England

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TRAVEL GUIDE

London

History and tradition greet you at every turn in London; it's also one of the coolest, most modern cities in the world. If London contained...

The West Country

England's West Country is a land of granite promontories, windswept moors, hideaway hamlets, and—above all—the sea. Leafy, narrow country roads lead through miles of buttercup...

Bath and the Cotswolds

The rolling uplands of the Cotswolds represent all the beauty and charm rural England has to offer, as immortalized in countless books, paintings, and films.In...

The Southeast

Surrey, Kent, and Sussex form the breadbasket of England, where bucolic farmland stretches as far as the eye can see. Once a favorite destination of...

Stratford-upon-Avon and the Heart of England

The lyricism of England's geographical heartland is found in the remote, half-timber market towns of Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire, as well as in the bucolic...

Manchester, Liverpool, and the Peak District

For those looking for picture-postcard England, the northwest region of the country might not top many sightseeing lists, but it has plenty to offer. Manchester...

The South

With cathedrals, stately homes, stone circles, the South–-consiting of the counties of Hampshire, Dorset, and Wiltshire—contains a variety of significant attractions, as well as several...

Yorkshire

A hauntingly beautiful region, Yorkshire is known for its wide-open spaces and dramatic landscapes. The hills of the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales...

East Anglia

One of those beautiful English inconsistencies, East Anglia has no spectacular mountains or rivers to disturb the quiet, storied land of rural delights. Occupying an...

The Thames Valley

Easy proximity to London has made the Thames Valley a favored hangout for the wealthy, just as it has been for centuries. The rich and...

The Northeast

For many Britons, the words "the Northeast" provoke a vision of near-Siberian isolation. Although there are wind-hammered, wide-open spaces and empty roads threading the wild...

Manchester

Central Manchester is alive with the vibe of cutting-edge popular music and a swank, often fancy café, cocktail bar, and restaurant culture that keeps evolving...

Liverpool

A city lined with one of the most famous waterfronts in England, celebrated around the world as the birthplace of the Beatles, and still the...

Oxford

With arguably the most famous university in the world, Oxford has been a center of learning since 1167, with only the Sorbonne preceding it. It...

Brighton

For more than 200 years, Brighton has been England's most interesting seaside city, and today it’s more vibrant, eccentric, and cosmopolitan than ever. A rich...

Southampton

Southampton is England's leading passenger port. It is rich in historic embarkations, from Henry V's fleet bound for France and the battle of Agincourt to...

Fowey

Nestled in the mouth of a wooded estuary, Fowey (pronounced Foy) is still very much a working china-clay port as well as a focal point...

Faversham

In Roman times Faversham was a thriving seaport. Today the port is long gone, and all that’s left is a waterway at the edge of...

Broadstairs

Like other Victorian seaside towns such as Margate and Ramsgate, Broadstairs was once the playground of vacationing Londoners, and grand 19th-century houses line the waterfront...

Haworth: Heart of Bronte Country

Whatever Haworth might have been in the past, today it’s Brontë country. This old stone-built textile village on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors long...

Tintagel

The romance of Arthurian legend thrives around Tintagel's ruined castle on the coast. Ever since the somewhat unreliable 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth identified Tintagel...

Lizard Peninsula

The southernmost point on mainland Britain, this peninsula is a government-designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, named so for the rocky, dramatic coast rather than...

Bristol

The West Country's biggest city (population 430,000), Bristol has in recent years become one of the country's most vibrant centers, with a thriving cultural scene...

Cliveden

This grand stately home, designed by Charles Barry, the architect of the Houses of Parliament, and the setting of the notorious Profumo affair in the...

Cambridge

With the spires of its university buildings framed by towering trees and expansive meadows, and its medieval streets and passages enhanced by gardens and riverbanks...

Bury St. Edmunds

The Georgian streetscape helps make the town one of the area's prettiest, and the nearby Greene King Westgate Brewery adds the smell of sweet hops...

Blakeney

The Norfolk coast begins to feel wild and remote near Blakeney, 14 miles west of Cromer. Driving the coast road from Cromer, you pass marshes...

Aldeburgh

Aldeburgh (pronounced orl-bruh) is a quiet seaside resort, except in June, when the town fills with people attending the noted Aldeburgh Festival. Its beach is...

Painswick

An old Cotswold wool town of around 2,000 inhabitants, Painswick has become a chocolate-box picture of quaintness, attracting day-trippers and tour buses. But come during...

Winchcombe

The sleepy, unspoiled village of Winchcombe (population 4,500), once the capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, has some attractive half-timber and stone houses, as...

Lewes

The town nearest to the celebrated Glyndebourne Opera House, Lewes is so rich in history that the Council for British Archaeology has named it one...

Brading

The Anglo-Norman St. Mary's Church in Brading dates back to 1180. It contains the tombs of the Oglanders, a local family whose Norman ancestor is...

Colchester

Evidence of Colchester's four centuries of Roman history is visible everywhere in this ancient town. The Roman walls still stand, together with a Norman castle...

St. Albans

A lively town on the outskirts of London, St. Albans is known for its historic cathedral, and it also holds reminders of a long history...

Dedham

Dedham is the heart of Constable country. Here gentle hills and the cornfields of Dedham Vale, set under the district's delicate, pale skies, inspired John...

Exmoor National Park

When you're headed to Exmoor National Park, stop by the visitor information centers at Dulverton, Dunster, and Lynmouth for information and maps. Guided walks, many...

