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Editor’s selection

Iconic British attractions

The places that define Britain — UNESCO World Heritage sites, royal palaces, the most-photographed natural landmarks and the spots every visitor recognises.

398 iconic places.

Kew Gardens★ Iconic📷 10

Botanic gardens · London

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The world's most celebrated botanic garden — UNESCO, 50,000 plants, 1759.

Grade I↗ kew.org
Barking Abbey★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · London

Barking Abbey

Barking Abbey — building in London, England, UK.

♿👶↗ lbbd.gov.uk
Borough Market★ Iconic📷 10

Historic houses · London

Borough Market

London's oldest food market — 1,000 years of trading under London Bridge.

Free♿👶↗ boroughmarket.org.uk
Bushy House★ Iconic📷 5

Palaces · London

Bushy House

Bushy House — former royal residence in Teddington in South West London.

👶
Chertsey Abbey★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · London

Chertsey Abbey

Chertsey Abbey — Benedictine monastery.

Free👶
Convent Of St Mary At The Cross★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · London

Convent Of St Mary At The Cross

Convent Of St Mary At The Cross — convent in Barnet, London, England, UK.

👶↗ edgwareu.com
Fan Museum★ Iconic📷 5

Museums · London

Fan Museum

Fan Museum — museum in London, England, United Kingdom.

♿👶↗ thefanmuseum.org.uk
Hampton Court Palace★ Iconic📷 5

Palaces · London

Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace — historic royal palace in Richmond, Greater London.

👶↗ hrp.org.uk
Kensington Palace★ Iconic📷 5

Palaces · London

Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace — royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, London, England, UK.

👶↗ hrp.org.uk
Kew Palace★ Iconic📷 5

Palaces · London

Kew Palace

Kew Palace — Grade I listed historic house museum in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, United Kingdom.

Free♿👶↗ hrp.org.uk
Old Royal Naval College★ Iconic📷 5

Museums · London

Old Royal Naval College

Old Royal Naval College — architectural landmark in Greenwich, London and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Grade I♿👶↗ ornc.org
Palace of Placentia★ Iconic📷 5

Palaces · London

Palace of Placentia

Palace of Placentia — English royal palace at Greenwich.

♿👶
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre★ Iconic📷 10

Open-air theatres · London

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

London's only permanent outdoor theatre — 1,300 seats, summer-only seasons since 1932.

♿↗ openairtheatre.com
Richmond Palace★ Iconic📷 5

Palaces · London

Richmond Palace

Richmond Palace — former royal residence in London, England, UK.

FreeGrade I👶
St James's Palace★ Iconic📷 5

Palaces · London

St James's Palace

St James's Palace — royal palace in London.

Grade I♿👶↗ royal.uk
St Mary-at-Hill★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · London

St Mary-at-Hill

St Mary-at-Hill — Anglican parish church in the Ward of Billingsgate, City of London.

FreeGrade I👶↗ stmary-at-hill.org
Stratford Langthorne Abbey★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · London

Stratford Langthorne Abbey

Stratford Langthorne Abbey — Cistercian abbey in Stratford, London, England, UK.

👶
The Former Ark Of The Covenant★ Iconic📷 5

Cathedrals · London

The Former Ark Of The Covenant

The Former Ark Of The Covenant — Georgian Orthodox church in Upper Clapton, London.

👶↗ aroundus.com
Theobalds House★ Iconic📷 5

Palaces · London

Theobalds House

Theobalds House — ruined stately home and palace near Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, England, UK.

👶
Tower Bridge★ Iconic📷 10

Historic bridges · London

Tower Bridge

The Victorian Gothic bascule bridge across the Thames.

FreeGrade I♿🐕👶↗ towerbridge.org.uk
Waltham Abbey Church★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · London

Waltham Abbey Church

Waltham Abbey Church — church in Waltham Abbey, Essex, England, UK.

FreeGrade I👶↗ walthamabbeychurch.co.uk
Gold Grey★ Iconic📷 10

Palaces · London

Buckingham Palace

Official London residence of the British monarch.

👶
The Shard from St Paul's Cathedral - geograph.org.uk - 8241600★ Iconic📷 10

Cathedrals · London

St Paul's Cathedral

Wren's masterpiece — the seat of the Bishop of London.

