Ancient sites in Britain off the beaten path.
What are some less-touristed ancient sites in Britain, for travelers seeking beautiful places with fewer crowds? Answer
Options include Tintern, a little conservation village by the ruined Tintern Abbey; St Albans, a cathedral city on the site of Roman Verulamium; and Glastonbury, a little town built around medieval abbey ruins. This page includes 9 options. Click here to see which are close enough to be day trips from major cities like Bath, Manchester or London.
Machynlleth
Machynlleth, a compact market town in the Dyfi Valley in Powys, Wales, claims the title of "ancient capital of Wales" as the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Pa…
Tintern
Tintern Abbey, a ruined 12th-century Cistercian monastery on the banks of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, is the main draw to this little conservation…
Criccieth
A tiny seaside town on the south coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales, Criccieth is dominated by the ruins of Criccieth Castle, which look out over…
St Albans
A cathedral city in Hertfordshire north of London, St Albans sits on the site of the Roman city of Verulamium — one of the first major stops on Watling Stree…
Glastonbury
This little Somerset town with an outsized reputation, Glastonbury is built around the ruins of one of medieval England's most important abbeys — the site of…
Broadwindsor
A Dorset village with a heritage-dense centre and a notable royal footnote: King Charles II spent the night here on 23 September 1651 during his flight after…
Eccles
Eccles, a market town in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, is the birthplace of the Eccles cake and grew around its 13th-century Parish Church of St…
Warton
Warton's parish church of Saint Oswald carries a notable historical connection: the Washington family, ancestors of George Washington, the first president of…
Kingskerswell
Pocket-sized Devon village with roots in the Domesday Book, Kingskerswell has a 14th-century church and the ruins of a medieval manor house among its listed…
Ancient sites in Britain: quick answers
Which ancient sites in Britain can you visit on a day trip from Bath, Manchester or London?
Glastonbury, Tintern and Broadwindsor are among 4 ancient sites on our day trips from Bath. Warton, Machynlleth and Criccieth are among 3 ancient sites on our day trips from Manchester. And St Albans is among 1 ancient sites on our day trips from London.
Which are the highest-rated?
2 are rated gold, including Eccles and Glastonbury.
Which can you reach by train?
6 of the 9 have a railway station within a 10-minute drive, including Eccles, Machynlleth, Warton and Criccieth.