGet directions
Many of England’s cities have free parks that are more than simply green spaces.
London’s Richmond Park is 2,500 acres on the edge of the city with two magnificent herds of deer, a stunning azalea and rhododendron garden, the Isabella Plantation, secret woodlands and glades, and a tea house overlooking the whole of London.
The Sheffield Botanical Gardens, 19 acres of free gardens in the middle of London, contain some of the earliest curvilinear glass pavilions ever built. These historic glasshouses wererestored for the new Millennium and reopened by the Prince of Wales in 2003.
Additionally, York’s Museum Gardens holds the ruins of a 900-year-old Benedictine abbey, a Roman fortress, a medieval hospital, and more.
Attend Concerts and Performances
Address
LondonSE1, UKGet directions
London’s Southbank Centre regularly hosts free concerts, lunchtime music, dance performances, and all kinds of arts-oriented fun on the Riverbank and throughout the grounds. Wherever you go in the U.K., it’s not difficult to find free lunchtime concerts and performances. Here are a few favorites:
- Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff
- Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama at the University of Manchester
- Leeds International Concert Season at the Town Hall on Mondays and at Leeds College of Music on Wednesdays during lunchtime
Go Cycling in Britain
Lots of people cycle regularly in the United Kingdom, and the number of cycle paths, mountain biking trails,and long distance cycle routes grows by the day. Look at The National Trust, English Heritage, Forestry Commission, and individualNational Parks websites for information about cycle routes and mountain biking trails.
For more information, the National Cycle Network keeps track of 10,000 miles of traffic-free routes around the country. The cycling charity Sustrans has an online route mapper and other useful free cycling information.
Duxford Chapel
Address
Station Rd E, Whittlesford, CambridgeCB22 4NL, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 370 333 1181
Web
Visit website
Duxford Chapel is a 14th-century chapel in Cambridgeshire that historians suspect may have originally served as a hospital. However, by the 19th century, it had fallen into such disrepair and neglect that advertising posters were pasted to its sides.
Miraculously, the medieval bones of the building survived, including its apparently ecclesiastic windows. Now, Duxford Chapel is cared for by English Heritage and welcomes guests to take a free tour of the grounds. However, the interior, with its exposed beam ceiling, is even more interesting than the exterior.
Keep in mind when visiting that there are no facilities on site. However, there is a pub nearby and the chapel is on the edge of a village, so you won’t be too far from food or bathrooms if you decide to stop by.
Attend an Evensong at Canterbury and Other Cathedrals
Address
Cathedral House, 11 The Precincts, CanterburyCT1 2EH, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 1227 762862
Web
Visit website
Most of the famous cathedrals in Britain charge entrance fees for upkeep and maintenance; however, you can attend during worship services for free. The only expense will be what your conscience dictates you deposit in the collection box.
Evensong is a short service that is usually performed in song at about 5:30 or 6 p.m. These short services offer a great chance to get an inside look at famous cathedrals for free. Usually, the time will be posted on a notice board outside the church.
Pay Respect at Eyam (the Plague Village) and the Riley Graves
Address
Eyam, Hope ValleyS32, UKGet directions
Eyam, a Derbyshire village in the Peak District, is the site of one of the most courageous stories of the 17th century.
In 1665, the plague arrived in Eyam (pronounced eem), probably on second-hand clothes from London delivered to a local tailor. On the advice of their vicar and their Puritan minister, the villagers voluntarily quarantined themselves to prevent the spread of the disease. Exact numbers of survivors are disputed but when the first outsiders visited the village a year later, only a quarter of the population remained. Villagers buried their own dead and at the smallest National Trust site, the Riley Graves, farmer and survivor Elizabeth Hancock buried her husband and six sons, all of whom died within weeks of each other.
You can visit the village itself and the Riley Graves for free, but if you’d like to delve a little deeper into the story, there are guided tours of the village and the plague history from Eyam Hall, but there is an admission charge.
