10 Literary Locations in the UK Book Lovers Need to Visit – Bookish Travel Tips
Keen to check out some super bookish spots?!
Whether you’re based in the UK or are planning a trip over, here you can find the perfect locations to add to your literary loving agenda.
If you’re after a little inspiration, a way to discover more about your favourite authors or simply a place to relax, you're in the right place. Where better to enjoy reading than one of the UK hotspots for fabulous novels?!
With so many places to choose from, I am sure you’ll enjoy a jam-packed day full of wordy wonder! Here are my top UK travel tips for book lovers…
FAMOUS LITERARY LOCATIONS TO VISIT IN THE UK
1. 221B Baker Street, London
The home of Sherlock Holmes!
Sir Anthony Doyle created this well-loved detective in 1887. During his time at Baker Street, the ultra brainy Holmes enjoyed many adventurous years with his friend and colleague John Watson.
According to the stories, Holmes and Watson lived at 221B Baker Street from 1881 to 1904. But 221B Baker street did not exist in 1881... how curious! It was a purely fictional address.
Today, if you visit 221B Baker Street today you’ll find the Sherlock Holmes Museum! Opened in 1990 by the Sherlock Holmes International Society, it is visited daily by many fans of the fictional detective!
The museum is a replica of the 221B found in the stories. The museum promises that “the interior has been faithfully maintained for posterity exactly as described in the published stories.”
2. The Eagle and Child, Oxford
A trip to the pub!
The Eagle and Child, (nicknamed The Bird and Baby) is a pub owned by St. John's College, Oxford.
Now, not only is this pub a great place to wet your tongue and fill the tank, it also has associations with the Inklings writers' group which included legends such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis!
Enjoy a tasty meal in the room where the magic was made.
3. Dove Cottage, Grasmere
To the North!
In the town of Grasmere, a popular village in the beautiful Lake District you can find the home of William Wordsworth, Dove Cottage. Here he wrote his best-loved poems and his sister kept a Grasmere journal, with her musings on the area and her family.
Wordsworth described Grasmere as “the loveliest spot that man hath found”. The village has many beautiful countryside walks, friendly cafes and ”the world's best” gingerbread shop!
4. Hill Top House, Lake District
Also in the Lake District, you can find the fascinating home of Beatrix Potter, Hill Top House.
This National Trust Site is described as “Beatrix Potter's 17th-century farmhouse: a time-capsule of her life”.
Discover where she created the famous Peter Rabbit and how she used nature to inspire her beloved children's tales.
5. Jane Austen’s House, Chawton
From one outstanding female author to another!
However this time we are in Hampshire at Jane Austen's well-loved, final home, The Chawton Estate.
It was here that Jane wrote, revised and had published all her novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.
Discover the genius of Jane Austen and visit her beautiful gardens and surroundings in the quaint English village of Chawton.
6. Stratford-upon-Avon
The home of Shakespeare. This incredibly influential playwright is widely regarded as the most influential British Writer. Why not discover where he lived?!
Visit the bustling market town of Stratford-upon-Avon today and discover the wonder of Shakespeare.
There are so many Shakespeare spots you can visit in this gorgeous town! Such as…
Shakespeare’s birthplace - the half-timbered Tudor family home in Henley Street.
Nash’s House - The home of Shakespeare’s granddaughter in which the poet resided towards the end of his life.
Hall’s Croft - The home of physician Dr John Hall who married William Shakespeare's eldest daughter, Susanna.
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage - Discover where Anne Hathway lived before her marriage to William Shakespeare. A quick trip to Shottery, a small village about a mile away from Stratford.
The Holy Trinity Church - Where Shakespeare was baptised and is buried.
7. Keats’ House (Wentworth Place), London
Born in 1795, Keats began to write poetry from the age of 18.
As an adult, Keats abandoned his profession as an apothecary surgeon to work on his poetry full time. Heavily influenced by Shakespeare and Milton, Keats became one of the central poets of the English Romantic movement.
Keats wrote some of his most famous poems at Wentworth Place and fell in love with ‘the girl next door’, Fanny Brawne.
In April 1922 Keats House became a museum for all to enjoy. Why not spend the day discovering the romantic home of this wonderful poet?
8. The British Library, London
Books, books and more books!
There is no denying this mesmerising library will warm the heart of any book lover. With many bookish events and exhibitions, the British Library is a buzzing hub of activity where you can connect with other readers and discover the ultimate book collection.
Situated on Euston Road near Kings Cross train station, this library is surely worth a visit!
9. Platform 9 3⁄4
And as you’re already near Kings Cross station…
“Dum dum de dum dum de dum dum” - That’s meant to be the Harry Potter theme tune if you can’t tell...
What a fabulous series! JK Rowling's world-famous children’s classic is a British treasure (though Rowling herself, unfortunately, hasn’t been the greatest person lately). Celebrate the magic boy and his friends, who saved the wizarding world by visiting Platform 9 3⁄4 at Kings Cross Train Station!
This destination includes a Harry Potter shop full of wonderful wizarding supplies and the chance to take your picture in Harry’s Gryffindor scarf as you enter the portal to Hogwarts...
Top Tip - Kings cross is very busy! Make sure to avoid the station at rush hour and visit 9 3⁄4 during the daytime and on a weekday.
10. Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey
A place of pilgrimage for all literature lovers.
More than 100 poets and writers are buried or have memorial sat Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey.
Many of those buried or remembered in Poets' Corner are world-famous, like William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and the Brontë sisters.
A must-visit destination for classics fans.
OTHER SPOTS
There are so many more glorious spots for book fans to visit in the UK. A country rich with glorious language, picturesque countryside and romantic stories, it would be a shame to miss out!
Here are a few more spots to add to the list…
● Ashdown Forest, East Sussex - Home to Winnie the Pooh!
● Brontë Parsonage, Haworth - The wonderful Brontë museum
● Shakespeare's Globe - The World Famous Museum
● Bloomsbury Garden Squares - Inspired novels by Virginia Woolf and Thackeray
● Charles Dickens Museum
● Sherwood Forest - Home of Robin Hood
● Bateman’s, East Sussex - Home of Rudyard Kipling author of the Jungle Book
● Max Gate, Dorchester - Home of Thomas Hardy
● Monk’s House, East Sussex - Home of Virginia Woolf
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