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.
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Borough Market claims to be the oldest in London, established in 1014. It has certainly grown in the 21st century to become a riot of colour, noise and produce. It is an astonishing place, mainly selling an enormous range of fresh food - fruit, vegetables, fish, cheese, nuts - as well as speciality chocolate and drinks. At its fringes are a host of streetfood outlets, serving dishes from all over the world.
And all in the shadow of London Bridge's railway arches and Southwark Cathedral.
Borough
Found in the south-west corner of Trafalgar Square, this former police observation post is often wrongly claimed to be Britain's - or the world's - smallest police station. It was never a police station - but it is an interesting curiosity!
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.
Established by an Act of Parliament in 1753, the British Museum opened its doors in Montagu House, on its present site in London’s then fashionable Bloomsbury area, on 15 January 1759. It is an astonishing place which, in its own words, tells the story of cultural achievement throughout the world, from the dawn of human history over two million years ago until the present day. It is one of the largest collections in the world, with millions of objects - many of which (controversially) originated from the former British Empire, though many have also been found in these islands. There is an enormous area devoted to the ancient classical civilisations of the Middle East, Egypt, Greece and Rome.  The British Museum is regularly at the top of the list of the most visited attractions in Britain. Something in excess of 6 million people – considerably more than the population of Denmark - walk through its doors and tour its galleries every year.
Entry is free.
Buckingham Palace is the administrative HQ of the Monarchy and has been the Monarch's official London residence since 1837. The Duke of Buckingham acquired a house on the present site in 1698, which he replaced with a new 'Buckingham House'. This was acquired by George III in 1761 as a family residence for his wife, Queen Charlotte, and their children, and extensively refurbished and modernised. George IV commissioned John Nash to turn the house into a Royal Palace. The familiar east wing, with its central balcony, was added during the reign of Queen Victoria.
Visitors can see three aspects of Buckingham Palace.
1) The State Rooms. Â The 19 sumptuous state rooms, where guests are received and entertained, are generally open to the public during summer months. They include paintings, porcelain and furniture from the royal collection.
2) The Queen's Gallery, which hosts a programme of changing exhibitions of artwork, mostly from the royal collection, is open most days.
3) The Royal Mews is the stables responsible for the horses that pull the royal carriages as well as where state vehicles are kept and looked after. It is open most days, but closed in December and January.
All three venues have separate entrances on Buckingham Palace Road (the road running along the left of the Palace as you face it).
Bunhill Fields is a former burial ground established in the 17th century (though with a longer history than that) and the last resting place for an estimated 123,000 bodies. It is particularly known for its nonconformist connections. Among those commemorated here are William Blake, Daniel Defoe, John Bunyan and Susannah Wesley (John Wesley's mum). The burial area is fenced in, and crowded; there is an open area, primarily used by office workers at lunch times.
"They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace - Christopher Robin went down with Alice". Â (A A Milne).
This is the ceremony when the old guard hands over responsibility for protecting Buckingham and St James's Palaces to the new guard. It normally takes place at 1130 hours, pretty much daily from April to July and on alternate days from August to March. BUT - check first and bear in mind that arrangements are subject to alteration, often without notice. It is free to attend and it is one of the most popular events in London - so get there early. The best place to see it is in front of Buckingham Palace, by the Victoria Memorial.
The original Charing Cross was the last of 12 memorials erected by Edward I, to honour his dead wife, Eleanor of Castile. A memorial was placed at every spot where her funeral cortege rested on its way south from her place of death, at Harby near Lincoln. The Charing Cross once stood in what is now Trafalgar Square, was destroyed in 1647 and replaced with an equestrian statue of Charles I in 1675. A Victorian replica was put up outside the nearby railway station in 1865, where it remains. It was restored in 2010.
Christchurch Greyfriars is a tranquil city garden on the site of the former 13th century Franciscan church of Greyfriars - once the second largest church in London after St Paul's. The remains of four queens were buried here - in no particular order: the heart of Queen Eleanor of Provence (d 1291), wife of King Henry III and mother of Edward I; Queen Margaret of France (d 1318), 2nd wife of King Edward I and a principal benefactress to the church; Queen Isabella (d 1358) the 'she-wolf of France', wife of Edward II and mother of Edward III; and Joan de la Tour (d 1362), Isabella’s daughter and Queen of Scotland. The church was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. A replacement church, designed by Christopher Wren, was in turn destroyed by bombing in 1940, though the west tower still stands. It's a spot for quiet contemplation now - though, naturally, it is haunted.
The Churchill War Rooms, aka the Cabinet War Rooms, is a complex of secret operational rooms in a former basement created to enable government to continue during the Second World War, theoretically safe from German bombs. The complex includes a Cabinet Meeting Room, map room, kitchens and bedroom - including one each for Mr and Mrs Churchill. Some of the rooms remain more or less as they were left in 1945; others have been refurbished in period style.
There is also an extensive Churchill Museum, telling the story of one of Britain's most remarkable leaders, from childhood in the 1870s to his death in 1965. The museum includes an enormous number of items associated with Churchill, audio-visual displays and an interactive timeline giving access to original documents and other resources.
King Charles Street
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.Â