UK Attractions by County
Attractions in England
Bath & Northeast Somerset Attractions
Bath offers the finest Georgian architecture in the country. The Romans made Bath their headquarters in AD 44, building baths around the natural hot springs and dedicating a temple to the goddess Sulis Minerva, naming the city Aquae Sulis. To commemorate this unique period is the fascinating Roman Baths Museum. The pride of medieval Bath is its handsome monastery, whose early sixteenth century church survives today as Bath Abbey. It is renownedfor...read moreAttractions in Bath & Northeast Somerset
Bedfordshire Attractions
Bedfordshire is largely an agricultural area with the River Ouse in the north. Bedford, standing on the river, is the county town famous for its connection with the seventeenth century author of Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan. The town’s location on the Ouse clothes it with picturesque riverside gardens and walks. Of course, no visitor to this lovely county should miss the Duke of Bedford’s palatial mansion Woburn, packed with art treasures andset...read moreBerkshire Attractions
Berkshire, famous for places such as Windsor Castle, Royal Ascot and Eton College. Its boundary is adjacent to Greater London and stretches westward some 60 miles to the Wiltshire border. With its many historic houses and buildings and picturesque villages and towns Berkshire has something to offer everyone. The River Thames runs along the northern boundary and is popular with boat owners and other water based activities such as cannoeing.Bristol Attractions
Bristol is the largest town in the south west of England being a major entertainment and communications centre. Though no longer a commercial port, the docks still dominate the centre of the city, their attraction being the splendid Maritime Heritage Centre and the Bristol Industrial Museum. Heavy bombing during WW2 destroyed many of the medieval buildings and the city was greatly modernised in the 1950s and 60s. However the Cathedral, once the abbey...read moreBuckinghamshire Attractions
In Buckinghamshire, The National Trust owns no less than 1,000 acres of Chiltern beech woodland and rolling farmland, as well as most of the lovely village of Bradenham. Aylesbury, the county town is a great centre for exploring Buckinghamshire, as well as being the main market centre for the fertile Vale of Aylesbury. Hidden away in woodland near Kimble is Chequers, the official home of British Prime Ministers. Another spectacular stately home is...read moreAttractions in Buckinghamshire
Cambridgeshire Attractions
Cambridgeshire forms the western march of East Anglia and what this singularly flat county lacks in woodlands it more than makes up for in glorious rivers with the Great Ouse and the Nene. Within Cambridgeshire lies much of the Fen district, a vast area of highly fertile black farmland, once underwater but through many generations drained by cuts and sluices. The last undrained section of the Great Fens is Wicken Fen which now forms the oldest ofthe...read moreCheshire Attractions
The Cheshire Plain is a rolling dairy farming region renowned for Cheshire cheese and the remarkable black and white half-timbered architecture. Scattered within this lovely area are some fascinating houses that the holiday maker simply must visit. Little Moreton Hall, regarded as the most perfect example of a timber-framed moated manor house in the country with musical evenings, suppers and special tours of the splendid wall paintings and knot garden....read moreCornwall Attractions
Cornwall is a very special and separate part of Britain since it was isolated from the mainland by the River Tamar. Consequently it retains much of its Celtic character, in fact the name Cornwall comes from the Saxon Cornovii and Wealas meaning Welsh of the west. Historically this is a region of Iron and Bronze Age settlements and monuments, holy wells and ancient churches, a land criss-crossed by the paths of the early saints. The intricate and decidedly...read moreCumbria Attractions
The county of Cumbria, consisting of the old counties of Cumberland, Westmorland and a substantial slice of Lancashire, is now the second largest of the English counties, containing within its boundaries the Lake District, a region of impressive grandeur. Cumbria attracts vast numbers of visitors at all times of the year to enjoy the climbing, scrambling, sailing, rambling and the joys of the open fells. Magnificent work is done in this area by the...read moreDerbyshire Attractions