Attend Fashion Shows
Address
Selfridges, 400 Oxford St, LondonW1A 1AB, UKGet directions
Web
Visit website
Several of the major department stores and designer discount outlets schedule fashion shows and events. Not only are they free, sometimes you even have a chance to win a prize. The best way to find out when and where is to watch the store’s website or sign up for their newsletter. Here are some good bets:
- Selfridges: Routinely hosts events in its branches throughout the year. When you visit their website, click on the specific store branch you want to visit; then look for News and Events near the bottom of that page
- Liberty:Occasionally hosts events. Get on their mailing list by entering your email in the lower right side of their website to sign up for «Liberty News»
- Bicester Village: Popular designer discount center near Oxford that has something going on almost all the time
Step Into a Painting at Flatford Mill and Bridge Cottage
Address
Flatford Mill, East Bergholt, ColchesterCO7 6UL, UKGet directions
Located in Suffolk, the Flatford Mill and Bridge Cottage is a 16th century thatched cottage known to have inspired the works of painter John Constable and even served as the setting for several of his rural landscape pieces. The cottage, beside the River Stour, now has an exhibition about the artist.
The cottage is also surrounded by several walks along the Stour and has a riverside tea room. Walk a little further along the path past the cottage and you’ll come to Willy Lott’s cottage, which is featured in one of Constable’s most famous paintings, «The Hay Wain.»
Climb the Giant’s Causeway
Address
Giant’s Causeway, BushmillsBT57 8SU, UKGet directions
It’s hard to believe that The Giant’s Causeway on the North coast of County Antrim is not man-made. The causeway looks like a roadway into the sea and is made of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, some more than 12 meters high, produced by an ancient volcanic eruption. The tops of the columns form stepping stones, mostly hexagonal but also with four, five, seven, and eight sides, leading from the foot of a cliff into the sea.
The Giant’s Causeway was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, and a National Nature Reserve in 1987. Today it is owned and managed by the National Trust.
Be Awed at the Great North Museum of Hancock
Address
Great North Museum-Hancock Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon TyneNE2 4PT, UKGet directions
The Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle upon Tyne combines the collections of several museums of natural and ancient history across the world. Highlights include a large-scale, interactive model of Hadrian’s Wall, objects from the Ancient Greeks, mummies from Ancient Egypt, a planetarium, and a life-size T-Rex dinosaur skeleton. The collections also include live animal tanks and aquaria housing wolf fish, pythons, lizards, and leaf-cutting ants. Visiting the museum is completely free of charge, but donations are accepted (and welcomed).
Walk Along Hadrian’s Wall
Address
BramptonCA8 7DD, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 370 333 1181
Web
Visit website
Construction for Hadrian’s Wall started during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 122 and was built to stretch across Northern Britain from coast to coast. It marked the northern boundary of the Roman Empire and was the most fortified border in the empire.
Now, a great deal of Hadrian’s Wall still remains, and there are miles of free paths and trails from which to see 14 major Roman sites, forts, and museums as well as countless mile-castles and turrets. The UNESCO World Heritage Site can be explored on foot or cycle, but there is also a regular bus service along the route of the wall between April and October.
Enjoy the View at Hawkshead and Claife
Address
Main St, Hawkshead, CumbriaLA22 0NS, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 15394 36355
Web
Visit website
Walk in the footsteps of Beatrix Potter, above Lake Windermere, enjoying classic south Lakeland views of the fells, lakes, and villages at the Hawkshead and Claife overlook. The site includes a picturesque white-washed village, hill walks, and woodland paths alongside Lake Windermere.
The Beatrix Potter Gallery, a 17th-century solicitors office in Hawkshead, is now home to a collection of original Beatrix Potter watercolor illustrations. There is an admission charge for the gallery, so to keep things entirely free, bring an easel and do your own watercolors of Beatrix Potter’s favorite views.
Hike, Walk, or Jog Across the U.K.
