Favourite historical site to visit in the UK

[AntonDuPig]

Planning ahead for the coming summer, we'll have overseas visitors who would love to explore our green and pleasant land!
So please can you tell me what you consider to be your must visit sites?

@HelenaWilson thank you for the heads up!

@Talkinpeace This is perfect, thank you so much!

Dover Castle
It has everything. Roman lighthouse , medieval tower, ww2 tunnels.

White Horse Hill at Uffington, also Old Sarum just outside Salisbury

Channel 4 had a programme on recently about Christmas at Bamburgh Castle. Wow ! It’s spectacular.

A very different one would be East Kent
(hear me out)

Dungeness including Derek Jarman's House and the RSPB reseve by the Nuclear power station
Romney Hythe and Dymchurch railway,
the Martello Towers and the Military Canal to defend against Napoleon
(Lympne Zoo is worth a detour)

Dover - the Western Heights and the Knights Tempar Church and the Castle
Samphire Hoe is built of the spoil from the Channel Tunnel

Up to Deal and Walmer - cool castles
Sandwich - fossilised Cinque port with Richborough Roman fort right there

Thanet - Ramsgate Harbour is fun and the beaches around Broadstairs are amazing

Margate - the Shell Grotto, Turner Museum, Dreamland (surreal)
Oysters at Whitstable

and back round to London.

Canterbury makes a brilliant hub for all of that
(including rewilding buffalo at Stodmarsh)

The Lakes, York and Hadrian's Wall all offer so much to see and do - spectacular scenery and hundreds of years of history.

You may also want to check out St Necterns Glen which is a walk/waterfall nearby. Pretty place to stop for picnic or cafe there I think? Also visit Padstow (if out of season it gets manic in Summer holidays)

Vindolanda on Hadrian's Wall is an amazing archaeological site and museum. If you go in summer, you can watch the archeologists digging and working.

@Deliberations We've been to Padstow twice 🙂
Also Newlyn (for the fish market lol),
St Ives, Land's End, Newquay (for the surf in Fistral Beach)
But it has been a while since.

Will check out St Necterns Glen, thank you.

@Talkinpeace see my post above!

And the Battle of Britain Memorial.

I was disappointed this summer to see the Maritime Museum at Ramsgate was closed. It was volunteer run, so not the most up to date or professionally designed displays, but had a lot of info about the area, especially Dunkirk. The operation was run from Dover, but the Little Ships assembled at and departed from Ramsgate.

@Talkinpeace , suggested Kent. We spent many days there. Dover Castle is magnificent. We should have given more time to Broadstairs. Dickens link.

If you find yourself in the Purbecks, they have enabled access to a few rooms of Corfe Castle.
My favourite Big House is Castle Howard.

Eltham palace, so many different aged phases plus the 1930s section is still the most beautiful thing I’ve seen

The Cotswolds, followed by exploring Bath. Show them where a lot of Bridgerton was filmed!

Painshill Park in Cobham is beautiful! www.painshill.co.uk/

Another vote for Northumberland, Holy Island is magical and the beaches, castles and market towns of the county are lovely.

Obviously the London sights - Buckingham palace, Tralfager square, Big Ben etc

Either Cambridge or Oxford (or both)

York - definitely

Whistable - not historical but nice little high street, quay, walk along coast, etc

Leeds castle, in Kent

St Albans - cathedral, Verulanium museum (Roman), market (twice weekly)

Maybe binge watch Downton abbey and visit Highclere house (or another stately home) .

The Minack Theatre - especially if you book tickets for a performance. It starts in the light with boats etc in the sea and finishes in the dark. Absolutely stunning.

If you go to Tintagel and have a drink in the grounds of Camelot Castle hotel the views are beautiful and you can look down onto Tintagel Castle without needing to visit.

Sutton Hoo, and throw in a visit to Flatford and Dedham (Constable country), and Lavanham (medieval and Harry Potter house) en route to and from London up the A12!

Bletchley Park

The 1930s area of Eltham was used in the Poirot series along with the De La Warr Pavilion at Bexhill.

Hampton Court for amazing Tudor history, and maybe Portsmouth to visit the Mary Rose - more Tudor history!

Arundel Castle/village
Petworth House/Village
Winchester will keep you busy for a day
New Forest/Beaulieu/Lyndhurst/Lymington

Hampton Court.

I know, I get so excited when I see it used on tv!

I love the poirot where each era of the house is used as a different location, it is perfect for that!