Derbyshire contains a remarkable mix of pastoral and industrial scenery and the two counties share with Yorkshire and Cheshire the impressive Peak District. Kinder Scout, an exposed peat plateau, is the highest point of Derbyshire’s Peak District, at the starting point of the Pennine Way National Trail, and gives glorious views across the county. Derbyshire’s section of the Peak District covers no less than 555 square miles of the county and affords...read moreDevon Attractions
Devon is a superb holiday region and few counties in England can match its variety of scenery with two contrasting coastlines and some quite spectacular countryside. The northern coast, Devon’s longest unspoilt coastline, is an impressive array of high cliffs along the Bristol Channel and a series of great headlands protecting fine broad sandy beaches from the wild Atlantic gales. Here are small resorts of a very special charm including Lynton, an...read moreDorset Attractions
Dorset is largely Hardy’s Wessex. There is hardly a part of the county that does not appear, although under a pseudonym, in one of Thomas Hardy’s books. In the north of the county a region of sandy heathland stretches from the border with Hampshire to the centre of Dorset, while a range of chalk downs rolls to the east towards Salisbury Plain. In the south, the coast consists of a narrow broken ridge of chalky cliffs, the most easterly known as the...read moreDurham Attractions
The visitor to Durham could be excused for never leaving the coast, such is the wealth of interest, but this would be a mistake as inland there are just as many delights. The City of Durham is an attraction not to be resisted, the cradle of Christianity in England and the historic capital of the northeast. The history and tradition of the region is centred on the magnificent Norman cathedral and its adjacent castle. The cathedral contains the shrine...read moreEast Sussex Attractions
One could be excused for regarding West Sussex as very much a seaside county, certainly Rudyard Kipling saw the county as ‘Sussex by the sea’, but there is considerably more to Sussex than its undoubtedly glorious coastline. The South Downs, that ancient chalk ridge, runs from east to west separating the Sussex Weald from the English Channel, eventually arriving dramatically in the towering form of Beachy Head, the highest cliff on the south coast,...read moreEssex Attractions
To experience the real Essex, the visitor has to get away from the main roads. The southwest of the county has been, and is still being, slowly but surely swallowed up by London, and much of the county not yet consumed is nevertheless heavily influenced by the capital. The north bank of the Thames and the southern border of Essex from Tilbury to Southend-on-Sea is a complex array of container ports, oil and gas installations and industry of all descriptions,...read moreGloucestershire Attractions
Few counties can compete with Gloucestershire in scenic beauty and entrancing small towns and villages, but then few counties can claim such attributes as the Cotswold Hills, the Forest of Dean and the Vales of Severn and Berkeley. The rolling grasslands of the Cotswolds, ideal for sheep farming, covers the glorious golden limestone which has been extensively quarried for centuries, providing the building material that has made the landscape so attractive....read moreAttractions in Gloucestershire
Greater Manchester Attractions
Manchester has an extensive history as great industrial centres and ports, but with the decline in heavy industry there has been a concerted effort to attract holiday visitors. It boast an impressive cathedral, the Manchester United FC Museum and the canal basin of Castlefield has been redeveloped as an urban heritage park and boasts the popular tourist attraction of Granada Studios. Manchester offer theatres, cinemas and nightlife of the highest...read moreAttractions in Greater Manchester
Hampshire Attractions
Hampshire is a county of remarkable scenic variations. The best is arguably in the east around Selborne and the far west in the New Forest region. The water meadows with its rivers providing some of the finest fly fishing in Britain and between the rolling chalk downs in the north and the gloriously scenic South Downs lies rich and fertile farm land. The coast is of course dominated by the two great ports, Southampton and Portsmouth. Southampton...read moreHerefordshire Attractions
One of Herefordshire's most impressive features are the dramatic Malvern Hills which lie along the Severn Plain, separating the low plains of Herefordshire from the glorious Vale of Evesham. This jagged ridge was exploited as a defensive site by Iron Age man, who built their ancient forts at Worcestershire Beacon and Herefordshire Beacon from which there are wonderful views to the hills of the Welsh Marches and to the Cotswold escarpment. Hereford,...read moreHertfordshire Attractions
