Wandering Well · Britain · Theme

Ancient sites in Britain off the beaten path.

Less-touristed ancient sites in Britain, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.

Tintern Abbey's roofless Cistercian walls and the parliament building where Owain Glyndŵr convened Wales's independent government in 1404 set the tone for a list that spans Roman Verulamium at St Albans, the myth-laden abbey ruins at Glastonbury, and a Lancashire village church where George Washington's ancestors worshipped. These nine sites carry histories stretching from Palaeolithic hand axes to medieval coronations.

9 picks
Machynlleth, United Kingdom
Silver
Mountain villages

Machynlleth

United Kingdom

Machynlleth, a compact market town in the Dyfi Valley in Powys, Wales, claims the title of "ancient capital of Wales" as the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Pa…

More →
Tintern, United Kingdom
Silver
Wine country

Tintern

United Kingdom

Tintern Abbey, a ruined 12th-century Cistercian monastery on the banks of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, is the main draw to this little conservation…

More →
Criccieth, United Kingdom
Silver
Coast & island escapes

Criccieth

United Kingdom

A tiny seaside town on the south coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales, Criccieth is dominated by the ruins of Criccieth Castle, which look out over…

More →
St Albans, United Kingdom
Bronze
Charming old-world towns

St Albans

United Kingdom

A cathedral city in Hertfordshire north of London, St Albans sits on the site of the Roman city of Verulamium — one of the first major stops on Watling Stree…

More →
Glastonbury, United Kingdom
Gold
Charming old-world towns

Glastonbury

United Kingdom

This little Somerset town with an outsized reputation, Glastonbury is built around the ruins of one of medieval England's most important abbeys — the site of…

More →
Broadwindsor, United Kingdom
Bronze
Charming old-world towns

Broadwindsor

United Kingdom

A Dorset village with a heritage-dense centre and a notable royal footnote: King Charles II spent the night here on 23 September 1651 during his flight after…

More →
Eccles, United Kingdom
Gold
Ancient & archaeological sites

Eccles

United Kingdom

Eccles, a market town in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, is the birthplace of the Eccles cake and grew around its 13th-century Parish Church of St…

More →
Warton, United Kingdom
Silver
Charming old-world towns

Warton

United Kingdom

Warton's parish church of Saint Oswald carries a notable historical connection: the Washington family, ancestors of George Washington, the first president of…

More →
Kingskerswell, United Kingdom
Bronze
Charming old-world towns

Kingskerswell

United Kingdom

Pocket-sized Devon village with roots in the Domesday Book, Kingskerswell has a 14th-century church and the ruins of a medieval manor house among its listed…

More →
0 selected · max 5