Ely

Known for its magnificent cathedral, Ely is the "capital" of the fens, the center of what used to be a separate county called the Isle...

Penzance

Superb views over Mount's Bay are one lure of this popular, unpretentious seaside resort. Even though it does get very crowded in summer, Penzance makes...

King's Lynn

As Bishop's Lynn, the town thrived as a port on the River Ouse, growing prosperous in the 15th century through the wool trade and other...

Bibury

The tiny town of Bibury, with a population of less than 1,000, sits idyllically beside the little River Coln on B4425; it was famed Arts...

Lavenham

Virtually unchanged since the height of its wealth in the 15th and 16th centuries, Lavenham is one of the most perfectly preserved examples of a...

Saltaire

This planned community, built by a philanthropic Victorian industrialist in the wool trade to house his workers, perfectly preserves the architecture—both residential and industrial—of the...

Lincoln

Celts, Romans, and Danes all had important settlements here, but it was the Normans who gave Lincoln its medieval stature after William the Conqueror founded...

Chichester

The Romans founded Chichester, the capital city of West Sussex, on the low-lying plains between the wooded South Downs and the sea. The city walls...

Long Melford

It's easy to see how this village got its name, especially if you walk the full length of its 2-mile-long main street, which gradually broadens...

Hever Castle

A fairy-tale medieval castle on the outside, and a Tudor mansion within, Hever contains layer on layer of history. It’s one of the most unusual...

Norwich

It used to be said that Norwich had a pub for each day of the year and a church in which to repent every Sunday...

Rye

With cobbled streets and ancient timbered dwellings, Rye is an artist's dream. It was an important port town until the harbor silted up and the...

Orford

Part of the Suffolk Heritage Coast, a 40-mile stretch that runs from Felixstowe northward to Kessingland, ancient Orford is a beautiful example of the coast's...

Burford

Burford's broad main street leads steeply down to a narrow bridge across the River Windrush. The village served as a stagecoach stop for centuries and...

Peterborough

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Marlow

Just inside the Buckinghamshire border, Marlow and the surrounding area overflow with Thames-side prettiness. The unusual suspension bridge was built in the 1830s by William...

Southwold

This seaside town is an idyllic place to spend a day. The old-fashioned beach huts that huddle together against the wind on the shingle beach...

Bourton-on-the-Water

Off A429 on the eastern edge of the Cotswolds, Bourton-on-the-Water is deservedly famous as a classic Cotswold village. Like many others, it became wealthy in...

Stamford

Serene, honey-hued Stamford, on a hillside overlooking the River Welland, has a well-preserved center, in part because in 1967 it was designated England's first conservation...

Dartmoor National Park

Devon presents no greater contrast to the country's quaint and picturesque image than the bleak, deserted expanses of Dartmoor. Southern England’s greatest natural wilderness is...

Sudbury

An early silk-weaving industry (still in existence, on a smaller scale) as well as the wool trade brought prosperity to Sudbury, which has three fine...

Helston

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Wells-next-the-Sea

A quiet base from which to explore other nearby towns, the harbor town of Wells-next-the-Sea and the nearby coastline remain untouched, with many excellent places...

Mousehole

Between Land's End and Penzance, Mousehole (pronounced mow-zel, the first syllable rhyming with "cow") merits a stop—and plenty of people do stop—to see this archetypal...

Woodbridge

One of the first good ports of call on the Suffolk Heritage Coast, Woodbridge is a town whose upper reaches center on a fine old...

Port Isaac

A mixture of granite, slate, and whitewashed cottages tumbles precipitously down the cliff to the tiny harbor at Port Isaac, still dedicated to the crab-and-lobster...

Owlpen

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Trelissick

Trelissick is known for the colorful Trelissick Garden, owned by the National Trust...

Northleach

Just off the Fosse Way (and bypassed by the busy A40), little Northleach—population around 2,000—has remained one of the least spoiled of Cotswold towns. Trim...

Castle Howard

The baroque grandeur of Castle Howard is without equal in northern England. The grounds, enhanced by groves of trees, a twinkling lake, and a perfect...

Bakewell

In Bakewell, a medieval bridge crosses the winding River Wye in five graceful arches; a 9th-century Saxon cross that stands outside the parish church reveals...

Leeds

Once an industrial powerhouse, Leeds has reinvented itself as a vibrant dining, drinking, and shopping destination with numerous trendy restaurants, sleek bars, and cafés, whose...

Buxton

Just outside the national park yet almost entirely surrounded by it, Buxton makes a good base for Peak District excursions but it has its own...

Tetbury

With about 5,300 inhabitants, Tetbury claims royal connections. Indeed, the soaring spire of the church that presides over this Elizabethan market town is within sight...

Castleton

The area around Castleton, in the Hope Valley, contains the most famous manifestations of the geology of the Peak District. A number of caves and...

Canterbury

Just mention Canterbury and most people are taken back to memories of high-school English classes and Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, about medieval pilgrims making their...

Edale

At Edale, an extremely popular hiking center, you're truly in the Peak District wilds. This sleepy, straggling village, in the shadow of Mam Tor and...

Dover

The busy passenger port of Dover has for centuries been Britain's gateway to Europe and is known for the famous white cliffs. The town itself...

Moreton-in-Marsh

In Moreton-in-Marsh, the houses have been built not around a central square but along a street wide enough to accommodate a market. The village has...

Guildford

Guildford, the largest town in Surrey and the county's capital, has a lovely historic center with charming original storefronts. Gabled merchants' houses line the steep...