From national hiking trails that traverse the gorgeous countryside for hundreds of miles to short paths carved through historic cityscapes and fragrant forests, there is a U.K. walk to suit every mood level of ability. Whether you prefer a challenging hike in the Lake District, a gentle woodland stroll in a forest park, or a discovery-filled exploration of a historic cityscape, you can find and map a great walking route before you arrive and set out entirely free of charge when you land in England.
Houghton House, Bedfordshire
Address
Houghton House, BedfordMK45 2EZ, UKGet directions
Not all of England’s great country houses are immaculate, furnished restorations. In fact, the 17th-century Houghton House mansion is considered a romantic ruin, which would make a fitting setting for a gothic ghost story.
The house, built for a Duchess in about 1615, was said to be the inspiration for the «House Beautiful» in John Bunyan’s «Pilgrim’s Progress.» Information panels on the site describe the house as well as the estate and views. The house is always open until «any reasonable time,» and English Heritage also provides a free, downloadable audio tour to enjoy when you visit.
Learn History at the International Slavery Museum
Address
LiverpoolL3 4AQ, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 151 478 4499
Web
Visit website
One of Liverpool‘s outstanding group of national museums, The International Slavery Museum opened in 2007 on the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in Britain. It explores both the historical and contemporary aspects of slavery, the legacies of the slave trade, and untold stories of bravery and rebellion among enslaved people.
The museum is part of Liverpool’s Albert Docks UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located just steps away from the drydocks where slave trading ships were repaired and fitted out. It is open daily except Christmas, Boxing Day, and January 1.
Spot Wildlife at Knole Deer Park
Address
SevenoaksTN15 0RP, UKGet directions
Knole is an enormous Tudor house in Kent that has been in the Sackville family since 1566. The roofline alone looks like a small city, and although there’s an admission fee to enter the house, the grounds and 1,000-acre deer park are free for pedestrians.
Knole Deer Park is one of the few medieval deer parks to have survived 500 years, and the only one in Kent. A transitional landscape between a medieval game forest and the ornamental parks of the 17th and 18th centuries, survivals of the medieval landscape include hawthorn, oak, yew, hornbeam, silver birch, bird maple, and ash trees that once dominated the woodlands of the Weald. However, the real draw is the herd of 600 fallow deer, wild but curious animals that are incredibly charming.
Lacock Village
Address
Lacock, ChippenhamSN15, UKGet directions
The Wiltshire village of Lacock is a snapshot in time, and it’s so atmospheric that it’s often used as a location for period films. If it looks familiar, perhaps you’ve seen in a Harry Potter film, «Pride and Prejudice,» «Cranford,» «The Other Boleyn Girl,» or «Wolfman.»
The village is now home to an abbey converted to a country house in the 1500s and a museum about photography, both of which have entry fees. However, walking around this time capsule of a village, looking around in the shops, and wondering at the fact that modern people actually live here is completely free.
See the Letocetum Roman Baths and Museum
Address
Watling St, LichfieldWS14 0AW, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 121 625 6820
Web
Visit website
The Letocetum Roman Baths are considered to be the finest excavated site of their kind and include the foundations of an ancient inn and bath house. These bathhouses once served as a staging post and place for Roman soldiers to relax while traveling across England.
The Letocetum Roman Baths and Museum are located on Watling Street, the ancient Roman road that runs from Southeast to Northwest across England, probably following the path of an ancient British trackway, which is still in use today.
Loughwood Meeting House
Address
Loughwood Ln, Dalwood, AxminsterEX13 7DU, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 1752 346585
Web
Visit website
When this simple, thatched Baptist chapel known as the Loughwood Meeting House was built against a Devon hillside in 1653, the congregation faced imprisonment or transportation to Australia for practicing a banned faith. While the house has seen various states of repair over the years, the interior of the chapel was fitted out in the 18th century. Today, the chapel—which is found near Axminster—is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers two services each year that are posted on the chapel noticeboard.
