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A tour operator specialising in experiences to Sri Lanka we also cover the whole of South East Asia with stop overs in the Middle East. Sri Lanka and the Maldives recently has developed to be a great combination. Contact us directly or ask your local travel agent to allow us to design your perfect holiday. our website is a fantastic opportunity to explore a few destinations that we tailor make experiential travel experiences into some carefully designed itineraries Farzana Dobbs, Chief Designer

Holiday programmes from Travel Gallery

Indonesia - island hopping.

With more than 17,500 islands stretching the same distance as New York to San Francisco, Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago; and with a population that will ...

Myanmar - Burma Exploration

Enigmatic and enchanting, Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is often referred to as the Golden Land. Myanmar’s long-term isolation has bequeathed a corner of Southeast ...

Sri Lanka - Classic Tour

Day 01 Arrival Transfer (optional first night near airport), Jetwing Beach, Negombo Day 02 Transfer to Sigiriya, Water Garden Sigirya, Sigiriya Day 03 Sigiriya ...

Sri Lanka - Culture & Beach

Day 1 Transfer on arrival, Water Garden Sigirya, Sigiriya Day 2 Anuradhapura & Mihintale, Water Garden Sigirya, Sigiriya Day 3 Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Afternoon ...

Sri Lanka - East Coast

Day 1 Transfer on arrival, Ulagalla, Anuradhapura Day 2 Anuradhapura & Mihintale, Ulagalla, Anuradhapura Day 3 Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Dambulla ...

Sri Lanka - Honeymoon

Day 1 Transfer, Hotel Sigiriya, Sigiriya Day 2 Polonnaruwa & Minneriya Jeep Safari, Hotel Sigiriya, Sigiriya Day 3 Sigiriya Rock Fortress & Transfer, ...

Sri Lanka - on a Shoe String

Day 01 Transfer on arrival, Hotel Sigiriya, Sigiriya Day 02 Polonnaruwa and Mineriya Jeep Safari, Hotel Sigiriya, Sigiriya Day 03 Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Afternoon ...

Sri Lanka - Pushing the Boat Out

Day 01 Transfer on arrival, Ulagalla , Anuradhapura Day 02 Polonnaruwa and Mineriya Jeep Safari, Ulagalla, Anuradhapura Day 03 Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Afternoon ...

Sri Lanka - Wildlife & Culture

Day 1 Arrival & Transfer, Bethany 101, Puttlam Day 2 Wilpattu Safari, Bethany 101, Puttlam Day 3 Anuradhapura & Mihintale, Water Garden Sigirya, Sigiriya Day ...

Sri Lanka & The Maldives

Day 1 Transfer, Vil Uyana, Sigiriya Day 2 Polonnaruwa & Minneriya National Park, Vil Uyana, Sigiriya Day 3 Sigiriya Rock Fortress & Transfer, Vil Uyana, ...

Vietnam - North to South

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What are you looking for, see things differently, welcome to britain.

Discover inventive new experiences and captivating stories in 2024, brought together with a dose of British flair. From exploring film settings and pioneering cultural spaces to countryside trails and relaxing wellness retreats, it’s all happening on our shores and you’re invited!

Join immersive exhibitions as the National Gallery celebrates a landmark anniversary or get a taste for chocolate as Birmingham’s Cadbury World also marks its 200th birthday. Venture off the beaten track for new coastal adventures, exploring new trails and walking routes, or take in sporting action as the world’s best compete in everything from athletics to the Premier League.

Whether it’s getting a feel for our vibrant cultural cities, embarking on a coastal adventure, or discovering locations made famous by film and TV, it’s time to experience Britain differently.

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Explore differently

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The Tarr Steps in Exmoor National Park, England

Explore Britain’s national parks

Discover our 15 National Parks, from England’s south coast to the far reaches of Scotland.

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Best spa experiences

Clear the diary, switch off your phone and reset your mind and body in Britain.

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Eco-friendly accommodation 

From spas with clifftop hot tubs to country house hotels, these eco-friendly spots don’t scrimp on comfort.

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Iconic British train journeys

With over 150 heritage railways, Britain is steaming ahead with sustainable travel experiences. 

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Providing you with inspirational activities and experiences, from those in the know.

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An unmissable destination for travellers, London is a melting pot of history, culture and green spaces.

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From palaces to cobbled alleys and even a dormant volcano, this city is a real show-stopper.

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World-class football and a music scene that brought Oasis to centre stage – there’s lots to love about Manchester.

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A quirky seaside city filled with diverse cuisine, vintage shopping and adrenaline fuelled adventure.

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From The Beatles to Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Liverpool is a UNESCO City of Music with seriously cool credentials.

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Cool creative Bristol is a must-see for art, culture and action-packed adventure.

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Step into a land of castles, world-renowned rugby and a whole host of myths and legends.

Pushing the boundaries of art and culture, with a heart that beats through its people.

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An industrial hub with a vibrant, creative heart and a whole host of quirky adventures.

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Newcastle upon Tyne

Linked by no fewer than seven bridges, it's one vibrant place to visit.

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Newcastle, England

A hotbed for shopping and the arts, you’ll find lots to explore in Leeds.

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Packed with lively pubs, an eclectic food scene and a myriad of immersive experiences.

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Discover annual events

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Celebrate in Britain

Find out what’s happening across the nations with our round-up of annual events.

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Your trip to england is just around the corner.

Discover the land of Big Ben, Banksy and bangers and mash. From its bustling cities to its blooming beautiful gardens, it doesn’t disappoint.

Discover Great Britain’s northern reaches

Imagine a country where ancient castles guard mysterious lochs and emerald glens, and where the local spirit is as warm as the welcome.

Discover a land of adventure and mythical creatures

Delve into a world of dragons, renowned choirs, championship rugby, and some of the most spellbinding scenery Britain has to offer.

Your trip to Northern Ireland has never looked more magical

Get swept up in a world of ancient myths and modern-day legends, from the Giant’s Causeway and Game of Thrones to the vibrant buzz of Belfast.

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The 13 Best Places to Go in the U.K. in 2023

All products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

This is part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2023 —find more ideas on where to travel in the year ahead in India , Spain , the U.S. , and beyond.

Every winter, we look ahead to the upcoming year and consider which destinations—of the many, many beautiful places across the world —we'll see travelers flocking to. As part of our Best Places To Go series , we shine a spotlight on the destinations in the world, as well as the United States , India, Spain, and the United Kingdom that are set to have a real moment in 2023, thanks to splashy hotel openings, foodie awakenings, or cultural moments that the whole world will be watching. 

This list—curated by our expert contributors—is an edit of cities, regions, and counties across the U.K. that should be on your radar right now. From Manchester's new museums to Glasgow's slew of slated hotel openings via conservation initiatives in Inverness and the sparkly arrival of Eurovision in Liverpool, these are the 13 best places to go in the U.K. in 2023, in no particular order. Happy travels. 

All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.  

Manchester, England

As the world’s first industrial city, Manchester has always been about redbrick urbanity and vocal street culture, but in 2022 something changed: it got greener. While the 154 acres of RHS Garden Bridgewater bedded in nicely outside the Salford village of Worsley, with its walled-garden microclimate, more vital greenery arrived in the city center as Castlefield Viaduct became Manchester’s answer to the New York High Line , seeding cotton grass, ferns, fennel, and broom along over a thousand feet of former Victorian rail track. And right next to Piccadilly Station, Mayfield Park —the city’s first new park in a century—opened on a derelict brownfield site with meadows, trees, and play areas alongside the River Medlock. So it seems apt that its latest hotel, Treehouse Hotel Manchester , is a celebration of biophilic design, with bee hives in the roof gardens and living walls. The sustainability-minded Treehouse , which opens in spring near Selfridges, will also have a zero-waste restaurant, hopscotch carpets, and a rooftop bar from local DJs-turned-restaurateurs the Unabombers. When it comes to diversity, Manchester Museum is reopening after a major revamp with galleries devoted to the city’s Asian disapora—including a South Asia gallery curated by 31 people from the continent, telling stories such as the day Gandhi visited the mills of Darwen in Lancashire. Other openings include the Fashion Gallery at Manchester Art Gallery , and the Co-op Live music venue in the NOMA area, along with a TBA debut by Soho House ; but the most anticipated is Factory International in June, its name inspired by the city’s genre-breaking record label. Set on the site of Granada Studios, this primetime cultural space will help host the Manchester International Festival and carve out its own identity with Free Your Mind , a kinetic multi-media performance based on the Matrix films, and the largest ever immersive installation from Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, entitled You, Me, and the Balloons . You can toast the polka-dotting artist with one of the tasting menus at MUSU , a theatrical new Japanese restaurant on Bridge Street from chef patron Michael Shaw, where dining booths transform at night into cocktail-club tables for floor shows.

A Welsh foodie renaissance has, admittedly, taken a while to arrive. But a new generation of chefs are digging into their terroir and emerging with handfuls of truffles, scallops, and cheeses, from James Sommerin’s Home restaurant in Penarth, to SY23 in seaside Aberystwyth, headed by Great British Menu finalist Nathan Davies. There’s also been the rise of hard-to-reach destination restaurants determinedly doing their own thing, such as Annwn in deepest Pembrokeshire, where Matt Powell forages most of his ingredients from the shoreline, and Gareth Ward’s Ynyshir in the Dyfi Valley , which was just awarded a second Michelin star. Ward’s empire will grow in 2023 with the opening of eight-seat Gwen—named after his mother—with sourdough pizzas on the menu. Paternoster Farm , meanwhile, set in a former Pembroke cowshed, is doing wondrous things with Porthilly oysters, Welsh Mountain lamb, and sea beet—with its Five Mile Feasts, a special menu, gathering up all sorts of local treasures. 

In Cardigan, the Albion Aberteifi —certainly the coolest hotel to arrive in Wales in years—is set to open a Scandi-Japanese restaurant on the river bank in 2023, along with a woodland onsen and spa. Wales seems to be turning into a hub for the UK’s thriving outdoor sauna scene: Snowdonia-based Heartwood Saunas is launching a new forest project this December, where groups of up to 10 can use a wood-fired sauna before jumping in the pools of the River Dulas (or head to the yoga deck), all while surrounded by old oak trees and natural pools. In Carmarthenshire, the seven-mile stretch of Pendine Sands is enjoying a revival. Caban hotel is opening in the spring alongside the Museum of Speed , which celebrates the many land-speed records made on the beach—including one by actor Idris Elba in a Bentley Continental GT. Reducing the speed a notch, a new slow-travel route of roads and walking paths, The Wild Drovers’ Way , unfurls over 180 miles from the foothills of the Cambrians into the Brecon Beacons—a lovely way to appreciate some of Wales’ rural highlights.

If you need somewhere to toast all this, you could head to Swansea, where Penderyn will open its new whisky-distillery experience in March; or to Ynyshir, where Gareth Ward opened The Legless Thatch next to his restaurant last summer. The fun continues in Cardiff, where the St Fagans Museum of National History has been rebuilding the iconic Vulcan pub (beloved of Manic Street Preachers) on its grounds, set to open in 2024. Lechyd da!

