From famous museums to legendary landmarks, England and Wales are full of amazing attractions that have rightly become well-known both within the UK and worldwide.
But there are also plenty of hidden gems in England and Wales that can delight visitors who are looking for somewhere off the beaten path. The trick is – how do you find them? In this post, we’ll share some top tips and the “hidden gem” destinations that they can help you discover.
1. Find an unusual type of attraction
When you’re searching the web for fun things to do, you’ll find many castles, escape rooms, petting zoos and military museums to explore – and many of them are very good.
But to find Wales and England’s hidden gems, sometimes you’ll want to step out of the ordinary and try something that doesn’t fit in the most popular categories of attraction.
Let’s consider London, which boasts countless tourist sites and entertainment attractions. You won’t see many zoological museums there, though – which is one reason why the Grant Museum of Zoology is a definite hidden gem.
This quirky destination is a part of University College London, and it dates back to 1828. Among its 68,000 specimens are glass models of invertebrates like snails, bones from the dodo bird and the skeleton of a quagga, an extinct type of zebra.
Take heed – this sometimes-creepy collection might not be for the faint-hearted or the very young. But if you love learning about animals and don’t mind a touch of the macabre, this museum and its rare exhibits might be perfect for you.
As for costs – entrance to the museum is free!
2. Choose a place that’s truly unique
What makes an attraction a “gem”?
Often, attractions that are described as gems have something genuinely unique and original about them.
For example, there’s a little magic that happens when you step where Shakespeare trod and see what he experienced. And that’s just what you’ll feel when you visit Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall, a beautifully preserved building that still looks like it did when Shakespeare was educated there in 1571.
Children can recreate Shakespeare’s youth as they dress up in costume, use quill pens, and attend a Tudor-style lesson from Master Jenkins. There’s also lots to enjoy for adults, including a detailed guided tour and a rare medieval wall painting.
This Stratford-upon-Avon destination is a hidden gem because it’s truly one of a kind – as well as because of its great reviews and awards.
3. Leave city centres behind
So far, we’ve discussed two hidden gems located in popular tourist towns. But sometimes to find hidden gems you’ll need to choose the road less travelled.
If we’re discussing hidden gems in Wales, for example, then it just seems natural to mention Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens. These gardens are called hidden simply because the shape of the landscape hides them from view – you wouldn’t be likely to come across them by accident. That’s true of many hidden gems that aren’t in town or city centres.
Tucked away on the island of Anglesey, the Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens were first created in the early 19th century. Today, they consist of 10 acres of award-winning gardens that have earned a glowing 5 stars on TripAdvisor and 4.8 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews.
Note, though, that the gardens are not open at all times of the year, so check before making your trip.
4. Pick destinations that combine different types of experiences
As we’ve mentioned, one thing that can make an attraction a “gem” is originality. And you’ll often find that in locations that blend together different approaches – mixing fun and learning, or mixing creativity with fact.
Let’s take another attraction that’s among the top hidden gems in Wales – the Silver Mountain Experience. It offers a combination of interactive play, folklore and history that’s designed to delight both children and adults.
The core of it all is the now-defunct Llywernog Mine near Aberystwyth. You can take a guided tour through the mine, including some of its tunnels, to learn all about its past.
This is much, much more than a historical site, though. Older kids can also enjoy the Black Chasm tour, a spooky underground journey through Wales’ past. For the under-8s, there’s the Dragon’s Tale activity, an experience in which they gather clues to find a dragon.
On top of all this, there’s a mining museum, activities that imitate panning for gems and digging for fossils, and much more.
5. Look for the hidden significance in your destination
Some attractions can hold secrets or a deeper meaning if you know more about them. Once you know their hidden significance, you’ll realise that you’ve found a hidden gem.
If you drove past Harvington Hall in Worcestershire, for example, you’d see a beautiful, historical house. What you wouldn’t see is its seven priest hides, the most of any English home. The hall is also said to have a particularly confusing floor plan – which makes sense when you know it might be intended to protect the priests being hidden.
Likewise, Tintern Abbey in Wales is obviously a gorgeous, ruined abbey – but it means so much more when you know that it was an extremely popular tourist spot in the 18th century, inspiring both the painter JMW Turner and the poet William Wordsworth. So, if you’re studying Romantic literature, or if you have children who are, maybe they’d like to see the abbey and the landscape that sparked the imagination of an era.
Stay at a “hidden gem” holiday home with kate & tom’s
There’s a special kind of excitement when you’re exploring one of Wales or England’s hidden gem attractions. Why not feel that same thrill when you head home to your holiday cottage?
kate & tom’s specialise in holiday houses that stand out. Each of our holiday homes is unique and indulgent, providing the perfect ending to your day of exploring.
Ready to begin your hidden gem holiday? Take a look at our selection of unusual holiday cottages, or reach out to us at [email protected].
