Latest news with #VisitEngland
Time Out
a day ago
- Time Out
It's official: England's most-visited attraction is in London
It's no secret that London is every tourist's favourite English destination. We've got fantastic food, incredible culture and hundreds of buildings that house centuries and centuries of fascinating history. So, it's not surprising that England's most visited attraction in 2024, as revealed by VisitEngland, can be found here in the capital. The British Museum saw 6.5 million visitors in 2024, making it the most popular free attraction in all of England and the most visited attraction in the country overall. That figure is up 11 percent compared 2023. If you're not one of those millions and millions of people who have already seen the British Museum for themselves, check out our guide to it here. If you've not got long, Time Out' s contributing writer Alex Sims advises that 'a great way to see all the big hitters and get a feel for the place is by picking up one of the great museum maps that give you timed routes around the labyrinthine institution. The hour-long route is a great whistle-stop tour around the museum's best-known objects.' Looking forward, the museum has big plans to build on its immense popularity last year. Its Western Galleries are getting a huge makeover and it will apparently start undergoing the 'biggest transformation of any museum in the world'. Nine out of England's top ten most visited free attractions for 2024 belong to London. The Natural History Museum came in second place with a total of 5.9m visitors (you can find everything you need to know about that here) and the Tate Modern earned third place with 4.6 mill, which was down three percent compared to the year before (we've got an in depth guide to that, too). As for the English attractions that charge an entry fee, London landmarks still came out on top. The Tower of London was the most visited paid-for attraction in 2024 with 2.9m people checking it out and Kew Gardens was the runner-up with 2.3m (an impressive 15 percent increase on its 2023 headcount). Overall, VisitEngland discovered that attractions across England enjoyed a 1.4 percent increase in footfall from 2023 to 2024. But visitor levels are still a whopping 27 percent less than what they were in 2019. The top 10 most visited attractions in England in 2024 British Museum National History Museum Tate Modern Brighton Pier V&A National Gallery Somerset House Science Museum, London Royal Museums Greenwich National Portrait Gallery
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
'Best campsite in England' has heated pool, spa and sandy beach nearby
VisitEngland has named the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year, and with its thanks to its luxury facilities, it's not hard to see why There's arguably no finer way to embrace the British summer and enjoy the great outdoors than embarking on a camping trip. Many of us may remember childhood camping trips involving pitching our own tents, enduring cold showers, and relying on thin sleeping bags for warmth. However, with the right location, camping can feel like a truly relaxing holiday. Indeed, there are some truly remarkable campsites in England that could easily rival a holiday resort rather than just offering a patch of grass for your tent. One such site has recently been crowned the best in the country. Set near St Ives in Cornwall, Polmanter Touring Park has officially been named the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year by VisitEngland. This accolade is part of the tourism agency's annual Awards for Excellence, which honour businesses providing top experiences for tourists nationwide. As a Gold Award Winner, Polmanter Touring Park has demonstrated the highest standards of guest experiences and excellence across its operations. The park is situated in a picturesque corner of Cornwall known as Penwith, reports the Express. However, it wasn't just the breathtaking location that clinched this year's award for the campsite, but also its state-of-the-art facilities that make it feel more like a retreat than a traditional campsite. With a heated 20-metre swimming pool and a spa offering a range of luxurious treatments from full body scrubs to scalp massages, it's a world away from the shaky tents and chilly showers you might associate with some campsites. Kids won't be bored here, with both indoor and outdoor play areas, a kitted-out games room, and two tennis courts where rackets can be hired on the spot. Forget about roughing it in the great outdoors – there's no need to forage for wood or start a campfire when you can grab freshly-baked pizzas from the on-site restaurant. For those keen to venture out, the site offers two footpaths leading directly to St Ives, or if you're not up for the walk, a handy shuttle service is ready to whisk you off to town. One satisfied Tripadvisor user described their visit as: "Our experience exceeded all expectations and truly felt like a five-star stay. As first-time campers, we approached the adventure with a mix of curiosity and hesitation, but we were pleasantly surprised by how wonderful the site was." Praise also came from another guest who shared: "Polmanter is incredible. It's super clean, the food is great, the park is immaculate. The kids play areas are well maintained, as are the toilet blocks. They have thought of everything!" With a selection of pitches to suit every type of camper, whether you roll up in a campervan or pitch a traditional tent, many come complete with electricity, water, and even a TV socket, though they can also accommodate those seeking a tech-free zone. Whether you opt for a luxury flat or cottage, rest assured, you'll be treated to breathtaking views of the Cornish coastline wherever you choose to stay.