Bath, England

“Who can ever be tired of Bath ?” wrote Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey , and over two centuries on, this phrase still rings true. The grand Regency façades, the gurgling River Avon, and the intricate web of streets that lead toward the grandeur of the famed Royal Crescent, looking down over the honey-hued architecture, makes for an enchanting visit year-in, year-out. For 2023 though, Somerset’s biggest city—and the home of many Bridgerton filming locations—has filled its calling cards with new openings of particular note. Cleveland Pools , the U.K.’s only surviving Georgian lido and its oldest outdoor pool, will re-open for the first time in four decades after a major refurb, flanked by meadows on one side and the original changing rooms on the other. 8 Holland Street , a gallery space and studio—which gets its name from its original sibling by the same name perched between London's Notting Hill and High Street Kensington neighborhoods—is taking its dedication to living among good design one step further in 2023 and launching a new three-bedroom luxury townhouse above its public space for staycationers who want to really immerse themselves in Bath’s culture scene. Elsewhere, various new restaurant openings, including The Beckford Canteen , headed up by former Fischer’s and Cora Pearl chef George Barson, will join a smorgasbord of much-loved eateries. Finally, offering visitors new opportunities to soak up the city’s heritage of wellness, a new festival of wellbeing will launch in the spa city too. ReBalance Bath (February 7 – 26, 2023) will bring together venues, hotels, spa therapists, and restaurants for three weeks of feel-good activities in, from mindfulness and yoga to sound baths and foraging sessions.

Glasgow, Scotland

Music in all its forms flows through and defines Glasgow as surely as the River Clyde itself. The Celtic Connections festival has grown to become an integral part not only of the city’s music scene but of the world’s music scene. In January 2023, the festival celebrates its 30th birthday. Look out, too, for talks, tie-ins, and spin-off events at the same time, not least those at the splendid Kelvingrove Museum (such as  Love of Print , which runs until March 12 and celebrates 50 years of Glasgow Print Studio ). Later in the year, the UCI Cycling World Championships will take place. The largest cycling event in history, they say. Impressive as that may be, the fixture is a Johnny-come-lately compared to the Scotland v England football match in September at Hampden Park to mark the 150th anniversary of the world’s oldest international dispute over an inflated pigskin bladder. The Burrell Collection— one of the world’s greatest single-collector collections—reopened in 2022 after a very long, very expensive and, as it turned out, very successful refurbishment. The first temporary exhibition since the museum’s reopening, The Burrells’ Legacy: A Great Gift to Glasgow , will remain on show until April 16. There’s been a lot of talk in recent times about Glasgow’s supercharged food-and-drink scene—Michelin stars seem to be shooting all over the place and AA rosettes popping up like, well, roses. The 2023 guide contains no fewer than 15 entries under a Glasgow heading, ranging from the immaculate (Cail Bruich, Unalome) to the merely irresistible (Rickshaw & Co, GaGa Kitchen). Where to stay? The Kimpton Blythswood Square is a perennial favorite, and its Scandi-inspired pop-up spa, Thaw, may very well see the hotel booked solid through the winter months. With any luck, the long-anticipated Virgin Hotel will open in early 2023 (if its sister property in Edinburgh is anything to go by, it should be great fun); as will the House of Gods which promises, by Zeus, to deliver a divine thunderbolt of louche, sleepless, neon-lit, velvet-upholstered decadence.

Eastbourne, England

In the last few years, Eastbourne has brushed off its erstwhile sleepy image to emerge as the latest up-coming coastal hotspot to watch. And nothing signals the of-the-moment creative buzz here more than Towner Eastbourne, a major player on the local gallery scene. It will celebrate its centenary with Towner 100—a year of exhibitions that includes a summer show dedicated to Barbara Hepworth and, from September, the Turner Prize (it’s the first time the contemporary art award has been held in Sussex). In January, Scandi-style Port —which turned the idea of a classic seaside stay on its head when it opened in 2021—is tapping into the trend for pop-up beach saunas by collaborating with Samphire Sauna , a wood-fired wellness experience in a converted horse stable. For the full heat and cold-water therapy circuit, alternate sweating with quick dips in the sea, which can be followed up with brunch in the hotel restaurant. And, while regular visitors might be familiar with long-established events such as the annual Rothesay International Eastbourne tennis tournament (known as a warm-up for Wimbledon) and Airborne , a spectacular air show where the likes of the Red Arrows soar high above the seafront in a two-mile display, there are also newer, sillier additions to the calendar too—as witnessed in the increasingly popular Soapbox Race . The third iteration will see competitors once again create their own homemade soapbox racing karts and take on a downhill course navigating tight corners, ramps, and hay bales around the town.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Known for being home to the biggest arts festival in the world, Edinburgh is naturally a performer’s paradise. But outside of the Fringe, the Scottish capital consistently lures in visitors for its famously picturesque streets, world-renowned historical hotspots, and ever-expanding food and drink scene. Lavish dining is easy to come by in the city, with three restaurants— Condita ,  The Kitchin , and  Martin Wishart —awarded Michelin stars in 2022. But newer openings like the laid-back  Palmerston , delightful restaurant/wine bar  Eleanore , or wonderfully cavernous  Newbarns Brewery Taproom  all highlight the variety and quality on offer in all neighborhoods. Elsewhere,  Bonnie & Wild's Scottish Marketplace  in the recently opened  St James Quarter  celebrates both Scottish produce and independent businesses, with everything from mouth-watering burgers courtesy of El Perro Negro to artisan gelato via Joelato. London’s iconic  Duck & Waffle  is also set to open its first Scottish restaurant in the building, while the 12-story  W Edinburgh  hotel, with its striking façade crafted from a winding steel ‘ribbon’, is due imminently on the same premises. 

In the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town, you can get a taste of Perthshire’s celebrated Gleneagles Hotel thanks to the new  Gleneagles Townhouse . The hotel and members' club provides elegance and grandeur, with pastel-toned furnishings and modern touches offering added levels of comfort. In 2023, the Red Carnation group are also due to open their first Scottish hotel,  100 Princes Street , with respectful renovations of the original building enhanced by Alexander McQueen-inspired interiors. In the world of art, meanwhile, 2023 looks to be a significant year in the city as the revamp of the  Scottish National Gallery  will officially be complete, following years of construction work. The new suite of galleries are set to include large windows and views across Princes Street Gardens, with displays made up of art from the National Galleries of Scotland’s collections as well as loans from other leading arts institutions.

Kent, England

Kent has long been a holiday hot spot with its plump oysters, artistic communities, and blazing sunsets. But the buzz around its seaside towns has now grown impressively loud, with a slew of brand new exciting openings catering for the increasing influx of curious visitors and new creative residents. As usual, Margate, a town on England’s southeast coast, is leading the charge. Well worth a visit is atmospheric Parisian-style wine bar  Sète  run by the team behind Barletta, the lovely Turner Contemporary gallery restaurant—their garden is opening in spring 2023 and will be the go-to place come summer. But where to rest your head after one too many glasses of Beaujolais Nouveau? Until recently there’s been a distinct lack of smart places to stay if you want to turn a day trip into a weekender or longer. Luckily, there’s a new wave of food-focused hotels opening across the county. First came Fort Road Hotel , an elegant revival of a seafront institution with mid-mod rooms, a playful bistro headed up by an ex-River Cafe chef Daisy Cecil, and a rooftop bar with views over the harbor arm. Following on, Guesthouse has snapped up another seafront stunner right on the main sands and will be opening No 42 in spring 2023 with a restaurant, spa, and roof terrace. Alongside Margate, the town of Deal has also secured must-visit status thanks to Nuno Mendes crafting the much-lauded menu at The Rose and the recent opening of Updown , an impeccably restored 17th-century farmhouse with rooms and a hyper-local farm restaurant just 15 minutes drive from the sea. For a more rural break, Boys Hall will open in a restored Jacobean manor house near Ashford. Perfect as a base to explore Kent or just to eat your way around the county at their restaurant celebrating seasonal Kentish produce.

Inverness, Scotland

Think of the Scottish Highlands and the imagination grasps for craggy-faced mountains, empty moorlands, and roller-coasting glens, a landscape tailor-made for slow travel . But thoughtful progress here is moving at a fast pace and Inverness—and its surrounding matrix of lochs and wild lands—is gaining worldwide recognition for a number of thrilling reasons. There’s excitement around the spring opening of the world’s first rewilding center west of Loch Ness in Glenmoriston, now home to more than 4,000 native animal and plant species on eco-charity  Trees for Life ’s reconquered Dundreggan Estate. That buzz is also translated farther north in Dornoch, where new thermal imaging safaris from  Connell Outdoor Pursuits  provide remarkable insights into the late-night lives of deer, badgers, and, most joyously of all, rarely-seen pine martens. In Inverness itself, along the river, at pink-sandstone  Inverness Castle , an era-defining regeneration project that began in 2020 is transforming the fortress—until it reopens, the views from the ramparts unspool across the city to where the River Ness meets the Moray Firth. Perhaps, the greatest praise should be reserved for family-run  Newhall Mains  on the Black Isle peninsula—the 18th-century farm estate is now fully up to speed, with razzmatazz apartments, spoiling cottages, and its own private airfield half an hour from Inverness. Come mid-summer, expect a similar sort of resurrection in seaside Dornoch, where  Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts  is to revive Dornoch Station hotel, an altar for golfers on the doorstep of the long ascendant  Royal Dornoch  championship course and wildly popular  North Coast 500 .

Liverpool, England

Liverpool’s reputation for putting on a good show is about to be put to the test in 2023, with the Grand Final of the 67th  Eurovision Song Contest  taking place at the Liverpool Arena next to the River Mersey on Saturday, May 13. The city’s music scene was catapulted into the global spotlight when The Beatles reached international stardom in the 1960s, with music venues such as  The Cavern Club  playing host to acts including Gerry & the Pacemakers, Cilla Black, and Queen. Today, live music remains at the center of the city’s cultural heart, and brand new venues including  BOXPARK —housed in the old Cains Brewery—and Johnny Cash-inspired dive bar  Mean-Eyed Cat  promise to add to Liverpool’s packed events calendar in 2023. Meanwhile, planning is well underway for  Baltic Weekender 2023 , a multi-genre, multi-venue festival in the  Baltic Triangle , one of the city’s most artistic and up-and-coming neighborhoods. Complementing Liverpool’s status as a cultural hub is the city’s huge array of leading food and drink venues, from the religiously-seasonal  Manifest Restaurant  to Gary Usher’s  Wreckfish Bistro  and the nearby  Art School Restaurant —all of which have been named in the prestigious AA Restaurant Guide 2023. All eyes will be on Dale Street in the coming months as a  new hotel  nears completion following a two-year, $40-million plus heritage refurbishment of the historic Municipal Buildings. First built in 1868, the restored facade of the stunning grade II-listed Victorian building was recently unveiled after more than 12 months under wraps—a welcome (re)addition to the city’s thriving hospitality scene.

Yorkshire, England

Immortalized by E​​mily Brontë's fantasized vision of the Yorkshire Moors in  Wuthering Heights , Yorkshire ’s heritage is one of equi-rough and smooth. Rugged landscapes and a history of industry and tough materials mix with literature and an ever-evolving art scene that has churned out countless greats—from David Hockney and Barbara Hepworth to renowned sculptor Henry Moore—to create a heady, boundary-pushing mix of man-made and natural beauty. And the region has a food scene to match. In fact, the AA Restaurant Guide 2023 has marked North Yorkshire as only second to London in terms of its quantity of high-quality restaurants, meaning that memorable dining is only ever a few streets away here. From The Black Swan at Oldstead , a Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms on the edge of the North York Moors belonging to celebrity chef Tommy Banks (who also owns Roots in York, also Michelin-starred, offering a seasonal farm-to-table tasting menu in an 1800s building) to The Hare Inn , a 12th-century property on the North York Moors which won Restaurant with Rooms of the Year. Outside of the vibrant culinary scene, Yorkshire’s chocolate-box towns, magnificent Yorkshire Dales National Park (a rich tapestry of thousands of square miles of moors, valleys, and undulating peaks), and vibrant cultural scene weaves together enough of a draw on its own. Leeds, for example, has been named the City of Culture for 2023, and as such will host a year-long celebration, with 12 signature events and a multitude of creative experiences peppered throughout the year for locals and visitors alike to enjoy.