Lower Slaughter and Upper Slaughter

To see the quieter, more typical Cotswold villages, seek out the evocatively named Lower Slaughter and Upper Slaughter (the names have nothing to do with...

Knole

Perhaps the quintessential Tudor mansion, Knole is as famous for its literary connections and impressive collection of furniture and tapestries as it is for its...

Matlock

In the heart of the Derbyshire Dales just outside Peak District National Park, Matlock and its near neighbor Matlock Bath are former spa towns compressed...

Rochester

Positioned near the confluence of the Thames and the River Medway, this posh town has a history of Roman, Saxon, and Norman occupation, all of...

Stoke-on-Trent

Just west of the Peak District, the area known as the Potteries is still the center of Britain's ceramics industry, though production is increasingly being...

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Impeccable literary credentials go hand in hand with enchanting grounds, magnificent countryside views, and even a working kitchen garden at this beautiful home in the...

Lacock

Owned by the National Trust, this lovely Wiltshire village is the victim of its own charm, its unspoiled gabled and stone-tile cottages drawing tour buses...

Ryde

The town of Ryde has long been one of the Isle of Wight's most popular summer resorts with several family attractions. After the construction of...

Bewdley

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Ascot

The posh town of Ascot (pronounced as-cut) has for centuries been famous for horse racing and for style. Queen Anne chose to have a racecourse...

Birmingham

Though it doesn’t have the reputation of being one of the United Kingdom’s most visually appealing cities—thanks to the decline of heavy industry, bombing during...

Eton

Some observers may find it symbolic that almost opposite Windsor Castle—which embodies the continuity of the royal tradition—stands Eton, a school that for centuries has...

Chester

Cheshire’s thriving center is Chester, a city similar in some ways to Shrewsbury, though it has many more black-and-white half-timber buildings (some built in Georgian...

Runnymede

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Coventry

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Woburn Abbey

A stunning drive through the deer park at Woburn Abbey leads to a superb art collection within a Georgian mansion and roaming wildlife in a...

Great Malvern

Great Malvern feels a bit like a seaside resort, though instead of the ocean your eyes plunge into an expanse of green meadows rolling away...

Bodmin

Bodmin was the only Cornish town recorded in the 11th-century Domesday Book, William the Conqueror's census. During World War I, the Domesday Book and the...

Henley-in-Arden

A brief drive out of Stratford will take you under the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal aqueduct to pretty Henley-in-Arden, whose wide main street is an architectural pageant...

Chagford

Once a tin-weighing station, Chagford was an area of fierce fighting between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers during the English Civil War. Although officially a...

Hereford

Before 1066 Hereford was the capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia and, earlier still, the site of Roman, Celtic, and Iron Age settlements. Today...

Dunster

Lying between the Somerset coast and the edge of Exmoor National Park, Dunster is a picture-book village with a broad main street. The eight-sided yarn-market...

Ironbridge Gorge

The River Severn and its tree-cloaked banks make an attractive backdrop to this cluster of villages; within a mile of the graceful span of the...

Kenilworth Castle

The sprawling, graceful red ruins of Kenilworth Castle loom over the green fields of Warwickshire, surrounded by the low grassy impression of what was once...

Ledbury

Among the 16th-century black-and-white half-timber buildings in the center of Ledbury, take special note of the Feathers Hotel and the Talbot Inn. They’re considered to be...

Land's End

The coastal road, B3306, ends at the western tip of Britain at what is, quite literally, Land's End...

Ludlow

Medieval, Georgian, and Victorian buildings jostle for attention in pretty Ludlow, which has a finer display of black-and-white half-timber buildings than even Shrewsbury. Dominating the...

Lynton and Lynmouth

A steep hill separates this pretty pair of Devonshire villages, which are linked by a Victorian cliff railway you can still ride. Lynmouth, a fishing...

Much Wenlock

Much Wenlock, a town on the A458, is full of half-timber buildings, including a 16th-century guildhall. Nearby are popular places to walk. The town has...

Okehampton

This town at the confluence of the rivers East and West Okement is a good base for exploring north Dartmoor. It has a fascinating museum...

Ross-on-Wye

Perched high above the River Wye in the Malvern Hills, Ross-on-Wye seems oblivious to modern-day intrusions and remains at heart a small market town. Its...

Plymouth

Devon's largest city has long been linked with England's commercial and maritime history. The Pilgrims sailed from here to the New World in the Mayflower...

Shrewsbury

One of England’s most important medieval towns, Shrewsbury (pronounced shrose-bury), the county seat of Shropshire, lies within a great horseshoe loop of the Severn. It...

St. Mawes

At the tip of the Roseland Peninsula is the quiet, unspoiled village of St. Mawes, where subtropical plants thrive. The peninsula itself is a lovely...

Stratford-upon-Avon

Even under the weight of busloads of visitors, Stratford, on the banks of the slow-flowing River Avon, has somehow hung on to much of its...

Torquay

The most important resort area in South Devon, Torquay envisions itself as the center of the "English Riviera." Since 1968 the towns of Paignton and...

Warwick

Most famous for Warwick Castle—that vision out of the feudal ages—the town of Warwick (pronounced war-ick) is an interesting architectural mix of Georgian redbrick and...

Wells

England's smallest cathedral city, with a population of 10,000, lies at the foot of the Mendip Hills. Although set in what feels like a quiet...

The Lake District

"Let nature be your teacher." Wordsworth's ideal comes true in this popular national park of jagged mountains, waterfalls, wooded valleys, and stone-built villages. No mountains...

