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As the sixth biggest tourism destination in the world, the UK attracted over 40 million tourists in 2018, according to Visit Britain. Around 30 million of these visitors flocked to the bright lights of London, home to some of the UK’s most well-known attractions – from the likes of Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street, to Madame Tussauds and the Tower of London. If you’re hoping for a more off-the-beaten-path experience, however, you’ll be pleased to discover there are plenty of more unusual things to do in the UK.
Here are some of the quirkiest things to do when visiting the UK as a tourist. Can you think of any more to add to the list?
Unusual things to do in the UK: my five top picks
1) Ride the world’s longest tunnel slide
At 178m long, the ArcelorMittal Orbit Slide at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London is the world’s tallest and longest slide.
After taking a lift to the top of the slide, you’ll be kitted out with the most unflattering form of safety cap known to man, before wiggling your way into a smooth sack to ensure you glide down The Slide during your 40-second descent.
Tickets to ride The Slide at ArcelorMittal Orbit cost £16.50 for adults, £10.50 for children and £13.50 for concessions. A family ticket for two children and two adults is also available at a cost of £52.
2) Visit the UK’s largest horse sanctuary
Spending time with animals is believed to help us relax and unwind, so consider visiting the horses at Redwings, the UK’s biggest horse sanctuary.
Redwings is home to hundreds of abandoned, mistreated and or neglected horses, ponies, donkeys and mules from across the UK. Whether the animals are suffering with an illness like nutritional laminitis (see the Spillers guide to laminitis) due to neglect, or displaying other signs of physical or emotional abuse, the sanctuary provides veterinary treatment, rehabilitation and lifelong care.
Redwings have Visitor Centres in Essex, Norfolk, Scotland and Warwickshire and entry is free of charge.
3) Explore Britain’s oldest interactive science centre
Founded in 1985, Techniquest in Cardiff, Wales is a registered educational charity and the UK’s longest-running interactive science centre, offering over 120 hands-on science exhibits guaranteed to wow children and adults alike.
Launch a hot air balloon, operate a giant pneumatic dragon, go star-gazing in the digital planetarium or see a real-life ant farm in action – the possibilities are seemingly endless.
Tickets purchased online in advance cost £8 for adults and £6.50 for children, including a voluntary charitable donation of around 10% that enables Techniquest to claim Gift Aid on 100% of the admission charge.
4) Step inside the UK’s smallest house
Perched on the quayside in Conwy, you’ll find a dainty terraced house measuring just 72 inches wide by 122 inches high. Formerly known as the Quay House, this is believed to be the smallest house in Britain.
Despite being the UK’s tiniest home, it’s impossible to miss Quay House, thanks to its pillarbox-red front. Pop inside for a look around; the house was most recently inhabited by a local fisherman and there’s just about enough room to cram in a single bed, a coal bunker and a fireplace.
Entry into Quay House costs just £1 for adults and 50p for children.
5) Drink in London’s oldest pub
The coveted title of oldest pub in London has been bandied about by several of London’s public houses over the years, but the The White Hart on Drury Lane is widely seen as the rightful claimant, with records dating back to 1216.
Once believed to have been a favourite watering hole of Dick Turpin and Jack Sheppard, the pub became nicknamed The German Shed in 1840 when international far-left society, the Fraternal Democrats, chose to use the pub as a meeting place. Today, The White Hart has been completely refurbished and is a pleasant, family-friendly establishment.
The White Hart is located close to Holborn and Covent Garden Underground stations.
What are your favourite unusual things to do in the UK? Share your ideas with other readers in the comment box below.
If you liked reading this post, be sure to check out these posts too:
- UK Festivals – A Brief Guide
- 5 Unmissable Things to Do in London
- West End Wishlist for 2019
- London Notting Hill Carnival: A Brief Guide
- 10 Things to Love About Living in Cardiff
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The tunnel slide in London is on my to do list, but I chicken out all of the time!
Haha aww, it’s not scary really and it’s over so quickly, once you reach the bottom you’ll be wishing you could have another go I bet!
The only thing from this list I have done is the slide, which was so much fun. But going to the Oldest pub sounds like it would be fun although so many different places claim to have the oldest pub it’s hard to know which actually is x
The slide is amazing, but you’ll want to go down it again and again! I know what you mean, there are so many old pubs in London it’s tricky to know which one really is the oldest.
The longest tower slide would be a lot of fun even with a slight fear of heights! Our oldest pub in Nottingham is said to date back to the crusade times so that would be worth checking out if you like that sort of historical thing.
Oh that sounds like a real relic! I have only ever been to Nottingham once; I would love to explore more of the city sometime.
We love to visit our local Redwings, I never realised that they were the UK largest horse sanctuary
I haven’t been but it sounds like a great place to visit, and it would be lovely for children to connect with the horses
What brilliant places to visit. I really want to get to techniquest now, I think the kids would love that and the oldest pub looks amazing!
Techniquest is pretty cool! You can guarantee that if you went to school in Cardiff, you’ll have been there on a school trip a few times at least!
As a Londoner I know the White Hart and visited it a few times. But the rest of them I have never heard of – what a fab collection, must put them on my list to see and visit.
Oh wow, now that’s one I have not yet crossed off my bucket list. I have passed the White Hart but I’ve never gone in.
I’m still yet to try the longest slide but it looks so much fun! X
It is great fun, I went on it with a friend and we were laughing our heads off all the way down 🙂
The tunnel slide terrifies me because I am scared of heights! But the smallest house and the science centre look brilliant!
Aww, it is high up but as you go up in the lift, you barely notice how high up you are and the actual journey down the slide literally takes seconds! 🙂
I’ve actually done two of these things! The slide and drank in the pub. What a great list of things to do that people wouldn’t normally think of x
Oh wow, that’s great. I loved the slide. I’m yet to visit the White Hart.