From the Natural History Museum in London to The Shambles in York, there are plenty of free tourist attractions across England that prove you don’t always need to spend money to enjoy yourself.
But it’s not just museums and historic streets that are pleasing thrifty visitors in search of a low-cost day out.
Now, a 70-metre-long tunnel in Bude, Cornwall has been listed as one of England’s best free tourist attractions – coming in at number 19 in TripAdvisor’s rankings for 2024 with a whopping 1,288 five-star reviews.
Open to the public completely free of charge, the Bude Tunnel connects the Sainsbury’s car park to Crooklets Road.
And, as per the TripAdvisor listing, it protects visitors ‘from the elements’ while maintaining a view of the ‘spectacular surroundings of Bude.’
The famous tunnel’s ranking was made possible by countless tongue-in-cheek TripAdvisor reviews – one of which hailed it as an ‘awesome specimen of architectural genius’ and another a ‘marvel of engineering and Perspex creativity.’ High praise indeed.
For Charlotte F, a Bude local, a five-star review of this ‘must-see’ site, which features an impressive 36 metal arches, ‘isn’t enough.’
‘It’s something you just need to see for yourself. It will change your life,’ she wrote of her multiple experiences. ‘I’m lucky to be from Bude so I try and see it once a week just to remind myself the wonders that man can make when they put everything into it.’
It’s not just locals that have marvelled at the structure: John H, from Brighton, considers himself a seasoned traveller and joked that the tunnel is ‘a wonder of the modern world’ and ‘perhaps of all time.’
‘I have seen some of the world’s greatest wonders. I have been inside the Kings Chamber of the Great Pyramid. I have marvelled at the majesty of Niagara Falls. I have felt humbled by the sheer scale and magnificence of the Taj Mahal,’ John recounted of his experiences.
‘But nothing on earth could prepare me for the glory, the sheer overwhelming mindblowing explosion of stupendous sensory overload that is the Bude Tunnel.’
For David E, the ‘ancient tunnel stands unparalleled.’
‘It also has a resident cat…as a bonus I got a pack of four Andrex 10-ply anti-tear bog roll for £2.99,’ David wrote of his life-altering experience passing through it.
And for Nic G, it served as a distraction from the bleak Bude weather.
‘We arrived on a windy, rainy day in October and this tunnel was just a sight to behold,’ their review read.
‘This curved, transparent structure captured the beauty of the raindrops – a natural, external feature – which, due to refraction, gave us a beautiful view of many objects standing, in the cold wind, just outside of the tunnel.’
Some visitors weren’t so blown away though, with one realist view from SC urging people ‘don’t bother.’
‘Don’t waste your time. It’s a plastic covered walkway from Sainsbury’s car park to the shop! It’s just to protect customers from the weather!’ their words rang.
For Rob H, who was recommended to visit the tunnel by his mother-in-law, the experience was nothing short of a disappointment.
‘In a nutshell, go and visit any trolley bay at a supermarket and get the same experience,’ he advised. ‘At least you can kill two birds with one stone and do your weekly shop.’
Naturally, the other attractions that made TripAdvisor’s list were more in line with what one might expect: museums, green spaces and markets.
London dominated the top 10, with The British Museum scooping up first place, closely followed by the Natural History Museum, Sky Garden and Borough Market.
And there was representation from outside the Big Smoke (beyond Bude’s world-famous tunnel) in the form of York’s National Railway Museum, Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock, and Manchester’s John Rylands Library.
The top 20 best free things to do in England, according to TripAdvisor
- The British Museum
- Natural History Museum
- Sky Garden
- Borough Market
- Camden Market
- National Gallery
- Covent Garden
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Hyde Park
- Big Ben
- National Railway Museum
- St James’s Park
- Royal Albert Dock Liverpool
- Shambles
- The John Rylands Library
- Regent’s Park
- Kensington Gardens
- Wallace Collection
- Bude Tunnel
- York City Walls.
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