England Off The Beaten Path

  Rushbearing Festival
by suvanki
 
  • Rushbearing Festival
      Rushbearing Festival
    by suvanki
  • Tramway, North Light
      Tramway, North Light
    by maykal
  • Tynemouth Priory from the south
      Tynemouth Priory from the south
    by toonsarah
  •   Off The Beaten Path
    by TheLongTone
  • Portobello Road Market
      Portobello Road Market
    by Britannia2
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in England

101.

Salford Quays/Lowry/War Museum   Manchester

Salford Quays/Lowry/War Museum, Manchester

 6 Reviews  The Lowry is a brand new arts complex with galleries, a huge theatre and eateries. the visual look of the building is stunning as well. Unfortunately the day i saw it, the sky was gun metal gray and... 

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102.

Castle Howard   York

Castle Howard, York

 8 Reviews  14 miles. By bus including entry £15. Pay the driver board at Bootham Bar, across from the tourist info. This is where the TV series 'Brides-head Revisited' was filmed. The castle grounds are worth... 

 See All 145 Off The Beaten Path in York

103.

Canals   Birmingham

Canals, Birmingham

 5 Reviews  Many locals and tourists don't have the Birmingham Canal Network in mind when having a holiday - obviously I wouldn't suggest in Winter, but it is good to take a sideways trip from the city sights and... 

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104.

Iffley   Oxford

Iffley, Oxford

 3 Reviews  When you have seen the university buildings and are a bit tired of the touristy and noisy city, come to Iffley to enjoy its peace and quiet. Situated on the Thames, it can be reached by boat from the... 

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105.

Cathedral City of Ely   Cambridge

Cathedral City of Ely, Cambridge

 5 Reviews  Ely Cathedral is a wonderful church inside and it has lovely stained glass. Within the Cathedral, there is a Stained Glass Museum which is woth visiting. You need to pay separately to enter the... 

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106.

Libraries   Manchester

Libraries, Manchester

 7 Reviews  Chetham's Library is off the beaten path. I'd never heard of it and neither had my boyfriend who has lived in Manchester all his life. Most visitors to Manchester may see the John Ryland's Library on... 

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107.

Whip ma whop ma gate   York

Whip ma whop ma gate, York

 2 Reviews  What a great name for a street. I wish more streets had great names like Whipmawhopmagate - it's rather more interesting than Castle St. or High St. Only 32 metres long, It's very easy to miss this... 

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108.

Nearby Attractions   Birmingham

Nearby Attractions, Birmingham

 11 Reviews  Birmingham is slap bang in the middle of England. With an excellent public transport system, there are literally hundreds of locations within a hour or so of the CBD by train or bus. Hiring a car... 

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109.

Cowley Road   Oxford

Cowley Road, Oxford

 3 Reviews  If Oxford is a genteel, civilised place, Cowley Road is its uncouthed, yet strangely alluring neighbour. Just 5 minutes walk from the town centre, but a million miles away in terms of atmosphere,... 

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110.

Mill Road area pubs   Cambridge

Mill Road area pubs, Cambridge

 4 Reviews  Mill Road.Seen here in the early morning,but usually busy with people and traffic.The shops,cafes,restaurants and pubs on and around Mill Road are among the best on offer and well worth a wander over... 

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111.

Helmsley   York

Helmsley, York

 5 Reviews  Helmsley lies about 20 miles west of York and is one of England's loveliest market towns. This is really the perfect English town - a large market square with a beautiful church and castle commanding... 

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112.

Museums & Galleries   Birmingham

Museums & Galleries, Birmingham

 3 Reviews  By Car: Take the A38 (Bristol Road), turning onto Edgbaston Park Road. Parking is available in the University's South Car Park, with the Institute situated at the top of the hill opposite King... 

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113.

Port Meadow   Oxford

Port Meadow, Oxford

 4 Reviews  Port Meadow is a large open country public field that stretches as far as the eye can see,there are plenty of footpaths to walk on and you can cross bridges over the River Thames that flows through... 

