kirstierowlands's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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London, England

The Executioner's Ax

Tucked away in the Tower of London is the weapon once used to execute high-profile prisoners.
London, England

Water Dragons of Kew Gardens

These docile dragons are ideal inhabitants for the conservatory greenhouses.
Osmington, England

Osmington White Horse

Want to properly offend a king? Sculpt a giant hill figure in chalk of him riding out of town.
Paris, France

Flame of Liberty

This life-size replica of the Statue of Liberty's flame is also a tribute to Princess Diana by default.
Paris, France

Arènes de Lutèce

Remains of Roman amphitheater hidden in a sleepy quarter of Paris.
Bath, England

Pulteney Weir

This picturesque horseshoe weir was first built in the 1600s to prevent flooding in the town of Bath.
Paris, France

The Bouquinistes of Paris

The tradition of open-air secondhand and antiquarian bookselling in Paris dates back to the Renaissance.
Paris, France

Le Stryge

This demon atop the Notre-Dame de Paris looks utterly bored.
Fifield, England

Giant Royal Heads

Enormous terracotta heads of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip can be seen on the side of the road to Windsor.
Brighton, England

West Pier

The rotting skeleton of a shoreside fun fair that was destroyed by fire and storms still haunts the Brighton ocean view.
Brighton, England

Quadrophenia Alley

This tiny alleyway is now a shrine to a subculture riot between the mods and rockers.
Whipsnade, England

Whipsnade White Lion

This unusual geoglyph was built as a warning so low-flying aircraft wouldn't scare the zoo animals.
London, England

Speakers' Corner

London's last remaining public soapbox site has seen speeches from Karl Marx, Vladmir Lenin, and George Orwell.
Gerrards Cross, England

Chalfont Viaduct

Locals call it the "Give Peas a Chance" bridge because of its distinct graffiti.
Clovelly, England

The Sledges of Clovelly

Wooden sleds have replaced donkeys to cart goods around this utterly charming car-free village.
London, England

Chi-Chi the Giant Panda

The beloved beast's taxidermy remains sit in the Natural History Museum's cafe.
Southampton, England

The Wool House

This 700-year-old storehouse was a POW jail, aviation workshop, and Titanic memorial before becoming a brewpub.
London, England

Mary Anning's Plesiosaur

This marine reptile was discovered by one of the 19th century's greatest fossil hunters.
East Molesey, England

Chocolate Kitchen at Hampton Court Palace

In 2013, historians discovered a hidden room devoted to the art of making royals' hot chocolate.
Windsor, England

Queen Charlotte Street

At just 51 feet and 10 inches long, it's the shortest street in England.
London, England

Tower of London Barbary Lion Skulls

The bones of two medieval royal lions were discovered at the historic fortress.
London, England

The Tower of London Menagerie

These wire animal sculptures commemorate the exotic inhabitants that once called the Tower of London home.
Nottingham, England

Wollaton Hall

A striking 500-year-old mansion provides an unexpectedly sublime home for live deer and a menagerie of exotic stuffed animals.
Gotham, England

The Original Gotham

The storied English village that pretended to be insane inspired NYC's nickname and the fictional namesake in the DC Comics universe.