30 Best Sights in The West Country, England

Spectacularly set in a former china-clay pit, this garden presents the world's major plant systems in microcosm. The crater contains more than 70,000 plants—many of them rare or endangered species—from three climate zones. Plants from the temperate zone are outdoors, and those from other zones are housed in hexagonally paneled geodesic domes. In the Mediterranean Biome, olive and citrus groves mix with cacti and other plants indigenous to warmer climates. The Rainforest Biome steams with heat, resounds to the gushing of a waterfall, and blooms with exotic flora; the elevated Canopy Walkway enables you to experience a monkey's-eye view of all of it. The emphasis is on conservation and ecology, but is free of any editorializing. The Core, an education center, provides amusement and instruction for children—if you can drag them away from the zipline and giant swing—while an entertaining exhibition in the visitor center gives you the lowdown on the whole project. Staff are scattered throughout the site to answer any lingering questions. Visitors with impaired mobility can request transportation from the entrance to the bottom of the site on a golf buggy, and there is an elevator. Tickets must be bought online for a specific time slot, and are valid for a year.

There are open-air concerts in summer and an ice-skating rink in winter. The Eden Project is 3 miles northeast of Charleston and 5 miles northwest of Fowey. There's frequent bus service from Fowey to St. Austell and from St. Austell train station to Eden. Visitors arriving on foot, by bike, or on public transport can claim a free Eden Guide on presentation of a bus and/or train ticket or bike helmet.

In a refurbished transit shed on the harborside, this museum is dedicated to the city's history. The collection comprises three main galleries—Bristol People, Bristol Places, and Bristol Life—that focus on everything from the slave trade to scientific inventions to recent cultural innovations associated with the city. Check out the artifacts, photos, and sound and video recordings of and by Bristolians, all jazzed up with the latest interactive technology. Don't forget to take in the magnificent harbor views from the top-floor terrace.

At the end of its own peninsula stands this formidable castle, built by Henry VIII in the 1540s and improved by his daughter Elizabeth I. You can explore the defenses developed over the centuries. In the Royal Artillery Barracks, the Pendennis Unlocked exhibit explores the castle's history and its connection to Cornwall and England. The castle has sweeping views over the English Channel and across to St. Mawes Castle, designed as a companion fortress to guard the roads. There are free tours of the Half Moon Battery and regular performances, historical reenactments, and shows for kids.

This family-friendly museum is housed in a recently refurbished Victorian building. The centerpiece is the extensive Making History gallery, a giddy mix of objects imaginatively illustrating the city's history and covering everything from Roman pottery to memorabilia from World War II. The geology section is thrillingly enhanced by the latest video technology, and there are also excellent ethnography and archaeological collections, natural-history displays, and works by West Country artists.

Occupying a Victorian farmhouse and a 14th-century abbey tithe barn, this museum tells the story of life in Somerset throughout the ages. Exhibits in the six galleries illustrate farming practices and daily life in the 19th century using sound recordings and projections as well as an array of tools and domestic objects. The barn, more than 90 feet in length, once stored the one-tenth portion of the town's produce that was owed to the church and now holds exhibitions. Soups and crusty sandwiches are available at the Grain Store Café, which has tables in the yard. The grounds also contain an apple cider orchard. For a good walk, take the scenic footpath from the museum that leads up to the Tor, a half mile east.

On view in the harbor is the first iron ship to cross the Atlantic. Built by the great English engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1843, it remained in service until 1970, first as a transatlantic liner and ultimately as a coal storage hulk. Everything from the bakery to the officers' quarters comes complete with sounds and smells of the time, and there are even shadowy glimpses of rats in the galley. You can try on typical garments of the time, descend into the ship's dry dock for a view of the hull and propeller, and climb the ship's rigging (daily between Easter and October and during school vacations, or weekends at other times; £10). Your entry ticket also admits you to engrossing exhibits on the ship's history and to Being Brunel, a separate museum dedicated to the life of Isambard Brunel. A short walk east along the harborside from here will bring you to a replica of the Matthew, the tiny craft that carried John Cabot to North America in 1497, moored here when it is not cruising up and down the river or sailing on the high seas. Tickets are valid for one year.

