Looking for some interesting places to add to our visit list. Must be in UK, possibly Ireland.
We've visited most southerly, easterly, westerly, northerly points of Britain. I have been to the point furthest from the sea in Britain
We visited most easterly point of United Kingdom in Manger, NI last year.
We've visited most north easterly point, and on Sunday are off to most north Westerly point if Britain.
We've visited smallest and largest inhabited island of the British isles.
We've climbed highest peaks in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland (and high hills are off the cards for the future, sorry).
Shetland is on next year's list to see Muckle Flugga/Out Skerry, plus the shortest flight. And a return to Harris & Lewis so we can try to get to St Kilda.
Scilly Isles we must look at.
I'm ignoring inaccessible places like Rockall.
I'm looking for some more places - I'm thinking highest pub, most remote cafe, most remote cinema, lowest point etc. What have you got?
highest pub
in Ireland, reportedly on Glenshane Pass, is this: https://theponderosabar.com/ -- though I see there are other contenders... https://johnniefoxs.com/ -- so you might need to visit both 🙂
Glad to see you have St Kilda on there, it is magical.
How about the most boring grid square in the UK, SE8322? Its got nothing in it, the only 1km grid with no features on an OS map.
Lowest point in England, Holme Fen in Cambs, -2.75m below sea level.
Two pubs and a featureless area? Yep, I'm game.
The most featureless place in the UK? SE 830 220 Its an almost blank grid square on the OS map - on the banks of the ouse river east of Goole
Edit - dagnamit - beaten to it
Meriden, which isn't the centre of England (they thought it was, but...). There is the National Cyclists' Memorial for WW1 and 2
While you're there nip to the Bosworth Battlefield centre, there wasn't a battle fought there (they thought it was, but...)
I get it; I shouldn't be Scilly 🙂
I think it's called the tan inn, and I think it's north Yorkshire.. That's the highest /most isolated pub with boarding in England, I think?
the point furthest from a road in the UK? Depends how you define it but I think its west of glen tilt
Edit - Google found me this
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/off-topic/whats-the-furthest-distance-you-can-get-from-a-tarmac-road-in-the-uk/
🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣
I'm now on waterfalls - highest free falling and largest volume...
Haltwhistle claims to be the center of the UK, and is a rather quaint place to spend an evening
Start collecting highest points in each county?
Third most populous UK island after UK mainland and Ireland. Some museums and stuff there as well.
Haltwhistle claims to be the center of the UK, and is a rather quaint place to spend an evening
Been as a kid a few times...
Useful OS article.
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/blog/where-is-the-centre-of-great-britain
You can walk to Whitendale Hanging Stones as it is in the access area. Can MTB quite close but it is a bit gamekeepery to go right to the location 🙂.... Road / track bw in from Dunsop Bridge to Brennand is easy going, but some of the other bridleways are a bit old school boggy push in places.
Well the currently northward trending point of the triple alignment of true north, grid north and magnetic north will leave the English mainland in Berwick Upon Tweed in August. Does that count?
Failing that, Lundy. All owned by the Landmark Trust so all the accommodation is carefully restored to original historic spec. No mod cons. One shop, one pub. It's a SSSI and England's first Marine Nature Reserve and Conservation Zone.
Most boring attraction? Keswick pencil museum
We visited most easterly point of United Kingdom in Manger, NI last year.
Most westerly Shirley?
I think it's called the tan inn,
Tan Hill Inn, north of Swaledale.
Haltwhistle claims to be the center of the UK,
Whitendale Hanging Stones
The points where integer degrees of latitude and longitude cross: Degree Confluence Project (UK)
I think you are over reaching.
Britains largest roundabout
Britains first trafficlights
Britains first poundland
Britains least expensive town etc.
How about highest sea cliffs in mainland Britain, Great Hangman on Exmoor, also highest point on SWCP.
One of the claimed centres of Scotland is just down the road from the Laggan Wolftrax trail centre.
If you want to be properly geographic (or may geological) then you could go visit the Highland Boundary Fault.
Most northerly motorway junction. You’ve probably already been though.
broxden roundabout, Perth.