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114.

Castle Hill   Cambridge

Castle Hill, Cambridge

 3 Reviews  .....is closed off at the moment. I suspect local skateboarders have been using and eroding it. A typical Norman motte, its bailey now hidden by the council buildings, it's still worth a visit.... 

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115.

City - Miscellaneous   York

City - Miscellaneous, York

 18 Reviews  England's most famous highwayman might have been from Essex and have had relations to Derby but he spent so much time in York he actually died here. His grave can be found if you continue down to the... 

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116.

Brindley Place   Birmingham

Brindley Place, Birmingham

 2 Reviews   I always remember coming down to Brindley place when I was younger to go to The National SeaLife Centre which is just next to Brindley Place. Especially in the Summer next to the canal this area of... 

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117.

Jericho   Oxford

Jericho, Oxford

 2 Reviews  Jericho is one of Oxford's most interesting neighbourhoods. Most of the action takes place on Walton Street, where there ar enumerous bars and restaurants, but it's also worthwhile exploring the side... 

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118.

Grantchester   Cambridge

Grantchester, Cambridge

 4 Reviews  This church is just a few steps away from the tea garden " Orchard ". A graveyard is all around it, many of the tombstones are too withered to read who has been buried there. In front of the altar... 

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119.

Fountains Abbey   York

Fountains Abbey, York

 7 Reviews  The monks elected Prior Richard abbot, but by 1133 they were forced to look for outside help in order to survive. They turned, naturally enough, to the source of their inspiration, the Cistercian... 

 See All 145 Off The Beaten Path in York

120.

Parks   Birmingham

Parks, Birmingham

 6 Reviews  Cannon Hill is a reasonably sized park just on the out skirts of the city centre its about 5 to 10 minutes away on the bus ( no 45 or 47 from ouside the palisades shopping centre). it has a large... 

 See All 54 Off The Beaten Path in Birmingham

121.

Botanic Garden   Oxford

Botanic Garden, Oxford

 7 Reviews  Britain's oldest botanic garden with thousands of species of plants from all over the world. A lovely place to sit, or wander down the river. Situated on the site of the old Jewish cemetary. Open:... 

 See All 81 Off The Beaten Path in Oxford

122.

Wittgenstein's Grave   Cambridge

Wittgenstein's Grave, Cambridge

 1 Review  The greatest philosopher of the the 20th century is buried in a small graveyard in Cambridge. In the same cemetry also stands the grave of GE Moore a leading exponent of Logical positivism. In the... 

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123.

Beverley   York

Beverley, York

 3 Reviews  Beverley. It is a small market town approx 35 mile between York and Hull. It has a large Minster which could rival York but is sadly overlooked by most tourists. The town is nice for an hour or two,... 

 See All 145 Off The Beaten Path in York

124.

Jewellery Quarter   Birmingham

Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

 2 Reviews  The advent of such contraptions as the thing I am using now to scrawl this tip led to the death knell of a once proud Brimingham industry. That and the Bic Biro. There was at one time over 100 firms... 

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125.

Headington Shark   Oxford

Headington Shark, Oxford

 3 Reviews  Somewhat annoyingly, I was looking for this piece of art, but got a bit lost, so I have yet to describe it from the flesh, as it were. The story of the shark and the battle for it's retention against... 

 See All 81 Off The Beaten Path in Oxford

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

CAR BOOTING - AN ENGLISH TRADITION

by Freddiexpat

This is not about going round and kicking (booting) the hell out of cars but the UK version of a communal garage sale. These take place all over the country where indvidiuls bring there bric a brac and sell it out of the boots of their cars. Some of these events take place weekly, others will be on a monthly basis. Check out local press and websites for details or even word of mouth. This is an alternative to the usual tourist rat run and you will meet lots of locals. Many a bargain to be had and you may find some quirky british items to take home or you may just find that rare piece of pottery or art.You never know what turns up in a "Jumble Sale".

