All United Kingdom England

The Atlas Obscura Guide To England

2,055 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in England

Updated July 17, 2024

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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Aldbury
  2. Alnwick
  3. Ashbourne
  4. Bamburgh
  5. Barnard Castle
  6. Barnsley
  7. Barrow In Furness
  8. Basingstoke
  9. Bath
  10. Bath And North East Somerset
  11. Berwick Upon Tweed
  12. Beverley
  13. Bingley
  14. Birchington On Sea
  15. Birmingham
  16. Blackpool
  17. Bournemouth
  18. Bourton On The Water
  19. Bradford
  20. Bradford On Avon
  21. Brighton
  22. Bristol
  23. Buckinghamshire
  24. Bude
  25. Burnley
  26. Bury Saint Edmunds
  27. Buxton
  28. Cambridge
  29. Canterbury
  30. Carnforth
  31. Cheltenham
  32. Cheshire East
  33. Chester
  34. Chesterfield
  35. Cleethorpes
  36. Clitheroe
  37. Colchester
  38. Coleford
  39. Cornwall
  40. County Durham
  41. Coventry
  42. Cumbria
  43. Darlington
  44. Derby
  45. Derbyshire
  46. Devizes
  47. Devon
  48. Dorset
  49. Dover
  50. Dunwich
  51. Durham
  52. East Molesey
  53. East Riding Of Yorkshire
  54. East Sussex
  55. Ely
  56. Essex
  57. Exeter
  58. Eyam
  59. Farnham
  60. Folkestone
  61. Gateshead
  62. Glastonbury
  63. Gloucestershire
  64. Great Dunmow
  65. Great Yarmouth
  66. Grimsby
  67. Guildford
  68. Hale
  69. Halifax
  70. Hampshire
  71. Harrogate
  72. Hartlepool
  73. Hastings
  74. Hereford
  75. Herne Bay
  76. Hertfordshire
  77. Heysham
  78. Holy Island Of Lindisfarne
  79. Hove
  80. Hucknall
  81. Hull
  82. Hythe
  83. Ilkeston
  84. Ipswich
  85. Isle Of Wight
  86. Kendal
  87. Kent
  88. Keswick
  89. Kilpeck
  90. Knaresborough
  91. Lancashire
  92. Leeds
  93. Leek
  94. Leicester
  95. Lewes
  96. Lincoln
  97. Lincolnshire
  98. Liverpool
  99. London
  100. Lyme Regis
  101. Lympne
  102. Lyndhurst
  103. Lytham
  104. Maidstone
  105. Maldon
  106. Malmesbury
  107. Manchester
  108. Manningtree
  109. Margate
  110. Matlock Bath
  111. Middlesbrough
  112. Milton Keynes
  113. Morecambe
  114. Newark On Trent
  115. Newcastle Upon Tyne
  116. Newquay
  117. Norfolk
  118. Northamptonshire
  119. Northumberland
  120. North Yorkshire
  121. Norwich
  122. Nottingham
  123. Nottinghamshire
  124. Odiham
  125. Oxford
  126. Oxfordshire
  127. Penrith
  128. Peterborough
  129. Peterlee
  130. Plymouth
  131. Portsmouth
  132. Preston
  133. Rawtenstall
  134. Reading
  135. Ripponden
  136. Robin Hood's Bay
  137. Rotherham
  138. Rothwell
  139. Ryde
  140. Rye
  141. Salford
  142. Salisbury
  143. Sandgate
  144. Sandown
  145. Scarborough
  146. Seaham
  147. Sheffield
  148. Shildon
  149. Shoreham By Sea
  150. Shrewsbury
  151. Shropshire
  152. Somerset
  153. Southampton
  154. Southend On Sea
  155. Southport
  156. Southwell
  157. Southwold
  158. South Yorkshire
  159. Staffordshire
  160. Stanton Lees
  161. Stockport
  162. Stoke Heath
  163. Suffolk
  164. Sunderland
  165. Surrey
  166. Swindon
  167. Tattershall
  168. Thetford
  169. Tintagel
  170. Todmorden
  171. Totnes
  172. Waddesdon
  173. Wakefield
  174. Warrington
  175. Warwickshire
  176. Waterloo
  177. Wentworth
  178. West Sussex
  179. West Yorkshire
  180. Whitby
  181. Whitehaven
  182. Wiltshire
  183. Wimborne Minster
  184. Winchester
  185. Windsor
  186. Woking
  187. Worcestershire
  188. Worthing
  189. Wortley
  190. York

