Things to do in England

If you love history, traditional food and the slightly unusual, then here's your passport to some truly wonderful things to do in England.

I review lots of historical events, of course, plus anything vaguely related to food and drink.

But there's something for the Royalists, too. And those of us who like it a bit wackier are not left out, either.

None of these things to do in England are strictly tourist attractions - even though we have those, too - but they tend to draw (sometimes vast) crowds. Onlookers as well as people happy to join into the spirit of the thing.

That's because they are events to celebrate England, her history, her products, traditions and customs, to show off almost forgotten skills and have fun doing so!

Royal Days Out

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a Royalist, you'll want to check out England's biggest Royal crowd pleasers such as:

• The Changing of the Guard
• The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London
• Trooping the Colour
• The State Opening of Parliament
• The Lord Mayor's Show and Procession
• Explore Royal Palaces and Castles

Discover History

In this section you can find ideas for days out with a historical twist. Look out for festivals, re-enactments or wonderful spectacles of a truly historical bend!

• Experience Stonehenge as you've never seen it before: up close and personal.
• Learn about the last great battle of the Wars of the Roses at the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival.
• How about exploring Warwick Castle and staying the night in one of its towers?
  
• Celebrate St George's Day!
• Join crowds of enthusiasts cheer automotive classics at the London to Brighton veteran car rally.
• Watch King Richard III lose the the crown at a Battle of Bosworth re-enactment.
  
• Fancy yourself a pirate and explore Sir Francis Drake's ship, The Golden Hind.
• Take a short stroll around Piercebridge in County Durham and explore the remains of a Roman Fort and a Roman bridge.
  
• London has many famous historical buildings - and not all of them are museums. Why not spend a very enjoyable day exploring one of the capital's historic pubs? Stories of smugglers and highwaymen will lend a flavour to the ale, I promise...
• Discover historic Northampton or meet the Northampton Knights on these stunning walks around Northampton.
• Stop off and wander around Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, the birth place of King Henry IV.
  
• Take a walk around the historic city of Carlisle in Cumbria, and visit its cathedral and castle.
• Delve into the myth and legends of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall.
  

Explore England's Gardens, Buildings, and Countryside

England has some stunning palaces and grand houses with beautiful gardens that are well worth a visit. Or you could explore the varied English countryside, which may also involve a historic building. Here are some ideas...

• Explore Tower Bridge, one of London's most famous landmarks.
• Enjoy a day out from London on an organised coach tour to visit iconic cities, towns, villages, and historic sites.
  
• Take a relaxing stroll around Englemere Pond Nature Reserve which was once part a royal hunting forest in Royal Berkshire.
• Be amazed at the spring plants and trees in Ascott House and Gardens in Buckinghamshire.
• Take the stiff walk up from Castleton to Peveril Castle in Derbyshire.
• Follow in the path of The Beatles in Liverpool.
• Learn of horrors at Farleigh Hungerford Castle in Somerset.
• Explore the Lake District area from historic Penrith.
• Jump on the train from London and visit a traditional seaside resort to eat fish and chips on the beach.
  
• Stretch your legs with our peaceful Bampton (Downton Village) and River Thames walk in lovely Oxfordshire countryside.
  
• Discover rural Northamptonshire countryside with our walks around the village of Wappenham or the tiny hamlet of Winwick.
• Enjoy a gentle 5-mile ramble around North Leigh in Oxfordshire and discover a Roman Villa.
• Step on a train and have a great day out from London. You'll be amazed at what you could do in a day!
  
• Relax as you meander along the canals at Braunston in Northamptonshire.
• Visit Canons Ashby House and church and take our Canons Ashby walk or cycle ride in the surrounding Northamptonshire countryside.
• Join us for a stroll around the traditional seaside town of Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire and our hunt for the tank on the beach.
• Marvel at the splendour of an easy Peak District walk along Burbage Edge.
• Walk across England's longest canal aqueduct and visit Shakespear's mother's house in our wonderful Edstone Aqueduct walk in Warwickshire.
• Find Buckinghamshire's tallest windmill in Quainton, and discover another eight windmills on our Buckinghamshire Windmill Tour.
  
• Read about the Northamptonshire witches and spooky stories as we take a gentle stroll around Abington Park, Northampton's oldest and largest park.
• Pack a picnic and explore Stowe Gardens in Buckinghamshire to see if you can find all the monuments. Or, if you want to get away from it all for an hour or so, try our Stowe Parkland walk.
• Follow in the footsteps of Donna from Daphne Du Maurier's book Frenchman's Creek in Cornwall.
• Enjoy a peaceful walk through 3 wonderful villages in the Chiltern Hills and pass a famous windmill in our Chitty Chitty Bang Bang walk.
• Take a relaxing stroll around the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.
• Bring your torch and join us as we walk through the last, and widest, canal tunnel built in England on our Netherton Tunnel canal walk in the heart of the Black Country.
• Fancy searching for an abandoned tank? Then read about our adventure in the Peak District as we try to find the Tank in the Moors.
• Have you heard the term Fogou during history or archaeological programs and not understood what they are. We visit Halliggye Fogou in Cornwall to try and unravel the mystery.
• Climb from picturesque Ashford-in-the-Water to the Magpie Mine in this easy Peak District walk.
  

For Downton Abbey Fans

Downton Abbey is one of the most popular England based TV and film drama's. Here are some ideas to capture the spirit of the series.

• Explore the Downton Abbey village.
• Take an escorted trip from London to visit Downton Abbey village, the Cotswolds, and Blenheim Palace.
  
• Follow a driving road trip to some of the most exciting Downton Abbey film locations.

Try Something Unusual

Here you can find ideas for some truly unusual things to do in England. Just get ready to do something you've never done before.

• Compete in the Cotswold Olimpicks
• take part in a Pancake race
• Nettle Eating competition: are you tough enough?
• Experience the Festival of Fools
• Chase a Cadbury's Cream Egg.
• Something truly English: cheese rolling
• The Bristol Ballon Extravaganza

Watch Some Sports

There are some sports you can enjoy and cheer for whether you know anything about them or not. Most of those make excellent days out... such as:

• The University Boat Race
• The Tour of Britain Cycle Race
• Robert Dover's Cotswold Olimpicks
• The Epsom Derby
• The Black Pudding Throwing Championships
• The London Nocturne Cycle Extravaganza at Smithfield Market

Visit a County or Village Show

Have yourself a proper English summer afternoon watching the competition for the reddest tomato or longest runner bean.

For more great ideas on things to do in England why not visit on our county pages; Shropshire, Norfolk, Devon, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Northumberland, Kent, Northamptonshire, Somerset, and Suffolk.

Return from Things to do in England to the Essentially England homepage.

---

Essentially England uses affiliate links. This means that if you purchase something through a link on this site, we may earn a commission (at no extra cost to you).

---

You May Also Like