Hertfordshire’s magnificent cathedral of St Albans, which dominates the surrounding countryside, is where England’s first recorded Christian martyr is buried. A fine museum houses one of the best Roman collections in the country. The Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, based here in St Albans is responsible for sterling work in protecting land forms and natural habitats which is threatened by urban development. To the north of Hemel Hempstead...read moreIsle of Wight Attractions
The Isle of Wight, reached by ferry either from Southampton, Portsmouth or Lymington is designed to appeal to the holiday visitor. There is much to see, the green whaleback hills on the south coast offer superb views, and at the western end of Tennyson Down are the spectacular chalk pinnacles known as The Needles. Yarmouth is a pretty port of whitewashed cottages, once an important medieval port and one of the numerous Solent Forts built by HenryVIII....read moreKent Attractions
Kent is without doubt the ‘Garden of England’, the soil is remarkably fertile and the county is crowded with orchards, market gardens, fields of vegetables and some hop fields, although not so many as there used to be. Being the closest part of England to mainland Europe, Kent has been the main route between London and the Continent since Julius Caesar landed here in 55BC, to be followed by St Augustine and his missionaries from Rome in 597AD, and...read moreLancashire Attractions
To many, Lancashire is L.S. Lowry country, a county of vast clattering mills, long lines of millworkers’ terraced houses, dirt, smoke and noise. Certainly Lancashire is now blessed with some of the finest seaside resorts in the country. Blackpool with its 518 feet high imitation of the Eiffel Tower must be the Queen of English holiday resorts. Once the destination for a Victorian day-out for the millworkers of the cotton towns, the resort is now famed...read moreLeicestershire Attractions
Leicestershire, a county at the very heart of England, is endowed with some of the country’s largest and most impressive estates. A largely agricultural county on the eastern side with the industrial East Midlands on the western side. The City of Leicester, situated on the River Soar, is the county town and a major commercial and industrial centre. It has a magnificent museum overlooking the site of the Roman baths and the half-timbered medieval...read moreLincolnshire Attractions
Lincolnshire has something to suit everyone whether its walking, cycling or relaxing on the wide sandy beaches. There are also a vast array of historic sights and buildings to visit particularly in the historic city of Lincoln with its glorious cathedral dominating the surrounding countryside. An abundance of accommodation to suit all tastes from B&Bs to larger hotels.London Attractions
London's two thousand years of history has seen a Roman settlement by the River Thames develop into a capital city of over seven million people. The strategic position of London was recognised by William the Conqueror who built his White Tower here, the hub of the Tower of London. However, the crowded unhygienic housing was a breeding ground of disease and as a consequence London suffered badly from the Black Death in 1348 and the Plague of 1665.The...read moreMerseyside Attractions
Liverpool has a long history as great industrial centre and port, but with the decline in heavy industry there has been a concerted effort to attract holiday visitors. The city boasts a spectacular cathedral, the Liverpool FC Musuem and Liverpool’s Albert Dock waterfront, with its massive warehouses has now become an impressive complex of shops, restaurants and television studios.Norfolk Attractions
The fact that the National Trust owns so much of Norfolk indicates just what an attractive county this is. Of course, the Norwich School of English Landscape Painters appreciated the wide panoramic skies, the wonderful cloud formations and the glorious seascapes many years before the Trust took an interest. However, one of the great advantages of this fine county is that there are still parts relatively unexplored. The north Norfolk coast has so much...read moreNorth Yorkshire Attractions