Cambridgeshire - Ely

by TheWanderingCamel

A small gem of a city just 9 miles and a few hundred thousand tourists a year away from nearby Cambridge, Ely has much to offer those in search of something different. From its beginnings in the 7th century when a Saxon queen had a church and monastery built on what was then an island in the Fens the city grew up around the cathedral but remained cut off in its watery isolation for another 1000 years until the Fens were drained in the 18th century - until then Ely could only be reached by boat. Despite this isolation, Ely Cathedral has always been a great centre of pilgrimage, first as one of the great Saxon churches and later as one of the glories of Norman achievement with its soaring towers, fabulously carved and painted ceiling, stained glass museum and massive mediaeval doors adorned with wonderful iron-work and the surrounding monastic buildings . Take some time to visit the nearby...

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Bedfordshire - Three village churches

by TheWanderingCamel

Eaton Bray, Stanbridge and Totternhoe - typical English village churches - no different from hundreds of others, but places with a special meaning for me - my great-great grandparents (Mark and Rebecca) and great grandfather (Henry) came from here.St Mary the Virgin at Eaton Bray, early 13th century, built of local stone with a small spike rising from its tower, not especialy notable from the outside but it's a different story once you pass through the fine 13th century ironworked south door. Two grand arcades with splendidly decorated capitals to the piers create an impressive interior that is enhanced by a 13th century font (where both Mark and Henry no doubt protested in the way of all babies at the shock of being splashed at their baptisms in 1801 and 1843)Two and a half miles away in Stanbridge, Rebecca was born in 1811. Standing in front of the Saxon font at the 13th century Church...

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Shropshire - A fortified manor

by TheWanderingCamel

Stokesay Castle, near Ludlow in the Welsh Marches, is England's best preserved 13th-century fortified manor house. And a house is what it is, despite the castle name. The Great Hall and private rooms may be empty now but they still give you a sense of the comfortable family home the building became after Lawrence of Ludlow acquired it in 1281 with the money he made as a successful wool merchant. Building began in 1240, but that was a time of great unrest in the Welsh Marches - parts of the massive north tower and solar block date from then. By the time Lawrence acquired the property however, peace had come to the Marches and he was able to continue building with comfort and style more in mind than security, setting big windows into the outer walls and adding a Great Hall. Lawrence was out to impress as well - it was he who added a battlemented south tower (an addition that required...

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Berkshire - A Cookham Lad

by TheWanderingCamel

Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) was born, lived and died in Cookham and the village features constantly in his paintings. It would be a mistake to regard his work as simply quaint scenes of village life however. His religious fervour and unconventional attitudes to sexuality and romance are all expressed in his work and when they first appeared many provoked both shock and controversy. His work was decidedly avant-guard but it is also imbued with great wit and charm with wonderful resonances of early Italian painting by masters such as Giotto and the works of Post-Impressionist, Paul Gaugin. The works are no pastiches though - Spencer's vision was peculiarly his own and there are some very powerful images - he was an official war artist in both WWI and WWII.The very best place to begin to understand Spencer is in his own village - Cookham - as picture-perfect an English village set down by...

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BURGHLEY HOUSE

by hevbell

These days Burghley House, near Stamford, is probably best known for its annual Horse Trials event which takes place every year in late summer. In the photo I'm sitting on one of the fences used! The estate was given to the Cecil family in the times of Henry VIII and stayed in the family for over 400 years. Today it is still occupied by their descendents. You can tour the house as well as the gardens which were designed by Capability Brown, a well known landscaper. As well as the horse trials there are other events taking place here throughout the year including art exhibits and car shows

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Bluebell woods.............

by leics

If you are visiting England in April (around the middle-to-end of the month, depending on the weather), and you have access to a 'bluebell wood' nearby then do go for a walk if you can.Bluebells have the most deliciously delicate scent; seeing a wood entirely carpeted in dusky blue, the perfume only catching your nostrils when the breeze wafts in the right direction (better after it's rained) is a highly recommended experience. Ask locally; many bluebell woods are kept fairly secret because too many people will spoil the pleasure.....Don't be tempted to pick the bluebells, because our English bluebells are under threat from the imported Spanish ones (the latter are escaping from gardens and taking over.....) and they need all the help they can get. Just enjoy!

