Explore some of the lesser-known spots in the UK steeped in tradition. Here’s some inspiration for unusual places you should try and visit at least once in your lifetime.
Published: Monday, 22 September 2025
Bored of beach holidays and the same old busy tourist attractions?
Check out some of these off-the-beaten-track destinations for a more cultured escape in the UK. All of them unique, you’ll have an amazing time at these obscure but interesting places.
If you’re looking for something a little bit quirky, why not pay Cooper’s Hill a visit?
The seemingly mundane hill draws crowds of thousands every Spring Bank Holiday Monday for a race with a unique twist. People from all over the world tumble their way down the 650 foot, 45-degree hill in Gloucestershire to chase a wheel of cheese.
Take part or just watch, the choice is yours. Perhaps the first-place prize might tempt you to give it a go. the 9lb dose of Double Gloucester could be yours if your fast and brave enough to take on the challenge.
Book a room with us a Gloucester Robinswood Hotel when you come to check out this event.
If you’re looking for something a little more out there, why not check out the world’s deadliest garden?
Located in Alnwick Garden, The Poison Garden holds over 100 species of poisonous, toxic, and narcotic trees, flowers and shrubs. The garden is only open during tours (every 30 minutes) where you’ll learn what not to forage in the wild.
Eye-catching foxglove flowers and laburnum trees bloom beautifully and brighten up the landscape but a ‘look but don’t touch’ approach is probably best here. But don’t worry, the most dangerous plants are kept in giant cages.
Check in to the New Kent Hotel when you visit the Poison Garden.
Visit this interactive museum to explore the stories that found life in the streets of Oxford.
The museum has several multi-sensory rooms for both kids and adults to enjoy. Listen to the trees tell tales in the Whispering Woods room, discover secret stories in the Enchanted Library and traverse the land of dragons in the Treasure Chamber.
Some of the most prolific children’s literature was imagined and written in and around Oxford and is brought to life in a series of interactive rooms. Expect encounters with much-loved characters from Lewis Carroll, C.S. Lewis and JRR Tolkien as you’ve never seen them before.
Stay with us at Linton Lodge Hotel if you decide to visit the museum.
Visit the Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre for a weird and wonderful day.
A theatre with a difference; the performers at this Glasgow gem are meticulously-made mechanical marvels. Created by Eduard Bersudsky, the ‘Kinemats' (made of wood and metal) give a crash course in Russia’s communist history.
The unique soundscapes and clockwork cranking of the Kinemats gives a very eerie feel to the experience, perfect for the macabre nature of their subject matter. There are only two performances a day, one for kids and one for adults. It’s advised that you book at least 24 hours in advance.
Book a room with us at the Glasgow Argyle Hotel when you visit the theatre.
Located in the Science Museum, the prototype of the 10,000 year clock, or the Clock of the Long Now, is like nothing you’ve seen before.
The first working prototype of this clock was completed in 1999 and is currently on loan to the museum in London’s swanky Kensington. The clock is designed to run continuously, and keep perfect time, for the next 10,000 years. A bigger version of the clock is currently being built on 250 acres of land in Nevada, USA.
To help it keep accurate time, the clock has six dials representing the year, century, horizons, sun position, lunar phase, and star positions.
Check into a room at the Mornington Hotel if you decide to check out this exhibit at the museum.
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