Maritime Greenwich
Address
Park Row, LondonSE10 9NF, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 20 8858 4422
Web
Visit website
The maritime history of Britain, navigational and astronomical discoveries, and the seafaring deeds that led to voyages of discovery and empire building can all be explored at the Maritime Greenwich. This wonderful UNESCO World Heritage Site includes the wonderful National Maritime Museum as well as the 400-year-old Queen’s House, designed by Inigo Jones and restored in 2016.
If you’d like to stand on the Prime Meridian or straddle 0 degrees longitude, you’ll have to pay for admission to the Prime Meridian Courtyard, just outside the RoyalObservatory. However, so much else is free at this fabulous site. Finish your visit with a walk through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, one of only two pedestrian tunnels under the Thames, for a fabulous view of the entire site from across the river.
Shop, Dine, and Explore City Markets
Address
73 Lewisham High St, LondonSE13 5JX, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 20 7183 6797
Britain’s outdoor and covered markets are a feast for people watching, photo ops, and browsing. In London, locals love the Portobello Road Market, and elsewhere in the country, some markets, like the Birmingham Bullring Markets, have traded in the same spot for hundreds of years. While buying anything at the shops or getting food will cost money, you can usually score some tasty free samples from many of the restaurants and food kiosks in these markets. Try some of these:
- Kirkgate Market
- Oxford Covered Market
- Borough Market
- York Market
Climb Aboard the National Railway Museum
Address
Leeman Rd, YorkYO26 4XJ, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 333 016 1010
Web
Visit website
The world’s largest railway museum, the National Railway Museum features over 300 years of rail history, exciting exhibits, and iconic objects for families and railroad buffs of all ages. Additionally, kids can climb aboard some of the world’s most iconic trains including the U.K. steam engine record-setter The Mallard, a Japanese Bullet Train, and a giant locomotive built in Britain for the Chinese railways.
The museum also offers daily demonstrations of awe-inspiring machinery like the turntable for turning locomotives in the Great Hall, theatre programs about railway history and railroad inventors, and visits from Thomas the Tank Engine during some school vacations.
Storm the Fortress at National Roman Legion Museum
Address
Caerleon, NewportNP18 1DY, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 300 111 2333
Web
Visit website
In 75 A.D., the Romans built a fortress in Caerleon, Newport, Wales, where they held sway over the local population for 200 years. Now, hundreds of years later, the National Roman Legion Museum sits within the remains of this fortress.
Here you can find out how they lived on the edge of the Roman Empire in one of only three permanent fortresses the Romans created in Britain. The grounds are also home to a Roman garden, the remains of a barracks, and the most complete Roman amphitheater in the United Kingdom.
Tour the National Slate Museum
Address
CaernarfonLL55 4TY, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 29 2057 3700
Web
Visit website
The National Slate Museum is located in Victorian workshops near the site of the vast Dinorwig quarry that closed in 1969. Here, the Welsh slate industry, often called the most Welsh of Welsh industries, is explained and explored. Talks, demonstrations, and exhibitions, including a row of quarrymen’s houses, relate the story of slate and the drama of real people’s lives who helped to harvest it from the quarry.
Get Comfortable at the National Wool Museum
Address
Dre-Fach Felindre , Felindre , Llandysul SA44 5UP , UKGet directions
Phone
+44 29 2057 3070
Web
Visit website
The beautifully redeveloped Cambrian Mills is the setting for the story of Wales’ wool industry, once the most important and widespread in the country. Shirts and shawls, blankets and bedcovers, and woolen stockings and socks were all made in the village of Dre-Fach Felindre, in the Teifi valley and sent all over the world. Stop by the National Wool Museum to follow the story from «Fleece to Fabric,» with demonstrations, working looms, and interesting exhibits.
Tour the Black and White House
Address
High Town, HerefordHR1 2AA, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 1432 260694
Web
Visit website
The Hereford House—also known as the Black and White House—is a well-preserved 17th-century half-timbered building, in the middle of Hereford’s modern shopping district. Built in 1621, the house has been a museum since 1929.