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Maiden Castle

by leics

Maiden Castle is a vast Iron Age (and probably earlier) hillfort just outside Dorchester in Dorset. You will be staggered at the sheer amount of soil which had to be moved to build this place, with its massive defensive ditches and ramparts. The entranceway is complex, designed for defenders to rain missiles down on any attackers well before they approached the fort (dumps of slingshot pebbles, brought from the local beaches, have been excavated).Unfortunately, the Romans did manage to successfully attack the fort, and eventually built a temple there!Artefacts from Maiden Castle are displayed in Dorchester museum, which is well worth a visit.

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Bits knocked off buildings.............

by leics

You'll notice these in various places around the UK. Basically, the corners of houses/ buildings were removed so often by large carts (and, later, lorries) that it became simpler to make them less sharp permanently. This one is in Ely, Cambridgeshire; I imagine large carts carrying loads from the river quay kept bumping into the house when the roads were narrower. Simpler (and cheaper, in the long run) to re-build the corner so it didn't get in the way!

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Almshouses

by leics

There are lots and lots of almshouses around in English towns and larger villages (2,600 groups, to be exact). Most are still funded by independent charities, and originally provided affordable accommodation for the old and poor. They've been part of our history for more than 1000 years; King Athelstan funded the first ones in York in the 10th century. You can usually tell almshouses from they way they are placed in a group. There's often a plaque somewhere, or an inscription in the stonework, and they are usually architecturally interesting. The ones in the photo are in Ely, Cambridgeshire, and were provided in the 19th century by one Thomas Parsons 'benefactor of the city'.

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 4 Reviews and 233 Opinions  We went to the pub new years gay. I ordered the fish and chips and found a lump of metal in the... 

