Deciding which attractions to visit in England can be quite challenging, as there are simply no shortage of sites to see. Some of the most popular destinations in southern England are classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites—places with special physical or cultural significance. Here are the four (each within a day’s drive of the others) that I had a chance to see during my time in England.
Bath, Somerset
The valleys and hills around the River Avon have been inhabited by different tribes and cultures for thousands of years, though the Romans constructed the longest lasting structures. They built temples and baths in the area that drew water from the river and the local hot springs. The modern town of Bath consists of a series of stone streets and shops that crisscross over the hills and the sloped valleys around the river. The Roman baths are open to visitors as is the beautiful Bath Abbey, a Gothic cathedral featuring vaulted ceilings and flying buttresses. The courtyard between Bath Abbey and the Roman baths are often filled with visitors and street entertainers playing music or performing acrobatics. Bath is best known to Brit Lit fans as the temporary home and oft visited destination of Jane Austen in the early 1800s. Her novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion are largely set in Bath, and tourists can enjoy afternoon tea at the Regency Tea Rooms at the Jane Austen Centre just minutes from the Roman baths.
Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire -
When I stayed in Oxford, I had no idea that I lived mere minutes from a World Heritage Site called Blenheim Palace. The palace and its surrounding grounds are in a town called Woodstock just a short bus ride north from Oxford’s City Center. The estate was originally a gift from Queen Anne to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough in celebration of his victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. The exquisite grounds—which include a rose garden, tall stands of trees, a cascading waterfall, and a Temple of Diana—were crafted over the course of a century by famous architects of the age including Lancelot “Capability” Brown. Sir Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister 1940-1945 and descendant of the 1st Duke of Marlborough, was born at Blenheim Palace and proposed to his wife at the Temple of Diana. British actor and director Kenneth Branaugh filmed his Shakespearean masterpiece Hamlet at Blenheim. The palace and grounds are open to visitors throughout the year, and they put on an extraordinary presentation of decor and festivities in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Stonehenge, Wiltshire
On the blustery and often gray plains of Salisbury lies one of the oldest and most captivating monuments ever built by man: Stonehenge. Along with numerous other neolithic structures throughout Wiltshire, Stonehenge has stood in Salisbury Plain for roughly 4,500 years. Different theories still compete as to why the stones were erected in the first place, though recent studies report that the presence of burial mounds in the surrounding area indicates Stonehenge might have been a place of worship for ailing pilgrims. The stones that form the trilithons (the three-stone towers) are joined using a mortise and tenon system, like a key and a lock, so that each stone fits neatly with another, which is incredible given the level of technology available in Britain 4,500 years ago. Some of the stones that makeup Stonehenge come all the way from modern day Wales, over 150 miles away. It’s amazing to think that a group of people over 4,000 years ago could have moved such large stones—you really don’t appreciate how big they are until you stand next to them—over such a great distance and then constructed one of the longest lasting structures in history.
Tower of London, Greater London
Just minutes away from the heart of modern London lies the Tower of London, a castle on the River Thames that served as a palace, fortress, and prison for nearly 1,000 years. Notable former prisoners of the Tower included Elizabeth I before she was crowned Queen and Sir Walter Raleigh. For Tudor enthusiasts, the two wives whom Henry VIII order beheaded, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, were both executed on Tower Green; a memorial marks where they died in the modern Tower. As a royal residence, the Tower has hosted the Crown Jewels for over 300 years. Visitors can enjoy seeing such national treasures as the Imperial State Crown (used at the coronation of George VI), the Small Diamond Crown (worn by Queen Victoria), the Sceptre with the Cross (which features the 520 carat Great Star of Africa diamond), and the Sovereign’s Orb (bestowed upon a monarch with the Sceptre).
Analise Marcus studied abroad in England and took every opportunity to explore the British Isles during her stay. Having lived as cost-conscious student, she recommends using discount codes and travel deals for planning adventures to new destinations. Image by jonathanjonl