Grade I👶↗ stpauls.co.uk
View of a tomb in a side chapel in Westminster Abbey ^7 - geograph.org.uk - 6915576★ Iconic📷 10

Abbeys & priories · London

Westminster Abbey

Coronation and burial church of British monarchs since 1066.

Grade I♿👶↗ westminster-abbey.org
Big Ben, London (7601809348)★ Iconic📷 10

Memorials & monuments · London

Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower)

The Great Bell of the Palace of Westminster — and its 96 m tower.

FreeGrade I🐕👶↗ parliament.uk
Capsule, London Eye, London SE1 - geograph.org.uk - 2492201★ Iconic📷 10

Viewpoints · London

The London Eye

135 m observation wheel on the South Bank.

🐕👶↗ international-brigades.org.uk
View from The Shard - geograph.org.uk - 7075784★ Iconic📷 10

Viewpoints · London

The Shard

Renzo Piano's 309 m tower — the tallest building in the UK.

Free♿🐕👶↗ jaumeplensa.com
Trafalgar Square, London - geograph.org.uk - 1707872★ Iconic📷 10

Memorials & monuments · London

Trafalgar Square

Nelson's Column and the public square at the centre of London.

Free♿🐕↗ london.gov.uk
Church of St Paul - geograph.org.uk - 5574054★ Iconic📷 10

Towns & cities · London

Covent Garden

Former market hall + piazza in London's West End.

Free♿🐕👶
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre construction - geograph.org.uk - 3329459★ Iconic📷 10

Theatres · London

Shakespeare's Globe

1997 reconstruction of Shakespeare's open-air Globe playhouse.

👶↗ shakespearesglobe.com
Westminster Hall, London SW1 - geograph.org.uk - 3513610★ Iconic📷 10

Palaces · London

Houses of Parliament

Charles Barry's Gothic Revival meeting place of the UK Parliament.

Grade I👶↗ publications.parliament.uk
InSapphoWeTrust - Martin Luther King Jr. at Madame Tussauds London (8481391200)★ Iconic📷 10

Family attractions · London

Madame Tussauds London

London's 1884 wax museum — the original Madame Tussauds, with 250 figures and the Chamber of Horrors.

♿👶↗ madametussauds.com
Zebra at London Zoo - geograph.org.uk - 971695★ Iconic📷 10

Zoos & aquariums · London

ZSL London Zoo

World's oldest scientific zoo, opened in 1828 in Regent's Park.

Free👶↗ alva.org.uk
Sir John Soane's Museum - geograph.org.uk - 7350821★ Iconic📷 10

Museums · London

Sir John Soane's Museum

The architect's own preserved house — Hogarth, the Sarcophagus of Seti I, kept since 1833.

FreeGrade I♿👶↗ soane.org
"Gravity Bear", Paddington Bear, Royal Observatory - geograph.org.uk - 4282491★ Iconic📷 10

UNESCO World Heritage · London

Royal Museums Greenwich

UNESCO World Heritage Site — Royal Observatory, Queen's House, Painted Hall, Cutty Sark.

Grade I♿↗ rmg.co.uk
Blackfriars railway station, new entrance - geograph.org.uk - 2885592★ Iconic📷 12

Historic pubs · London

The Black Friar

London's only complete art-nouveau pub, with bronze friars and 1905 mosaics.

Free♿🐕
London , Westminster - Covent Garden Tube Station - geograph.org.uk - 2053279★ Iconic📷 10

Historic pubs · London

The Lamb and Flag

Covent Garden's oldest pub — Dickens drank here, Dryden was attacked outside.

Free🐕↗ lambandflagcoventgarden.co.uk
Tower of St Bride's Church, St Bride's Avenue London - geograph.org.uk - 1730016★ Iconic📷 12

Historic pubs · London

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

Fleet Street's 1667 sawdust-floor pub — Johnson, Dickens, Twain all drank here.

Free🐕↗ ye-olde-cheshire-cheese.co.uk
Lovers by Tooting Bec Common - geograph.org.uk - 5325808★ Iconic📷 10

Lidos & outdoor pools · London

Tooting Bec Lido

Britain's largest freshwater pool (1906) — 100 yards, year-round unheated swimming.

👶
Shane Warne bowling 2009★ Iconic📷 10

Stadiums · London

Lord's Cricket Ground

Cricket's spiritual home, in St John's Wood since 1814 — the Ashes urn lives here.