Furnished in Jacobean period style, it has an internationally important collection of English Oak furniture. Don’t miss the rare wall paintings, the four-poster bed, the baby-walkers, and the hands-on activities for kids.Formerly known as the Old House Museum, the Black and White House is no longer free, but the admission is a bargain.
Explore Prior’s Hall Barn, Widdington
Address
High St , Widdington , Saffron Walden CB11 3SB , UKGet directions
Phone
+44 370 333 1181
Web
Visit website
If you’ve ever wondered how medieval builders raised enormous structures before the advent of steel beams, the huge and beautiful Prior’s Hall Barn in Essex will make it all clear. At least 400 oaks went into creating one of the finest surviving medieval barns in England; tree-ring dating has shown it to have been erected in the mid-1400s. The interior aisle and vast open space up to a crown post roof are awe-inspiring.
Marvel at Ravenglass Roman Bath House
Address
Walls Dr, RavenglassCA18 1SR, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 370 333 1181
Web
Visit website
The Ravenglass Roman Bath House was the bathhouse of a Roman fort, and these ruins in Cumbria are the tallest Roman structures remaining in Britain. According to English Heritage, who manage the site, the bathhouse served as a fort that guarded a Roman harbor. Soldiers who used the bathhouse may have served in Hadrian’s fleet. The ruins make a good destination for a walk in the country from nearby Ravenglass Station.
See the Magna Carta at Runnymede
Address
Windsor Rd, Old Windsor, Englefield Green, WindsorTW20 0YU, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 1784 432891
Web
Visit website
In June 1215, under an oak on this meadow west of the Thames, King John signed the Magna Carta limiting his absolute power in relation to 25 barons. The rights outlined then eventually gave rise to the United States Constitution and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
Visitors to this peaceful meadow can see The Magna Carta Memorial erected by the American Bar Association, memorials to John F. Kennedy and the Commonwealth Air Force, and several small buildings designed by British architect Sir Edmund Lutyens, who also designed New Delhi.
The Queen, heads of state, and descendants of the 25 original barons have planted oaks here over the years.
See the Uffington White Horse
Address
Uffington, FaringdonSN7 7QJ, UKGet directions
Web
Visit website
The Uffington White Horse is another of England’s chalk figures, and possibly the oldest one. It is partially visible from several vantage points but only completely visible from the air. Recent testing of soil samples from the base of the chalk trenches has established that the horse is at least 3,000 years old. The same tests showed that the horse is in virtually the same position as when he was built by digging trenches and then filling them with blocks of chalk. No one knows why he was built, but the White Horse of Uffington has inspired several other contemporary chalk horse constructions throughout Dorset and the west of England.
Don’t Get Lost in Whipsnade Tree Cathedral
Address
Whipsnade, DunstableLU6 2LQ, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 1582 872406
Web
Visit website
The Tree Cathedral was created after World War I as a gesture of «faith, hope, and reconciliation.» In order to form this unique structure, trees, hedges, and shrubs were planted in the shape of a medieval cathedral.
Today the tree cathedral remains a peaceful place for walks and casual afternoons spent in the English countryside. Though not consecrated ground, religious services are occasionally held there and the National Trust, which owns the site, is open to applications for more.
Get Educated at St. Fagans National History Museum of Wales
Address
CardiffCF5 6XB, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 300 111 2333
Web
Visit website
The St. Fagans National History Museum of Wales is one of Wales most popular heritage attractions as well as one of Europe’s best open-air museums. Located on the grounds of St. Fagan’s Castle and Gardens, it’s a 100-acre open-air museum with 40 buildings that have been relocated from all over Wales.
Together, these buildings illustrate Welsh culture and daily life from Celtic times to the present. The castle itself is an Elizabethan manor house built in 1580, though heavily remodeled in the 19th century. Around the park, the practice of traditional crafts and activities as well as the rearing of native breeds of farm animals bring Welsh culture through the centuries to vivid life.
