The Atlas Obscura Guide To United Kingdom

2,873 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in the United Kingdom

Updated December 6, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in United Kingdom

London, England

Highgate Cemetery

London's creepiest cemetery was once the site of dueling magicians and mobs of stake-carrying vampire hunters.

The central interior of Leadenhall Market

London, England

Leadenhall Market

This ornate Victorian marketplace was the setting for Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron in the Harry Potter films.

London, England

The Ruins of St. Dunstan-in-the-East

One of the few remaining casualties of the London Blitz, this destroyed church has become an enchanting public garden.

Gods Own Junkyard

London, England

God's Own Junkyard

A kaleidoscopic warehouse-maze of handmade neon signs.

Fingal's Cave

Isle of Staffa, Scotland

Fingal's Cave

This astonishingly geometric cave has inspired everyone from Jules Verne to Pink Floyd.

Twinings tea shop on the Strand.

London, England

Twinings Tea Shop

A 300-year-old tea shop that brought tea to the English people, not to mention the Queen herself.

London, England

The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History

This shop and gallery is a modern-day cabinet of curiosities, unassumingly positioned along an urban thoroughfare.

Fairy Pools.

Isle of Skye, Scotland

Fairy Pools

These fantastically named natural pools look like something out of a Scottish myth.

See All 2,873 Things To Do in United Kingdom

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in United Kingdom

Twinings tea shop on the Strand.

London, England

Twinings Tea Shop

A 300-year-old tea shop that brought tea to the English people, not to mention the Queen herself.

The bunker.

London, England

Growing Underground

The world's first underground farm is in a World War II bomb shelter beneath the streets of London.

The Witchery

Edinburgh, Scotland

The Witchery

Near the former site of numerous witch burnings, this lavish Edinburgh mainstay pays homage to Scotland's brutal history.

The Lost Caves.

Nottingham, England

The Lost Caves

Hidden in a grotto 26 feet below Nottingham's oldest hotel, this stylish subterranean drinking den is notoriously hard to find.

See all 10 Places to Eat in United Kingdom

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Scotland : Highland Clans and the Trail of Tartan

Culture, history, and scenery with a globe-trotting bagpiper.

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Hidden Edinburgh

Crowds clog Edinburgh's Royal Mile, the main artery between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. The road is dotted with stores selling Nessie trinkets and lined with bagpipers and street performers pulling off dazzling tricks. But look beyond the tartan tourist traps, and you’ll discover tucked-away gardens, remnants of the city’s medieval past, and much more.

Look closely and wander widely: Parliament Square is full of charm.

Explore the United Kingdom

History & Culture 390

History 294

Ruins 201

Art 193

Military 171

Architectural Oddities 168

Churches 155

Sacred Spaces 155

Sculptures 155

Statues 148

Animals 143

Museums And Collections 142

Unique Restaurants & Bars 46

Places To Stay 35

The United Kingdom Leaderboard

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Recent United Kingdom Activity

M

mizzmor

has been to 'Verity'
G

GammaBamma

has been to Goodwin's Court
G

GammaBamma

has been to London's Lilliputian Police Station
C

chaselemerson

wants to go to Slieve Donard
C

chaselemerson

wants to go to The Grave of St. Patrick

Stories About the United Kingdom

To ride these contraptions, riders need bravery, tights, and a vest.

The Quirky Victorian Invention That Inspired a Risky Race

Competitors battle it out from seven feet in the air.

October 24, 2023

The deathwatch beetle found in the United Kingdom, Xestobium rufovillosum, was once considered an omen of death.

The Truth Behind the Deathwatch Beetle's Creepy Tap-Tap-Tapping

In the United Kingdom, the insects were once considered omens of death—they're actually much more destructive.

by Roxanne Hoorn

October 11, 2023

A greater mouse-eared bat takes flight.

The Mysterious Return of Great Britain's Loneliest Bat

Missing for two years, an elderly greater mouse-eared bat has been the island's only known member of the species for decades.

by Patrick Barkham

The handball court in Nelson, South Wales, August 8, 1969. The three-walled court and home to Pêl-Law, the Welsh version of the game, has stood in the town since 1860.

Can Welsh Handball Bounce Back From the Brink of Extinction?

The ancient sport of Pêl-Law hangs on, barely, at the last court of its kind. A campaign to revive a related game may help bring it back.

Edward Jenner's letter to John Glover Loy.

Vaccination Could Easily Have Been Called 'Equination'

A recently sold letter from medical pioneer Edward Jenner provides some insight as to why.

by Matthew Taub

Sacred Stones's modern Soulton Long Barrow, in Shropshire.

Why Prehistoric Barrows Are Back in Funerary Fashion

The United Kingdom is experiencing a revival of interest in an ancient burial method.

by Matthew Taub

Remembering the London Refuge for South Asian Nannies Far From Home

Abandoned by their employers after a months-long sea voyage, countless women found shelter here.

by Radhika Iyengar

Podcast: Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

Lists Featuring the United Kingdom

Charles Goodwyn, Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection, with copies of world's first stamp

Lock & Co.

Plaque marking the Texan Embassy

The Lioness and the Lesser Kudu.

The 11 Best Places to Visit Near Buckingham Palace for Curious Travelers

Including The Royal Philatelic Collection, Lock & Co. , and The Embassy of the Republic of Texas

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