Consisting of a museum, galleries, and an archive, the Box opened in 2020 as Plymouth's state-of-the-art exhibition space dedicated to all cultural and historical aspects of the city. Local themes are explored in the linked Port of Plymouth gallery and the 100 Journeys gallery, which focuses on the city's long relationship with the sea and the various voyages that began from Plymouth (including those of Sir Francis Drake, Captain Cook, and various slave-traders). Both are designed to engage visitors of all ages. More than 3,000 natural history specimens are displayed in the Mammoth gallery, while, upstairs, the Photo Album gallery and Media Lab provide visual images from the past. This level is also the best place to view the 14 giant wooden ship figureheads dating from the 1800s that are suspended above the café area, each with its own story told via interactive touchscreens. The art collection, including works by artists associated with the West Country such as Sir Joshua Reynolds, Stanhope Forbes, and Barbara Hepworth, is currently dispersed throughout the museum, and there are regular temporary exhibitions upstairs and in the annex, a deconsecrated church.

For lovers of fine things, Torquay's chief attraction is Torre Abbey, surrounded by parkland but close to the seafront. The abbey itself, founded in 1196, was razed in 1539, though you can still see traces of the old construction. The mansion that now occupies the site was the home of the Cary family for nearly 300 years, and it was later converted into a museum and art gallery. Artistic riches lie within the main building: marine paintings, Victorian sculptures, Pre-Raphaelite window designs, and drawings by William Blake. There are plenty of family-friendly activities, including brass-rubbing.

One of the country's top family-friendly science centers, this multimedia attraction provides a "hands-on, minds-on" exploration of science and technology in more than 300 interactive exhibits and displays. All About Us is dedicated to the inner workings of the human body. Another section allows you to create your own animations. A 3-D planetarium in a gleaming stainless-steel sphere takes you on a 30-minute voyage through the galaxy. There are up to 10 shows a day, bookable when you buy your ticket (£4). A popular exhibit lets kids test their skills at creating animations. Allow at least three hours to see it all. Buy your tickets online for a 5% discount.

Worked from Roman times until 1900, this impressive underground network of caves make for an interesting tour. A small exhibition includes tools and examples of carved stone.

In the sleepy village of Berkeley (pronounced bark-ley), this castle is perfectly preserved, down to its medieval turrets, and full of family treasures. It witnessed the murder of King Edward II in 1327—the cell in which it occurred can still be seen. Edward was betrayed by his French consort, Queen Isabella, and her paramour, the Earl of Mortimer. Roger De Berkeley, a Norman knight, began work on the castle in 1153, and it has remained in the family ever since. Magnificent furniture, tapestries, and pictures fill the state apartments, but even the ancient buttery and kitchen are interesting. Guided tours are available, and summer sees a program of events for all ages, including jousting, archery sessions, and theater. The castle is 20 miles north of Bristol, accessed from M5.

A monument to Victorian engineering, this 702-foot-long bridge spans the Avon Gorge. Work began on Isambard Kingdom Brunel's design in 1831, but the bridge wasn't completed until 1864. Free hour-long guided tours usually take place on weekends at 3 between Easter and October or 2 from November to Easter, departing from the tollbooth at the Clifton end of the bridge. At the far end of the bridge, the Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre has an engaging exhibition on the bridge and its construction, including a range of videos and hands-on experiences. Near the bridge lies Clifton Village, studded with cafés, boutiques, antiques shops, and smart crafts shops in its lanes and squares. Bus No. 8 from Bristol Temple Meads Station and the city center stops in Clifton Village.

These lovingly restored trains chug along on tracks beside the River Dart between Paignton and Kingswear (across the river from Dartmouth). You can combine a train ride with a river excursion between Dartmouth and Totnes and a bus between Totnes and Paignton or Torquay on a Round Robin ticket (£34.50).