Mayfair, England

Including London in a list like this feels almost like cheating—in any given year, there are of course a handful of exciting new openings scattered across the U.K.'s capital. Now is no different: there are smart hotels cropping up from a shiny new Six Senses to the long-awaited opening of Raffles London at the OWO . But it's splashy, sexy neighborhood Mayfair that seems to have taken the crown for London's most exciting corner in 2023. The opening of Mandarin Oriental Hanover Square , a diminutive sister space to stalwart Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park , will breathe new life into the area come spring. Michelin-tipped chef Akira Back will helm the restaurant here, and a slick spa will round out the property's wellness offering. Elsewhere, the U.K.'s first-ever St. Regis hotel will open around the corner on Berkeley Square (home of the famed members' club Annabel's). Taking over what was once The Westbury, the St. Regis team are currently overseeing an over $100 million makeover, which includes adding a jazz bar, a spa, and, curiously, an eighth floor. Mayfair has always been a hub for discerning food lovers, and 2023 will also see the opening of a handful of attention-grabbing restaurants. As well as flagship spots in both the Mandarin Oriental and St. Regis, Claude Bosi (of Bibendum fame) will open Socca with Samyukta Nair, the woman behind Jamavar and Bombay Bustle, while Tom Sellers, chef-patron of Michelin-starred Restaurant Story , will open a second spot in Mayfair's 1 Hotel. And those hungry for culture will be delighted by the Center for British Photography , which will open in January in 8,000 square feet of space over three floors just off Piccadilly.

Peak District, England

It may have been the first area of the U.K. to be decreed a national park way back in 1951, but the Peak District has long played second fiddle to the Lakes and the Cotswolds when it comes to superior hotels amid the greatest natural splendor that this island can offer. No longer. The opening of Wildhive Callow Hall is an effortlessly cool re-think of what a traditional country house can be in 2023. Treehouses in the Derbyshire estate’s bucolic woodland and a shepherds hut peeking coquettishly over the hillside provide a genuine sense of luxurious isolation (complete with kitchens, a walk-in shower, and a wet room) but if you prefer being only a staircase away from the action then the main house delivers with its colossal beds, and flashes of contemporary art all curated by in-demand interior designer Isabella Worsley. A sustainably and locally sourced menu created by chef David Bucowicki hits all the right notes in dishes like stalkers pie filled with venison and peas pudding and carver duck with pressed celeriac. You’ll need to traverse the hills for a fair bit to walk all the calories off and perhaps Chatsworth House is a little far on foot at a solid 20 miles or so. But close to the most famed country house in Britain comes, in spring 2023, the second offering from the Bike and Boot concept, which shook up Scarborough’s staid hotel scene on opening last year with a funky color scheme and pared-back style. The second location is around a 20-minute drive from Chatsworth and looks set to follow the Scarborough model in being a major draw to hikers and bikers who don’t want to rough it; with dog grooming facilities, bike storage, and cleaning spaces and rooms bedecked in most un-hiker like hues and textures of orange, velvet, and purple.

Holywood, Northern Ireland

Pronounced the same as its Angeleno namesake, the Northern Ireland Holywood, has always been the place to live for Belfast ’s well-heeled denizens with its Victorian mansions and views of the Lough. Despite being just five miles from the center of the city, it feels like its own place and has recently been attracting a growing wave of returnees eager to avail of its small-town, seaside living. Holywood’s new energy can be found along the pleasing jumble of a High Street; browse at Chapters Bookstore , sip a glass of natural wine, and order small plates involving ingredients like purple sprouting broccoli and fermented spelt at Frae , or brunch at the plant-based Lynchpin , run by ex-Angelsea Arms chef, Joe McGowan, in a bar once run by his grandmother. Don’t let the friendly, neighborhood feel deceive you—people travel for a table at Noble . The food is parochial in the best possible way using Northern Ireland’s finest ingredients—the rare breed, Moiled Irish beef and duck fat chips are, as the locals would say, pure class. Then there are cobweb-blowing-out walks along the 16-mile North Down Coastal Path that threads its way past sea, sand, and big skies through Crawfordsburn Country Park ending at St. Helen’s Bay. Here, hardy swimmers can join the locals, who sometimes include Holywood-born actor, Jamie Dornan, braving the bone-chilling waters—on a clear day you can see Scotland .

A version of this article originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller U.K.

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These UK galleries and museums are beautiful from the outside in

Jan 29, 2020 • 3 min read

Exhibitions can be truly inspiring, but what about the buildings themselves? In the UK there’s a great variety of museums and galleries to explore, and many of them are spectacular pieces of art in their own right. 

From the quirky family home of a former Tate Gallery curator in Cambridge to a stunning concrete structure in Yorkshire , these nine UK galleries and museums are as beautiful as the exhibitions inside them.   

Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Bruton 

The humble county of Somerset is up there with the best of them according to Hauser & Wirth , the multinational art moguls with posts in New York , London and Los Angeles . Surrounded by wildflowers and fields, this converted barn maintains its higgledy-piggledy layout and features an on-site restaurant, making for a wholesome day out. 

Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge 

After a huge two-year refurb completed in 2018, Kettle’s Yard has never looked better. It was originally the home of Jim Ede (1895–1990), a former curator at the Tate Gallery , London. Now the Cambridge gallery offers cosy living spaces lined with Ede’s impressive personal collection, alongside changing exhibitions of contemporary work. 

The Hepworth Wakefield, Yorkshire 

At the opposite end of the architecture scale, this stunning £35-million structure in Yorkshire is a vision in clean lines, angles and concrete. Launched in 2011, the award-winning gallery gets its name from Barbara Hepworth, the Wakefield-born sculptor. What’s more, The Hepworth Wakefield is just a 15-minute drive to Yorkshire Sculpture Park – another gem in Yorkshire’s arty crown. 

Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester

Don’t be fooled by the Victorian red-brick facade of Whitworth Art Gallery : inside it’s all streamlined modern interiors. The Manchester gallery benefited from a £15-million redevelopment which blurred the lines between exterior and interior; its hero piece is a glass-walled cafe which stretches into the park and seems to levitate among the trees. 

Gallery at Home, Usk

On a mission to be stylish yet accessible, Gallery at Home is a welcoming, minimal space that could be on the cover of a lifestyle magazine. Based in Usk, the converted cow shed offers exhibitions by artists from around the world, and glorious views over the Welsh mountains. 

The Watermill, Aberfeldy

The big cities of Scotland have some stellar museums and galleries, but it’s worth seeking out the wee town of Aberfeldy for this converted water-powered mill , which dates back to 1825. Pass the log-burning stove in the ground floor cafe, browse travel books on the second floor and then peruse the local artwork and ceramics upstairs. 

Sir John Soane’s Museum, London

Rifle through an exquisite collection of curios – from Egyptian artefacts to architectural models – in the sprawling Sir John Soane’s Museum , the former home of architect Sir John Soane (1753–1837). The labyrinthine building is made up of three houses, one of which dates back to the 17th century. It’s a wonderful example of British eccentricity, with narrow hallways and winding stairways punctuated with grand domed ceilings. 

Salts Mill, Saltaire 

Another beautiful building repurposed, Salts Mill is based in a former textile mill in Saltaire, a Victorian model village and Unesco World Heritage Site in West Yorkshire . Artist David Hockney was born nearby, and the old mill is now home to his largest permanent collection, as well a gallery space with changing shows. Finish the day in the excellent espresso bar, where cups are branded with Hockney’s doodles of his beloved sausage dogs. 

Francis Gallery, Bath

Korean aesthetics meet the elegance of Bath ’s Georgian architecture in the  Francis Gallery . It’s the first bricks-and-mortar project by Rosa Park, editor of Cereal magazine, and showcases the work of emerging European artists. The pared-back space is filled – sparingly – with meticulously-curated exhibitions.  

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The UK’s best destination art galleries

Britain’s culture hotspots will come into their own this summer. Plan your next cultural mini-break with our handy guide to the upcoming exhibitions and top places to stay…

With bucolic backdrops and architecture to rival the artworks, Britain's destination galleries, museums and sculpture parks make for a brilliant pilgrimage in the warmer months. Here are five worthy of a weekend away, with our choice of the best boutique hotels and B&Bs nearby.

Jupiter Artland

Wilkieston, near Edinburgh

What’s the appeal?

It says something of the ambitions of Nicky and Robert Wilson that the first piece commissioned for the sculpture park they founded five miles west of Edinburgh was hardly a piece at all, but a series of grand swirling landforms by US landscape architect Charles Jencks.

Set in 100 acres of fields and woodlands surrounding the Jacobean Bonnington House, the park’s soothing pastoral setting acts as a brilliant foil for its cutting-edge collection, which includes site-specific works by Anish Kapoor (a caged vortex entitled Suck ) and Cornelia Parker (whose huge shotgun forms Landscape with Gun and Tree, 2012 ).

It’s also home to the very first permanent outdoor piece by Brit experimenter Phyllida Barlow, commissioned to mark the park’s 10th anniversary in 2018.

Though the new commission and exhibition by Tracey Emin is delayed until next year, this season will see Scottish multimedia artist Rachel Maclean call on her discordant, candy-hued aesthetic for her first permanent outdoor installation in the woods, while the park’s gallery spaces will survey a decade of her daring work.

In August, intimate arts festival Jupiter Rising is hoping to return for its second outing, with a weekend of live music, performance and film, plus the opportunity for visitors to camp out in the grounds. jupiterrising.art

What’s nearby?

The sculpture park is a pocket of world-class creativity among rolling countryside, but it’s only a short drive from Edinburgh’s network of galleries. A highlight at Dovecot Studios this summer is ‘Archie Brennan: Tapestry Goes Pop!' (26 April–30 August 2021). This tribute to the trailblazing Scottish pop artist is the first major retrospective of his woven works. dovecotstudios.com

Where can I stay?

The Artist’s House

This newly launched on-site hideout is as brilliantly bohemian as the name suggests, with walls clad in wood and a characterful mix of art and furniture. French doors open onto the private garden, with its Swedish wood-fired tub and views across the Firth of Forth estuary. Sleeps six, from £425 per night, jupiterartland.org/the-artists-house

The Balerno Inn

The opening of this lively gastro pub was a boost to the pretty local village of Balerno, which offers swift access to the Pentland Hills. Rooms are a modern update on cosy Scottish style, with Harris Tweed textiles and wood panelling above the beds painted in a smart navy blue. From £50 per night, balernoinn.co.uk

Porteous’ Studio

If you’re staying in town, our Edinburgh escape of choice is this meditative studio minutes from the castle, with its natural clay plaster walls, low-slung furniture and Japanese-style wooden screen that sequesters the sleeping area. It was created by emerging design partnership Izat Arundell – remember the name. From £200 per night, porteous.studio

Hauser & Wirth Somerset

Bruton, Somerset

You don’t have to pack up and move to Somerset with the latest wave of Bruton-bound creatives, but you’d be amiss to skip a pilgrimage to the arts hub that’s half the reason why they’re all going.

Following galleries in Zürich, London and New York, art world power couple Manuela Hauser and Iwan Wirth set their sights on this altogether more bucolic spot on the outskirts of the town, enlisting Argentinian architect Luis Laplace to coax a cultural destination from its barns, cowsheds and stables.

It’s been busy with world-class exhibitions and events ever since opening in 2014, though many head straight for the swaying grasses of the perennial meadow planted by lauded Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf.