Here's a crap one:
Site of the only bike shop on the Greenwich meridian (possibly) Louth Bicycle Company, which later became a Currys bike shop (and later electrical retailer).
From there you can walk five minutes down the road to the tallest parish church in England (296ft).
And then drive 30 minutes to the last remaining rear projected cinema in the UK.
How about a cave?
Visit Gaping Gill https://share.google/loxe8bsGJb7T0nXoj
Isn't every STWer expected to make at least one pilgrimage in their life to the woods behind the Nationwide in Swindon
Well if you’re off to Harris, you might as well go to the oldest rocks in Britain, in Barra apparently. Archaean jobbies apparently.
Oldest tree: Fortingall, Perthshire.
Failing that have you done all the sweary place names? Greater Muff, Llanflange, Cockandballsby, Nobford-on-Minge etc.. Some may only exist in my mind of course.
Soz mods.
ride this years Jennride route.....and have a pint in every pub on route.
ride this years Jennride route.....and have a pint in every pub on route.
Haltwhistle claims to be the center of the UK, and is a rather quaint place to spend an evening
Dunsop Bridge makes a similar claim, there's various options around what you choose to call "centre" but there's a phone box there to mark the spot.
Magic roundabout in Swindon?
Least used train station in UK? Changes every year as train buffs visit them each year as a thing. Pretty sure list of least used stations in principality/area/region/train operator are also published if want to each or the operator run least used stations?
Trig points? First, last. Highest, lowest, most remote, most urban etc.
Sources of rivers? Start with longest and work down?
Reservoirs? There are 73 run by canal and river trust that are not for drinking water supply. Some don't have public access though, some do. Some are very remote! Edgbaston and Brent (formerly Welsh harp) are in Birmingham and London respectively.
Camals: longest lock flight. Longest flight with biggest rise, deepest lock (high Water level to invert, in stoke on Trent I believe), lock with biggest rise, anderton boat lift, that rotational boat lift in Scotland (probably oldest and newest boat lifts in country? Not sure).
Watford gap services on the M1? (Heare out..). Cut through the hedge be the lorry parking area onto the canal towpath and walk to Watford locks (staircase locks so unusual) and Mabel at 3 generations of transport infrastructure threading their way through the same gap in the hills?
Sorry, bit of an infrastructure buff.....god I'm sad!
How about a cave?
Visit Gaping Gill https://share.google/loxe8bsGJb7T0nXoj
I've not been in, but cycled over the entrance to Titan.
https://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2006/11/07/battle-of-titans-proportions-after-news-of-biggest-cave
Well if you’re off to Harris, you might as well go to the oldest rocks in Britain, in Barra apparently. Archaean jobbies apparently.
Oldest tree: Fortingall, Perthshire.
Failing that have you done all the sweary place names? Greater Muff, Llanflange, Cockandballsby, Nobford-on-Minge etc.. Some may only exist in my mind of course.
Soz mods.
Ooh, rude names I could get on board with.
Oldest tree, yep been there, done that.
Didn't know about Barra rocks, they're on the list.
Keep em coming folks, I plan on creating a Google map of places to go that we can just work out what's nearest on our travels. Like a geographic version of Pokémon go....
Highest point in the South East of England? Walbury Hill, at a massive 297m. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walbury_Hill
Failing that have you done all the sweary place names? Greater Muff, Llanflange, Cockandballsby, Nobford-on-Minge etc.. Some may only exist in my mind of course.
