THE BRITISH HERITAGE ARCHIVEBritish English All entries

BRITISH LEGACY / THE COLLECTION

Iconic Landmarks

Britain is home to numerous iconic landmarks that are symbols of its history and culture. These landmarks attract millions of visitors annually and are integral to the nation's heritage.

66 entries

Big Ben: the bell, clock and tower that became a British icon

At the north end of the Palace of Westminster, an ingenious Victorian clock and its famous bell have marked parliamentary life and entered the country’s shared soundscape.

Buckingham Palace

The official residence of the British monarch in London, a central location for national celebrations and events.

Tower of London: fortress, palace and place of power

Founded during the Norman Conquest, the Tower has served England’s rulers as a stronghold, royal residence, prison, treasury and, today, a historic site open to visitors.

Stonehenge: monument, landscape and enduring questions

Built in stages in Wiltshire, Stonehenge is known for its great stones, its solstice alignment and the mysteries that remain around its purpose.

Westminster Abbey: worship, monarchy and memory

A London church where Gothic architecture, royal ceremonies and memorials bring religious and public history together.

The British Museum: a public institution with a global collection

Founded in 1753, the London museum brings objects from many cultures into public view—and remains at the centre of debates about how they were acquired.

The Shard: London’s glass spire and its changing skyline

Designed by Renzo Piano and completed in 2012, The Shard combines offices, homes, a hotel and a public viewing gallery in a 309.6-metre tower.

Edinburgh Castle: Scotland’s fortress above the city

From royal stronghold and besieged garrison to national memorial, Edinburgh Castle has shaped Scotland’s history and remains a defining landmark of its capital.

The Roman Baths: a Roman sanctuary and bathing complex

Built around Bath’s hot springs, the Roman Baths bring together a temple, bathing rooms and a collection of finds from Roman Britain.

Windsor Castle: a royal residence shaped by a thousand years

A working royal home, fortress and palace, Windsor Castle brings together successive chapters of English and British history.

Tower Bridge

Bascule and suspension bridge in London, an iconic symbol of the city.

The Palace of Westminster: Parliament beside the Thames

A royal site became the home of the UK Parliament; its present Gothic Revival form followed the fire of 1834.

The Lake District: mountains, literature and heritage

Cumbria’s lakes and fells are also a landscape of literary connections, rural industries and cultural heritage.

The Cotswolds

Rolling limestone hills, wool-trade towns and village traditions shape this distinctive English landscape.

Canterbury Cathedral: a living monument shaped by pilgrims

Founded in the early mission to the Anglo-Saxons, Canterbury Cathedral has been rebuilt, enlarged and adapted across more than fourteen centuries.

The White Cliffs of Dover: coast, nature and memory

Kent’s chalk coastline is both a distinctive landscape and an enduring image of home, shaped by wartime song and natural heritage.

Hadrian’s Wall

A Roman frontier across northern England, where military engineering, movement and daily life left a landscape still read today.

St Paul’s Cathedral: Wren’s landmark and London’s working church

Rebuilt after the Great Fire, St Paul’s has served as a place of worship, a setting for national ceremonies and a defining feature of the City of London.

The Royal Albert Hall: a London stage for the arts

Opened by Queen Victoria in 1871, the South Kensington hall links Prince Albert’s cultural vision with the BBC Proms and a wide-ranging programme of events.

Cutty Sark: the clipper that outlived the tea trade

Built in Dumbarton for speed, the famous sailing ship moved from the China tea route to Australian wool before finding a permanent home in Greenwich.

Kew Gardens: plants, science and history in south-west London

The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew bring together major plant collections, botanical research, historic glasshouses and buildings, and conservation work with an international reach.

The Giant’s Causeway

Northern Ireland’s basalt columns bring geology, folklore and a recognised World Heritage landscape together.

The Eden Project: gardens inside a Cornish clay pit

Opened in 2001, the Eden Project brings plants from different climate zones into two large biomes and makes environmental education central to its visitor experience.

York Minster: Gothic architecture, glass and a living cathedral

York Minster brings together medieval building, stained glass and an enduring role as a place of worship in the historic city of York.

The British Library: collections, research and public life

From its origins in the British Museum to exhibitions and online projects, the national library brings historical collections into public view.

The Natural History Museum

London’s natural history museum brings together vast collections, public galleries and scientific research.

The Angel of the North

Antony Gormley’s monumental sculpture brings Gateshead’s industrial landscape into view.

The Old Course at St Andrews

Historic golf course in Scotland, known as the "Home of Golf."

Tate Modern: a power station transformed into an art gallery

On London’s Bankside, a former power station became a public home for modern and contemporary art, with the Turbine Hall at its centre.

Glastonbury Tor: the hill where history and legend meet

Above the Somerset Levels, a roofless medieval tower crowns a hill shaped by deep history, Christian pilgrimage and stories of Avalon.

The Victoria and Albert Museum

How a South Kensington museum brought decorative art and design into public view

Chatsworth House: architecture, art and gardens in Derbyshire

An Elizabethan house transformed over centuries, Chatsworth brings together the Devonshire Collection, formal gardens and a distinctive place in British culture.

The Iron Bridge: engineering across the Severn

Opened in 1781, this cast-iron arch linked communities in Shropshire and became a landmark in the history of bridge design.

The Cavern Club: Liverpool’s stage for the Beatles and Merseybeat

Opened in 1957 as a jazz club, the Cavern became a regular stage for the Beatles and other Merseybeat acts. Its story also includes closure, demolition and a later reopening nearby.

Durham Cathedral: Norman stone, living worship and a northern legacy

Built to house the shrine of St Cuthbert, Durham Cathedral remains a place of worship and a landmark of Romanesque architecture.

The National Gallery: a public collection in Trafalgar Square

Founded in 1824, the London gallery brings together more than 2,300 paintings and a history shaped by public access, private generosity and changing ideas about art.

The Scottish Highlands: landscape, history and living culture

From Ben Nevis and Loch Ness to clan history, outdoor pursuits and Gaelic heritage, the Highlands bring together Scotland’s varied landscapes and traditions.

The Belfast Titanic Museum

Museum in Belfast dedicated to the history of the RMS Titanic and its ill-fated voyage.

The Royal Mile: Edinburgh’s historic route from castle to palace

From Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Royal Mile brings together landmarks that trace Scotland’s political, religious and royal history.

The London Eye: a new perspective on the capital

Conceived for the millennium, the South Bank landmark carries visitors above the Thames for a changing view across London.