England offers many historic attractions worth seeing. From prehistoric (Stonehenge and Avebury), Roman (Bath and Hadrian’s Wall) or medieval sites (York Castle or Warwick Castle), England has something special for every history lover to experience.
Lindisfarne Cathedral houses one of four original copies of Magna Carta, an influential document on civil rights signed by King John in 1215 and sealed off at Lindisfarne for safekeeping. Meanwhile, Stonehenge remains an enigmatic mystery to scientists today.
Clink Prison Museum
Clink Prison Museum offers a haunted museum experience in Bankside. Visit this haunted place of England’s oldest prison to learn more than history! Explore its dark corridors and examine original artifacts that showcased some of the gruesome punishments prisoners were subjected to from racks to gibbets.
After this, visit one of the more terrifying rooms where you can see, touch, and hold medieval torture instruments. Learn about infamous criminals such as John Rogers (translator of the Bible during Queen “Bloody” Mary’s reign) as you hear their torturous stories.
Visit Clink Prison during a self-guided or guided tour, or add it to a themed itinerary tour. Just steps from Shakespeare’s Globe, Tate Modern and HMS Belfast – visitors can also add it to a South Bank walking or pub crawl tour itinerary for maximum visitation! Plus there’s even an exclusive photo booth to capture memories behind bars… but may find this hard to do given these dank cells!
Royal Air Force Museum
The Royal Air Force Museum, also known as RAF Museum London and RAF Cosford in Shropshire, is Britain’s national aviation museum, featuring aircraft hangars, interactive permanent exhibits and temporary shows that celebrate both those that make up the RAF while showing their impact on society throughout time.
Attractions at this museum include a 4D theater, the Eurofighter Typhoon flight simulator, and immersive experiences that allow visitors to step into the cockpit of a fighter jet. Furthermore, numerous family oriented events take place throughout the year at this establishment.
At Woodford Aerodrome in north London lies this museum which explores flight and air power. Children will love exploring its interactive galleries and engaging in hands-on activities like refueling a plane in Hangar 1 or fixing up a Sea King in Hangar 2, as well as miniature versions of DH9A, Spitfire Gnat and Sir Frank Whittle’s innovative Power Jets engine in its RAF Stories gallery.
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge has long been one of London’s most recognisable icons, thanks to its striking gothic towers. Since opening its doors in 1894, this combined bascule and suspension bridge has allowed traffic to traverse across its riverbed without interference from two parts of its bridge being raised manually at either tower base. These machines allow traffic to pass easily.
Visitors to Tower Bridge can marvel at these technical marvels at the free Engine Rooms exhibition, where archive footage explains how Victorian-era steam-powered machinery raised its bascules. You may also discover some unsung heroes responsible for keeping this iconic landmark working smoothly.
If you’re feeling peckish while exploring Tower Bridge, check out Butler’s Wharf Chop House or Le Pont de la Tour for dining experiences with stunning views of the bridge. Or check out Maltby Street Market which is nestled beneath railway arches; its less-crowded ambience offers an abundance of exotic foods from around the globe that foodies must see!
Tower of London
The Tower of London is an internationally recognized UNESCO world heritage site. William the Conqueror commissioned its construction after his successful invasion and, over its nearly 900 year history, has served variously as a royal palace, fortress, prison, place of execution, arsenal, Royal Mint and even as a zoo!
Medieval kings inhabited this tower, worshipped in its chapel and kept an array of exotic animals within its confines. Over time it became England’s premier prison; those deemed threats to national security such as Lady Jane Grey, Sir Walter Raleigh or Guy Fawkes were sent here.
At present, the Tower of London still houses the Crown Jewels and its Yeoman Warders (often called Beefeaters) are responsible for guarding visitors and answering queries about its long and varied history. Their traditional red uniforms serve as a constant reminder.