When I was learning to drive I'd idly spend the day pouring over the AA book of the road thinking of road trips to go on once I'd passed my test. On idea was a tour of all the places in the UK called 'Bottom' or @51.9593242,-0.4769263,17.15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x48764b8b05c3d5e3:0xb315542737d4bb8e!8m2!3d51.9594989!4d-0.4753404!16s%2Fg%2F1th7xvhv?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDcwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'Bottoms' but I never actually made the trip
I have coincidentally visited both ****ts though - and if you're on Shetland, having travelled on the longest ferry trip you can make without leaving the UK, you can tick off one of those ****ts and also do the shorted coast to coast trip from the Atlantic to the North Sea at Mavis Grind
Perhaps you could visit all the pubs called 'The Red Lion'
However heres what you should really do - Travel to @57.3743536,-5.8116862,16z/data=!4m17!1m8!3m7!1s0x488e810ba82c3f4d:0x9e1276b3016162ed!2sApplecross,+Strathcarron!3b1!8m2!3d57.4319012!4d-5.809727!16zL20vMDdrZnl0!3m7!1s0x488e82f8b6208445:0x60bea2f61e484a00!8m2!3d57.3727008!4d-5.8106109!9m1!1b1!16s%2Fg%2F11fy18_gsg?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDcwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toscaig Pier - a few miles south of Applecross. When you get there notice on Google Maps that this little, beautifully located, but featureless and unlovely bit of concrete has several Google Reviews. Skim through the reviews until you reach one by Ned Mac (no relation) - read the review then - then read all his other reviews commit yourself to visit all the other places.
Shortest street in the UK - Wick.
I wasn't sure if you were considering man-made structures in your list but if you're including placenames, then why not?
Galloway Forest Park is the largest forest in the UK, and was given dark sky status in 2009.
The only desert in the UK?
As well as Cambridgeshire having the lowest point in the UK (as said up thread), it has the furthest inland tidal waterbody, with the Hundred Foot Washes to Earith Lock on the River Great Ouse.
Loch Ness is a tidal lake, but caused by the attraction of tides either side rather than astronomical forces.
I'm sure you can find driest and wettest places on average.
The most used level crossing in Europe. Hampden Park in Eastbourne.
It's rubbish.
Largest natural harbour in the UK?
Smallest harbour in the UK
Largest tidal range in the UK
Most boring attraction? Keswick pencil museum
You're not meant to stick them in your ear!
Anyway, I quite liked it.
Thanet has the longest stretch of chalk cliffs in the UK.
Isn't every STWer expected to make at least one pilgrimage in their life to the woods behind the Nationwide in Swindon
There isn’t a Nationwide in Swindon with woods behind anymore, as far as I can find. 🤷🏼♂️
There isn’t a Nationwide in Swindon with woods behind anymore, as far as I can find.
There absotively is, I was there the other week (Nationwide, not the woods, but they're still there too)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EHAc2V8fTn9VWn3Y8
One day*, when I'm retired, just because I can I'm going to visit
* it'll take more than one day, obviously.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Summer_Olympics_and_Paralympics_gold_post_boxes
All of the giant chalk pictures?
There's a several big white horses, the fella with the throbber, a kiwi...
Cycling UK have a thing that's supposed to encourage you to ride to different places
https://www.cyclinguk.org/british-cycle-quest
you could try visiting all the millenium mileposts
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/national-cycle-network/millennium-mileposts/
Most remote pub in mainland Scotland? The Old Forge at Inverie. It's either a ferry from Mallaig or a 30km hike over the hills.
I was going to suggest remote pubs. I was due to be at the Old Forge last week, but I couldn't go. To represent Wales, there's the Ty Coch at Porthdinllaen. You can walk to it, but you can also kayak/paddleboard over and pull up on the beach right in front of the pub. The paddling can be as short or as long as you want because it's alongside another beach and should be pretty safe.
Highest pub in Ireland is the Top of Coom in Kerry.
How about the highest sea cliffs in Europe at Sliabh Liag in Donegal.
There's the River Lily in Knutsford, reputedly Britain's (and possibly Europe's) shortest named river.
Shortest river and deepest lake/loch/lough in the UK are handily adjacent at Morar.
How about the most boring grid square in the UK, SE8322? Its got nothing in it, the only 1km grid with no features on an OS map.
I just checked this out, as I'm sad and have don work in the area so was interested as to where exactly it was. It's pretty much blank on the 1:50,000 map apart from an electricity line in the SW corner, but on the 1:25,000 map it does have features, drains, fields and a farm track, so in reality it doesn't look any different on the ground to anything else round that part of the world....
There's the River Lily in Knutsford, reputedly Britain's (and possibly Europe's) shortest named river.
Not the Lud then?
