The Atlas Obscura Guide To England

1,841 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in England

Updated March 23, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in England

London, England

Highgate Cemetery

London's creepiest cemetery was once the site of dueling magicians and mobs of stake-carrying vampire hunters.

London, England

Leadenhall Market

This ornate Victorian marketplace was the setting for Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron in the Harry Potter films.

London, England

The Ruins of St. Dunstan-in-the-East

One of the few remaining casualties of the London Blitz, this destroyed church has become an enchanting public garden.

London, England

God's Own Junkyard

A kaleidoscopic warehouse-maze of handmade neon signs.

London, England

Twinings Tea Shop

A 300-year-old tea shop that brought tea to the English people, not to mention the Queen herself.

London, England

The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History

This shop and gallery is a modern-day cabinet of curiosities, unassumingly positioned along an urban thoroughfare.

Coleford, England

Puzzlewood

The mysterious, fantastical woodland inspiration for "The Lord of the Rings."

London, England

Platform 9 3/4

Kings Cross Station pays tribute to its role in Britain's best-selling book series.

See All 1,841 Things To Do in England

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in England

London, England

Twinings Tea Shop

A 300-year-old tea shop that brought tea to the English people, not to mention the Queen herself.

London, England

Growing Underground

The world's first underground farm is in a Word War II bomb shelter beneath the streets of London.

Nottingham, England

The Lost Caves

Hidden in a grotto 26 feet below Nottingham's oldest hotel, this stylish subterranean drinking den is notoriously hard to find.

Cornwall, England

The Eden Project

The largest greenhouse in the world is home to over one million types of plants.

See all 10 Places to Eat in England

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Southern England: Lore of Dartmoor

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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.

Explore England

History 209

History & Culture 171

Military 123

Art 121

Museums And Collections 121

Sacred Spaces 120

Architectural Oddities 115

Ruins 110

Churches 106

Sculptures 103

Medieval 103

Animals 100

Unique Restaurants & Bars 38

Places To Stay 21

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Stories About England

Puzzle Monday: Does English Need a New Alphabet?

The Untold Story of Henrietta Maria, England’s Warrior Queen

The “she generalissimo” nearly won the English Civil War for her husband, King Charles I.

November 17, 2022

4 of History's Most Epic Punch Bowls

If your party doesn't feature enough alcohol to float a rowboat, you're doing it wrong.

October 3, 2022

Decoding the Mystery of Seagrass Fairy Circles

Whether you call them gaps, rings, or fairy circles, these unexpected formations in seagrass beds are keeping scientists guessing.

by Richard Pallardy

August 22, 2022

For Centuries, English Bakers' Biggest Customers Were Horses

A crusty, dense bread got the country's hardworking equines through long days.

by Sam Lin-Sommer

Puzzle Monday: The Secret Language of Thieves Crossword

This English Town Is Letting the Sea Have Its Way

The coastal community of Selsey welcomes the return of salt marshes where farms once stood.

How to Eat Like an Anglo-Saxon King

Hint: It involves way less meat than you might think.

by Diana Hubbell

Lists Featuring England

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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