Unusual Attractions in England

See All 2,055 Things To Do in England

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in England

See all 10 Places to Eat in England
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

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.

View Itinerary

Explore England

Architecture 271
History 231
History & Culture 222
Museums 174
Art 131
Architectural Oddities 128
Military 124
Sacred Spaces 124

England Leaderboard

Recent England Activity

Stories About England

Hogarth's "O the Roast Beef of Old England (The Gate of Calais)" captured his sentiments as a society member.

A Rare Look Inside Britain's 'Sublime Society of Beefsteaks'

The secret dining club has extolled patriotism, masculinity, and meat since 1735.
by Rachel Naismith
It's the oldest unintentionally preserved egg in history.

This 1,700 Year Old Egg Never Broke—And Now It’s Further Stunning Scientists

They still can’t fully crack the mystery.
by Colleen Kelly
The cartonnage dates to 800 BC.

The Victorian Ladies Who Smuggled a Mummy Case Out of Egypt

And did the unthinkable to the mummy inside.
by Indi Bains
Punxsutawney Phil has predicted a longer winter nearly every Groundhog Day.

A Primer on Both Groundhogs and Hedgehogs

Just in time for their moment in the sun (or not).
by April White
Behold the first satellite-like image drawn from observation.

Flying Circuses Led to the First Aerial Maps of Earth

There was vomiting, crashes, fire, and an abandoned cat.
by Frank Jacobs, Big Think
London is at odds with the rest of the country—but not the way you might think.

Christianity Is Disappearing in England, As Seen in These Maps

See what's taking its place for the first time in almost 1,500 years.
by Frank Jacobs, Big Think
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

The Atlas Obscura Crossword: Twelve Faces

by AO Puzzles
From pastry-built deer to rosewater balloon fights, May had many table-side tricks up his sleeve.

The Fantastical Feasts of England's First Celebrity Chef

Pastry warships, frogs hopping out of pies, and other spectacles devised by Robert May.
by Amanda Herbert

Lists Featuring England

Charles Goodwyn, Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection, with copies of world's first stamp
Lock & Co.
Plaque marking the Texan Embassy
The Lioness and the Lesser Kudu.

The 11 Best Places to Visit Near Buckingham Palace for Curious Travelers

11

Including The Royal Philatelic Collection, Lock & Co. , and The Embassy of the Republic of Texas

The "pet ham" is 119 years old.

Bog Butter, Ancient Beef, and Other Remarkably Old Foods on Display in Museums

Some of these foods are centuries past their expiration dates.

6

Including Ancient Bog Butter, Preserved Victorian Wedding Cake, and World’s Oldest Edible Ham

Madaba Mosaic Map
The gallery of maps, showing the ceiling
Great Polish Map of Scotland

13 Marvelous Maps That Go Way Beyond Paper

Charting the world's most intriguing out-of-the-box cartography.

13

Including Madaba Mosaic Map, Gallery of Maps - Galleria delle Carte Geografiche, and Mapparium Globe

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem0115 947 3171
The Star Tavern
The Eagle is among the best-known pubs in Cambridge.
The recreated apartment.

The Best British Pubs to Get Drunk on History

A 14-stop bar tour through Great Britain's past.

14

Including Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, The Star Tavern, and The Eagle

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