Bolton Abbey

A leafy, picturesque village amid the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales, Bolton Abbey is a famously attractive town with a stone church and an...

Ambleside

Unlike Kendal and Windermere, Ambleside seems almost part of the hills and fells. Its buildings, mainly of local stone and many built in the traditional...

Harrogate

During the Regency and early Victorian periods, it became fashionable for the aristocratic and wealthy to "take the waters" at British spa towns, combining the...

Bassenthwaite Lake

Bassenthwaite is the only body of water officially called a lake in the Lake District; the others are known as "meres" or "waters." Bird-watchers know...

Hutton-le-Hole

Sleepy Hutton-le-Hole is a charming little place based around a wide village green, with woolly sheep snoozing in the shade of stone cottages. Unfortunately, it...

Borrowdale

South of Keswick and its lake lies the valley of Borrowdale, whose varied landscape of green valley floor and surrounding crags has long been considered...

Ripon

Said to be England’s second-oldest city and still one of its smallest, Ripon has been the site of a market since the 10th century, and...

Cartmel

The village of Cartmel is the southern Lakeland area's most attractive, set in a gentler Cumbrian landscape of hills and fields beyond the trees of...

Skipton

Skipton in Airedale, capital of the limestone district of Craven, is a country market town with as many farmers as visitors milling in the streets...

Cockermouth

This small but bustling town, at the confluence of the rivers Derwent and Cocker, has colorful buildings, history, and narrow streets that are a delight...

Castle Combe

This Wiltshire village lived a sleepy existence until 1962, when it was voted the "prettiest village" in England—without any of its inhabitants knowing that it...

Coniston

This small lake resort and boating center attracts climbers to the steep peak of the Old Man of Coniston (2,635 feet), which towers above the...

Burwash

Burwash, a pretty Sussex village, is known for its association with writer Rudyard Kipling. The setting for Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill was close by...

Elterwater and the Langdales

The delightful village of Elterwater, at the eastern end of the Great Langdale Valley on B5343, is a good stop for hikers. It's barely more...

Chartwell

Beloved of Winston Churchill, Chartwell retains a homely warmth despite its size and grandeur. Almost as lovely are the grounds, with a rose garden and...

Grasmere

Lovely Grasmere, on a tiny, wood-fringed lake, is made up of crooked lanes in which Westmorland slate–built cottages hold shops and galleries. The village is...

Deal

The large seaside town of Deal, known for its castle, is famous in history books as the place where Caesar's legions landed in 55 BC...

Hawkshead

In the Vale of Esthwaite, this small market town is a pleasing hodgepodge of tiny squares, cobbled lanes, and whitewashed houses. There's a good deal...

East Grinstead

The small country town of East Grinstead claims the longest continuous run of 14th-century timber-frame buildings in the country. Six miles to the east is...

Kendal

The southern gateway to the Lake District is the "Auld Gray Town" of Kendal, outside the national park and less touristy than the towns to...

Great Bookham

Fine old buildings fill Great Bookham, including a well-preserved 12th-century church...

Keswick

The great mountains of Skiddaw and Blencathra brood over the gray slate houses of Keswick (pronounced kezz-ick), on the scenic shores of Derwentwater. The town...

Hastings

In the 19th century Hastings became one of England's most popular spa resorts. Tall Victorian row houses painted in lemony hues still cover the cliffs...

Penrith

The red-sandstone town of Penrith was the capital of old Cumbria, part of the Scottish kingdom of Strathclyde in the 9th and 10th centuries. It...

Ightham Mote

Almost unique among medieval manor houses in that it still has a moat (although that has nothing to do with the name), Ightham is a...

Rydal

The village of Rydal, on the small glacial lake called Rydal Water, is rich with Wordsworthian associations...

Leeds Castle

Every inch the grand medieval castle, Leeds is like a storybook illustration of what an English castle should look like—from the fortresslike exterior to the...

Ullswater

Hemmed in by towering hills, Ullswater, the region's second-largest lake, is one of the least developed, drawing people for its calm waters and good access...

Penshurst Place

One of the best preserved of the great medieval houses in Britain, and surrounded by stunning landscaped gardens, Penshurst Place is like an Elizabethan time...

Windermere and Bowness-on-Windermere

For a natural touring base for the southern half of the Lake District, you don't need to look much farther than Windermere, though it does...

Royal Tunbridge Wells

Nobody much bothers with the "Royal" anymore, but Tunbridge Wells is no less regal because of it. Because of its wealth and political conservatism, this...

Cirencester

A hub of the Cotswolds since Roman times, when it was called Corinium, Cirencester (pronounced siren-sester) was second only to London in importance. Today this...

Sandwich

The coast near Canterbury holds three of the ancient Cinque Ports, a confederacy of ports along the southeast seaboard whose heyday lasted from the 12th...

Alnwick

Dominated by a grand castle, the little market town of Alnwick (pronounced ahn-ick) is the best base from which to explore the dramatic coast and...

Alum Bay and the Needles

At the western tip of the Isle of Wight is the island's most famous natural landmark, the Needles, a long line of jagged chalk stacks...

Bamburgh

Tiny Bamburgh has a splendid castle, and several beaches are a few minutes' walk away...

Cowes

If you embark from Southampton, your ferry crosses the Solent channel and docks at Cowes, near Queen Victoria's Osborne House. Cowes is a magic name...

Barnard Castle

The handsome market town of Barnard Castle has sights of its own and can also serve as a base for venturing into the Teesdale Valley...