Telegraph
15-06-2025
- Telegraph
This museum has been named England's best
A cynic might suggest that, far from being a brief moment in the calendar, 'awards season' never ends. If it is not the film industry doling out statuettes, then it is time for sporting tributes, art accolades, or the shiny gongs that draw pop stars to black-tie events. So it should be no surprise that the travel world has been wearing its fanciest outfits in the last few days – via the Visit England Awards for Excellence. As the name suggests, this yearly ceremony beams a light onto this country's big achievers in the tourism sector. The winners' list offered hat-tips to everything from major sites like the Royal Crescent in Bath and the National Space Centre in Leicester to self-catering cottages in Cornwall, country pubs in Derbyshire and Devon – and the Ad Gefrin distillery in Northumberland. Yet tucked among these many plaudits was a triumph that some might argue was overdue. The winner in the 'Large Visitor Attraction of the Year' category was the Black Country Living Museum (BCLM); an institution that can hardly be described as 'new' – but which has long done splendid work as a treasure trove of British heritage. It arrived on the map in 1978, but its remit looks back even further, into the mists of the 19th century. Technically, the Black Country Living Museum covers a 300-year chunk of history, but its focus is mainly on the window of time between 1850 and 1950, when the Industrial Revolution had prompted a period of almost unprecedented productivity, sweat and toil in this corner of the West Midlands. There is no precise geographical definition of 'the Black Country', but its boundaries are generally deemed to encompass Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton (while stopping just short of Birmingham). Academic opinion varies on whether its moniker refers to the rich coal seam that was mined in the area, or the high levels of soot that haunted its air (and with it, its residents' faces) in the 19th century – but the connection to heavy industry is implicit. The museum in Dudley digs into the epoch almost as effectively as colliers' pickaxes once clawed at the prized materials buried in the ground. Unlike many of Britain's industrial landmarks, which have been refurbished to a 'higher' purpose – the one-time Bankside and Battersea Power Stations in London, reinvented as Tate Modern and a retail and restaurant complex, respectively; the former Baltic Flour Mill in Gateshead, now repurposed as a contemporary art gallery – the BCLM revels in the dirt underneath its fingernails. An impressive 26 acres in scope, it makes use of a site which incorporates many of the essential elements of Britain's industrial era – a railway goods yard, coal pits, lime kilns, a section of the Dudley Canal. Although many of the buildings have been transposed to the site, they have been brought in – and in many cases, spared from demolition – from the surrounding area. Thus there is an 1860s brass foundry from Walsall, an 1880s nail forge from Halesowen, and a 1920s rolling mill from Oldbury. All of them contribute to a pleasing clamour and clang. Visitors can watch links being fired at a chainmaker's smithy, or take a narrowboat ride into the (somewhat claustrophobic) confines of the Dudley Tunnel. And there are stores which remember a more innocent everyday commerce: a turn-of-the-century sweet shop, a Victorian pharmacy, a gentlemen's outfitters preserved as it would have looked in 1935. There are trams and trolleybuses too, and a collection of cars – from makers as lost to view as Sunbeam, Clyno, AJS and Star – that drove these streets in the 1910s and 1920s. If all this sounds like a dreary vision from a particularly rainy school trip, then, as a relatively biased witness – I grew up in the area – I can happily vouch for the BCLM as an entirely welcome alternative to a day in a 1980s classroom. It seems to have retained its charm in the 21st century too. When I took my primary-school-aged son to visit it a few summers ago, he spent most of a sunny afternoon learning to hoop-roll down one of the site's steeper cobbled lanes. Simple pleasures and all that. There is one element of newness to a museum whose whole ethos is its avowed refusal to keep up with the times – the recent £30million redevelopment that has stretched its reference points into the living memory of the 1960s, with all the music, burgeoning technology and rapidly changing fashions that such time-travel entails. This 'update' is one of the reasons for the BCLM's success at the Visit England Awards – although would-be day-trippers can be assured that the museum remains defiantly stuck in the past.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'I could not be happier' - Cumbrian castle employee wins Unsung Hero award
