Top 5 Things to do in England

A trip to England is the vacation that dreams are made of when you follow these Top 5 Things to do in England. With ancient history to spare, beautiful landscapes at every turn, and culture to rival anywhere else in the world, a long vacation spent in England is full of delights.

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Top 5 Things to do in England

So what are the sights that you just shouldn’t miss when heading to ‘the old country’? Well, some of not to miss attractions are well known, like Stonehenge, but others are maybe a little less known to those outside of England.

Here are the Top 5 things to do in England, the must-see sights according to the UK holiday experts at Sykes Cottages, the UK’s leading independent holiday cottage letting agency.

Visit Stonehenge

There are many fantastic trips and adventures to experience whilst in England. One of many is visiting the beautiful Stonehenge. To learn more about his fantastic location from an experienced tour guide, there are many Stonehenge Tours from London and other cities to take part in. This is what my friends and I did when we spent 2 days in London in 2017.

After only a 2 hour drive from London you will arrive at Stonehenge, one of the best known World Heritage Sites in the UK. This ancient megalithic stone circle has fascinated people for centuries – why is it here?

How did they build it? What is its purpose? While you might not find the answers to these age-old questions when you visit, but you will be struck dumb by the sheer magnitude of this ancient stone monument that has stood on this site for more than 4500 years.

Visit a Historical Pub

While England’s ales tend to rest in the shadows of its famous beer brewing neighbors in Ireland, don’t think that you need to cross over the Irish Sea to get a good ale and a famous pie. England is known for their pies - and we aren't talking about cherry or apple pie...we are talking about MEAT PIES!

You can find a listing of historical pubs in any town you visit in England, and make sure to read reviews because they are definitely not all created equally. 

Hadrian’s Wall

If you’re looking for something completely different than head up to the north of England to explore Hadrian’s Wall, a Roman defensive fortification that was begun in AD 122!

Though not the entire wall remains intact today, there is still more than enough left to visit, and the more energetic amongst us will love discovering it via the long distance walking and cycling path that follows the route.

By quisnovus from Gloucester, England - Hadrian's Wall, CC BY 2.0

Stay in a holiday cottage in the Lake District nearby and take a day trip to Birdoswald Roman Fort in Cumbria. Here you can explore the extensive remains of the Roman Fort, as well as the longest continuous remaining stretch of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site.

Dover Castle

You can’t visit England without visiting at least one castle, and what better one to visit than Dover castle, the ‘Key to England’. Perched on the top of the Cliffs of Dover this castle has guarded England’s shores for more than 20 centuries and has been witness to more history than any other location in the country.

Dover Castle is filled with fascinating exhibitions and events year round, and as it’s the biggest castle in England you’ll want to make sure you give yourself enough time to see it all.

Kew Gardens

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is 121 hectares of gardens and glasshouses in the southwest of London, and is a must-see for any garden or plant lover visiting the capital city. You could spend years exploring every part of this manicured garden and still not see it all.

If walking the 300 acres sounds a little bit much for you, hop on the Kew Explorer, a land train that tours the garden provides commentary about the Kew's history along the way.

There is nowhere better to be on a sunny afternoon than the beautiful gardens at Kew.

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