Ventnor

The south-coast resorts are the sunniest and most sheltered on the Isle of Wight. Handsome Ventnor rises from such a steep slope that the ground...

Berwick-upon-Tweed

Although Berwick-upon-Tweed now lies just inside the border of England, historians estimate that it’s changed hands between the Scots and the English 14 times. An...

Althorp

Althorp, known as the childhood home and burial place of Princess Diana, has fine architecture and paintings, both Old Masters and new...

Bishop Auckland

For 700 years, between the 12th and 19th century, the powerful prince-bishops of Durham had their country residence in Auckland Castle, in the town of...

Aylesbury

Aylesbury makes a good base for exploring the surrounding countryside, including stately homes and gardens. It's a pretty, historic place with a 13th-century church surrounded...

Dunstanburgh Castle

Dunstanburgh is as dramatic an old ruin as they come, and more than worth the effort it takes to get here (this is not the...

Dorchester-on-Thames

An important center in Saxon times, when it was the seat of a bishopric, Dorchester merits a visit chiefly because of its ancient abbey, but...

Durham

The great medieval city of Durham, seat of County Durham, stands dramatically on a rocky spur, overlooking the countryside. Its cathedral and castle, a World...

Henley-on-Thames

Henley's fame is based on one thing: rowing. The Henley Royal Regatta, held at the cusp of June and July on a long, straight stretch...

Farne Islands

Owned by the National Trust, these bleak, wind-tossed islands are home to several seabirds, including puffins and guillemots...

Broadway

The Cotswold town to end all Cotswold towns, Broadway has become a favorite of day-trippers. William Morris first discovered the delights of this village, and...

Greenhead

In and around tiny Greenhead you'll find a wealth of historical sites related to Hadrian's Wall, including the fascinating Housesteads Roman Fort, the Roman Army...

Sonning-on-Thames

It’s plausible that Sonning's reputation as the prettiest village on the Thames goes back as far as its Saxon bishops. The 18th-century bridge; the Georgian...

Hadrian's Wall

The most important Roman relic in Britain extends across the countryside and can be accessed in many ways. In Northumberland National Park, about half a...

Windsor

Only a small part of old Windsor—the settlement that grew up around the town's famous castle in the Middle Ages—has survived. The town isn't what...

Hexham

The area around the busy market town of Hexham is a popular base for visiting Hadrian's Wall. Just a few miles from the most significant...

Woodstock and Blenheim Palace

Handsome 17th- and 18th-century houses line the trim streets of Woodstock, at the eastern edge of the Cotswolds. It's best known for nearby Blenheim Palace...

Lindisfarne (Holy Island)

Cradle of northern England's Christianity and home of St. Cuthbert, Lindisfarne (or Holy Island) has a religious history that dates from AD 635, when St...

Beer

Beer, just outside Seaton, was once a favorite smugglers' haunt, and the fishing village has remained fairly unchanged. It was the source of the white...

Morpeth

Surrounded by idyllic pastures and tiny lanes, the hilly medieval market town of Morpeth is the closest thing this part of Northumberland comes to bustling...

Boscastle

In tranquil Boscastle, some of the stone-and-slate cottages at the foot of the steep valley date from the 1300s. A good place to relax and...

Newcastle upon Tyne

Durham may have the glories of its castle, cathedral, and university, but the liveliest city of the Northeast is Newcastle, currently reinventing itself (with some...

Cadbury Castle

...

Rothbury

The small market town of Rothbury, surrounded by stunning countryside, was originally developed as a Victorian resort, attracting the gentry who roamed its hills and...

Clovelly

Lovely Clovelly always seems to have the sun shining on its flower-lined cottages and stepped and cobbled streets. Alas, its beauty is well-known, and day-trippers...

Washington

The little town of Washington has a direct link to the history of the United States...

Dartmouth

An important port in the Middle Ages, Dartmouth is today a favorite haunt of yacht owners. Traces of its past include the old houses in...

Chipping Campden

Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful towns in the area, Chipping Campden, with its population of about 2,500, is the Cotswolds in a microcosm. It...

Exeter

Exeter has been the capital of the region since the Romans established a fortress here 2,000 years ago, and evidence of the Roman occupation remains...

Abbotsbury

Pretty Abbotsbury is at the western end of Chesil Beach and has a swannery. In other parts of the village, you can also visit a...

Falmouth

The bustle of this resort town's fishing harbor, yachting center, and commercial port only adds to its charm. In the 18th century Falmouth was the...

Avebury

The village of Avebury was built much later than its famous stone circles; it has an informative museum with an outstanding collection of Bronze Age...

Glastonbury

A town steeped in history, myth, and legend, Glastonbury lies in the lea of Glastonbury Tor, a grassy hill rising 520 feet above the drained...

Beaulieu

The unspoiled village of Beaulieu (pronounced byoo-lee) has three major attractions in one at Beaulieu Abbey and is near the museum village of Buckler's Hard...

Honiton

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Blandford Forum

Boasting what is perhaps the handsomest Georgian town center in the South of England, this market town of brick and stone on the River Stour...

Launceston

Cornwall's ancient capital, Launceston, on the eastern side of Bodmin Moor, retains parts of its medieval walls, including the South Gate...

Bournemouth

Bournemouth has 7 miles of beaches, and the waters are said to be some of southern England's most pristine. The resort was founded in 1810...

Lydford

The sequestered hamlet of Lydford packs a lot into a small area: there's the dramatic scenery of the gorge just outside the village, the remains...

