Favourite Building(s) in Britain (houses, schools, university)

[The Postman]

Any kind: castle, fort, church, cathedral, temple, palace, manor, villa, mansion, private house, farmhouse, town hall, government building, school, university, barracks, wall, parliamentary building, stadium, modern office building, skyscraper, tower...one single contiguous building (not a complex of buildings), no squares or districts:

Due to the sheer number, I won't bother having a list/poll. If you like, you can choose one for each category (e.g. ancient, church.etc), or give a list of 5.


1. St. Mary's Axe/The Gherkin - yes it's modern, but I really like the bold, unique, creative design. It's like a glass egg.



2. Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire - A beautiful Italianate buildings with lovely gardens.



3. Houses of Parliament/Palace of Westminster and Big Ben - Still distinctive and very ornate and distinctive.



4. Natural History Museum - Such a grand edifice, it really is like a 'cathedral to science' inside and out with ornate buttresses and stain glass windows and a grand main hall featuring a full sized sauropod skeleton. It really is huge too.



5. Ann Hathaway's Cottage - The most modest on the list by far, but one of the most famous and photographed houses in England. The Elizabethian thatched roof and the garden encapsulates the charm of rural England in one scene. Plus it's the home of Shakespeare's wife.




Honorable mentions: Windsor Castle, Christchurch Cathedral, The 'Camera' Bodeilean library, Winchester Cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral, Roman Baths, The Circus, Westminster Cathedral, The Shard, Harrod's, Kensington Palace, The Bullring Birmingham.

All photos from wikipedia.

[melliset]

Wow ! These buildings give really outstanding and breathtaking view.

[Stewart G. Griffin]

You beat me to it with Blenheim Palace. If there's a more beautiful building in Europe, never mind Britain, then I want to see it now!

I suppose it could be compared to Versailles in France in many ways, but I've always thought Versailles was a bit tacky. Very beautiful in parts, but so overdone in others. The hall of mirrors and all that ugly marble don't do it any favours.

Blenheim manages to be enormous AND elegant. Not easy to do.

Here's my vote for best castle - Eilean Donan, nr Skye.

[Gungnir]

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[Jezer]

One of my favourite places is Salisbury Cathedral Close which is full of gorgeous buildings.

Here are a few from my photo collection;

[dunno what to put here]

[Jezer]

I assume that is Liverpool above.

[The Postman]

I like Salisbury Cathedral but I think Winchester is more spectacular.

[Jezer]

Originally Posted by The Postman

I like Salisbury Cathedral but I think Winchester is more spectacular.

Maybe so.

The great thing about Salisbury is the setting of the Cathedral within the largest Cathedral Close in the UK. In total it extends, I think, to over 80 acres and is full of fascinating houses, schools, museums, lanes and greens.

[oddstray]

Tintern Abbey, despite that it's a ruin. It's still gorgeous. (Or is that against the rules, since it's part of a complex?)
For uniqueness, the Knights Templar cave in Royston.