The winding B3306 coastal road southwest from St. Ives passes through some of Cornwall's starkest yet most beautiful countryside. Barren hills crisscrossed by low stone walls drop abruptly to granite cliffs and wide bays. Evidence of the ancient tin-mining industry is everywhere. Now a fascinating mining heritage center, the early-20th-century Geevor Tin Mine employed 400 men, but in 1985 the collapse of the world tin market wiped Cornwall from the mining map. Wear sturdy footwear for the surface and underground tours. A museum, shop, and café are at the site.

Fondly regarded in folklore as the lost land of Lyonesse, this compact group of more than 100 islands 30 miles southwest of Land's End is equally famed for the warm summer climate and ferocious winter storms. In fair weather you can find peace, flowers—wild, cultivated, and subtropical—swarms of seabirds, and unspoiled beaches galore. There's a 2¾-hour ferry service from Penzance, a plane service from Land's End airport and other mainland airports, and a helicopter service from Penzance. Planes and ferries both arrive at the largest of the five inhabited islands, St. Mary's, while up to 11 helicopter flights connect Penzance with St. Mary's and Tresco (every day but Sunday). St. Mary's has the bulk of the lodgings, though the most palatial retreats are on the islands of Tresco and St. Martin's.

On three floors, this interactive exhibition narrates the story of Plymouth, from its beginnings as a fishing and trading port to the modern industrial city it is today. Along the way, you'll take in the stories of various expeditions that embarked from here to the New World, including the Mayflower itself. The city's tourist office is also in this building.

In the 19th century, Morwellham (pronounced More-wel-ham) was England's main copper-exporting port, and it has been carefully restored as a working museum, with quay workers and coachmen in costume. Visitors can board a special train that goes along the River Tamar and into the George and Charlotte Copper Mine. Fairs and other special events take place throughout the year. The site lies 2 miles east of Cotehele House and 5 miles southwest of Tavistock.

The three floors of this informative museum contain historical artifacts, domestic knickknacks, traditional agricultural and mining tools, and fascinating insights into the lives of ordinary folk living on the moor. The museum also provides tourist information for Dartmoor and the Okehampton area.

This excellent aquarium—the U.K.'s largest—on the town's harbor presents aqueous environments, from a freshwater stream to the Great Barrier Reef and the Biozone. Don't miss the chance to walk beneath sharks in the Atlantic Ocean tank, alongside clownfish, angelfish, and cleaner wrasses in the Biozone. Feeding times are fun for the kids, and Waves Café, with its harbor views, makes a good spot for a rest and refreshment. Tickets are valid for one year. Buy online for a set day at least three days in advance for a 10% discount.

The granite-and-oak-clad structure by the harbor is an excellent place to come to grips with Cornish maritime heritage, weather lore, and navigational science. You can view approximately 30 of the collection of 140 or so boats, examine the tools associated with Cornish boatbuilders, and gaze down from the lighthouselike lookout, which is equipped with maps, telescopes, and binoculars. In the glass-fronted Tidal Zone below sea level, you come face-to-face with the sea itself. Museum tickets are valid for a year.

On the riverbank a mile southwest of the town center, the jagged ruins of this Norman castle occupy a verdant site with a picnic area and woodland walks.

One of West Cornwall's finest beaches thanks to its natural setting, Porthcurno has a crescent moon of white sand (from crushed shells) at the foot of imposing dark, blocklike granite cliffs. The extraordinary Minack Theatre—carved from solid rock—is on one side, and there are cafés and a pub nearby. A steep slope can make swimming a challenge at times, but one area near a stream is good for families. The village and beach are signed off B3315, and the coastal path runs behind it. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: swimming; picnics; walking.