North Yorkshire is Britain’s largest county with a vast variation in scenery ranging from the pretty and picturesque to the awe-inspiring and majestic. There is open space aplenty with seaside resorts to suit every possible taste, magnificent stately homes, gardens and parkland of incomparable beauty and history, folklore and legend to entrance the most curious of visitor. This is depicted particularly in York, the city which encapsulates the very...read moreAttractions in North Yorkshire
Northamptonshire Attractions
Northamptonshire has always been primarily a farming county, possessing glorious churches and Manor houses of Northamptonshires ‘spires and squires’, but is also an attractive holiday region. Northampton, the county town was largely destroyed by fire in 1675, and fortunately two of its most spectacular churches survived: the Norman church of St Peter and the remarkable round Holy Sepulchre. The town has at its centre, one of England’s largest traditional...read moreAttractions in Northamptonshire
Nottinghamshire Attractions
Nottinghamshire, lying on the low ground of the Trent basin, is known as the county of Robin Hood, the outlaw who roamed this region and lived in Sherwood Forest, a royal hunting forest which once covered over 160 square miles. Sherwood Forest County Park contains the ancient Major Oak, reputedly the home of Robin, while Edwinstowe Church is claimed to be the scene of his marriage to Maid Marion. The historic city of Nottingham is a fine shopping...read moreAttractions in Nottinghamshire
Oxfordshire Attractions
Oxfordshire must be one of England’s most attractive counties, lying midway between the Thames estuary and the River Severn, with the glorious Cotswolds to the north, the chalk hills of the Chilterns in the south and with the basins of the Thames and Cherwell forming the central plain, The Oxfordshire Chilterns is a wonderful area of beechwoods and chalk, here the Ridgeway, a pre-Roman track follows the western escarpment and runs to the Vale...read moreShropshire Attractions
Strangely enough, this rich agricultural county was the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, but then Shropshire is a county of intriguing contrasts. Only fifty miles in length and forty miles wide the county is virtually cut in two by the River Severn which flows across the county from the Welsh border in the west to Shrewsbury. The Shropshire Plain, which stretches from Whitchurch in the north to Church Stretton in the southwest is dominated bythe...read moreSomerset Attractions
There is no doubt that Somerset is a holiday county; there is so much to enjoy here that one visit could never suffice. The diversity of scenery to the northwest is the high heather-clad moorland plateau of Exmoor bordering the Bristol Channel, giving England’s highest sea cliffs. This was once wild and windswept hunting country, changed somewhat during the nineteenth century by a rich ironmaster who converted some 15,000 acres of the moor into farmland...read moreStaffordshire Attractions
Staffordshire contains a remarkable mix of industrial and pastoral scenery, including a share of the impressive Peak District. Staffordshire is renown for its Potteries. The five pottery towns immortalised in Arnold Bennett’s novels became amalgamated to form Stoke-on-Trent in 1910. The presence of all the essential raw materials for pottery manufacture in the region encouraged the development of the industry, but it was the entrepreneurial skills...read moreSuffolk Attractions
Suffolk is a delightful county of softly undulating rural land-scape, of slow-flowing streams, picturesque villages and the open heath country of the Breckland. The coastline, under constant attack from the eroding sea, nevertheless offers lovely shingle shores, sandy beaches and low cliffs. Dunwich Heath, one of Suffolk’s most important conservation areas covers over 200 acres of Sandlings heathland with sandy cliffs and a mile of lovely beach. The...read moreSurrey Attractions
Surrey still remains Britain’s most wooded county and is crossed from east to west by the North Downs, whose chalk slopes are broken by the lovely Rivers Wey, Mole and Darent. Guildford, Surrey’s ancient capital, is beautifully sited at the ford where the River Wey cuts through the North Downs. Guildford is a university town, with excellent shopping and a fine venue for the holiday visitor. To the east near Dorking where the River Mole cuts through...read moreTeesside Attractions
Teesside, in the North-East of England, is steeped in maritime history. The long stretches of coast and moorland, offer an opportunity for a country ramble or a more serious hike. Sandy beaches, restaurants, shops and cosmospolitan city life can all be found here. Visit some of the many museums or for a taste of the darker side of the sea try the Saltburn Smugglers Heritage Centre, with its authentic sights, sounds and smells of the past.Warwickshire Attractions