Cerne Abbas

The village of Cerne Abbas, worth a short exploration on foot, has some Tudor houses on the road beside the church. Nearby you can also...

Montacute House

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Chawton

In Chawton you can visit the home of Jane Austen (1775–1817), who lived the last eight years of her life in the village, moving to...

Newquay

The biggest, most developed resort on the north Cornwall coast is a fairly large town established in 1439. It was once the center of the...

Corfe Castle

The village of Corfe Castle is best known for the ancient, ruined castle that overlooks it...

Padstow

A small fishing port at the mouth of the River Camel, Padstow attracts attention and visitors as a center of culinary excellence, largely because of...

Dorchester

The traditional market town of Dorchester was immortalized as Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy in his 19th-century novel The Mayor of Casterbridge. In fact, the whole...

Perranporth

Past the sandy shores of Perran Bay, Perranporth is one of Cornwall's most popular seaside spots and becomes extremely busy in high season, though it's...

Isle of Wight

Drawn by the island’s slightly old-fashioned and unspoiled feel, throngs of visitors flock to the 23-mile-long Isle of Wight (pronounced white) in summer. It became...

Porlock

Buried at the bottom of a valley, with the slopes of Exmoor all about, the small, unspoiled town of Porlock lies near "Doone Country," the...

Longleat House

With its popular safari park and a richly decorated High Elizabethan house to explore, Longleat can provide a day of diversions...

St. Ives

James McNeill Whistler came here to paint his landscapes, Barbara Hepworth to fashion her modernist sculptures, and Virginia Woolf to write her novels. Today sand...

Lyme Regis

“A very strange stranger it must be, who does not see the charms of the immediate environs of Lyme, to make him wish to know...

Tavistock and Environs

On the River Tavy, the ancient town of Tavistock historically owed its importance to its Benedictine abbey (dissolved by Henry VIII in the 16th century)...

Lyndhurst

Lyndhurst is famous as the capital of the New Forest. Although some popular spots can get crowded in summer, there are ample parking lots, picnic...

Topsham

This small town, full of narrow streets and hidden courtyards, was once a bustling river port, and it remains rich in 18th-century houses and inns...

Portsmouth

In addition to a historic harbor and revitalized waterfront, Portsmouth has the energy of a working port. At Gunwharf Quays is the soaring Spinnaker Tower...

Totnes

This busy market town on the banks of the River Dart preserves plenty of its medieval past, and on summer Tuesdays vendors dress in period...

Romsey

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Truro

The county seat and Cornwall's only real city, Truro is a good option mostly for food and shopping and for cathedral and museum buffs. For...

Salisbury

The silhouette of Salisbury Cathedral's majestic spire signals your approach to this historic city long before you arrive. Although the cathedral is the principal focus...

Yeovilton

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Sherborne

Originally the capital of Wessex (the actual Saxon kingdom, not Hardy’s retro conceit), this unspoiled market town is populated with medieval buildings built using the...

Askrigg

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Whitby

A fishing port with a Gothic edge (it is host to an annual Goth Weekend), Whitby is also a busy tourist hub, but it handles...

Bridlington

A fishing port settled since Roman times and probably long before, Bridlington is less upmarket than some other Yorkshire seaside resorts, although it arguably has...

Bath

In Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you’re surrounded by magnificent 18th-century architecture, a lasting reminder of a vanished world often described by the likes...

Danby

The old stone village of Danby nestles in the green Esk Valley, a short walk from the summit of the moors. It's been settled since...

Stourhead

England has many memorable gardens, but Stourhead is one of the most glorious. Its centerpiece is a magnificent artificial lake surrounded by neoclassical temples, atmospheric...

Hawes

The best time to visit the so-called cheesiest town in Yorkshire is on Tuesday, when farmers crowd into town for the weekly market. Crumbly, white...

Weymouth

West Dorset's main coastal resort, Weymouth, is known for its sandy and pebble beaches and its royal connections. King George III began seawater bathing here...

Helmsley

The market town of Helmsley, with its flowering window boxes, stone cottages, churchyard, and arched bridges leading across streams, is the perfect place to spend...

Wimborne Minster

The impressive minster of this quiet market town makes it seem like a miniature cathedral city. The town is exceptionally quiet on Sunday...

Knaresborough

At the bottom of a precipitously deep, rocky gorge along the River Nidd, the little town of Knaresborough could hardly be more photogenic. It's best...

Winchester

Winchester is among the most historic of English cities, and as you walk the graceful streets and wander the many public gardens, a sense of...

Richmond

Tucked into a bend above the foaming River Swale, Richmond has a picturesque network of narrow Georgian streets and terraces opening onto a large cobbled...

Cheltenham

Although Cheltenham has acquired a reputation as snooty—the population (around 110,000) is generally well-heeled and conservative—it's also cosmopolitan. The town has excellent restaurants and bars...

Robin Hood's Bay

With red-roof cottages and cobbled roads squeezed into a narrow ravine, this tiny fishing village is considered by many to be the prettiest on the...

Arundel

The little hilltop town of Arundel is dominated by its great castle, the much-restored home of the dukes of Norfolk for more than 700 years...

Scarborough

There’s no Scarborough Fair, and historians are divided on whether there ever was one, but don't let that stop you from heading to this classic...

Battle

Battle is the actual site of the crucial Battle of Hastings, at which, on October 14, 1066, William of Normandy and his army trounced King...

Thirsk

This busy market town on the western edge of the moors was once an important coaching stop on the main east–west route from the dales...

