This ancient cathedral is officially the most beautiful building in the UK

Between us, Time Out’s team of writers and editors have trekked to practically every corner of the United Kingdom. So, we know first-hand just how visually spectacular this little country can be. You can find beauty in all manner of places in Britain, from its mountain ranges, to its coast to its housing estates (yes, really). Not convinced? Just take a glimpse at our new guide to the UK’s 16 most beautiful places to visit. 

The top four places on our list are occupied by a Welsh seaside town, a Cornish island, a Peak District cave and a Scottish glacial valley. But rounding out the top five, and taking the crown as our number one most beautiful building in the UK, is an 800-year-old structure in Somerset: Wells Cathedral. 

Construction of the magnificent Wells Cathedral began in 1175, but it wasn’t until 1348 that the building got the feature that really makes it stand out. The scissor arch inside the cathedral was designed by master mason William Joy as a practical solution to cracks forming in the early 14th century. It was primarily created to support the weight of the central tower and prevent collapse, but it also happens to be a thing of beauty. The X-shaped arch rises elegantly from the floor to the cathedral’s stone-vaulted ceiling and, despite being created 600 years ago looks strikingly modern (almost art deco) against the more traditional medieval aesthetic of the rest of the building. 

But that arch is not all that Wells Cathedral has going for it. Look up, and you’ll see the ceiling painted with intricate swirling red and blue murals. Look left or right and you’ll see the glowing 14th-century stained glass that’s widely thought to be one of the greatest surviving examples in all of Europe. And in the building’s north transept there’s the Wells Cathedral Clock, an ornate, richly coloured astronomical clock made in 1390 and believed to be the second-oldest surviving mechanical clock in Britain and the world. 

If you go to Wells to see its cathedral for yourself, make a whole day of it and book onto one of the Hot Fuzz tours of the tiny city. This is where the Cornetto Trilogy movie was filmed and, while the cathedral never featured, guides will take you to familiar sites like the Swan Hotel and St Cuthbert’s Church. 

The most beautiful places in the UK to visit in 2026.

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