Warwickshire is the quintessential England, one of the country’s smallest counties, it is a region rich in history and blessed with some of the country’s loveliest scenery. Stratford upon Avon is of course a magnet to the thousands of pilgrims who flock to see the birth and death place of William Shakespeare. The town with its many half-timbered buildings is a shrine to The Bard with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust maintaining five buildings associated...read moreWest Midlands Attractions
The West Midlands region was once the centre of a vast and complicated canal system, but is now the hub of an equally complicated motorway network. This is one of the most important industrial and manufacturing regions and despite Charles Dickens’ description of ‘an industrialised realisation of hell’, the so called Black Country, Birmingham and Coventry have much to offer the holiday visitor. The towns and cities of the West Midlands provide excellent...read moreWest Sussex Attractions
West Sussex not only boasts a beautiful coastline but also the ancient city of Chichester - holiday visitors may find it extremely difficult to drag themselves away from the attractions of this fair city! Chichester was a Roman town and there is still evidence of its Roman grid plan, the interesting early sixteenth century market cross indicates the crossing of four of the city’s main streets. The Cathedral, early Norman with early English additions,...read moreWiltshire Attractions
Wiltshire’s landscape is predominantly undulating, with Salisbury Plain in the centre and higher downland in the south and north-east. The chief lowlands are around Salisbury. Following a dispute between the occupants of the royal castle and the cathedral, or more probably because of its bleak, windy and waterless location, the monks of Old Sarum vacated their ancient cathedral, and in the early thirteenth century moved down the valley and built their...read moreWorcestershire Attractions
At the heart of Worcestershire is Great Malvern, which is an ideal base for the holidaymaker. The town developed as a spa during the nineteenth century and is renowned for its crystal clear water, its Victorian character and the fine fifteenth century priory tower which dominates the district. Sir Edward Elgar, whose ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ marches were inspired by the Malverns, was born at Lower Broadheath in 1857 and his works are annually performed...read more
Attractions in Scotland
Aberdeenshire Attractions
Aberdeenshire, home to Balmoral Castle, residence of the Queen and the Royal Family, Braemar home to the Highland Games, a couple of the many attractions well worth a visit. Aberdeen the award-winning Britain in Bloom city has an array of things to do and see from its public gardens and parks to the many famous distilleries including Glen, Grant, Cardhu, Glenfiddich and Glenfarclas. Probably best to leave the car at home!Angus Attractions
Angus, a truly unique Scottish destination, with its rich history, culture and tradition. Explore the rugged coastlines or the lowlands and Highland Glens. Breathtaking scenery, wonderful beaches and an abundance of historic sites and buildings to discover. From modern, cosmopolitan city life to two thousand years of magic and mystery, this all meets in a land of kings, queens, inventors and adventurers.Argyll & Bute Attractions
Argyll & Bute are in a region known as The Scottish Heartlands. With glen's and long stretches of scenic coastline, this is a popular holiday destination benefitting from the warm Gulf Stream. The Argyll region is also famous for its Malt Whiskey and is home to numerous Lochs, most well known one being Loch Lomond. An abundance of historic sites and buildings are waiting to be discovered, so plenty of time should be allowedAyrshire Attractions
Ayrshire is a holiday region with two parts, North Ayrshire with its rugged coastlines and South Ayrshire with its rolling pastures and small villages. However, Ayrshire is most known for being the birthplace of Robert Burns in 1759 at Alloway. Thanks to the Burns National Heritage Park visitors to this area are able to almost walk in his very footsteps with many buildings which were associated with him now turned into museums. Nearby is Culzean Castle,...read moreCity of Edinburgh Attractions