The seat of the earls of Devon, this notable stately home 8 miles south of Exeter is famed for its staircase hall, a soaring fantasia of white stuccowork on a turquoise background, constructed in 1739–69. Other sumptuous rooms, adorned with family portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller and Sir Joshua Reynolds, were used in the Merchant-Ivory film Remains of the Day. The Belvedere Tower built in the 1770s offers inspiring views over the Exe Estuary, and a second tower, built in 1400 by Sir Philip Courtenay (ancestor of the current owners), stands in the deer park. You can take a "safari" ride (a tractor pulling a trailer) to see the 600-odd fallow deer that live on the grounds, and October sees daily "Deer Rut Safaris"—check the website or call for details on both of these. The restaurant serves light lunches, and there's a children's play area, a pets' corner, a farm shop, and a plant center. Check the website for online discounts. Tickets are valid for seven days.

In a Georgian building, this museum displays some fine examples of Cornwall-inspired art, a sampling of Cornish archaeology, an absorbing hodgepodge of local history, and an extensive collection of minerals. There's also a shop and a small adjacent café.

Located in the aptly named Whitesand Bay, Sennen Cove is a gorgeous expanse of creamy soft sand on the western tip of Cornwall. When the tide is coming in, the waves attract legions of surfers. When the tide's out, kids paddle in the tidal pools, and the sand stretches as far as you can see. Cafés are nearby, and surfing equipment is for rent on the beach. Sennen is off A30 less than 2 miles north of Land's End, and can be reached on foot on the South West Coast Path. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.

Steam trains of this railway run through 7 miles of the wooded Dart Valley between Totnes and Buckfastleigh, on the edge of Dartmoor (30 minutes). Call about special trips scattered throughout the season and around Christmas.

Rising out of Mount's Bay just off the coast, this spectacular granite-and-slate island is one of Cornwall's greatest natural attractions. The 14th-century castle perched at the highest point—200 feet above the sea—was built on the site of a Benedictine chapel founded by Edward the Confessor. In its time, the island has served as a church (Brittany's island abbey of Mont St. Michel was an inspiration), a fortress, and a private residence. The castle rooms you can tour include the Chevy Chase Room—a name probably associated with the Cheviot Hills or the French word chevaux (horses), after the hunting frieze that decorates the walls of this former monks' refectory. Family portraits include works by Reynolds and Gainsborough. Don't miss the wonderful views from the castle battlements. Around the base of the rock are buildings from medieval to Victorian times, but they appear harmonious. Fascinating gardens surround the Mount, and many kinds of plants flourish in its microclimate.

To get to the island, walk the cobbled causeway from the village of Marazion or, when the tide is in, take the £2.50 ferry (summer only). There are pubs and restaurants in the village, but the island also has a café and restaurant. Wear good walking shoes for your visit, which requires a steep climb. Visits may be canceled in severe weather.

Exeter's Underground Passages, which once served as conduits for fresh water, are the only medieval vaulted passages open to the public in Britain. They date to the mid-14th century, although some were enlarged by the Victorians. An exhibition and video precede the 25-minute guided tour. Many of the passages are narrow and low: be prepared to stoop. The tours often sell out during school vacations, so come early. Children under five are not permitted in the tunnels.

These limestone caves in the Mendip Hills, 2 miles northwest of Wells, may have been the home of Iron Age people. Here, according to ancient legend, the Witch of Wookey turned to stone. You can tour the caves, dip your fingers in an underground river (artful lighting keeps things lively), and visit a museum, a penny arcade full of Victorian amusement machines, a mirror maze, fairy gardens, and a working paper mill that once supplied banknotes for the Confederate States of America.

One of the most famous beaches in the country, North Devon's Woolacombe is popular with surfers for its waves and with families for its soft sand and tidal pools that are great for kids to explore. This broad and extensive stretch of sand has all you could need for a dreamy day by the sea. At its northern end you'll find cafés, loungers, surfing equipment to rent, lifeguards, ice cream—you name it. If you're not looking for crowds and kids, you may want to head to the southernmost section of the beach, around Putsborough. The beach is 17 miles west of Lynton: to get here, take A361 and follow signs. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: surfing; swimming.