M62 between Manchester and Leeds? Highest motorway in the UK.
A bit obvious perhaps, but it always raises a cheer in our car when we drive past the sign!
M62 between Manchester and Leeds? Highest motorway in the UK.
A bit obvious perhaps, but it always raises a cheer in our car when we drive past the sign!
My wifes uncle was telling her the other day that its basically built on hay bales or something and is starting to sink. we googled it and whilst we didn't find that exactly. Apparently the 7 mile stretch took 7 years to constructed at a cost of 1 million per year....
Highest waterfall, which is in Assynt - so you may want to add in some more "furthest north" stuff too.
I was up that way the other week and it may also be the windiest place in the mainland UK, if my Quinag ride was anything to go by.
There’s a bit of USA USA USA in the UK.
https://bbc.com/reel/video/p0ftrxhx/the-tiny-piece-of-the-us-hidden-in-england
Highest waterfall, which is in Assynt - so you may want to add in some more "furthest north" stuff too.
I was up that way the other week and it may also be the windiest place in the mainland UK, if my Quinag ride was anything to go by.
We're there this Saturday. Eas á Chual Aluinn is on the list...
Check out the Wailing Widow falls while you're nearby. (Though both might be a bit underwhelming given the recent weather)
How about the highest villages in England (Flash), Wales (Trefil, although Bwlchgwyn also claims it), Scotland (Wanlockhead) and Ireland (Meelin)?
https://www.go-below.co.uk/deep-sleep.asp
1375 feet below ground.
If we're talking place names I'd recommend Wetwang. Thickest place in the UK, Duns. Or most boring, Dull?
Bill Bryson lists a lot of great places names in one of his books, I'm guessing Notes From A Small Island.
Shortest border between counties? (Lincolnshire to Northamptonshire, 19 metres)
How about one of the best preserved forts of the American Revolution? (Fort Belan, guarding Menai Straits, west end, mainland)
Someone mentioned rude place names earlier.
This is all you need. Stop fannying about with sensible suggestions for goodness sake!
You could track down and visit all the islands on Great Britain, that aren’t islands any more. Places like Ely, Axholme, Muchelney, Glasto… must be a few more too.
Gaping Gill, apart from the cave, also gets you the highest waterfall in England. If you want to go down on a winch, keep an eye on Bradford Pothole Club for May 2026, or Craven Pothole Club for August 2026, booking online somewhere about a month in advance. This year's winch meets were booked up very quickly, the Craven one sold out the whole week on the first day. Other than the winch, find a caver to take you down one of the other entrances to the system (abseil in, prussik out) and traverse (easy caving) into the main chamber.
Excellent thread OP and all contributors.
A bit of the USA in the UK, who knew!
Indeed, thank you all some good suggestions here. Now time to whack them on a google map and start visiting...
Smallest art gallery? Outside my mum and dad’s house in Settle.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Bz9JFshTep6isSna6?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy
Also on the Pennine Bridleway so some good riding in the area
Perhaps the only place with an exclamation mark in its name too? Westward Ho!
I've always wanted to go and see this innocuous hill to see why it got its name...
Two pubs and a featureless area? Yep, I'm game.
Johnnie Fox's is right beside the Gap, which is a great fun lift access bike park in Glencullen, just outside Dublin
You may know some of these places already Matt, but the 'Weird Walk' book has some good places to visit all over the UK.
My associates (I haven’t really got any friends) think I’m boring because I’m trying to visit all Britain’s accessible tidal islands.
No Boat Required by Peter Caton is a good starting point for research,
or for tiny islands with a bit of history that might need a boat to get to some of them you could try Tiny Islands by Dixie Wills.
I’m about half way through and at this rate still many years from completing them all
Also whilst in Cambridgeshire you gave visit Little Ouse and tick off the lowest trig point at -1m. I'd struggle to call it visually interesting though
Every geological era: oldest rocks in Scotland, Charnwood forest, Wales, Oban, South coast, Kent, East coast, glacial areas, post glacial drift.
Is the OP a caver? Did I miss something? Anyway, yes OFD is great.
Stay at the SWCC - best club hut I have ever stayed in.
