Dulwich Picture Gallery

If you enjoy looking at great artwork, you should check out the Dulwich Picture Gallery. This gallery features some of the finest European artwork in the country. Some of the most popular exhibitions at this gallery include Nicolas Poussin’s First Series of Seven Sacraments, Murillo & Justino de Neve: The Art of Friendship and Coming of Age. If you visit the Dulwich Picture Gallery during the weekend, you can enjoy a free guided tour of the permanent collection.

Brixton Windmill

The Brixton Windmill is one of the most interesting sights in London. It was built in 1816 and has remained beautifully preserved since then. When you enter the windmill, you will be able to hear an interesting story about the family who used to own the windmill. You can also book a guided tour in advance if you want to see the upper floors.

Brixton Windmill, London, UK by Stuart

Hunterian Museum

The Hunterian Museum is located inside the Royal College of Surgeons of England and features thousands of medical instruments and specimens. When you are touring this museum, you are sure to see something that boggles your mind. Some of the most fascinating exhibitions in this museum include Model Anatomy, Extinct, Humans as Fossils and Big.

Dennis Severs’ House

If you are in London, you should make the time to stop by Dennis Severs’ House. A man named Dennis Severs used to live in this home without electricity and other modern conveniences. He purchased the 18th century home and decided against restoring it. As you are walking through this home, you will feel like you went back in time. The home is only lit by candlelight, so it is quite dark inside.

St. Mary’s Secret Garden

St. Mary’s Secret Garden is one of the most beautiful places to visit in London. It features a herb garden and vegetable beds that grow winter lettuces, kale and brussel sprouts. Visiting this garden gives you a chance to escape the bustle of the city and just relax. You can also take a very fun and informative gardening course at the St. Mary’s Secret Garden.

Women’s Library

The Women’s Library features a lot of different books and articles that relate to females. When you are there, you can go in the reading room and research the materials for free.

As you can see, there are plenty of less-known attractions in London that are worth checking out. If you just go to the tourist spots in London, you will be missing out on these hidden gems.

Sally writes for Reserve Apartments the Edinburgh Festival Accommodation specialists. Reserve Apartments also feature properties in Glasgow, for an Apartment Glasgow visit http://www.reserveapartments.co.uk.

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Sound nutty? Read on to learn about some of the most unusual places to stay in the UK. Feeling fruity? Book yourself into a 75-foot pineapple! At Dunmore Park, near Stirling in Scotland, guests can bed down in a giant pineapple-shaped stone folly, which was built for the earl of the region back in the 18th Century, when pineapples were considered the height of tropical sophistication. Rooms can be booked through The Landmark Trust.

Dunmore Pineapple, Scotland, UK by giannandrea

For a romantic stay that is a little less off the wall, how about a night in a lighthouse cottage? There are over 30 lighthouse cottages in the UK that have been converted for use as holiday lets and all enjoy incredible sea views, wonderful proximity to wildlife and a feeling of being alone in a rural retreat. Perfect for snuggling up to a partner on a chilly night with a bottle of wine.

Not lofty enough for your tastes? How about spending your holidays in a windmill? In Cley Village, Norfolk, a windmill has been transformed into a wonderfully romantic place to stay, with four-poster beds, log fires, hidden rooms and viewpoints that are perfect for bird watching. There are six bedrooms, making it a good choice for holidays with friends or family.

Cley Windmill, Norfolk, UK by Martin Pettitt

A night in a prison may sound like most people’s idea of a night out gone very, very wrong, but here in the UK a night in the cells can actually be a pleasure. Just check in to Malmaison Hotel in Oxford, a 19th-Century former correctional facility that now offers all the mod-cons that one could ask for, including a cocktail bar, flat-screen TVs and an acclaimed restaurant. To compare cottages take a look at this site.

Many original features, such as the metal prison landings, have been preserved, giving an almost eerie feel to the place. The prison-turned-plush-hotel lies in the grounds of Oxford Castle, whose history stretches back to 1701.

Malmaison – Oxford Castle, England, UK by Douglas Neiner

For less lavish accommodations, the scary-sounding House of Correction in Folkingham, Lincolnshire, offers limited-frills lodging for up to four in a building that is part of a former prison.

For something a little more fun, the Treehouse in Somerset is a wonderful place for small and big kids alike. Located in a rural Somerset idyll, it makes a great romantic retreat, with a wood stove and a spiral staircase leading to a comfy double bed and a vintage-style roll top bath.

There’s even a hot tub outside and in this remote setting guests are unlikely to be troubled by onlookers.

Treehouse in Somerset, England, UK by treehouseholidays.com

To really escape the madding crowd, head to Dent Station in Yorkshire. This Grade II-listed building is not open for overnight visitors (but exclusive accommodation can be booked in advance) and is four miles from the nearest village.

As unusual accommodation options go, spending the night in a train station is up there with the best of them and the views over the Yorkshire Dales are second to none.

Also in scenic Yorkshire, the Temple Flooy in Swinithwaite is an 18th-Century landmark and was built to allow local ladies to watch their men on fox hunts.

The expansive views take in mile after mile of glorious Yorkshire countryside and the two-room folly has its own kitchen, along with a balcony and a host of original features.

Written by John a Traveller and writer in the UK. He has written for many reputable publications including The TravelSupermarket Site.

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The windmills at Kinderdijk date from the 18th century (system was built around 1740) and it is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands. These windmills were watermills – wind-powered mills used to pump water from low-lying land back into the Lek River. Steam-powered pumps took over in the late nineteenth century (and eventually electricity) but the windmills were still operational in emergencies up to the mid-twentieth century. It is planned to have all windmills at Kinderdijk again in operational order by 2010.

There is free entry to Kinderdijk and to the windmill area and is accessible at any time. The best time to visit is on Saturdays in July and August when all mills are working if sufficient wind is blowing.

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Haarlem has been the historical center of the tulip bulb-growing district for centuries and therefore bears the nickname ‘Bloemenstad’ – The city of flowers. You can see beautiful flower arrangements on street corners, colourful parks and squares at any entrance to the city.

What to see in Harleem?

• Almshouses (hofjes) built around courtyards
• The Grote Markt (central market square), including:
• the City Hall
• the Vleeshal or meat market
• the Hoofdwacht
• the Grote or Sint-Bavokerk
• Stadsbibliotheek Haarlem, the Haarlem Public Library, an historic landmark
• Sint-Bavo Cathedral
• Castle ruin Huis ter Kleef
• The Teylers Museum (the oldest museum of the Netherlands)
• Frans Hals Museum of Art
• Het Dolhuys Museum of Psychiatry
• Windmill De Adriaan
• The Amsterdamse Poort city gate
• The art nouveau railway station of Haarlem
• Theater De Toneelschuur
• The Ten Boom Museum
• Villa Welgelegen
• Haarlemmerhout park
• The Bosch and Vaart neighbourhood

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