Many people are familiar with the popular attractions in England, such as Stonehenge, the Tower of London, and the Natural History Museum. These locations see millions of visitors each year. However, Visit England’s annual statistics also reveal that there are around 20 lesser-known attractions that receive fewer than 300 visitors each year.
One such attraction is The Bay Museum on Canvey Island in Essex. While the building looks like a small white toilet block from the outside, it is actually a museum dedicated to military history. The building was originally a Cold War naval magnetic monitoring station and has now been converted into a museum showcasing items from both world wars, including weapons, medals, uniforms, and models. Despite its intriguing collection, The Bay Museum only receives around 200 visitors each year, making it one of the least-visited attractions in England.
Another lesser-known attraction is Stoke Park Pavilions in Stoke Bruerne, Towcester, which sees around 140 visitors each year. The site once contained an impressive country house, the first in England built in the Italian Palladian style. Today, the two pavilions that stood on the site, including a chapel and a library, remain. While the pavilions are not as well-known as other historic locations in England, they provide a unique glimpse into the past and attract a diverse range of visitors, including locals, architecture enthusiasts, and caravan club members.
These smaller attractions offer something unique that larger, more well-known attractions cannot. Longthorpe Tower in Peterborough, for example, may only see 183 visitors each year, but those who do visit are treated to a bespoke tour of the building. The tower is home to one of the most complete sets of 14th Century domestic wall paintings in northern Europe and provides an insight into what life was like for the Thorpe family when the tower was built. Visitors include medievalists, art historians, and those who have lived near the tower their entire lives without realizing it was there.
While these smaller attractions may not receive as much attention as their larger counterparts, they are considered a “crucial and valuable part” of the range of attractions available in England, according to Visit England’s director, Andrew Stokes. For those who do visit these locations, they offer a unique and often unexpected experience, making them all the more special
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