Edinburgh is a stunning city renowned for its castle, which represents the origin of the city where from the battlements the whole city can be seen. Greyfriars historic church stands not far from the castle, with the most famous memorial of a canine, Greyfriars Bobby, who when his owner died in 1858 followed his master to his grave where he then refused to leave for the next 14 years, becoming a popular tourist attraction. Edinburgh is also renowned...read moreAttractions in City of Edinburgh
Dumfries & Galloway Attractions
The Southern Uplands consist of the wild western hills of Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders, a region that has experienced turmoil and conflict since Roman times and is now a glorious place of rolling hills, bracing moors and fine border towns.Attractions in Dumfries & Galloway
Glasgow City Attractions
Glasgow has gradually become the second favourite city to visit in the whole of Britain. The cathedral is the central point of the oldest part of the city, founded by St Mungo, patron saint of Scotland and displays spectacular pre-Reformation Gothic architecture.Highland Attractions
The Highlands present a back cloth of awesome mountains and majestic coastal scenery. The perfect example of this is Fort William, an excellent site for exploring Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain at 4406 feet with its name meaning ‘cloudy mountain’. The boundary between the Lowlands and Highlands is emphasised by The Great Glen, a series of interlinked lochs representing a geological fault zone. The lochs of Linnhe, Lochy, Oich and Ness...read moreLanarkshire Attractions
Lanarkshire, with its stunning scenery, historical sites and numerous places to stay and eat, make it a perfect destination for all the family.Mid-Lothian Attractions
The Mid-lothian region is a mere ten miles from the vibrant city of Edinburgh and boasts some stunning scenery with its undulating hills and wooded countryside. With a wealth of heritage sites, notably the Rosslyn Chapel famous for its carvings and also its association with 'The Da Vinci Code'.Perth & Kinross Attractions
Perth & Kinross is home to several historic buildings such as Drummond Castle, Scone Palace and Blair Castle where bagpipes can be heard twice a day echoing through the corridors. The stunning landscape and fabulous selection of accommodation from some of the best hotels in Britain to the smaller more personal B&B's, make this an ideal place to explore all the areas attractions.Attractions in Perth & Kinross
Renfrewshire Attractions
Renfrewshire, with its beautiful countryside and coastal areas, is easily accessible by road, air and sea. Full of bustling towns such as Paisley and and Greenock together with the smaller Barrhead, Erskine and Bishopton. This well developed area has plenty to see and do for all the family from historic buildings and churches to shopping and outdoor pursuits.Scottish Borders Attractions
The Scottish Borders cover approx 1800 square miles, from the rolling hills and moorlands in the the west to the valleys and agricultural plains of the east. Full of picturesque villages and secluded coves. Fishing, golf, cycling and riding are but a few of the many outdoor activities and pass-times on offer. With museums, historic houses and buildings, and an array of accommodation and restaurants, there is sure to be something to suit all tastes....read moreAttractions in Scottish Borders
Stirlingshire Attractions
Stirlingshire is located at the heart of Scotland, with stunning mountains, woodlands and rivers to explore. Full of historic treasures including Stirling Castle and The National Wallace Momument. An array of pretty towns and villages, tranquil Lochs, restaurants and accommodation from small family run B&Bs to larger hotels.West Lothian Attractions
At the centre of Scotland lies West Lothian with its outstanding areas of natural beauty and un-drained natural Lochs, used for fishing and sailing. No visit would be complete without a trip to the Linlithgow Story Musuem. Portraying local people during the Stewart dynasty, their lives and occupations using video and audio presentations. The ruin of Linlithgow Palace , residence of the Stewart kings and queens is a must, with its atmosphere more telling...read more
Attractions in Wales
Carmarthenshire Attractions
Located in southern Wales, Carmarthenshire is steeped in history and has an array of historic buildings from the Welsh and Norman Castles to the Gold Mines at Pumpsaint, all of which give an insight into what life was like in ancient Carmarthenshire. No visit would be complete without a stroll around The National Botanical Garden of Wales in Llanarthne with its Great Glasshouse and walled garden. Re-opened in 2000 after a huge restoration project....read moreAttractions in Carmarthenshire