It’s tricky isn’t it, when you go on holiday, to decide which sights you simply must see and which other ones you can give a miss to. It’s really disappointing when one of the main sights turns out to be a let-down so we’re giving you the lowdown on the top UK misses as well as some unexpected hits you might like to check out instead.
Diana Princess of Wales Memorial
MISS. Situated in Hyde Park this fountain was mired in controversy soon after it opened as the wading masses were shut out by a fence following several accidents, thus losing out on the whole point of the memorial, which was that people should get to join in. You can wade again today, but with time has come forgetfulness and it seems this memorial isn’t the draw that it might have been.
Shakepseare’s Globe, London
by brownpau
HIT. Try this instead. The beautifully recreated theatre makes it feel like you’re stepping back in time, and the cast are always excellent. Add to that the fact that you can get standing tickets for just a fiver and it’s easy to see how this has become so popular. One word of warning though, if it rains you will get wet, it’s an open air theatre and the show will go on!
Stonehenge
by eloqui
MISS. Consistently topping the charts on underwhelming tourist attractions, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t meant to be viewed with a motorway in the background, whatever its intended purpose. Thanks to some pretty serious vandalism you can’t even walk around the stones but must view them from afar, which seems to me similar to, but more expensive than, the experience you get as you drive by.
Royal Crescent, Bath
by Dave Hamster
HIT. Perhaps the most stunning example of Georgian architecture in the UK, these buildings were finished in 1774 and the exterior has hardly changed since then. Originally called The Crescent, when Prince Frederick lived there he get the name changed! Many people think that the 1968 film Oliver! had scenes set here but in fact it was set in a huge studio so if you want to see the Royal Crescent you’re going to have to head to Bath.
Blackpool Tower
by Henry Brett
MISS? Much like the Eiffel Tower, which is regularly voted one of the most disappointing sights (although I really love it!), Blackpool Tower is similarly maligned. Boasting a ballroom and offering spectacular views of, oh, Blackpool, it seems a little like a relic of the past. Although, we have been hearing rumours about a new dungeon exhibit, and the “walk of faith”, the glass floor at the top of the tower adds some excitement so it might just be making a comeback!
Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
by johndal
HIT. This huge castle is the second largest inhabited castle in the country, after Windsor Castle, and most of it is open to the public throughout the summer. It’s gaining in popularity as a tourist spot as it’s featured heavily in all the Harry Potter films, but it’s worth a visit even if you’re not interested in this franchise.
top image by dawnrobinsonwalsh