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in England
  1. London Off The Beaten Path
  2. Manchester Off The Beaten Path
  3. York Off The Beaten Path
  4. Birmingham Off The Beaten Path
  5. Oxford Off The Beaten Path
  6. Liverpool Off The Beaten Path
  7. Blackpool Off The Beaten Path
  8. Newcastle upon Tyne Off The Beaten Path
  9. Bath Off The Beaten Path
  10. Cambridge Off The Beaten Path
  11. Brighton Off The Beaten Path
  12. Nottingham Off The Beaten Path
  13. Bournemouth Off The Beaten Path
  14. Bristol Off The Beaten Path
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  16. Chester Off The Beaten Path
  17. Sheffield Off The Beaten Path
  18. Scarborough Off The Beaten Path
  19. Canterbury Off The Beaten Path
  20. Eastbourne Off The Beaten Path
  21. Leeds Off The Beaten Path
  22. Newquay Off The Beaten Path
  23. Whitby Off The Beaten Path
  24. Windsor Off The Beaten Path
  25. Portsmouth Off The Beaten Path
  26. Stratford-upon-Avon Off The Beaten Path
  27. Plymouth Off The Beaten Path
  28. Coventry Off The Beaten Path
  29. Lake District National Park Off The Beaten Path
  30. Reading Off The Beaten Path
  31. Weymouth Off The Beaten Path
  32. Durham Off The Beaten Path
  33. Cheltenham Off The Beaten Path
  34. Salisbury Off The Beaten Path
  35. Southampton Off The Beaten Path
  36. Dover Off The Beaten Path
  37. Richmond Off The Beaten Path
  38. Southend-on-Sea Off The Beaten Path
  39. Exeter Off The Beaten Path
  40. Kingston upon Hull Off The Beaten Path
  41. Lincoln Off The Beaten Path
  42. Folkestone Off The Beaten Path
  43. Halifax Off The Beaten Path
  44. Windermere Off The Beaten Path
  45. Derby Off The Beaten Path
  46. Worcester Off The Beaten Path
  47. Weston-Super-Mare Off The Beaten Path
  48. Warwick Off The Beaten Path
  49. Gloucester Off The Beaten Path
  50. Greenwich Off The Beaten Path
  51. Saint Ives Off The Beaten Path
  52. Kingston upon Thames Off The Beaten Path
  53. Winchester Off The Beaten Path
  54. Bracknell Off The Beaten Path
  55. Norwich Off The Beaten Path
  56. Middlesbrough Off The Beaten Path
  57. St Albans Off The Beaten Path
  58. Keswick Off The Beaten Path
  59. Southport Off The Beaten Path
  60. Peterborough Off The Beaten Path
  61. Bolton Off The Beaten Path
  62. Royal Leamington Spa Off The Beaten Path
  63. Ipswich Off The Beaten Path
  64. Colchester Off The Beaten Path
  65. Hastings Off The Beaten Path
  66. Stonehenge Off The Beaten Path
  67. Barrow in Furness Off The Beaten Path
  68. Rye Off The Beaten Path
  69. Great Yarmouth Off The Beaten Path
  70. Glastonbury Off The Beaten Path
  71. Bradford Off The Beaten Path
  72. Stockport Off The Beaten Path
  73. Wimbledon Off The Beaten Path
  74. Leicester Off The Beaten Path
  75. Southampton Off The Beaten Path
  76. Ely Off The Beaten Path
  77. Clacton-on-Sea Off The Beaten Path
  78. Shrewsbury Off The Beaten Path
  79. High Wycombe Off The Beaten Path
  80. Bognor Regis Off The Beaten Path
  81. Watford Off The Beaten Path
  82. Banbury Off The Beaten Path
  83. Stansted Off The Beaten Path
  84. Guildford Off The Beaten Path
  85. Maidstone Off The Beaten Path
  86. Hereford Off The Beaten Path
  87. Northampton Off The Beaten Path
  88. Broadstairs Off The Beaten Path
  89. Swindon Off The Beaten Path
  90. Berwick-Upon-Tweed Off The Beaten Path

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Greater London Off The Beaten Path  North Yorkshire Off The Beaten Path  Greater Manchester Off The Beaten Path  Devon Off The Beaten Path  Cornwall Off The Beaten Path  West Midlands Off The Beaten Path  Merseyside Off The Beaten Path  Kent Off The Beaten Path  East Sussex Off The Beaten Path  Cumbria Off The Beaten Path  Oxfordshire Off The Beaten Path  Somerset Off The Beaten Path  Essex Off The Beaten Path  Dorset Off The Beaten Path  Hampshire Off The Beaten Path  Tyne and Wear Off The Beaten Path  West Yorkshire Off The Beaten Path  Cambridgeshire Off The Beaten Path  Lancashire Off The Beaten Path  Berkshire Off The Beaten Path  Gloucestershire Off The Beaten Path  Cheshire Off The Beaten Path  Warwickshire Off The Beaten Path  Derbyshire Off The Beaten Path  Nottinghamshire Off The Beaten Path  Hertfordshire Off The Beaten Path  Wiltshire Off The Beaten Path  Suffolk Off The Beaten Path  South Yorkshire Off The Beaten Path  Lincolnshire Off The Beaten Path  West Sussex Off The Beaten Path  Norfolk (County) Off The Beaten Path  Isle of Wight Off The Beaten Path  Worcestershire Off The Beaten Path 

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Questions and Answers

Sunfluffy-77 profile photo

Q:  Hi! We r planning to go Paris from London on 16th June Saturday by eurostar. We r planning to stay at L'Elysee Val D'Europe hotel... 

K_V_B profile photo

A: Lookin on google maps I notice that the L'Elysee Val d'Europe is basically sitting on top of a railway station. It's not the station where the Eurostar stops, but that is... 

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