The spring exhibition from US artist Henry Taylor (until 6 June) has already launched online (Hauser & Wirth dutifully digitise much of its programming), but these vibrant, humane portraits and sculptures should be seen in person once restrictions are lifted. His inaugural exhibition takes over all five galleries. hauserwirth.com

Also on site is Durslade Farm Shop, whose launch late last year was obscured by the pandemic. This expansive emporium stocks meat and vegetables from the farm, plus products made from foraged ingredients, and should come into its own this spring. dursladefarmshop.co.uk

Don’t expect grand galleries to rival Hauser & Wirth – Bruton is decidedly bijou, and it’s all part of the charm. Opened in 2018, the diminutive Make is the gallery’s outpost on the high street and is dedicated to contemporary craft, with all works available to buy.

It bridges the gap between a smattering of local galleries and a decidedly artisanal retail offering, which is soon to include a shop and studio from ceramicists People Will Always Need Plates, peoplewillalwaysneedplates.co.uk

Caro’s B&B

There’s only one room on offer here, but you’re in good hands – owner Natalie Jones runs design shop and events space Caro down the road. Browse its collection of beautiful but useful homewares, then sleep among an edited selection. From £130 per night, carosomerset.com

Durslade Farmhouse

Martin Creed’s neon signage writ large across its exterior is the first clue that the gallery’s on-site rental is not your typical country crash pad. Then there’s the eclectic, art- and antique-filled interior by Luis Laplace. Sleeps up to 12, from £350 per night, dursladefarmhouse.co.uk

At the Chapel

It might seem short-sighted to credit this elegant restaurant as the catalyst for the Bruton boom, but the opening in 2008 certainly marked a step change in its standing. The restful bedrooms followed a little while later and still retain their shine. From £125 per night, atthechapel.co.uk

Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts

Norwich, Norfolk

Nestled at the edge of the University of East Anglia’s campus is something like a shed on steroids. The Sainsbury Centre, upheld as the UK’s first – and finest – high-tech gallery, is a spectacular steel monolith that managed to put both Norwich and Norman Foster on the modern architecture map.

And yet the brilliance of the building has perhaps obscured the bounty inside, which includes pieces by Picasso and Degas alongside a vast collection of non-European art spanning 5,000 years.

Fewer still are familiar with its collection of outdoor sculptural works from Henry Moore, Lynn Chadwick and Antony Gormley, which dot the 350 acres of parkland that slopes gently down to a lake, The Broad, and the River Yare beyond.

This spring sees the arrival of ‘Grayson Perry: The Pre-Therapy Years’, which brings together the very first works of the provocateur potter for those who missed its original stint at the Holburne Museum in Bath.

This is Perry before the Turner Prize, the CBE, and – in the case of the exhibition’s earliest sketchbooks – before he caught on to clay. But, arguably, the gallery’s biggest coup is the 29 new sculptural works and drawings by British artist Elisabeth Frink acquired last year. sainsburycentre.ac.uk

What’s in the area?

Don’t miss a closer look at the campus’ cascading Ziggurats. Masterminded by British architect Denys Lasdun (of National Theatre fame), the influential student accommodation concept is brutalism at its best.

Our pick of the city’s coolest galleries are artist-run Outpost ( norwichoutpost.org ) and The South Asia Collection, a museum and shop dedicated to textiles, objects and crafts from the region, housed in a restored Victorian skating rink. thesouthasiacollection.co.uk

The Water Cabin

Set on the banks of the River Thurne in the heart of the Norfolk Broads, this renovated 1930s cedar-clad cabin is well placed for the county’s crowd-pleasers – it’s a 30-minute drive to Norwich and half that to the beach. Fuss-free interiors prove that all-white everything is still a winner, while portholes in the bedrooms add personality. Sleeps four, from £360 for three nights, nor-folk.com

The Assembly House

Long host to exhibitions and concerts, the grand hall of this Norwich institution now forms the hub of a boutique hotel, which retains all the Georgian features promised by its stately red-brick façade. Rooms have a hint of Kit Kemp’s Firmdale flair – think richly patterned fabrics and walls peppered with contemporary art. From £170 per night, assemblyhousenorwich.co.uk

This waterside hideout has won awards for the bold architectural premise of its three pitched roof bays, modelled on local boat sheds, which maximise views of the private lake. Evenings spent otter-spotting on the deck will fool you into forgetting the city centre is a 15-minute drive away. Sleeps eight, from £795 for four nights, hostunusual.com

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Near Wakefield, West Yorkshire

It’s hard to conceive that YSP was considered a blot on the landscape when it opened in 1977, with land, money and public support all in perilously short supply.

Almost 50 years later, the pairing of powerful works by the world’s top sculptors and 500 acres of rolling countryside has proved an irresistible premise – where else can you share a contemplative moment over a Henry Moore with wandering sheep?

Efforts to expand and evolve have brought renewed appreciation for the park. Don’t miss the meditative Skyspace by James Turrell, who added an aperture open to the heavens within the park’s Grade II-listed deer shelter, and 2019’s much-anticipated addition The Weston, which houses a gallery, restaurant and shop.

Featuring more than 50 female sculptors, from Barbara Hepworth to Rachel Whiteread, ‘Breaking the Mould: Sculpture by Women since 1945’ (29 May–5 September 2021) will go some way in elevating post-war works by women to their rightful status.

The schedule will follow this thematic thread through the season, with exhibitions of porcelain figures piled high by Rachel Kneebone, objects by multidisciplinary artist Alison Milner and colourful tapestries and totemic pieces by Annie Morris. Towering outdoor works by Damien Hirst and Joana Vasconcelos are on display until next year. ysp.org.uk

As the birthplace of both Hepworth and Moore, it seems only right that this corner of the country has flourished into a world-leading destination for sculpture.

The nearby Hepworth Wakefield will mark its 10th anniversary in May with ‘Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life’, which is set to be her most comprehensive retrospective yet (21 May 2021–27 Feb 2022, hepworthwakefield.org ). Over in buzzy Leeds, the Henry Moore Institute will showcase works that ‘fold up, pack down, or dismantle’ in ‘Portable Sculpture’ (18 May–29 August 2021, henry-moore.org ).

The Pickled Pheasant

Skirting the easterly edge of the Peak District, this appealingly named pub added four spacious rooms following a renovation two years ago. All boast king-size Hypnos beds, and some have exposed beams and fireplaces. From £90 per night, thepickledpheasant.com

Dakota Leeds

If you’re using Leeds as your hub, Dakota makes a handy base for the cultural quarter. The fifth outpost of this boutique chain does a convincing impression of an independent hotel, and there’s a luxurious, cocooning feel to its grey-on-grey rooms. From £140 per night, dakotahotels.co.uk

Manor House Lindley

This Georgian mansion offers 11 individually designed rooms. All are plush yet characterful, though the formula works best in the restaurant, with its bare brick walls, green velvet banquettes and opaline chandelier. From £129 per night, manorhouselindley.co.uk

V&A Dundee

Dundee, Angus

London’s Victoria and Albert Museum had been around for some 166 years before this offshoot arrived, to the surprise of some, in the coastal Scottish city of Dundee.

The doubters were out of date – by its opening in 2018, Dundee had already certified its status as the UK’s only UNESCO City of Design, thanks largely to its contribution to comics and a booming video games industry.

Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma to echo the craggy forms of a cliff, its twin concrete inverted pyramids sit resplendent beside the River Tay as the shining stars of a pacy waterside regeneration project. Inside, the Scottish Design Galleries permanent collection is a tribute to home-grown talent.

This season, exhibition ‘Night Fever: Designing Club Culture’ (from 1 May 2021) explores the influence of design on the inimitable experience of dancing at Studio 54 or the Haçienda in Manchester, where Ben Kelly famously borrowed the industrial language of hazard stripes and bollards.

Developed by the Vitra Design Museum and the ADAM in Brussels, the heady tour also takes in today’s cult clubs, like Berlin’s techno sanctum Berghain. vam.ac.uk

Before the seismic arrival of the V&A, there was Dundee Contemporary Arts, with its two contemporary exhibition spaces, cinema, print studio, shop and well-loved café ( dca.org.uk ), as well as grand gothic revival gallery and museum The McManus, where the emphasis is on fine art and social history ( mcmanus.co.uk ).

The Open/Close street art project offers two city trails taking in large-scale murals and more than 40 painted doors. Tours run on the first Saturday of each month. openclosedundee.co.uk

Taypark House

Set in landscaped grounds with views across the River Tay, this baronial mansion is hidden among the smart Edwardian homes of the city’s West End. Interiors are restful and elegant, and there’s an outdoor gin bar waiting for good weather. From £100 per night, tayparkhouse.co.uk

The Hideaway Experience

The owners of Balkello Farm renovated a traditional bothy on their land just outside Dundee, before adding three luxury eco lodges. Aimed at couples, all have saunas, hot tubs and log burners, plus countryside views. From £540 for two nights, thehideawayexperience.co.uk

Hotel Indigo

This sleek renovation of a former linen mill opened in 2018 to scoop up design-conscious visitors to the new V&A. Stylish industrial details reflect its former life – think vaulted bare-brick ceilings and bathrooms clad in gridded tiles. From £42 per night, ihg.com/hotelindigo

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The 10 best art destinations in the UK

Swap beaches for Babs Hepworth and swimming pools for sculpture parks

One great excuse to explore a new corner of the UK is by checking out all the world-class art which is dotted around. From outstanding galleries across our cities to original, eye-catching sculpture displays in our countryside, the UK is absolutely overflowing with art. 

The only question is how to fit it all in – there’s just so many paintings, drawings, statues and installations to explore. Thankfully, we’ve scoured the UK for the very best destinations to go and enjoy some truly outstanding art – head right this way.

RECOMMENDED: 🧙The most mystical places in the UK 🏰The best  castles in the UK 🖼️The best museums in the UK ☀️The best scultpure parks in the UK

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

Best art destinations in the UK

1.  tate st ives.

Perched just above the beach, whatever art is inside the glass-fronted Tate St Ives has to compete for attention with the stunning views across the Atlantic. Luckily, the permanent collection here is more robust than an XL stick of rock. The Cornish outpost has long been a destination for artists who flock here to take advantage of the unique light. The displays include Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Bernard Leach, Naum Gabo and a very lovely yellow Rothko.

Nearest train station St Ives

While you’re in town For more beautiful natural views with your art, visit the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.

2.  Yorkshire Sculpture Park

It’s hard to decide what’s better here: the glorious array of artworks dotted throughout the parkland or the free-grazing sheep that happily munch away while their human companions get irate over Hirst or trip over while gawping at Moore. In summer 2019, the YSP is one of four venues hosting the inaugural Yorkshire Sculpture International, a festival of brilliant contemporary sculpture.

Nearest train station Wakefield Westgate, then bus or taxi to the YSP.

While you’re in town Complete the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle by also seeking out the Hepworth Wakefield, Henry Moore Institute and Leeds Art Gallery.

3.  Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

If you prefer to not mix seeing art with scraping mud or sand off your shoes, the Baltic might be a better fit. This Gateshead institution, housed in a former flour mill, boasts a stellar programme of contemporary art. Fun fact: the building’s north face is a nesting site for kittiwakes. Zoom up to the external terrace on Level 4 and even if you don’t spot a bird, you’ll at least get panoramic views of the city. 

Nearest train station Newcastle Central Station

While you’re in town Check out the schedule at the Baltic’s near-neighbour Sage, then head to Newcastle’s Cultural Quarter to browse the art, craft and design exhibitions at The Biscuit Factory.

4.  The Burrell Collection

Based in Pollok County Park, as so many of Glasgow’s finest visitor attractions are (see also Kelvingrove Museum and The People’s Palace), the Burrell Collection is a vast assortment of more than 8,000 objects gifted to the city in 1944 by Sir William Burrell. If the permanent exhibits – spanning practically every continent and great civilisation in history – aren’t enough, there’s usually decent temporary exhibition worth checking out too.

