Museums and galleries

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

This listings directory of over 950 entries is being phased out.
It now excludes places and things of interest in the North of England, including Yorkshire.
These can be found in ABAB’s Places.
Places to visit in England’s East Midlands are currently being moved to ABAB’s Places.

Tap/Click ‘find listings’ for a detailed search – or just have a browse. 

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
ANNE of CLEVES’ HOUSE

Anne of Cleves' House formed part of Anne’s annulment settlement from Henry VIII in 1540. Anne of Cleves was Henry's 4th wife - divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived. The house is a fine example of a late medieval timber-framed Sussex building, dating from the late 15th century with additions and improvements made over the next 200 years. Some of the rooms have been furnished in contemporary Tudor style. The house also contains the Museum of Lewes History and the Wealden Iron Gallery. There is a small garden, also inspired by the Tudor period, and a cafe. The house and museum is managed by the Sussex Archaeological Society.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
52 Southover High St
Lewes
County
East Sussex
Post Code
BN7 1NJ
Main Historic Period
Tudor
Tip/Nearby
Lewes Castle, South Downs
Primary Management
Other
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
BATTLE OF BRITAIN MEMORIAL FLIGHT

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) is an aerial display team flying historic aircraft. They appear at shows throughout the country, on state occasions and at events commemorating the Second World War.  The aircraft normally flown are an Avro Lancaster, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane and they are all veterans of the Second World War.  The Lancaster is one of only two in the world that are still flying - the other is in Canada.  The Spitfire collection includes an original Mark 2 version that flew in the Battle of Britain as well as later models, such as the high-flying high-speed reconnaissance versions.  The collection also includes a Douglas C-47 Dakota that ferried wounded soldiers from Normandy after D-Day.   The flight is administratively part of No. 1 Group RAF, flying out of RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire - which is an operational base on the front line of Britain's defences. The Battle of Britain Flight aircraft can be visited at Coningsby, where expert guides will give you details of their history and tales of the men that flew them.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
RAF BBMF Visitors Centre
Dogdyke Road
Coningsby
County
Lincolnshire
Post Code
LN4 4SY
Main Historic Period
Modern
Link to featured article
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Tattershall Castle, Woodhall Spa, Lincoln
Primary Management
Military
BATTLE of HASTINGS

The Battle of Hastings took place on 14 October 1066.  It is one of the most famous dates, and probably the most famous battle, in British history, when the invading Normans under William the Conqueror beat the English (Saxons) led by King Harold.  The battle actually took place several miles north of Hastings adjacent to and within where the pleasant little town of Battle now is. Though the precise location of the battle has been much debated, wandering through the traditional site is worthwhile - and very pleasant when the weather's fine.

The battlefield of 1066 is managed by English Heritage alongside Battle Abbey, which was built as a penance and memorial afterwards.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Battle Abbey
High Street
Battle
County
East Sussex
Post Code
TN33 0AE
Main Historic Period
Norman
Link to featured article
Tip/Nearby
Bateman's, Bodiam Castle
Primary Management
English Heritage
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

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. 

Scroll to Top