↗ lords.org
State of the draw in the Gentlemen's Singles - geograph.org.uk - 3263975★ Iconic📷 10

Stadiums · London

All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club

The world's most famous tennis venue, hosting Wimbledon since 1877.

♿👶↗ wimbledon.com
BT Tower from Euston Road, London - 4080875293★ Iconic📷 10

Viewpoints · London

BT Tower

London's 191m Grade-II-listed 1964 telecoms tower; reopening as hotel.

Free🐕👶↗ web.archive.org
The Cabinet War Rooms, SW1 - geograph.org.uk - 915777★ Iconic📷 10

Military museums · London

Churchill War Rooms

Churchill's WWII underground cabinet bunker, preserved exactly as he left it in 1945.

Free♿👶↗ iwm.org.uk
The Royal Mews - An old stable stall - geograph.org.uk - 8157965★ Iconic📷 10

Museums · London

The Royal Mews

Buckingham Palace's working royal stables — home of the Gold State Coach (1762).

♿👶
Jake Bugg, Alexandra Palace, London (14979109674)★ Iconic📷 5

Palaces · London

Alexandra Palace

Alexandra Palace — a palace in London, United Kingdom.

Free♿👶↗ alexandrapalace.com
Statue of Nelson Mandela in Parliament Square, London, - geograph.org.uk - 3786680★ Iconic📷 5

Cathedrals · London

St Margaret's Church, Westminster

St Margaret's Church, Westminster — a Grade I-listed cathedral in england-london, United Kingdom.

Grade I♿👶↗ westminster-abbey.org
Canterbury★ Iconic📷 10

Towns & cities · South East England

Canterbury

Canterbury — cathedral city in Kent, England.

Free🐕👶↗ canterbury.gov.uk
Sissinghurst Castle Garden★ Iconic📷 10

Gardens · South East England

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Vita Sackville-West's 1930s garden in Kent — the most-imitated White Garden in Britain.

Grade I🐕👶↗ nationaltrust.org.uk
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites★ Iconic📷 10

UNESCO World Heritage · South East England

Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites

Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the United Kingdom.

♿👶↗ english-heritage.org.uk
Battle of Hastings★ Iconic📷 10

Memorials & monuments · South East England

Battle Abbey & Battlefield

The 1066 battlefield that ended Anglo-Saxon England.

Free🐕↗ english-heritage.org.uk
Durrington Walls★ Iconic📷 5

Hill forts · South East England

Durrington Walls

Durrington Walls — the site of a large Neolithic settlement, village; also it enclosed several hedges;.

Free🐕↗ nationaltrust.org.uk
Minster Abbey★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · South East England

Minster Abbey

Minster Abbey — historic abbey and Grade I listed building in Thanet, Kent, England, United Kingdom.

Grade I👶
Netley Abbey★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · South East England

Netley Abbey

Netley Abbey — abbey in Hampshire, UK.

Free👶↗ english-heritage.org.uk
Old Quarr Abbey★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · South East England

Old Quarr Abbey

Old Quarr Abbey — monastery on the Isle of Wight, England, UK.

👶↗ quarrabbey.org
Quarr Abbey★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · South East England

Quarr Abbey

Quarr Abbey — monastery on the Isle of Wight in southern England.

FreeGrade I👶↗ quarrabbey.org
Reading Abbey★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · South East England

Reading Abbey

Reading Abbey — ruined abbey in the English town of Reading, founded in 1121 by King Henry I.

Grade I👶↗ readingabbeyquarter.org.uk
Robertsbridge Abbey★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · South East England

Robertsbridge Abbey

Robertsbridge Abbey — church in East Sussex, England, UK.

👶
Royal Pavilion★ Iconic📷 5

Palaces · South East England

Royal Pavilion

Royal Pavilion — former royal residence located in Brighton, England, United Kingdom.

Grade I👶↗ brightonmuseums.org.uk
St Albans Church★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · South East England

St Albans Church

St Albans Church — church building in West Leigh, Hampshire.

👶
St Radegund's Abbey, Poulton★ Iconic📷 5

Abbeys & priories · South East England

St Radegund's Abbey, Poulton

St Radegund's Abbey, Poulton — abbey in Hougham Without, Kent, England, UK.

👶