Nearest train station Pollokshaws West station.

While you’re in town  Catch a gig at the Barrowlands, stroll through the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, and help yourself to a slice of the city’s famous Paesano Pizza.

5.  Whitworth Art Gallery

Following a major refurbishment and extending throughout its existing gallery space into Whitworth Park itself, this beautiful gallery is now a perfect mix of old and new, taking the best of its Victorian origins and adding a modern section that beautifully reflects the variety of work on display inside. It is now truly world class.

Nearest train station Oxford Road, plus a 10 minute bus journey or 20 minute walk.

While you’re in town Explore the creative Northern Quarter and grab a craft beer before heading to a big night at Warehouse Project.

6.  Arnolfini

• Arts centres

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that the Arnolfini Café has the best brownies this side of the pearly gates. Aside from that, the ’fini is a Bristol institution, with three floors dedicated to contemporary art in all its forms – from the calmly experimental to the downright bizarre. It’s an enormous old building that used to be a tea warehouse, in an unbeatable location, smack bang on the harbourside.

Nearest train station   Bristol Temple Meads, then a 20-minute walk.

While you’re in town  Marvel at the mighty Clifton Suspension Bridge before heading to dinner at St Nicholas market.

7.  Royal Academy of Arts

For 250 years, Britain’s first art school has been a hotbed of artistic talent. You name ’em, they were an Academician. But the RA ’s also got serious pedigree when it comes to putting on big shows. Now, it’s got a big old extension, including its first free permanent collection display – and it’s just as important as it’s ever been.

Nearest train station London Charing Cross, then a 15-minute walk.

While you’re in town  Picnic in Hyde Park, then head to Portobello Road for a spot of vintage shopping.

8.  Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

Never judge a book by its cover, or an art gallery by its brickwork. Edinburgh’s modern art gallery is split across two expansive nineteenth-century buildings surrounded by manicured gardens. Inside, all that neoclassical traditionalism gives way to a huge collection of modern and contemporary art that also stretches outside to include a small sculpture park.

Nearest train station Haymarket

While you’re in town For old masters and Scottish greats, pay a visit to the Scottish National Gallery where you can see Henry Raeburn’s ‘The Skating Minister’, also known as one of the worst artworks created in the history of art (sorry not sorry). 

9.  Jupiter Artland

Sticking with Edinburgh, just outside the city you’ll find Jupiter Artland , a cultural haven set in 100 acres of woodland and meadows. Its permanent collection of 36 site-specific sculptures includes works by Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley and Cornelia Parker.

Nearest train station Edinburgh Waverley, but you’ll need to take a bus or car from there.

While you’re in town It’s just outside the Scottish capital, so see pop back into town to check out any of the major galleries there, or the Dovecot Studios. If you’re visiting in July or August, explore the programme of the annual Edinburgh Art Festival.

10.  Sainsbury Centre for Visual Art

Located on the campus of the University of East Anglia, the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Art might well have slipped unnoticed from your art-visiting agenda. Don’t let a fear of reliving your student days distract you from seeing this stellar collection of modern and contemporary art all housed in a building that, from a distance, looks oddly like the main stage at a festival.

Nearest train station Norwich, but you’ll then need to take a bus or taxi to the UEA campus.

While you’re in town See artworks dating back to the seventeenth century at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, where you can also learn more about Celtic warrior queen Boudica. Return home by chariot.

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• 11 of the best art galleries to visit in the UK

In the UK, we’re lucky to have a range of art galleries and venues that allow us to connect with magnificent artwork from different time-periods, and from all across the globe.

And whether you follow the work of specific artists or don’t have much experience with art at all, taking a trip to an art gallery can be a fun, stimulating, and thought-provoking day out.

With this in mind, here are 11 of the best art galleries to visit in the UK.

1. Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

Founded in 1683, the Ashmolean Museum is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology. It’s home to world famous collections including Egyptian mummies and contemporary art – all of which tell powerful human stories from different time periods and cultures.

You might like to print off this spotlight trail guide before your visit, which will guide you through the museum – stopping off at 12 objects of particular interest. From the Knossos Octopus Pot, to Guy Fawkes’ Lantern, and a jewel made for King Alfred the Great, you’ll hit all the main sites with this highlight trail.

Alternatively, if you’re unable to visit the Ashmolean in person, you can explore the spotlight trail online, or browse over 200,000 object records on the museum’s online collection .

The museum is open everyday and admission is free.

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2. Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

The Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool is part of National Museums Liverpool – an extensive group of museums and galleries covering a wide range of topics and interests.

With one of the most important and renowned painting collections in the world, visitors should prepare to get lost in European Renaissance paintings, masterpieces by Rembrandt and Rubens, and Impressionist and contemporary works by Monet and Hockney.

Walker Art Galley is also known for its impressive collection of sculptures made between the 18th century and First World War – from the end of the neoclassicism period to the era of ‘New Sculpture’ in Britain.

Also featured at the gallery are various British and European decorative art works dating from 1300 to the present day, video and animation art, as well as a fashion area home to a large collection of around 10,000 Western European costume items.

There are also a variety exciting tours and exhibitions to enjoy at Walker Art Gallery – exploring everything from the life of individual artists to different historic eras through art.

Entry to the gallery is free and you can find more information about opening times, access, and facilities here .

Other members of National Museums Liverpool include the Lady Level Art Gallery, the Museum of Liverpool, and the Internation Slavery Museum. You can find more about what’s on at all of these venues and more on the National Museums Liverpool website.

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3. Tate Modern, London

The idea for Tate Modern was born in December 1992 when the Tate Trustees decided to create a separate gallery for international modern and contemporary art in London.

Since it opened in May 2000, Tate Modern has had over 40 million visitors and is one of the UK’s top three tourist attractions.

Tate Modern always has a range of exciting exhibitions to immerse yourself in . From forests of sculptures, to theatrical exhibitions of famous artists like Lubaina Himid, to mirror rooms, there’s something for everyone.

Entry to Tate Modern is free, though there is a charge for some exhibitions. Advance booking is advised, particularly for exhibitions that are likely to sell out.

Other members of the Tate family include Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St. Ives. If you’re interested in visiting, you can find out what to expect on the Tate website.

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4. yorkshire sculpture park, west yorkshire.

Situated in the beautifully landscaped 500-acre 18th-century Bretton Hall estate in West Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is the leading international centre for modern and contemporary sculpture. For a fun day of art, it’s hard to beat the YSP.

YSP was the first sculpture park in the UK, remains the largest of its kind in Europe, and provides the only space in Europe to see Barbara Hepworth’s, The Family Man .

Alongside this is an extensive collection of sculptures, including site-specific works by David Nash, James Turrell, and Andy Goldsworthy, and bronzes by Henry Moore.

YSP also hosts year-round temporary exhibitions from world-leading artists across six indoor galleries, as well as the open air. Previous highlights have included exhibitions by Bill Viola, Tony Cragg, Fiona Banner, and Ursuala von Rydingsvard.

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5. fitzwilliam museum, cambridge.

From antiquity to the present day, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is home to a world-renowned collection of over half a million works of art, masterpiece paintings, and historical artefacts.

There are a range of exhibitions and galleries to enjoy at the museum – including the Women: makers and muses exhibition which celebrates artwork of women such as Marie Louise von Motesiczky and Bridget Riley from across the globe throughout history.

Some must-see galleries include the Painting with Gold display that explores the use of gold in medieval manuscripts, and Magdalene Odundo in Cambridge – one of the great ceramic artists working today.

While entry to the museum is free, advance booking is required. You can find more about this, as well as opening times, access, and facilities on The Fitzwilliam Museum website.

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6. Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich

The Sainsbury Centre in Norwich is an art gallery, museum, and cafe home to a collection of world art, including outstanding works from artists like Picasso, Degas, and Bacon.

Current exhibitions at the Sainsbury Centre include Visions of Ancient Egypt , and The Legacy of Youth , which looks at the early artistic formation of Pablo Picasso, from his teenage years to his 30s.

Other highlights include the free-entry Sculpture Park set within 350 acres of parkland, and featuring outstanding architecture, art, and natural beauty. Free guided collections tours are also available.

Alternatively, if you’re unable to visit in person, the Sainsbury Centre also has an online catalogue for you to enjoy. Here you can browse various works from the collection, with new art and objects consistently being added.

7. National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh

The National Galleries of Scotland consists of three galleries in the heart of Edinburgh. These are the Scottish National Gallery, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One and Modern Two), and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

Come face to face and learn more about the people who’ve shaped – and are shaping – Scotland’s past, present, and future at the National Portrait Gallery . Marvel at the outstanding collection of contemporary and modern art at the National Gallery of Modern Art , or experience one of the greatest collections of fine art in the world at the Scottish National Gallery .

To see what exhibitions are on at the National Galleries of Scotland, you can visit this page on their website. Highlights include the Impressionism & Post-Impression display at the Scottish National Gallery, the display of Abstract Art and Britain between the Wars, and the exhibition of New Arrivals at Modern One.

Admission to the galleries is free, though advanced booking is advised.

8. Turner Contemporary, Margate

Opened in 2011, Turner Contemporary in Margate, Kent is a space for contemporary arts and an important catalyst for the regeneration of Margate town.

The venue was named after noted landscaper J.M.W. Turner who went to school in Margate and visited throughout his life.

There’s a range of exhibitions to enjoy at the gallery, for example, the unique Antony Gormley: Another Time exhibition which explores the experience of being human through a series of one hundred, solid cast-iron figures.

Turner Contemporary has also launched a range of exciting resources to help people relax and refocus through creative mindfulness . This includes activities like mindful drawing, explorative doodles, drawing your breath, and learning to look mindfully at art.

Entry to Turner Contemporary is free but advanced booking is required.

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9. The Bowes Museum, Durham

The Bowes Museum is home to a nationally renowned collection of art. From picture galleries, to ceramics and decorative arts, the collection at the Bowes Museum is just as magnificent as the building’s French-style architecture.

Highlights of the museum include its extensive collection of European paintings spanning the 15th to 19th centuries, and ceramics from medieval times to the 19th century, as well as the galleries dedicated to the life of John and Josephine Bowes.

The collections are displayed across three floors, and many of the galleries have been redeveloped over the last ten years to allow better access to artefacts, more contemporary label descriptions, and better lighting.

The museum’s method of costume display which allows visitors the best visual access to garments, both inside and out has made the fashion and textiles gallery highly popular. In this collection you’ll find amazing artefacts, including pieces from the wardrobe of Empress Eugenie – consort of Napoleon III from 1853-1871.

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10. the royal academy of arts, london.

The Royal Academy of Arts (the RA), located in the heart of London in Piccadilly, is a place where art is made, displayed, and debated. Founded in 1768, The RA is unique because it’s an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects themselves.

Highlights from the RA collection include works by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA, Thomas Banks RA, and Tracey Emin RA.

The world-class exhibition programme features explorations of famous artists like William Kentridge and of collections of art from different parts of the world. There’s also various free displays to enjoy, as well as talks and lectures – many of which are available to watch online.

Even better, if a piece of art catches your eye, the RA has high-quality prints of pieces from the collection available to buy online, framed or unframed, on a choice of papers or canvas. You can browse the RA prints available to buy here .

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11. the hepworth, wakefield.

The Hepworth is an art museum in Wakefield that is so-called after sculptor Barbara Hepworth – one of the most important artists of the 20th century – was born and educated in the city.

As suggested by the building’s modern and chic exterior, The Hepworth is home to a nationally important collection of modern British art. It features famous works by Ben Nchiolson, L.S. Lowry, Patrick Heron, and Barbara Hepworth – as well as that by significant contemporary artists such as Maggi Hambling, Anthea Hamilton, and Frank Auerbach.

