3 Beautiful Places in the South of England Tourists Neglect

To the surprise of nobody, London is by far England’s most popular destination for tourism. Rightfully so, too. The attractions within the city could keep a visitor entertained for weeks. That said, London’s appeal has always been very well documented. Therefore, this list has been created to suggest a few alternatives for those interested in venturing beyond the capital. The south of England is filled with compelling locations, and the three below are worthy of anybody’s consideration.

The vast majority of people visiting England for pleasure include London in their plans. However, far less make time for St Albans. This Hertfordshire city is situated merely 19 miles away from the capital, and at such close proximity, it is certainly a location that deserves more consideration from tourists, especially those interested in British history.

There’s no better place to start than St Albans Cathedral when elaborating on the city’s rich historical significance. Initially built by the Romans approximately 1,700 years ago, the church has been renovated on several occasions to align with differing belief systems. The Saxons transformed the church into an abbey for monks to reside within. It remained an abbey during the period the Normans had control of the building, although they did make a number of architectural changes. During the Tudor period, and more specifically, Henry VIII’s rule, it was transformed into a church again. Finally, it was converted into a cathedral in the 1880s and has remained as such to this day.

This myriad of makeovers has led to St Albans Cathedral being made from fragments taken from a variety of notable periods of history. One side of the cathedral is still made from Roman bricks, while the stunning medieval wall paintings that can be seen throughout were added during the Tudor Period. St Albans Cathedral also has the longest nave in all of Britain, a staggering 85 meters long.

It wouldn’t be a trip to the UK without squeezing in an afternoon at the pub. This is an area where St Albans offers a fine selection of options. The pubs in this specific region are brimming with personality, culture, and, once again, history. In fact, the city even has the oldest pub in the whole of Britain. Ye Olde Fighting Cocks first opened its doors as far back as the 8th century. The pub was recently very close to closing for good due to the financial inflictions that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic, which, in turn, would have ended its phenomenal run as a business. Fortunately, a former manager and head chef of the pub joined forces, gained ownership, and prevented this from happening.

Not only does St Albans have the oldest pub in the country, but it’s also often claimed (and debated) that the city contains the most pubs per square mile in England. While such statistics change frequently, the city was recently declared to have 95 pubs. So, whether the above claim is true or not, there’s certainly a fantastic selection of taverns to choose from. The reason there are multiple alehouses is that the city became a stopping point for stagecoaches and a popular destination for pilgrims. Besides Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, other highly recommended pubs from the region are The Six Bells and The White Hart Tap.

Portsmouth, which is situated on the south coast of England, has a plethora of captivating artifacts and engaging activities that can be enjoyed by guests of all ages. The Hampshire city has played a monumental role in British maritime history. In 1194, Portsmouth became a hub for shipbuilding and ship repair. In 1212, King John established it as a docking yard, while the docking yard that’s there today and open to guests came courtesy of Henry VII in 1495. Portsmouth’s dockyard was the biggest industrial site in the world for a large period of time and, subsequently, a location often under attack during both World War I and World War II.

The naval history within The Historic Portsmouth Dockyard is fascinating, particularly with regard to the magnificent ships on display. The Mary Rose, for instance, is 513 years old and believed to have been Henry VIII’s favorite boat. It sank during a battle against the French in 1545 and wasn’t recovered until 1981. So, it’s obviously a long way off the condition the former king once found so appealing, but it is still a sight to behold. Along with the ship, there are cabinets displaying weapons recovered from the wreckage, as well as the skeleton of Hatch, the ship’s dog, mascot, and rat catcher.

Another hugely famous ship on show in Portsmouth is the HMS Victory, a vessel largely known for being Lord Nelson’s flagship vehicle in the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar. However, the HMS Victory has actually been called upon to lead the way in many major battles due to its dependability. Richard Howe chose it to represent him in the Battle of Cape Spartel, and John Jervis did the same in the Battle of Cape St Vincent.

Another huge attraction, in every sense of the word, is the city’s Spinnaker Tower. Open to the public in 2005, the tower stands at 170 meters and weighs over 30,000 tons. The Millennium Commission, a 1990s National Lottery-funded organization in the UK, proposed building a “Millennium Tower” in Portsmouth. The public was given three designs to choose from, and Spinnaker Tower, shaped to replicate a sail and pay tribute to the city’s naval heritage, won with 60% of the vote. The high-speed elevators travel up to the View Decks within 30 seconds, where the panoramic view of Portsmouth and beyond is magnificent. The harbor, the dockyard, and the city center all look spectacular from above.

Finally, for those who are impartial to a game of golf, love delicious cakes, or both, a trip to The Tenth Hole is highly recommended. This tearoom is connected to a nine-hole golf course, and while a few rounds of golf is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon with friends and family, it is the baked products on offer that truly make The Tenth Hole worth visiting. Both the banoffee pie and vegan lemon sponge cake are out of this world.

Bristol is a vibrant city stacked with culture, entertainment, and mesmerizing art that will keep most visitors entertained for hours. This region of the West Country is the home of Banksy, a globally iconic artist famed for his satirical street art and discretion (very few people know who he is or what he looks like). Banksy’s thought-provoking imagery can be found all over the world, though his connection to this area has resulted in Bristol playing host to a large portion of his graffiti.

His street art can be experienced in various manners. Visitors can opt to join a guided tour, purchase a self-guided tour, or simply do it their own way. The guided tour usually lasts around two to three hours, obviously provides more personalized interactions, and enables an opportunity for questions. The self-guided option can be downloaded on the customer’s device and includes instructions and information. This may be the preferred choice for those looking to observe his work at a leisurely pace. Either way, having these alternative options has allowed guests to enjoy Banksy’s artwork in a fashion best suited to them.

While Banksy is the most renowned creative to have decorated the streets of Bristol with elaborate artwork, he’s far from the only talented artist who’s made their mark on the walls of the city. In fact, some locations have generated more popularity due to the fantastic murals and paintings that dominate their streets. Stokes Croft, Nelson Street, and Easton are three areas in particular that have an abundance of stunning artwork to admire. For instance, the mural of Greta Thunberg by Jody Thomas in North Street is a truly remarkable piece of art.

Just like Portsmouth, Bristol also has a rather famous historical boat of its own. Brunel’s SS Great Britain, built in 1843, was famed for being innovative. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the brains behind the ship’s design, was known for his forward-thinking. Instead of using steam-powered paddlewheels, which were the norm at the time, he attached a large propeller to the back of the vessel. This, along with other cutting-edge ideas, made the SS Great Britain the largest and fastest boat in the world at the time. The boat traveled 600 passengers from England to Australia a remarkable 32 times between 1852 and 1875. It also made regular trips to New York.

The SS Great Britain can be greatly appreciated from the outside, but even more so once onboard. An incredible amount of effort has been made to provide visitors with an authentic Victorian-era experience. While this is certainly enjoyable for people of all ages, it’s especially fun for those with kids. There’s an 1852 photographer’s studio, which allows them to put on big dresses, top hats, and waistcoats to pose for pictures. There are also high-energy performances and talks from staff impersonating crew members. In addition, the boat has plenty of areas to explore, such as its dining room filled with long tables and elegant cutlery, and to make things even more impressive, the attention to detail extends as far as the sounds and smells.