With three of the major airports in the UK serving the London area, London flights are often the best way to visit the UK, and although there are hundreds of places to visit all around the country, visitors needn’t venture too far from London to enjoy a range of great attractions. Here are five destinations that visitors to the UK should definitely consider.
The London Dungeon
For those visiting London with a taste for the macabre, a visit to the highly popular London Dungeon on the south side of the River Thames near London Bridge is strongly recommended.. Focusing on the multitude of grisly and horrible events throughout London’s history, the Dungeon is a mixture of museum and interactive horror experience with live actors, and features such scenes as Plague and The Torture Chamber.
Corfe Castle and the Isle of Purbeck
The beautiful Isle of Purbeck on the south coast of England in the county of Dorset is no longer separated from the mainland by water, but is a great place to visit to get away from the hustle and bustle and enjoy some of England’s quieter attractions. The imposing and romantic ruins of Corfe Castle stand between the rolling Purbeck hills, standing guard over the quaint medieval town that takes its name from the castle. Elsewhere on the Isle of Purbeck, there are award winning beaches at Studland and Swanage, and even a chance to find fossils in the cliffs at Kimmeridge bay, part of the area’s so-called Jurassic Coast.
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
The Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth, Hampshire, is just a couple of hours from London and is well worth a visit. It is home to HMS Warrior, the world’s first iron-clad warship, as well as the carefully preserved remains of Henry VIII’s famous sunken ship the Mary Rose and the restored First World War monitor M33.
Undoubtedly the star attraction of the dockyard is the spectacular HMS Victory, Admiral Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, restored to its full glory.
Historic Rochester
The town of Rochester in Kent is within easy reach of London. Originally established in Roman times, Rochester has many fine medieval buildings including the ruins of a Norman castle with one of the best preserved stone keeps in the country. The town also has strong links with Charles Dickens, playing host to two festivals in the author’s honor each year; the Summer Dickens Festival in June, and the Dickensian Christmas Festival in December.
LEGOLAND Windsor
For visitors with children or just the young at heart, LEGOLAND Windsor is just a stone’s throw from Heathrow International Airport, which handles the majority of London flights. This LEGO theme park, open from March to November, has two roller-coasters, six water rides, hundreds of amazing LEGO models of all sizes and even has LEGO building workshops.