Stow-on-the-Wold

At an elevation of 800 feet, Stow is the highest town in the Cotswolds—“Stow-on-the-Wold, where the wind blows cold" is the age-old saying. Built around...

York

For many people, the first stop in Yorkshire is the historic cathedral city of York. Much of the city's medieval and 18th-century architecture has survived...

Stonehenge

Almost five millennia after their construction, these stone circles on the Salisbury Plain continue to pose fascinating questions. How were the giant stones, some weighing...

London

History and tradition greet you at every turn in London; it's also one of the coolest, most modern cities in the world. If London contained...

Manchester

Central Manchester is alive with the vibe of cutting-edge popular music and a swank, often fancy café, cocktail bar, and restaurant culture that keeps evolving...

Liverpool

A city lined with one of the most famous waterfronts in England, celebrated around the world as the birthplace of the Beatles, and still the...

Oxford

With arguably the most famous university in the world, Oxford has been a center of learning since 1167, with only the Sorbonne preceding it. It...

Brighton

For more than 200 years, Brighton has been England's most interesting seaside city, and today it’s more vibrant, eccentric, and cosmopolitan than ever. A rich...

Southampton

Southampton is England's leading passenger port. It is rich in historic embarkations, from Henry V's fleet bound for France and the battle of Agincourt to...

Fowey

Nestled in the mouth of a wooded estuary, Fowey (pronounced Foy) is still very much a working china-clay port as well as a focal point...

Ryde

The town of Ryde has long been one of the Isle of Wight's most popular summer resorts with several family attractions. After the construction of...

Penshurst Place

One of the best preserved of the great medieval houses in Britain, and surrounded by stunning landscaped gardens, Penshurst Place is like an Elizabethan time...

East Grinstead

The small country town of East Grinstead claims the longest continuous run of 14th-century timber-frame buildings in the country. Six miles to the east is...

Broadway

The Cotswold town to end all Cotswold towns, Broadway has become a favorite of day-trippers. William Morris first discovered the delights of this village, and...

Saltaire

This planned community, built by a philanthropic Victorian industrialist in the wool trade to house his workers, perfectly preserves the architecture—both residential and industrial—of the...

Truro

The county seat and Cornwall's only real city, Truro is a good option mostly for food and shopping and for cathedral and museum buffs. For...

Exeter

Exeter has been the capital of the region since the Romans established a fortress here 2,000 years ago, and evidence of the Roman occupation remains...

Stow-on-the-Wold

At an elevation of 800 feet, Stow is the highest town in the Cotswolds—“Stow-on-the-Wold, where the wind blows cold" is the age-old saying. Built around...

Painswick

An old Cotswold wool town of around 2,000 inhabitants, Painswick has become a chocolate-box picture of quaintness, attracting day-trippers and tour buses. But come during...

Owlpen

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Northleach

Just off the Fosse Way (and bypassed by the busy A40), little Northleach—population around 2,000—has remained one of the least spoiled of Cotswold towns. Trim...

Moreton-in-Marsh

In Moreton-in-Marsh, the houses have been built not around a central square but along a street wide enough to accommodate a market. The village has...

Lower Slaughter and Upper Slaughter

To see the quieter, more typical Cotswold villages, seek out the evocatively named Lower Slaughter and Upper Slaughter (the names have nothing to do with...

Lacock

Owned by the National Trust, this lovely Wiltshire village is the victim of its own charm, its unspoiled gabled and stone-tile cottages drawing tour buses...

Henley-on-Thames

Henley's fame is based on one thing: rowing. The Henley Royal Regatta, held at the cusp of June and July on a long, straight stretch...

Beer

Beer, just outside Seaton, was once a favorite smugglers' haunt, and the fishing village has remained fairly unchanged. It was the source of the white...

Tetbury

With about 5,300 inhabitants, Tetbury claims royal connections. Indeed, the soaring spire of the church that presides over this Elizabethan market town is within sight...

Lizard Peninsula

The southernmost point on mainland Britain, this peninsula is a government-designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, named so for the rocky, dramatic coast rather than...

Winchcombe

The sleepy, unspoiled village of Winchcombe (population 4,500), once the capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, has some attractive half-timber and stone houses, as...

Haworth: Heart of Bronte Country

Whatever Haworth might have been in the past, today it’s Brontë country. This old stone-built textile village on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors long...

Aldeburgh

Aldeburgh (pronounced orl-bruh) is a quiet seaside resort, except in June, when the town fills with people attending the noted Aldeburgh Festival. Its beach is...

Wimborne Minster

The impressive minster of this quiet market town makes it seem like a miniature cathedral city. The town is exceptionally quiet on Sunday...

Blakeney

The Norfolk coast begins to feel wild and remote near Blakeney, 14 miles west of Cromer. Driving the coast road from Cromer, you pass marshes...

Chartwell

Beloved of Winston Churchill, Chartwell retains a homely warmth despite its size and grandeur. Almost as lovely are the grounds, with a rose garden and...

Bury St. Edmunds

The Georgian streetscape helps make the town one of the area's prettiest, and the nearby Greene King Westgate Brewery adds the smell of sweet hops...

Hastings

In the 19th century Hastings became one of England's most popular spa resorts. Tall Victorian row houses painted in lemony hues still cover the cliffs...

Cambridge

With the spires of its university buildings framed by towering trees and expansive meadows, and its medieval streets and passages enhanced by gardens and riverbanks...

Sandwich

The coast near Canterbury holds three of the ancient Cinque Ports, a confederacy of ports along the southeast seaboard whose heyday lasted from the 12th...

