United Kingdom is a ‘heritage country and it comes as no surprise that Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire is second in the list of top 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites as chosen by Trip Advisor users. There are many heritage sites across Wales, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland that will catch your attention and introduce you to the glory of yesteryears including the likes of:
1. Fountains Abbey
Sprawling across 800 acres of rustic countryside, the 12th century Fountains Abbey ruins also comprise of remnants of the only Cistercian corn mill that still survives.
Architecture enthusiasts will love the landscaping, Neo-classical statues and the Georgian water garden called Studley Royal. The Elizabethan Fountain Hall will enthrall readers with its Reading Room.
Open between 10 am and 6pm, the landmark heritage site also includes the Fountains Hall Castle, plantations and 18th century landscaping.
Old Cistercian houses, lovely vistas, Jacobean Fountains Hall with its gorgeous Elizabethan Façade, St. Mary’s Church with its High Victorian Gothic Architecture designed by Burges and the remains of the Chapter House, can leave you gasping for more.
2. Stonehenge
This World Heritage Site is esoteric in nature with the purpose of the structure lost in the valleys of time. UK car rental services can let you hire a car so that your entire family can drive to this wonderful site in Salisbury, located in the Wiltshire countryside.
The biggest mystery about the Stonehenge is the mode of transportation used to bring such huge pieces of stone to the site and create the construction that still stands so proudly.
Whether it is a temple to worship the sun, a calendar, a cemetery or a healing center is unknown to everyone, although all available information is offered to tourists through an audio tour.
This unique monument probably used for burying the cremated dead has a unique architecture with enormous sandstone boulders used along with smaller bluestones, built around 5000 years ago.
The pre-historic monument comprises of a stone circle erected in the Neolithic Period way back in 2500 BC.
3. Ironbridge Gorge
Car hire in UK is a great option for your family to drive to important heritage sites like the Ironbridge Gorge. This gorge comprises of a 4km stretch of River Severn near Telford, Shropshire.
The site is famous for industrial museums on a 6-acre area. Old Furnace at the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron is another point of attraction.
4. Jurassic Coast
This has the unique distinction of being the first natural world heritage site.
The stunning Dorset and East Devon Coast covers 95 miles of coastline with some rocks dating back to 185 million years ago.
3 different rock types have been found on this coastline providing information about 3 different geological time periods – Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous.
5. Edinburgh Old and New Towns
Together, they have been deemed as a World Heritage Site, representing a cultural and traditional richness that still mesmerizes tourists.
There is no dearth of World Heritage Sites in the UK and families would find it most convenient to rent a car and drive past the beautiful landscapes, exploring more of the traditionally rich expanses.