Sketch in the World’s Greatest Museums
Address
Cromwell Rd, LondonSW7 2RL, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 20 7942 2000
Web
Visit website
All the UK’s national museums are free. To make the experience of visiting them even more memorable, take along a sketch pad and capture really personal memories.
Most of the museums are happy to let you draw in most of the rooms, except those that have rare and exposed paper or textiles. At the Victoria and Albert, they even provide neat little foldaway stools for artists to sit on while they work. As long as you don’t touch the artworks, lean against displays, or block other people’s views, you can spend as long as you like sketching away like a 19th-century aristo.
Traverse Wiltshire’s Prehistoric Landscape
Address
Avebury, MarlboroughSN8 1RF, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 370 333 1181
Web
Visit website
Around the town of Marlborough on the eastern edge of Wiltshire, the landscape is dotted with enormous earthworks, ceremonial avenues, and stone circles, some of which are older than Stonehenge. Among the highlights, within walking distance of each other:
- Avebury Stone Circles: The largest stone circle in Europe, the center of a huge, prehistoric complex and erected about 4,500 years ago. The landscape is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes Stonehenge
- Silbury Hill: An enormous prehistoric mound, covering five acres and 130 feet high. It was probably built around 2,500 BC. It is the tallest prehistoric man-made mound in Europe
- West Kennett Long Barrow: One of the largest Neolithic chambers in Britain, this burial place was built about 5,400 years ago
Take a Ride on Woolwich Ferry
Address
New Ferry Approach, LondonSE18 6DX, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 20 8853 9400
Web
Visit website
The Free Woolwich Ferry Service crosses the Thames between Woolwich and North Woolwich (part of Greenwich, east of London). The current service, which carries pedestrians, cyclists, cars, and trucks, has been operating since the 1880s, but there has been a ferry service at this point of the Thames since about 1308.
During the week, two ferries run, with services leaving at 10-minute intervals from each side. It’s a rough, workaday sort of boat with no frills for foot passengers, but you won’t get a better view of Canary Wharf, the Millennium Dome, or the Thames Barrier. If you are driving, avoid peak periods and rush hours because you might have to wait quite a while for your free ride.
Walk Through Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Address
WakefieldWF4 4JU, UKGet directions
Web
Visit website
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is an outdoor catalog of 20th and 21st-century British sculptures. Covering 500 acres of rolling countryside on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, the park presents works of art displayed in a way that only the wealthiest patrons, with vast estates, might expect to see them: tucked into leafy glades or perched on the crests of hills.
Among the dozens of artists whose works are permanently displayed outdoors are Anthony Gormley, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Elisabeth Frink, and Eduardo Paolozzi. The park is dog-friendly (except for the indoor galleries and garden) and, best of all, this truly wonderful place is completely free except for a small parking fee.
Explore Allen Banks and Staward Gorge
Address
Bardon Mill, HexhamNE47 7BP, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 1434 321888
Web
Visit website
About 101 acres of gorge and river scenery make up one of the great Victorian wilderness walks known as the Allen Banks and Staward Gorge trail. The landscape includes a site of special scientific interest, protected for its rare plants, ancient woodlands, and wildlife. There are miles of waymarked walks, a reconstructed Victorian summer house, and the remains of a medieval tower.
Wild Camping in Scotland
Wild camping is what the British call camping in tents away from designated campsites. Open access legislation makes this easier than it used to be, although it is still discouraged or prohibited in most places in England and Wales.
However, it is legal in Scotland, where you can freely pitch your tent on all open access grounds, with a few guidelines:
- “Light” camping (that is, in small amounts and for no more than two or three nights in one place).
- Do not camp in closed fields of crops or farm animals.
- Stay away from historic buildings, roads, or structures unless you have permission from the owners.
- Avoid disturbing the stalking deer or shooting grouse.
- Clear all trash, fires, or contaminants.
