2,030 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in England - Atlas Obscura
All United Kingdom England

The Atlas Obscura Guide To England

2,030 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in England

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

Unusual Attractions in England

See All 2,030 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

History 228
History & Culture 218
Art 130
Architectural Oddities 127
Museums And Collections 124
Military 124
Sacred Spaces 124
Churches 121

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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