There’s also a range of family workshops to get involved with and enjoy; from clay, to carving and sculpture.

You can find information about what’s on, museum opening hours and entry fees on The Hepworth Wakefield website .

During your visit, you might also like to explore The Hepworth Wakefield Garden, which opened in 2019 and is one of the UK’s largest free public gardens designed by Tom Stuart-Smith.

Final thoughts…

Art galleries can be inspiring and thought-provoking places to visit. Whether you’re looking to dive into the art of previous times, or explore the world of modern and contemporary art, there’s an art gallery for everyone to enjoy. 

For more cultural pit-stop ideas, head over to the art and culture section of our website. Here you’ll find everything from museum recommendations, to stately homes to explore, and online tour ideas.

What are the best art galleries you’ve visited? Have any of the galleries above caught your eye? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Francesca Williams is a lifestyle writer at Rest Less. She joined Rest Less in early 2021 after achieving a first-class degree in History at the University of Sheffield and qualifying as an NCTJ Gold Standard Journalist. Francesca writes across a range of lifestyle topics, specialising in health, history, and art and culture. In her spare time, Francesca likes to keep herself busy and enjoys going on walks, playing netball, going to the gym, getting involved with her local church, and socialising with friends and family.

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The Girl Who Goes

independent, intentional travel

Last Updated on September 1, 2023

How I Created My Travel Gallery Wall

Hi, it’s me, your travel blogger friend who left her glamorous, frivolous life in Spain to settle back into the typical patterns of everyday American society for the past 10 months. (Thanks, COVID.) While our next adventures seem to be creeping closer, little by little, I’ve had some time to work on other projects that I’ve enjoyed. And one of them was decorating my very own office!

When our roommates moved out at the end of January, Matt and I finally got to move into our own home offices. I’ve never had an office before! I spent way too long planning out how I wanted it to look, browsing Etsy and Facebook Marketplace for things that would make it feel cozy and also remind me of my former life. And thus, I decided on a travel-themed Gallery Wall.

I thought it would be fun to share the process with everyone, in case you’re interested in trying something similar! (And if you’re looking for some inspiration for your wall, check out these travel quotes .)

Art Curation

I’ve never attempted something like this before, so I did quite a lot of research first on how to create a good gallery wall. One of the things I consistently read: You shouldn’t just go out and buy a bunch of art for the sake of the gallery. Some online sites even sell pre-made gallery art sets. But the best gallery walls have a lot of character specific to the person who designs them. Each piece tells a story.

Luckily, I already had a lot of travel-themed posters, maps, and art in other mediums that had been sitting in a box in the closet since I got home from Spain. I did search Etsy for other travel prints that felt special to me to make my gallery a little more well-rounded. Plus, it’s important to have a good variety of size, as well as vertical or horizontal orientation. That gives it more visual interest. But apart from that, the majority of my art was already mine — things I’d been collecting for years.

Here are a few of those pieces and their stories:

London/Notting Hill Poster

When I moved into my apartment in Spain, there was a single, empty poster frame hanging above my bed. As I gradually furnished my bedroom, I kept an eye out for something I could put in it — something that would help tie the room together and make it feel like home. I found this poster of Notting Hill in London (another place that’s very special to me), and it fit the poster frame almost perfectly. I knew it had to be part of my gallery wall!

German Map of Spain

I came across this old map of Spain at a market in Berlin when I visited in 2019. It’s from 1906, and it only cost €8! I had to buy it. The hardest part was trying to protect it from the rain and ensure it didn’t get all bent up in my backpack I was carrying, because it’s really fragile.

Homemade “Wanderlust” Canvas

In 2017 when my Italian sister Gaia was with us for Christmas, she made me this as a gift. We both love to travel, and that’s something that really connects us. This came to Spain with me, and I love it!

Madrid Arrow Sign

I bought a few of these signs at the Rastro market in Madrid for my family and for Matt. But I also bought myself one, because unfortunately I figured there would eventually come a day when I was away from Madrid. (Though I didn’t know it would be so soon. ☹)

A few of my art pieces are postcards from places I’ve been, and some were downloaded from Etsy. For those, it was as easy as taking the file to FedEx and having them print it for me on nicer, sturdier paper. It was cheap, too!

And three of my art pieces aren’t made of paper, but I knew I wanted them to be part of the gallery wall as well because they fit the theme. Plus, it gives the whole thing more visual interest/variety.

Most gallery walls have art in frames. As my gallery ended up with 18 pieces of art — 15 of which needed frames — that’s a lot of frames to buy!

A nice frame at Target will set you back around $13… and that’s for a relatively small one! It can really add up quickly. So I bought all of my frames (except one) at the thrift stores near me. I found most of them at Savers and Goodwill. Most of the small/medium frames were less than $3. Some of the larger ones were around $4-$8, but I didn’t need too many of those. In total, I probably spent about $50 on frames.

You can decide whether you want to have all your frames the same color or colors, or whether you want to mix it up. I decided I wanted a more eclectic mix, so I have frames of almost every color and style.

Before going to the thrift store, it helps if you have a general idea of how large you need your frames to be. I took measurements of all of my art pieces, so I knew I needed two 11×14 frames, three 5×7 frames, etc.

For some of the pieces that have more unique sizes, I measured them with the goal of finding frames that matched their proportions. The cheap 20×28″ poster frame I got from Joann was a decent fit for my 18×25″ poster of London, with a 2-3 inch border around the sides. I bought some large pieces of white cardstock/poster board to use as a background for several of my pieces. I trimmed it to the right size for the frame, taped my art to it, and then framed the whole thing — which now has a clean, even white border.

At the thrift store, a lot of the larger frames are in the “wall art” section rather than with picture frames. As these are meant to be purchased and hung as-is, it’s hard to know how big they are because they don’t list their frame size. So, I recommend bringing a tape measure with you! If I saw a somewhat-promising frame, I would whip out the tape measure and find out whether it was good fit for one of my pieces. The people at the store might have thought I was weird, but it all worked out in the end for me. 🙂

It took me about three or four trips to gather all the frames I needed, and it took varying levels of work in order to “open” the frames and replace the art. I don’t recommend doing this all in one night because it can be frustrating. Definitely be sure you have some tools on hand (needle-nose pliers were the real MVP) to help remove any metal that holds the back of the frame together.

Making a Template

It might be very tempting to skip this step. Because it’s also a lot of work, and it’s time consuming. BUT, I attribute this step to the overall success of my gallery wall’s design.

Get a roll of white paper — or you can use newspaper. Whatever kind of paper that is big enough for your largest pieces of art is fine. But, once all your art is framed, lay it over your big pieces of paper, trace it, and cut it out. Then, label it with something that will help you know what piece of art it is. “Denali Moose,” for example. After you’ve done it for all your frames, you should have a bunch of pieces of paper that are the same size as your frames.

Now, you can use painter’s tape to tape your these template pieces on the wall and play around with your layout. I started by measuring to find the midpoint of my wall. Then, I placed a piece of painter’s tape vertically to mark it. I started by taping my largest template piece on one side of it. Then, I kept building with additional template pieces around it, trying to keep it even on both sides.

Making a template on the actual wall is so much easier than using the real frames on the floor and trying to translate that to the wall. You don’t have to worry about making a mistake when it comes to hanging, either, because the templates are also useful in that regard!

Hanging the Art

While you could do this with nails, many of the frames I used didn’t have sawtooth hangers or any hangers whatsoever. Plus, I didn’t want to put nearly 20 holes in the wall. Especially because I still wasn’t sure how/if this was going to turn out. Instead, I bought a ton of large Command Strips from Target (probably about $40 total, but I didn’t use all of them on this project).

Bonus: the pack of command strips I bought came with a mini level , which was way easier than trying to use the heavy 3-foot level we have in our basement. I also used this level to help me when I was putting up my template pieces to make sure they were relatively straight.

So, now it’s time to hang your art! Instead of taking the template pieces down, leave them up and replace only one piece at a time with your real art. Again, I started with my biggest piece. When I took down that template piece, it was obvious to me where my poster needed to go. I put the command strips on the back of the frame and removed the sticky backing. And put the poster up where the template piece had been, using my mini level.

And I just did this one by one until all the frames were up and all the paper templates were on the ground. (Even though I was still missing a few pieces of art, I went ahead and put all the frames up.)

I would step back every once in a while to see how it was looking. I think I only needed to make one adjustment based on one of the pieces looking a little crooked, but the level helped and the template obviously did, too! Everything went up without a hitch.

In the end, I’m really happy with how it turned out! While stumbling into my office each morning with my coffee and sitting down for work isn’t as exciting as my two years in Spain… it sure beats when I was in lockdown in my apartment bedroom during the first few months of the pandemic last spring. Turns out, sitting on your bed with a small lap desk from IKEA isn’t the most comfortable workspace… but I try to leave that in the past 😉

Have you ever tried something like a gallery wall? Or, how do you bring travel into your living spaces? Let me know in the comments!

–Cathy

Originally Published on April 24, 2021.

May 31, 2024 at 4:11 pm

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TravelAwaits

Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

7 Insider Tips For Visiting My Favorite Art Museum In The World

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Fine art doesn’t always feel very accessible. Imposing buildings, steep admission prices, and lack of amenities aren’t exactly encouraging for visitors who are curious but not necessarily passionate about art. But at London’s National Gallery, I’ve felt warmly welcomed for more than 20 years, and I think you’ll equally appreciate this traveler-friendly destination.

The National Gallery is located in Trafalgar Square, and that is one of the reasons I love it so much. I never feel like I need to make an effort to get there as I’ll always be passing nearby during my London getaway. The Leicester Square and Charing Cross Underground stations are both just a short walk away, and Trafalgar Square is on multiple public bus routes. There are hundreds of popular attractions within a 15-minute walk, making this a very convenient stop on any sightseeing journey.

Here are some more reasons why I love this art gallery, plus tips on making the most of your visit.

1. Know When To Make (Free) Reservations

Some of my favorite memories of visiting the National Gallery involve me popping in for just 20 minutes or so (often just to escape a brief rain shower). I got to know the collection one painting at a time and without breaking my budget.

Today, free online reservations are strongly recommended. This is a great new approach to keep crowds at bay, though I do admit I wish that a special pass was made just for me to dart in and out at my leisure! But I haven’t lost all flexibility. You can still just pop into to National Gallery, provided that walk-up tickets are available. 

Your best bet if you’re taking this approach is to come early in the morning. Mid-week is much quieter to visit than weekends and holidays.

2. Make A Friday Night Out Of It

The National Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but on Fridays it is open until 9 p.m. I don’t know about everyone else, but I always feel like I should be doing something on a Friday night (you know, something other than hanging out in my hotel room and watching reruns of CSI , which I do maintain is a valuable travel activity). As such, I love that they offer Friday night hours. Even better, Friday night brings all kinds of special activities to the gallery, ranging from tours and lectures to concerts and drawing lessons.

If you want to make it a real night out on the town, head to the National Gallery’s next-door neighbor for dinner first. St. Martin-in-the-Field church is home to the Café in the Crypt. This underground café is equally loved by tourists and locals, and everyone from families to solo diners appreciate its affordable menu, which ranges from pre-packaged sandwiches to full hot meals (including dessert and custard!).

3. Follow These Routes For No Headaches

Far be it for me to criticize the layout of any art gallery ( cough, cough, Louvre ), but many seem to be set up to herd visitors into one or two prominent rooms where the “star” artwork is kept, leaving other areas quite neglected. As such, I very much appreciate that standout pieces feel more evenly distributed at the National Gallery. While you’re welcome to wander to your heart’s content, the National Gallery has three recommended “Art Routes,” each paced to take between 25 and 35 minutes of walking.

