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27 things to do for free in Britain, from spectacular waterfalls to medieval libraries
'The best things in life are free,' declared by Coco Chanel — who then added that ‘the second best things are very, very expensive’. So let's stick with the best, from stargazing to birdwatching. Emma Hughes picks 27 free and almost-free ways to while away a day.
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The Island of Ely, Cambridgeshire: Where 85ft above sea level is almost a mountain
Clive Aslet takes a look at Ely, the beautiful and ancient city that can be seen from miles around in the Fens.
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Battle, East Sussex: The site of the battle 'that permanently changed the course of history in England and beyond'
The Battle of Hastings didn't actually take place in Hastings, but a few miles north — and you can still visit the site of perhaps the most consequential battle ever to take place on English soil.
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Glastonbury, Somerset: The place where the Holy Grail came to Britain
The ancient town of Glastonbury is synonymous without spirituality, mysticism and legend — and it's an unmissable stop-off on our list of places in the 21st century Grand Tour of Britain.
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Lindisfarne, Northumberland: The Holy Island with a castle, priory and 1,500 years of history
Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, has 1,500 years of recorded history and remains as popular as ever with pilgrims of all kinds. Clive Aslet takes a look at its history, and tells the tale of how Country Life's founder bought and transformed this ancient spot.
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A walk around Constable Country
Fiona Reynolds takes a stroll through a landscape which leaves her 'inspired anew'.
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Chapel of St Peter on the Wall, Essex: 'The deepest living root of the church in Britain'
Our 21st century Grand Tour of Britain moves on to an ancient church in Essex.
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Pevensey Castle, East Sussex: The Roman castle that was still being used in World War II
When William the Conqueror landed at Pevensey, he moved in to the nearby castle — one which had already stood for the best part of a thousand years.
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The extraordinary tale of Hadrian's Wall: 'Men have been deified for trifles compared with this admirable structure'
What once kept out hordes of bloodthirsty warriors is, nearly 2,000 years later, barely proof against the most timid of sheep. But if Hadrian’s Wall is now low on stature, it remains high on atmosphere, says Harry Pearson.
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Colchester, Essex: The purpose-built capital city of Roman Britain
Clive Aslet considers the town that was one of Roman Britain's greatest cities — and even, for a while, its capital: Colchester.
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St Michael’s Mount, Cornwall: The monastery that became a castle that became a home
Few spots on the coast of Britain are as romantic and storied as St Michael's Mount in Cornwall.
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The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct: Thomas Telford's 'ribbon of water in the sky'
The magnificent Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is one of the great testaments to Industrial Revolution ingenuity — and as beautiful as it is impressive. Jack Watkins takes a look.
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Maiden Castle, Dorset: An ancient hill fort the size of 50 football pitches
The mysterious and ancient Maiden Castle occupies a vast site in Dorset. Clive Aslet takes a look.
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Stonehenge, Wilthsire: 'One of the wonders not only of this country, but of the world'
Our Grand Tour of Britain alights at what is arguably the world's most famous prehistoric site: Stonehenge, in Wiltshire.
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The Uffington White Horse, Oxfordshire
Thousands of years ago, ancient Britons created a vast and spectacular stylised portrayal of a horse in the hills of the North Wessex Downs. Surely they could scarcely have dreamed that The Uffington White Horse would still be intriguing visitors to this day.
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Skara Brae: The prehistoric village on Orkney that's older than Great Pyramid of Giza
The best-preserved Neolithic settlement in Europe isn't in a French cave or an Italian hillside; it's Skara Brae on Orkney, far beyond the north of Scotland.
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The Fortingall Yew, the Scottish tree which was already 3,000 years old when Christ was born
Yews are well known for their longevity, but few — if any — can top the 5,000-year-old Fortingall Yew.
![Henry II', 1935. Henry II, King of England, circa 1860. Henry II (1133-89), the first Plantagenet king of England, ruled from 1154. From Kings & Queens of England - A Series of 50. [John Player & Sons, London, 1935] Artist Unknown. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uzWTXTSVJ7fZVeKtDmx8fk-1920-80.jpg.webp)
