The Best English Family-Friendly Attractions

Recommended places to visit and things to do with children in England

Pre-book England Attractions, Tours & Experiences


 

Alnwick Castle

Alnwick

  • film/tv location
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  • historic house
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  • garden
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  • museum
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  • park
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  • something different!
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • guided tours
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  • virtual tours
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  • shop
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  • antiques
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  • architecture
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  • art
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  • film
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  • furniture
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  • Harry Potter
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  • history
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  • TV
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  • walking
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  • wildlife

Alnwick Castle in Northumberland is a grand medieval fortress, home to the Percy family for over 700 years. Known as a filming site for "Harry Potter", it features opulent staterooms, gardens, and history blending Norman origins with modern heritage.

  • place of worship
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • free admission
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  • open year round
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  • World Heritage Site
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  • café
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  • guided tours
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  • shop
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  • architecture
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  • art
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  • history
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  • religion

Durham Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a masterpiece of Norman architecture towering over the River Wear. Renowned for its soaring nave, intricate stonework and medieval stained glass, it remains a centre of worship and a symbol of Durham.

Eden Project

Bodelva

  • garden
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • visitor centre
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  • nature

The Eden Project in Cornwall features massive biomes housing rainforest and Mediterranean habitats. This striking eco-attraction combines lush gardens, interactive exhibits and sustainable design, showcasing the wonders of nature and innovation.

Longleat

Warminster

  • film/tv location
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  • historic house
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  • garden
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  • park
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  • zoo
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • guided tours
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  • virtual tours
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  • shop
  • -
  • visitor centre
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  • antiques
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  • art
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  • furniture
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  • history
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  • social history
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  • walking
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  • wildlife

Longleat in Wiltshire is a grand stately home and the UK’s first safari park. Renowned for its Elizabethan architecture, landscaped grounds, and wildlife drives featuring lions, elephants, and more, it blends heritage with family adventure.

The London Eye

London SE1

  • viewpoint
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  • family-friendly
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  • open year round
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  • pre-booking advised
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  • shop

The London Eye is a giant riverside observation wheel offering breathtaking views across the capital. Its glass capsules provide a smooth 30-minute ride, showcasing landmarks like Big Ben, St Paul’s, and the Thames from above.

The Tower of London

London EC3

  • fortress
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • World Heritage Site
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  • café
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  • guided tours
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  • virtual tours
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  • shop
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  • history
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  • military history
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  • jewellery
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  • politics
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  • royalty

The Tower of London is a historic fortress on the Thames, famed for its role as a royal palace, prison and treasury. Visitors can see the Crown Jewels, Yeoman Warders and centuries of history within its ancient walls.

Windsor Castle

Windsor

  • fortress
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  • historic house
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • guided tours
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  • shop
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  • history
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  • royalty

Windsor Castle, in Berkshire, is the world’s oldest and largest inhabited castle. A royal residence for over 900 years, it features grand State Apartments, St George’s Chapel, and stunning grounds, offering a glimpse into Britain’s living history.

Alton Towers

Alton

  • theme park
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • shop

the most visited theme park in the UK with thrilling rides, an indoor and outdoor waterpark, 2 nine hole themed crazy golf courses and much more

  • battlefield
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  • place of worship
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  • viewpoint
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  • family-friendly
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  • seasonal opening
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  • English Heritage
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • visitor centre
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  • history
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  • military history
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  • nature
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  • royalty
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  • walking

Battle Abbey in East Sussex stands on the site of the 1066 Battle of Hastings. Founded by William the Conqueror, it features atmospheric ruins, a gatehouse, and battlefield views, bringing England’s most famous battle vividly to life.

  • film/tv location
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  • museum
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  • something different!
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • architecture
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  • film
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  • history
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  • social history
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  • transport
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  • TV

Beamish Museum in County Durham is an open-air museum bringing the North East’s past to life. Explore recreated towns, farms, and pit villages, ride vintage trams, and meet costumed guides for an immersive journey through history.

  • art gallery
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  • museum
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  • family-friendly
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  • open year round
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  • limited opening
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  • café
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  • virtual tours
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  • shop
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  • art
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  • history
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  • local history

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery houses world-class collections of fine art, archaeology and decorative arts. Highlights include Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces, ancient artefacts and exhibitions exploring Birmingham’s rich cultural heritage.

  • theme park
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  • family-friendly
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  • seasonal opening
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  • café

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is a famous seaside amusement park with thrilling roller coasters, family rides, and live shows. Opened in 1896, it remains one of the UK’s top attractions, blending nostalgic charm with record-breaking rides like The Big One.

Blackpool Tower

Blackpool

  • landmark
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  • viewpoint
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • shop

Blackpool Tower, opened in 1894, is a seaside icon inspired by Paris’s Eiffel Tower. It features a circus, ballroom, and a SkyWalk with sweeping views over the coast, making it a highlight of the famous Blackpool promenade.

  • aquarium
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • shop

Blue Reef Aquarium Newquay showcases marine life from Cornwall’s coast to tropical seas. With walk-through ocean tunnels, coral displays, and fascinating sea creatures, it’s an engaging, family-friendly glimpse beneath the waves.

Bluebell Railway

Uckfield

  • film/tv location
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  • tourist railway
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  • family-friendly
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • film
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  • history
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  • transport
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  • trains
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  • TV

The Bluebell Railway in Sussex is a heritage steam line running through the scenic Weald. With restored stations, vintage carriages, and classic engines, it offers a nostalgic journey through English countryside charm and railway history.

Burghley House

Stamford

  • historic house
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  • garden
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  • museum
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  • park
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • seasonal opening
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  • café
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  • guided tours
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  • shop
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  • antiques
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  • architecture
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  • art
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  • ceramics
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  • furniture
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  • history
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  • walking

Burghley House in Lincolnshire is one of England’s grandest Elizabethan mansions. Built for Sir William Cecil, it features lavish state rooms, a fine art collection, landscaped parkland by Capability Brown, and contemporary sculpture gardens.

Cadbury World

Birmingham

  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • pre-booking advised
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  • café
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  • guided tours
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  • history

Cadbury World in Birmingham offers a fun, interactive journey through the story of chocolate and the Cadbury brand. With themed zones, tastings and family-friendly attractions, it’s a sweet experience for all ages.

Chiltern Open Air Museum

Chalfont St. Giles

  • museum
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  • something different!
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  • family-friendly
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • antiques
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  • architecture
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  • furniture
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  • history
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  • social history

Chiltern Open Air Museum, in Buckinghamshire, preserves historic buildings from the region’s past. Set in beautiful countryside, it features reconstructed homes, farmsteads, and workshops that bring rural life through the ages vividly to life.

  • archeological site
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  • viewpoint
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  • family-friendly
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  • seasonal opening
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  • English Heritage
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  • shop
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  • archeology
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  • history
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  • social history
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  • nature
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  • walking

Chysauster Ancient Village, near Penzance, is a remarkably preserved Iron Age settlement. Its stone courtyard houses and lanes reveal how people lived 2,000 years ago amid sweeping views of the Cornish countryside.

  • landmark
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  • something different!
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  • family-friendly
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  • free admission
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  • open year round
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  • history
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  • transport

The Clifton Suspension Bridge & Museum in Bristol celebrate Brunel’s engineering triumph. The bridge offers breathtaking Avon Gorge views, while the museum explores its design, construction and lasting legacy.

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