Route A features the Wilton Diptych and works by Bellini, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Uccello, Leonardo, van Eyck, Campin, Piero, and Raphael. A highlight of this collection is Leonardo da Vinci’s The Virgin Of The Rocks .

Route B features works by Rubens, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Velázquez, Caravaggio, Gentileschi, Constable, Stubbs, Seurat, and Van Gogh. Collection highlights include Van Gogh’s Sunflowers , Seurat’s Bathers at Asnières , Monet’s The Thames below Westminster, and my personal favorite in the entire gallery: Delaroche’s The Execution of Lady Jane Grey . I can still hear my art history professor’s instructions to look at Grey’s gorgeously painted gown, the luxurious silk of her skirt, the intricately laced ribbons on her bodice.

Route C features works by Bronzino, Holbein, Raphael, Titian, Turner, Gainsborough, Stubbs, Seurat, and Van Gogh. Must-see work includes Erasmus by Hans Holbein the Younger.

4. Take The Free Tours

If you’re able to plan your National Gallery visit for a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday afternoon, you’re in for a treat. This is when the gallery traditionally offers free 1-hour tours showcasing highlights of their collection. The tours typically start from the foyer of the Sainsbury Wing.

Remember, you’ll need to make a free reservation to visit the National Gallery to guarantee your admission to the gallery at this specific time. Given that mid-afternoon is one of the busiest times to visit, you probably don’t want to leave things to chance. However, you don’t need to make any reservation to be a part of the tour.

It’s well worth keeping an eye on the National Gallery’s event page as there are often interesting and unusual events throughout the year, including film nights, themed tours, and sketching classes. One thing that isn’t available for the moment, however, is audio guides. They’re often mentioned in articles about the National Gallery but have been discontinued as a result of the pandemic.

5. Use The Traveler-Friendly Cloak Room

Little things matter when you’re trying to squeeze in as many travel experiences as possible. The gallery cloakroom charges £2 per item for storage and accepts bags as large as airplane carry-on size.

6. If Applicable, Study The Accessibility Services

The National Gallery has a number of services, amenities, and programs to cater to the needs of visitors with disabilities, including a Changing Places toilet facility. However, some services (including accessible tours) have had their schedule disrupted due to the pandemic. You can see a full list of the Gallery’s accessible offerings here .

7. Pop Into The Lovely Gallery Cafe

All good travel activities include tasty snacks, so you know I can’t leave without mentioning that there are three eateries at the National Gallery, including the Ochre Restaurant and the Espresso Bar. But my favorite is Muriel’s Kitchen , which is not far from the main entrance and tucked down on the lower level. You can get a long list of homey lunch items for £12.50 or less, including lasagna with garlic bread, baked Scottish salmon, and quiche. 

Related Reading:

• 8 Beautiful Walks To Experience In London
• 9 Things To Know Before Your First Trip To London
• My 6 Favorite European Cities For Art

Vanessa Chiasson is an award-winning freelance writer, editor, and blogger from Canada bringing warmth and depth to travel and human interest narratives. In the industry since 2012, Vanessa coaches writers from all backgrounds, areas of focus, and experience levels on developing business strategies that support their artistic endeavors. She chronicles her cozy travel adventures at TurnipseedTravel .

Visitor’s Guide To London’s Tate Britain, The Best Of British Art

Here’s my guide to visiting the magnificent Tate Britain in London. I give you an overview of the museum and 15 masterpieces you can’t miss.

The museum may not be as wildly popular as its sister-museum, the Tate Modern. But if you’re a lover of British art, the Tate Britain is a must visit attraction in London.

Tate Britain features traditional British art from the 1545 to the present day. It’s home to J.M.W. Turner’s watercolors and dreamy Pre-Raphaelite paintings. Some of the most famous paintings in Britain are housed in this museum.

Of special note, there are 8 entire rooms dedicated to Turner, one of Britian’s greatest artists, in the Clore Gallery. The gallery includes some of Turner’s greatest masterpieces — such as  Self Portrait, Peace, Burial at Sea,  and  Norham Castle, Sunrise.

In addition, the Tate Britain is a pristine glistening work of art itself. The museum boasts a domed rotunda, beautiful spiral staircase, terrazzo floors, and Victorian details.

Built in the late 19th century, the Tate Britain underwent an extensive renovation, which was completed in 2013. The result is an ultra pretty museum experience.

History Of The Tate Britain

The Tate Galleries were named after William Tate. He was a Victorian businessman who made his fortune in the sugar trade.

Tate was also one of Britain’s most important art collectors. Among his most important acquisitions were John Everett Millais’ Ophelia and J.W. Waterhouse’s The Lady of Shallot .

In 1889, he offered to donate his collection to the nation on the condition that a gallery be built to showcase it. Tate even ponied up the money to build the museum.

In 1897, the National Gallery of British Art opened. It was founded as a branch of the National Gallery of Art .

The museum was renamed the Tate Gallery in 1932. Today, there are four Tate galleries in Britain, including the Tate Modern, the Tate St. Ives, and the Tate Liverpool. When the Tate Modern opened, the Tate Gallery was renamed Tate Britain.

Other significant patrons include the Duveen family. They funded large extension to the gallery.

What Exactly Is British Art?

The Tate Britain contains a collection of works made by British artists or that were created in Britain. But what makes British art “British?”

British art followed a somewhat different course of development from mainstream European art.

British art is most remarkable for its dominance of the portraiture genre in the 17th through 19th centuries. In the Georgian period, Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough were lionized for their portraits, rendered in an infinite variety of grays and greens.

Britain was also noted for its landscape paintings, especially from the Romantic Age. You’ll find seminal works by luminaries such as Turner, William Blake, and John Constable.

British art also has some unique genres. In Britain, group portraits became known as “conversation pieces.” They were popularized by William Hogarth, Britain’s first native born painter of International stature.

Conversations pieces were informal portraits. They focused on social relationships between friends and family.

The Pre-Raphaelites were also a distinctively British art movement. They wanted to establish a new kind of art in Britain, reviving the methods and ideals of Early Renaissance and Medieval art. 

Taking the idea of “truth to nature,” they sought to invest their red headed subjects with a sense of physical and psychological realism. This British school influenced a wider European Symbolism movement.

Tickets & Tours of Tate Britain

Tate Britain is free to visit. So you don’t need to pre-book a ticket.

But you may want to book a guided tour of the impressive collection.

Click here for a 2.5 hour guided tour of the collection, which I’ve taken and really enjoyed. You can also book a guided tour of both the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern .

Guide To The Tate Britain: What To See

There are scads of masterpieces at the Tate Britain. Here’s my guide to 15 show-stopping highlights. You’ll see them in mostly chronological order.

1. Sir John Everett Millais, Ophelia

Ophelia is my favorite painting at the Tate Britain. It’s a classic Pre-Raphaelite work with bright colors, a dreamy visionary quality, and a tragic theme of wasted youth.

The painting depicts the death of Ophelia, a character in Shakespeare’s Hamlet . Ophelia is driven mad with grief when Hamlet murders her father. She falls into a stream and drowns.

In the painting, Ophelia holds a variety of flowers. The poppies symbolize death, the daisies represent innocence, and the pansies reflect blighted love.

In its day, Ophelia was regarded as at the most accurate and elaborate study of nature ever made. The model for Ophelia posed in a bathtub.

2. John William Waterhouse,  The Lady of Shalott

Waterhouse’s  The Lady of Shalott is an incredible masterpiece in the Tate Britain. It transports viewers back forty years earlier when the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood dominated the middle of the century.

The subject is a vulnerable young red haired woman in white gown. She’s set adrift in a river setting reminiscent of Ophelia .

The painting has the same mythical beauty as Ophelia . But Waterhouse’s painting has a more impressionistic delicacy.

The subject of the painting comes from Lord Alfred Tennyson’s Arthurian poem of the same name. In the poems, she lives isolated in a castle.

Because of a curse, she is forbidden from looking out her window, upon the pain of death. Instead, she’s relegated to viewing images of the outside world through a mirror.

One day, she sees a reflection of a rather handsome Lancelot. She’s smitten and looks directly at him through the window.

To meet him, she leaves her castle and rides a boat down to Camelot. The tapestry she wove during her confinement is draped over the boat.

But the curse kicks in and she dies before reaching the shore. Here demise is hinted at by a crucifix and three candles in the painting.

3. Henry Wallis, Chatterton

Chatterton is a highly romanticized painting. It created a sensation when it was exhibited at the Royal Academy. It’s an example of the Victorian approach to history painting.

Thomas Chatterton was a poet and melancholy writer of Gothic themes. Despairing of his lack of literary success, he committed suicide at the age of 17 by swallowing arsenic.

Wallis’ painting shows the pale, still body of Chatterton lying on a bed. His head and right arm dangling loosely over the edge, his tattered papers and the poison vial beside him.

His white shirt and stockings help to silhouette the figure against the darker background. The vivid purple of Chatterton’s knee breeches and his reddish hair grab the viewer’s attention.

4. Rossetti, Beata Beatrix

This is another Pre-Raphaelite masterpiece at the Tate Britain. The inspiration for the painting was Dante’s Vita Nuova . That work tells the story of Dante’s idealized and unrequited love for Beatrice.

The painting is a portrait of Rossetti’s wife Elizabeth Siddall in the character of Beatrice. In the background, Dante gazes toward his love.

The work has a hazy, transcendental quality. Beatrice is posed in ecstasy. The painting seems like a dream or vision.

The painting is filled with symbolic references. A bird drops a white poppy into her hand, a symbol of death. The dove and the figure of Love are red, the color of passion. The time of Beatrice’s death is seen in the sundial.

5. John Constable’s  Flatford Mill

Along with Turner, Constable revolutionized landscape painting in the 19th century. His paintings had a profound and far-reaching effect on European art, particularly in France.

Constable moved away from the highly idealized landscapes that were the expected norm at the academy. Instead, he favored realistic depictions of the natural world.

Constable was famous for painting the Suffolk countryside and Flatford Mill is no exception. The painting shows men working on the River Stour. It was intended as an expression of the importance and value of rural life.

Flatfoot Mill was Constable’s largest canvas and was mainly painted outside. He called it one of his “six footers.”

6. William Blake Works

William Blake was an artist who developed radical new approaches to painting and printmaking. He explored highly personal interpretations of Christian themes. Rejecting the academy, Blake became the most radical of leftfield artists.

Nowadays, Blake is a revered hero. He’s considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age.

But, in his age, he was considered a visionary oddball. And, indeed, Blake claimed to have visions since childhood.

You can see some of Blake’s visions at the Tate Britain. They include The Ghost of a Flea , Newton , and Satan Smiting Job with Sore Boils.

7. Thomas Lawrence, Mrs. Siddons

Lawrence was the most popular English portrait painter of his time. He was famed for portraying the high society ladies in a polished and flattering style. Lawrence became the court painter for King Georg IV.

Lawrence painted many portraits of the actress Sarah Siddons. She was known as the greatest tragic actress of her day.

In this painting, she is shown at one of her dramatic readings. Volumes of plays are next her.

8. Turner Paintings

Turner may be Britain’s most famous and important artist. In the mid 19th century, Turner shocked his colleagues with his loose brush strokes and fiery palette, presaging the later Impressionist movement. 

The Tate Britain’s collection of Turner is the world’s largest collection. It includes all the paintings he had in his possession upon his death.

Turner left it to the nation in his will. There are several hundred oil paintings, watercolors, and sketch books. They are displayed in 8 rooms in the Clore Gallery.

Turner’s works range from highly finished scenes to spontaneous impressions of nature. In the early 19th century, Turner concentrated on British subjects, displaying a patriotic sentimentalism.