An employee at Muncaster Castle has been recognised with an Unsung Hero award. Hannah Clapp won the award at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2025 finals. Her hard work and behind-the-scenes contributions at the castle were celebrated at the ceremony in Brighton. Hannah Clapp with her Unsung Hero award at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2025 finals (Image: Supplied) This national achievement follows Ms Clapp's previous success at the 2024 Cumbria Tourism Awards, where she won the regional Unsung Hero title. She was then able to secure a place in the VisitEngland finals. Ms Clapp, head of experiences at Muncaster Castle, said: "I am absolutely delighted that all the hard work we put in at Muncaster has been recognised at a national level in the tourism Oscars. "I could not be happier. "It is such an exciting time to be at Muncaster and a huge thank you to everyone for their support." The team at Muncaster Castle said they are proud of Hannah's achievement. A spokesperson for the Cumbrian castle said: "Her recognition at this level is a testament not only to her personal commitment but also to the passion and hard work of everyone working to share Muncaster Magic with the world."
Time Out
05-06-2025
- Time Out
This is officially the best hotel in England
You don't always need to get on a plane to have a luxurious break. There's plenty of brilliant places to stay right here in the UK. In fact, one hotel in particular is so good that it has just been named the best across the whole of England. VisitEngland, the country's official tourism board, are experts when it comes to where to go and what to do. Putting their all-seeing, all-knowing influence to good use, each year they conduct the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, which celebrate 'those who have gone above and beyond to deliver exceptional travel experiences'. There are a few categories, but one of the big ones is 'Large Hotel of the Year', and not just because of the size of the property. There are thousands of high-quality hotels in England, but only one can be awarded the gold. According to VisitEngland's criteria, the winner must be a 'full-service hotel' and be 'providing truly memorable guest experiences and demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business'. This year, that honour goes to… the Mallory Court Hotel & Spa in Warwickshire! Mallory Court was described by the judges as providing 'a serene base' which is 'set within 10 acres of landscaped gardens'. When you look out your window and are met with rolling Warwickshire hills, it's hard to disagree. The spa comes complete with gorgeous views of the grounds, access to a pool, sauna, and outdoor hot tub. There's even a well-maintained garden you can walk through to clear your mind. VisitEngland also commended the hotel's 'strong commitment to sustainability, incorporating homegrown produce and eco-conscious practices along with its high-end touches'. If you do fancy leaving the grounds (although we can't see why you would), its proximity to nearby towns Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon is also a plus. Other accommodation categories included 'Small Hotel of the Year', which was won by the Summer Lodge Hotel in Dorset, 'B&B and Guesthouse of the Year', claimed by Sunnyside Guest House, Merseyside, and 'Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year', named as the Treworgey Cottages in Cornwall. Both the cottages and the Lodge Hotel are both quite rural, so clearly escaping to the countryside is firmly in. You can learn more about the rest of the Awards for Excellence, such as what 'cow cuddling' is and where you can get involved, on VisitEngland's website here. Planning your 2025 staycations If you're currently on the hunt for a perfect 2025 getaway, here's our favourite family friendly holiday digs. But you deserve to have fun too – here's some tree houses you can rent out for something a little different. We've also got guides to the country's cosiest cabins, and the coolest castles you can stay overnight in.
