1,348 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in England - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in England

London, England

Highgate Cemetery

London's creepiest cemetery was once the site of dueling magicians and mobs of stake-carrying vampire hunters.

London, England

Leadenhall Market

This ornate Victorian marketplace was the setting for Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron in the Harry Potter films.

London, England

The Ruins of St. Dunstan-in-the-East

One of the few remaining casualties of the London Blitz, this destroyed church has become an enchanting public garden.

London, England

God's Own Junkyard

A kaleidoscopic warehouse-maze of handmade neon signs.

Coleford, England

Puzzlewood

The mysterious, fantastical woodland inspiration for "The Lord of the Rings."

London, England

Twinings Tea Shop

A 300-year-old tea shop that brought tea to the English people, not to mention the Queen herself.

London, England

The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History

This shop and gallery is a modern-day cabinet of curiosities, unassumingly positioned along an urban thoroughfare.

London, England

The Hardy Tree

This churchyard arbor is surrounded by hundreds of gravestones placed there by author Thomas Hardy.

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Unique Food & Drink in England

Tom and Jerry

A small industry of themed glassware was launched solely for the enjoyment of this hot winter punch.

Marlborough Pie

A custardy twist on apple pie finds delicious use for fruit reaching spoilage.

Clarified Milk Punch

Just so we’re clear, there is actually milk in this old English punch.

British Burrito

England's take on the Mexican meal wraps a Yorkshire pudding around meaty fillings.

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Hidden Trafalgar Square

Wedged between Charing Cross and Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square is known for the throngs of people flocking to its famous attractions. Weave around the tourists on the National Gallery stairs and dodge the crowds clogging the street corners. Instead, duck down dreamy alleys and pop into unique, overlooked museums and shops. There, a secret side of this busy area waits to reveal itself.

The Whitehall Banqueting House is full of topsy-turvy views.

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Top Discussions in the England Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Suggestions for haunted locations?	13 January 26, 2020	2952	January 26, 2020
Kew Gardens Underground Aquarium	6 July 1, 2019	3418	July 1, 2019
S.O.E Monument	6 May 20, 2019	1678	May 20, 2019
London's Rose-Ringed Parakeets	6 November 12, 2019	1457	November 12, 2019
Maharajah's Well	1 October 2, 2019	1057	October 2, 2019

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Stories About England

Trying to core the ground to take samples last year was like trying to "drill through concrete," Gaffney says. So the team got a bigger drill.

Near Stonehenge, an Even Bigger Neolithic Site Is Hidden Underground

A giant circle of pits is the largest Neolithic site found in Britain to date.

by Isaac Schultz

It was all about subtle movements—and prim, proper dress.

To Work Out Like a Victorian Woman, Grab a Corset—and Don't Break a Sweat

In the march toward equality, these were among the first (dainty) steps.

by Isaac Schultz

The debate over which is Britain’s oldest pub is fueled by the impossibility of a definitive ruling.

How the Black Death Gave Rise to British Pub Culture

For centuries-old bars, a pandemic is nothing new.

by Richard Collett

A participant named Debbie Graves shows off her goth look.

The Museum of Youth Culture Wants Your Teenage Memories

Your awkward, rebellious stage, it turns out, is history.

by Matthew Taub

A global pandemic brought this ancient mill roaring back to life.

How Coronavirus Put an Ancient Flour Mill Back to Work

“You can hear the creaks, smell the grain—you really feel the age of it.”

Engineers 3-D printed a sugar replica of the statue of Saint George.

How a British Guild Rebuilt a Vandalized Royal Cake Replica

It took an international team (and Buckingham Palace).

by Katherine Waters

February 25, 2020

Six of the snakes left behind the Farringdon Community Fire Station, in a suburb of Sunderland, England.

What Were 29 Exotic Snakes Doing in a U.K. Trash Bin?

Wriggling in pillowcases, trying to stay warm after being illegally abandoned.

by Jennifer S. Holland

February 24, 2020

The Royal Mint coins—available in bronze, silver, and gold—are a testament to English paleontology.

For Sale: Royally Minted Coins, Decorated With Dinosaurs

It’s change 165 million years in the making.

by Isaac Schultz

February 20, 2020

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