Colchester

Evidence of Colchester's four centuries of Roman history is visible everywhere in this ancient town. The Roman walls still stand, together with a Norman castle...

Aylesbury

Aylesbury makes a good base for exploring the surrounding countryside, including stately homes and gardens. It's a pretty, historic place with a 13th-century church surrounded...

Dedham

Dedham is the heart of Constable country. Here gentle hills and the cornfields of Dedham Vale, set under the district's delicate, pale skies, inspired John...

Sonning-on-Thames

It’s plausible that Sonning's reputation as the prettiest village on the Thames goes back as far as its Saxon bishops. The 18th-century bridge; the Georgian...

Ely

Known for its magnificent cathedral, Ely is the "capital" of the fens, the center of what used to be a separate county called the Isle...

Chagford

Once a tin-weighing station, Chagford was an area of fierce fighting between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers during the English Civil War. Although officially a...

King's Lynn

As Bishop's Lynn, the town thrived as a port on the River Ouse, growing prosperous in the 15th century through the wool trade and other...

Helston

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Lavenham

Virtually unchanged since the height of its wealth in the 15th and 16th centuries, Lavenham is one of the most perfectly preserved examples of a...

Cirencester

A hub of the Cotswolds since Roman times, when it was called Corinium, Cirencester (pronounced siren-sester) was second only to London in importance. Today this...

Lincoln

Celts, Romans, and Danes all had important settlements here, but it was the Normans who gave Lincoln its medieval stature after William the Conqueror founded...

Bridlington

A fishing port settled since Roman times and probably long before, Bridlington is less upmarket than some other Yorkshire seaside resorts, although it arguably has...

Long Melford

It's easy to see how this village got its name, especially if you walk the full length of its 2-mile-long main street, which gradually broadens...

Leeds

Once an industrial powerhouse, Leeds has reinvented itself as a vibrant dining, drinking, and shopping destination with numerous trendy restaurants, sleek bars, and cafés, whose...

Norwich

It used to be said that Norwich had a pub for each day of the year and a church in which to repent every Sunday...

Whitby

A fishing port with a Gothic edge (it is host to an annual Goth Weekend), Whitby is also a busy tourist hub, but it handles...

Orford

Part of the Suffolk Heritage Coast, a 40-mile stretch that runs from Felixstowe northward to Kessingland, ancient Orford is a beautiful example of the coast's...

Arundel

The little hilltop town of Arundel is dominated by its great castle, the much-restored home of the dukes of Norfolk for more than 700 years...

Peterborough

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Burwash

Burwash, a pretty Sussex village, is known for its association with writer Rudyard Kipling. The setting for Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill was close by...

Southwold

This seaside town is an idyllic place to spend a day. The old-fashioned beach huts that huddle together against the wind on the shingle beach...

Deal

The large seaside town of Deal, known for its castle, is famous in history books as the place where Caesar's legions landed in 55 BC...

Stamford

Serene, honey-hued Stamford, on a hillside overlooking the River Welland, has a well-preserved center, in part because in 1967 it was designated England's first conservation...

Great Bookham

Fine old buildings fill Great Bookham, including a well-preserved 12th-century church...

Sudbury

An early silk-weaving industry (still in existence, on a smaller scale) as well as the wool trade brought prosperity to Sudbury, which has three fine...

Knole

Perhaps the quintessential Tudor mansion, Knole is as famous for its literary connections and impressive collection of furniture and tapestries as it is for its...

Wells-next-the-Sea

A quiet base from which to explore other nearby towns, the harbor town of Wells-next-the-Sea and the nearby coastline remain untouched, with many excellent places...

Royal Tunbridge Wells

Nobody much bothers with the "Royal" anymore, but Tunbridge Wells is no less regal because of it. Because of its wealth and political conservatism, this...

Woodbridge

One of the first good ports of call on the Suffolk Heritage Coast, Woodbridge is a town whose upper reaches center on a fine old...

Brading

The Anglo-Norman St. Mary's Church in Brading dates back to 1180. It contains the tombs of the Oglanders, a local family whose Norman ancestor is...

Cheltenham

Although Cheltenham has acquired a reputation as snooty—the population (around 110,000) is generally well-heeled and conservative—it's also cosmopolitan. The town has excellent restaurants and bars...

Althorp

Althorp, known as the childhood home and burial place of Princess Diana, has fine architecture and paintings, both Old Masters and new...

Bakewell

In Bakewell, a medieval bridge crosses the winding River Wye in five graceful arches; a 9th-century Saxon cross that stands outside the parish church reveals...

Dorchester-on-Thames

An important center in Saxon times, when it was the seat of a bishopric, Dorchester merits a visit chiefly because of its ancient abbey, but...

Buxton

Just outside the national park yet almost entirely surrounded by it, Buxton makes a good base for Peak District excursions but it has its own...

Bourton-on-the-Water

Off A429 on the eastern edge of the Cotswolds, Bourton-on-the-Water is deservedly famous as a classic Cotswold village. Like many others, it became wealthy in...

Castleton

The area around Castleton, in the Hope Valley, contains the most famous manifestations of the geology of the Peak District. A number of caves and...

Windsor

Only a small part of old Windsor—the settlement that grew up around the town's famous castle in the Middle Ages—has survived. The town isn't what...

Edale

At Edale, an extremely popular hiking center, you're truly in the Peak District wilds. This sleepy, straggling village, in the shadow of Mam Tor and...

Boscastle