9. Mark Rothko’s Seagram Murals

Mark Rothko is an American abstract expressionist painter. But he drew inspiration from Turner. As a result of his admiration, he gifted a group of paintings to the Tate Britain. It’s in the Clore Gallery with Turner’s works.

Rothko was originally commissioned by Seagrams to create these murals for the Four Seasons restaurant in New York. In 1959, Rothko abruptly quit the prestigious gig. Apparently, he didn’t want his art to be mere decoration for wealthy patrons.

Instead, the Seagram Murals took on a darker and more contemplative turn. Michelangelo’s Laurentian Library in Florence Italy influenced Rothko’s meditations.

He used a somber palette of red, browns, and blacks. Rothko sought to re-create the library’s claustrophobic and sepulchral atmosphere.

The murals are displayed in dark, dimly lit rooms. At the time, some criticized them as “Apolcalypse Wallpaper.”

10. Henry Moore Sculptures

Henry Moore burst on to the scene in the 1920s. He was a radical and experimental sculptor. He became the leading sculptor of his generation and a pioneer of modern sculpture.

Moore’s enduring subject was the human body. He saw the countryside as the best setting for his sculptures. Some of his forms are shaped like natural objects such as stones or bones.

Moore’s sculptures are displayed in two dedicated rooms at the Tate Britain. The famous sculptures include Reclining Figure , Recumbent Figure , Family Group , and King and Queen .

King and Queen was created about the same time as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Moore portrays the figures as almost divine beings.

11. Francis Bacon, Three Studies For Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion

Francis Bacon is know for his emotionally charged raw imagery of traumatized humanity. Drifting inbetween figuration and abstraction, his figures are set in isolated and geometric cage-like spaces. They have flat non descriptive backgrounds.

Bacon liked to work in series. He would focus on a single subject for a sustained period of time.

Three Studies was a breakthrough painting for Bacon. It caused a sensation and established him as one of the foremost post-war painters.

It’s not really a crucifixion painting. Bacon later said he was inspired by the vengeful furies of Greece mythology.

This work was first exhibit in 1945. Some historians think Bacon’s work reflects the grim world used in by the Holocaust.

READ : Guide To the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.

12. Lucian Freud, Girl With a White Dog

Lucian Freud is considered one of the most important figurative painters of the 20th century. He essentially redefined portraiture.

The grandson of the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, Freud became famous for his unflinching observations of anatomy and the unsettling intensity of his nude portraits.

Freud used an anti-romantic, confrontational style of portraiture that stripped bare the sitter’s social facade. His images were intensely realized and almost intentionally uglified. Some critics considered Freud the painter of fat people who own their fat.

Freud used loose brushwork and richly applied color. His portraits of lovers, friends, family, and celebrities are fleshy, honest, tender, and complex.

Girl With a White Dog is an early portrait of his pregnant first wife. The absence of a title emphasizes the artist’s preoccupation with observation.

The painting depicts a pale woman in a dressing gown clutching a white dog. The longer you look at it, the more uncomfortable the image becomes. 

The woman looks calm, but also a little crazy. The dog is a bull terrier.

The blunt muzzle is terrifyingly close to the woman’s exposed breast. Will the dog bite the woman? Will the woman strangle the dog?

13. David Hockney, A Bigger Splash

Hockney is one of the most recognizable and popular British artists of our time. His main interest is the challenge of representation, trying to capture an object in two dimension.

A Bigger Splash is an iconic work of Pop Art. It was created in the late 1960s when Hockney had moved to California.

It was a post-war period of optimism and Hockney’s depiction of a California swimming pool reflects this.

The painting evokes a glamorous life of sun and leisure. In many of his paintings, Hockney added male figures. But, in this one, the splash is all the suggests a human presence.

14. Allen Jones, Chair

Allen Jones is a pop artist best known for his figurative paintings and sculpture. His controversial “women as furniture” series sparked outrage for its objectification of the female body.

Chair is a life-size, hyper-realistic female mannequin squeezed into bondage gear. The artist has a fascination with fakery and fetish.

On International Women’s Day in 1986, a demonstrator poured paint stripper over  Chair  in an attempt to literally deface it.

The sculpture still has the ability to shock today. Some claim it symbolizes female oppression. Others view it as an important object in the canon of art history, a response to the then prevailing Minimalism.

15. Chris Ofili, No Woman, No Cry 1998

This enormous painting and densely layered painting is a tribute to the mother of Stephen Lawrence. He was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 1993. It won Ofili the Turner Prize five years later.

Doreen Lawrence’s profile is set against a collaged backdrop of abstract diamonds shaped forms. Each of her light blue tears contains an image of her son. The words RIP are discernible under the paint.

The canvas is perched on two large pieces of elephant dung, a material Olifi liked to use. It exudes a feeling of universal melancholy and grief.

Tours Of The Tate Britain

The Tate Britain is free as I mentioned. But the signage isn’t very good at all.

Because there are so many masterpieces, you may want to book a guided tour.

You can take this 3 hour guided tour or a 3 hour guided tour that includes both the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern .

Practical Information and Tips For Visiting The Tate Britain

Here’s some must know information on how to visit the Tate Britain:

Address : Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4RG

Entrances :

There are three different Tate Britain entrances:

• The Manton Entrance (on Atterbury Street), which has direct access to the lower floor of the gallery, the Linbury Galleries, and the Hyman Kreitman Reading Rooms.
• The Millbank Entrance, which has access to the upper floor and main gallery areas via 20 steps.
• The North Entrance (on John Islip Street), the most ideal entrance for those parking on John Islip Street via the North Gat

Hours : Open daily 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

The Tate has a Bloomberg Connects app to enable visitors to lead their own journey around the galleries on their smartphones.

The app provides a more bespoke, behind-the-scenes, experience than a traditional museum audio guide. It can be downloaded in advance of a visit or in the museum on the Tate’s free Wi-Fi. 

Entry : Free. In high season, you may need to book a timed entry reservation.

Tube stations : Pimlicco, Victoria, Westminster 

The museum has a cafe on the lower floor, Djanogly Cafe . It’s a pretty place with vaulted and frescoed ceilings.

You can get a wide variety of sandwiches, salads, tea, and other drinks. The cafe even has a a Hogarth inspired beer.

Pro tip : You can take a  virtual tour  of the Tate Britain on Google Arts & Culture. On the Tate Britain website , you can also listen to curators talk about key art works in the museum.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to the Tate Britain. You may enjoy these other England travel guides and resources:

• 5 Days in London Itinerary
• Guide To Free Museums in London
• Guide To the National Gallery of Art
• Harry Potter places in London
• Guide To the Churchill War Rooms
• Guide To The Wallace Collection
• Tourist Traps To Avoid in London
• Guide To the Tower of London
• Guide To Hampton Court Palace
• Guide To Hatfield House
• Guide To The Henry VII Chapel

If you’d like to visit the Tate Britain, pin it for later.

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Last Updated on July 7, 2023 by Leslie Livingston

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Need To Know

TRAVEL GALLERY

Travel Gallery is the trading name of Link Express Limited

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Please see our booking conditions for information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate

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We can also offer you ABTA’s scheme for the resolution of disputes which is approved by the Chartered Training Standards Institute. For further information about ABTA, the Code of Conduct and the arbitration scheme available to you if you have a complaint, contact ABTA, 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ. Tel: 020 3117 0500 or www.abta.com . 

Travel Gallery is a member of AITO, both as a tour operator and as a travel agent.  AITO has very high standards of membership. To contact the Association, visit  www.aito.com   or call 020 8744 9280. Below is the AITO Quality Charter:

Quality Charter :  AITO is the association for independent and specialist holiday companies. Our member companies, usually owner-managed, strive to create overseas holidays with high levels of professionalism and a shared concern for quality and personal service. The Association encourages the highest standards in all aspects of tour operating.

Exclusive Membership : AITO sets criteria regarding ownership, finance and quality which must be satisfied before new companies are admitted to membership. All members are required to adhere to a Code of Business Practice which encourages high operational standards and conduct.

Financial Security :  An AITO member is required to protect money paid by customers to the member for any holiday sold under the AITO logo. This protection applies to customers who are in the UK at the time of booking or to overseas customers who have booked directly with the member. Members have to comply with the UK Government Regulations in this respect. Members submit details of their bonding or guarantee arrangements to the Association on a regular basis.

Accurate Brochures and Website :  All members do their utmost to ensure that all their brochures and other publications, print or electronic, clearly and accurately describe the holidays and services offered.

Professional service and continual improvements :  All members are committed to high standards of service and believe in regular and thorough training of employees. Members continually seek to review and improve their holidays. They listen to their customers and always welcome suggestions for improving standards.

Monitoring Standards :  AITO endeavours to monitor quality standards regularly. All customers should receive a post-holiday questionnaire the results of which are scrutinised by the Association.

Responsible Tourism :  All members acknowledge the importance of AITO’s Responsible Tourism guidelines, which recognise the social, economic and environmental responsibilities of tour operating.

Customer Relations :  All members endeavour to deal swiftly and fairly with any issues their customers may raise. In the unlikely event that a dispute between an AITO member and a customer cannot be settled amicably, AITO’s low-cost Independent Dispute Settlement Service may be called upon by either side to bring the matter to a speedy and acceptable conclusion. 

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Please note: passport and visa regulations can change and you should check with the relevant embassy or high commission well in advance of travel. It is your responsibility to be in possession of a valid passport and, if appropriate, a visa. Make sure you plan in advance as some visa applications can take some time to arrange. Please note that the names on the passport must match the name on the ticket, otherwise you may not be able to travel and insurance may be invalid. For the latest passport information, visit the UK Passport Agency at http://www.ukpa.gov.uk

Advance Passenger Information

A number of governments have introduced new requirements for air carriers to provide personal information about all travellers on their aircraft to the authorities before the aircraft leaves the UK. The data will be collected either at the airport when you check in or, depending on the airline, when you make the initial booking.

At the Travel Gallery we hold the passport data and frequent flyer details of many of our clients on file. Equally, we respect that some clients prefer that this data is not stored on our IT system. Please let us know if your preference is to provide this data to us, as and when we need it.

Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides up to date travel information and advice to help British travellers make informed decisions about travelling abroad. For further information, please visit the FCO site at http://www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo or telephone 0870 606 0290.

This website provides detailed information on travelling to many locations and we recommend that you consult with the website when travelling to destinations with which you are not familiar. www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

At the Travel Gallery we try to stay informed of changing Foreign Office advice on many destinations and will be happy to discuss this further.

Health information

Visit your GP as soon as possible to check if you need any vaccinations or other preventive measures, such as malaria tablets. You are advised to visit your general practice surgery or a travel medicine clinic at least 6 weeks before you travel.

There are a number useful web sites which are worth visiting before you travel or if you are seeking further information.

For the latest health information visit NHS Direct http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ or telephone 0845 46 47.

For general health information, check the health section of http://www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo for individual country travel advice before you travel.

The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) provides health information for travellers. The information has been compiled by the NaTHNaC clinical and scientific team, and is updated regularly. Check the site for the health risks in your destination country and general health and safety advice. http://www.nathnac.org/travel/index.htm

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC): British citizens should ensure they hold a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to entitle you to free or discounted healthcare in European countries. https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do

Travel Insurance

We recommend all clients take out comprehensive travel insurance for the duration of your trip. Please read your policy details carefully. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is adequate for your specific requirements. This should cover the cost of termination of the contract by the client or the cost of assistance, including repatriation, in the event of accident, illness or death. Travel Gallery does not sell travel insurance.

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Where Travel Gallery are acting as the principle for your holiday arrangements, Travel Gallery Booking Terms and Conditions will apply and are available by downloading the pdf below.

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If in doubt please ask for such terms and conditions to be clarified in advance of making your booking.

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