Britain, places to visit, attractions, heritage
Find places to visit in Britain by name, location, type of attraction, or other keyword.

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ALDEBURGH MOOT HALL

A lovely Tudor town hall, dating from c1550, and a symbol of Aldeburgh's prosperity at the time. The ground floor would have been occupied by shops, with meetings taking place on the first floor. Greatly restored in Victorian times, it now houses a good local museum. The building would once have been more at the centre of town - now it is close to the beach, an indication of shoreline erosion in this part of the UK.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Market Cross
Aldeburgh
County
Suffolk
Post Code
IP15 5DS
Main Historic Period
Tudor
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Aldrebugh town, Thorpeness, Orford
Primary Management
Local Authority
Surgery

The Anaesthesia Museum is part of the Anaesthesia Heritage Centre of the Association of Anaethatists and contains objects relating to the history of anaesthesia. The earliest object in the collection is a resuscitation set of 1774. The museum gives an insight into the history of anaesthesia, resuscitation and pain relief.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
21 Portland Place
County
London
Post Code
W1B 1PY
Main Historic Period
Modern
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
BBC, Regent's Park
Primary Management
Educational establisment
ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM

The Ashmolean is Oxford University's museum of art and archaeology, with objects dating from 8,000 BC. Particular collections include ancient Egypt, the only Minoan collection in Britain, Anglo Saxon artefacts (including the Alfred Jewel) and contemporary artwork from around the world. The Ashmolean is the oldest public museum in Britain, founded in 1683.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Beaumont Street
Oxford
County
Oxfordshire
Post Code
OX1 2PH
Main Historic Period
All
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
All the sites in Oxford
AVONCROFT MUSEUM

The full name of this place is the Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings and it was England's first open air museum, established in 1967. Avoncroft displays 30-odd rescued buildings and structures, ranging from 14th - 20th centuries, which have been re-built in 19 acres of rural Worcestershire. The museum includes a wildflower meadow, period gardens and a traditional cider and perry orchard. It is also home to the National Telephone Kiosk Collection.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Stoke Heath
Bromsgrove
County
Worcestershire
Post Code
B60 4JR
Main Historic Period
All
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Worcester, Stratford
Primary Management
Other
BANK of ENGLAND MUSEUM

The Bank of England was founded on 27 July 1694 by a group of merchants along the lines proposed by Scotsman William Paterson (1658-1719). It began as a private bank, primarily to fund war against France. The Bank opened for business on 1 August 1694 in the Mercers' Hall in Cheapside with a staff of seventeen clerks and two gatekeepers. It moved to the Grocers’ Hall on Poultry on 31 December 1694 and remained there until moving to its own premises in Threadneedle Street in 1734.

It has its own museum, allegedly sitting on top of an enormous gold vault. Discover the history of the Bank - the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street - what it does, the story of paper money - and pick up a gold bar. You can't keep it - sorry.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Bartholemew Lane
County
London
Post Code
EC2R 8AH
Main Historic Period
Georgian
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Museum of London, St Paul's...
Primary Management
Other
BERLIN WALL

There's a small section of the Berlin Wall, taken from the Leuschnerdamm in the Kreuzberg district of the city, outside the Imperial War Museum in London. On it, the main item of graffiti is the phrase 'CHANGE YOUR LIFE' by the graffiti artist 'Indiano'. The Berlin Wall was erected by the East German authorities from the 13 August 1961, dividing the city between east and west. It was breached by ordinary Berliners on 9 November 1989, an event seen by many as marking the end of the Cold War. It also paved the way for German reunification. The Wall was finally dismantled between 1990-94.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Lambeth Road
Lambeth
County
London
Post Code
SE1 6HZ
Main Historic Period
Modern
Useful Website Address
Primary Management
Imperial War Museum
Spitfires of 611 Squadron, Biggin Hill

Opened in January 2019, the Biggin Hill Memorial Museum tells the story of the famous RAF airfield, the people who served there, the local community and its residents from 1916 to 1951. The collection has a particular focus on the Battle of Britain, in which RAF Biggin Hill played a pivotal role. Many of the objects in the museum's collection are personal and have been donated by people who served or lived at Biggin Hill, or their relatives.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
St George's RAF Chapel of Remembrance
Main Road
Biggin Hill
County
Kent
Post Code
TN16 3EJ
Main Historic Period
Modern
Tip/Nearby
Biggin Hill Heritage Hanger, Chartwell
Primary Management
Other
BIGNOR ROMAN VILLA


 
Bignor Roman Villa is thought to have reached its peak in the 4th century.  It was famously rediscovered in 1811, when farmer George Tupper’s plough hit a piece of stone.  Excavations revealed wonderful mosaics buried under the turf of the South Downs and the site soon became a tourist attraction.  Buildings were erected (on Roman foundations) in the early 19th century to protect the remains.  These are typical flint and thatch agricultural buildings of the time and are of historical value themselves.  The Tupper family still farm some 2,000 acres at Bignor and still own and run the villa as a tourist attraction.  The mosaics are stunning – the up-market floor coverings of their day.  Sadly, we can only make educated guesses about the people that once enjoyed them as part of their home.
Bignor Roman Villa is set in lovely countryside and also hosts regular reenactments.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Bignor
County
West Sussex
Post Code
RH20 1PH
Main Historic Period
Roman
Link to featured article
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Section of Roman Stane Street at Bignor Hill, Arundel, Chichester, Weald and Downland Museum
Primary Management
Private - open to the public
BLETCHLEY PARK

Bletchley Park was the home of the top-secret code breakers of World War Two, whose work had a profound impact on the war; it has been claimed that their success in intercepting enemy signals and breaking codes shortened the war by two years. For years, very few people knew about their work, most famously centred on German Enigma cipher machines, but information started to become more available in the 1970s. Bletchley Park was in a poor state when taken over by Milton Keynes Borough Council in 1992. A trust was set up to conserve the site and turn it into a museum and it opened its doors to the public in 1993. A massive restoration project took place and BP is now a major tourist attraction.

Bletchley Park also includes the National Museum of Computing and has featured in several films and TV productions.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
The Mansion
Sherwood Drive
Bletchley
Milton Keynes
County
Buckinghamshire
Post Code
MK3 6EB
Main Historic Period
Modern
Link to featured article
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Woburn Safari Park, Military Intelligence Museum
Primary Management
Other
British Library

The British Library receives a copy of every publication produced in the UK and Ireland. In addition to books (including early printed books), the collection includes manuscripts, maps, newspapers, magazines, prints , drawings, music scores, patents, sound recordings and stamps. Particular treasures include Magna Carta, the Lindisfarne Gospels, Leonardo da Vinci's notebook, the first edition of The Times from 18 March 1788 and Beatles manuscripts. As well as being open for research, the Library holds free exhibitions and events.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
96 Euston Road
County
London
Post Code
NW1 2DB
Main Historic Period
Modern
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Wellcome Collection, British Museum, King's Cross
Primary Management
HM Government

If your favourite attraction is not listed yet, and you have a good quality digital photograph of it that you are able to freely send, please get in touch. 

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