10 Historical Places to Visit in England

For a relatively small country, England is about as packed as it could be with historical attractions and landmarks.

Historical places in England include ancient places of worship, centuries old towers, and even iconic old pubs!

To help you sift through it all, here’s a list of 10 things you really have to include if you’re to go about exploring the country on a tour of England.

10 Historical Places to Visit in England

1. Stonehenge

One of the most historical places to visit in England, and indeed the world, is Stonehenge.

Believed to have been constructed some time in the centuries preceding 2000 BC, Stonehenge is one of the most stunning ancient world monuments we have on planet earth.

It consists of a huge circle of 25-ton stones arranged upright, and is one of the UK’s most famous landmarks and a cultural icon.

What’s more, Stonehenge is not as remote as you might assume from pictures. It’s actually less than a two hour drive from London, in Wiltshire.

One of the best ways to visit Stonehenge is on a guided tour where you can learn all about the history of this unique and mysterious place.

This one combines Windsor, Oxford and Stonehenge, allowing you to experience tonnes of English history and culture in one day!

2. The Lake District

Teeming with natural beauty in the form of mountains, hills, lakes and forests, the Lake District National Park is quite possibly the most stunning area in all of the British Isles, and certainly one of the best day trips from Manchester.

While the district is full of camping grounds, it’s also a place where you can easily take a day trip for hiking, sightseeing, or even getting out on the water by taking a boat ride across Lake Windermere.

Make sure you enjoy some afternoon tea and scones with jam and cream for the quintessential English experience.

3. The Tower of London

No tour of England would be complete without the visiting the Tower of London.

It’s hard to choose between some of London’s famous landmarks, frankly, but the Tower Of London just may be the most historically important of the bunch, and all of the best walking tours in London will include the Tower of London.

Dating back to the days of William the Conqueror, it still looks like something of a stronghold right in the middle of London, near where the Tower Bridge crosses over the River Thames (which is also a great photo op!).

It makes for a fascinating tour, and will probably get you in the spirit to check out a few other historical structures in town as well.

You can skip the long lines, explore the Tower of London and see the Crown Jewels with a Beefeater guardsmen for the ultimate experience.

4. The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds can’t rival the Lake District for sheer natural splendour, but it might be just as attractive a region in its own right.

This semi-rural area west of London is a perfect snapshot of what so many people around the world imagine to be the English countryside (The Holiday anyone?).

There are low hills, storybook villages, herds of sheep, and rolling roads with that olde-worlde charm that make The Cotswolds a pleasure to visit even if you’re simply driving through.

5. Old Trafford

It may seem odd to include a football stadium on a list of historical places to visit in England, but Old Trafford is not just any football stadium.

Located in Manchester, Old Trafford is over 100 years old and houses possibly the most beloved football team in the world in Manchester United.

You can enjoy a full guided tour of the stadium, including the player’s dressing rooms, VIP rooms and the tunnel for less than 30 EUR!

6. The Eden Project

Although it only opened in 2001 in the Cornwall region, the Eden Project is a sort of gigantic botanical garden project meant to provide a tourist attraction and promote environmental responsibility.

It is already going down in history thanks to its huge biomes, which house thousands of different plants from climates all over the globe!

7. Bath’s Baths

The historical town of Bath has fittingly become something of a spa getaway in England.

It’s fitting because the city was originally founded by the Romans, who controlled outposts around the British Islands for much of the duration of their Empire.

Even today you can visit the luxurious Roman baths in Bath, and it’s almost shocking how well-preserved they are.

This is a fascinating way to get a glimpse of actual Roman culture and is a must for your England trip.

8. Dover Castle

There are tonnes of magnificent castles in England, but Dover Castle is one of the best, having commanded the gateway to the realm for nine centuries.

For a castle that was originally constructed in the 11th century, as well as one that actually served an active defensive purpose, it’s in remarkably good shape, and its situation right over the water makes it all the more beautiful, as well as being one of the most historical places to visit in England.

Purchase your admission ticket for Dover Castle in advance here.

9. Hadrian’s Wall

Every tour of England involves a lot of Roman history, and that’s exactly what we’re getting back to with this one.

As you may well know, Hadrian’s Wall stretched across the entire width of England in the North, and was built by the emperor of the same name in the 2nd century.

While it’s now basically a chain of relatively low ruins and guardhouses, it represents a fairly incredible old world achievement, and another symbol of how special ancient England was to the Romans.

10. Red Lion

You can’t visit England without drinking a cold beer in a traditional English pub, and so it seems only fair to name one of the most well-regarded ones in the entire country.

Red Lion is located in Westminster in London, and exists at the site of a pub that dates back to the 1430s, though it wasn’t always called Red Lion.

It’s been visited by the likes of Charles Dickens and Winston Churchill, and remains a major feature on lists of England’s best pubs and historical places to visit.

Historical Places to Visit in England | Final Thoughts

So, that just about concludes my list of 10 historical places you must include on a tour of England!

If you’re planning a trip to the UK, you may also find these articles interesting:

Best Day Trips from Manchester

Best Places to Visit in Northern England

Best Sunset Spots in Scotland

33 Reasons to Visit Manchester

How to Spend a Weekend in Stratford-upon-Avon


As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments section below.

Until next time,

XOXO

If you liked this article and would like to support my work, please click the button above to donate a couple of bucks and buy me a coffee. The ad revenue that I receive on this website is minimal, so support from my readers enables me to keep creating content that you (hopefully!) love to read.

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase on a recommended site, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.