The sight I was most excited to view at Westminster Abbey besides the tombs of some of Britain's most revered monarchs was the wooden Coronation Chair. The chair has been used to crown England's kings and queens beginning with Edward III and is still used today! I was absolutely in awe as I imagined how many lines of kings and queens have sat on it and ruled England. It was definitely the memorable, as it was the last relic I viewed in Westminster Abbey before exiting. 

I passed by Temple Church while walking through central London on a chilly weekday afternoon. This was one of the historical sites I had not put on my list and instead stumbled upon while exploring the city. Although it was not on my bucket list, the church's well preserved Norman doorway made me want to step inside. As I toured the interior, I was shocked at how deep the history of the church was and how I managed to stumble upon it even though it was not on my bucket list. Temple Church was first established by the Knights Templar and served as one of their primary meeting spots in England. As such, the church retained many effigies of Knights Templar members and other prominent individuals, which I found to be extremely interesting to examine. 

I visited this church around 11 AM on a weekday and as such it was not crowded at all and extremely peaceful on the inside. There was a small fee at the door for visitors to donate to the church, but it was well worth it due to the extensive artifacts and effigies on the inside. 

Located in the center of London within walking distance to the Tower of London, All Hallows had a surprisingly informative and extremely detailed museum of relics underneath its floor. Due to its proximity to the Tower of London, I anticipated for it to be crowded, but it was surprisingly empty on the inside, giving me plenty of space to explore the basement area where a small museum with lots of artifacts was located. Parts of the medieval walls have been preserved, as well as wall engravings and the exterior of a Norman doorway and even original Roman tiled floors. Many of the artifacts featured in All Hallows were unearthed after bombings in World War II, and I was surprised at how much the church was able to preserve. They also had a chamber that the Knights Templar used to pray in! This was an extremely moving experience and I felt even more grateful to be able to explore it after visiting Temple Church, another site of the Knights Templar. 

Entry to this church was free, and I visited around noon on a weekday while sightseeing around the rest of central London. Despite being near the Tower, I don't anticipate the church itself to get very crowded.

As the oldest English-speaking university in the world and established shortly after the Norman conquest, I was ecstatic to be able to explore Oxford on a day trip from London. Oxford was a bucket list item for me because of its rich history in academia as well as in English history. 

I spend the entire day exploring the campus and the surrounding town, although I did not have time to visit Oxford Castle and Prison. I saw the motte where the old castle was located beside and if I had paid for entry into the museum, it would have included the ability to walk around the castle mound as well. Next time I will be sure to visit the castle and prison myself, although there was plenty to do in the town itself.

York was one of top bucket list items during my whole trip. My favorite "Secrets of Great British Castle" episode features York Castle, and besides Hampton Court Palace, is one of the destinations I knew had to visit before I die. I highly recommend watching this episode before visiting, as it is extremely comprehensive and allows the viewer to better take in the historical sites of York. York is one of the most closely connected medieval towns with both a rich Roman history, Viking history, as well as a medieval one. It also features the Shambles, the best preserved medieval street dating to the 1400s! I had an enchanted time wandering the Shambles and walking around the York Walls. It was quite a rainy day when I traveled to York from London but it was still extremely pleasant to be able to walk along the walls and busy streets. I had tea and scones at a preserved medieval house that was delightful, and bought bread and cheese for lunch at a bakery and the market. For a medieval English history fan, York is almost like Disneyland with historical sites at every corner. Not only is York one of the most haunted towns in the UK, it also is home to the unique, clover shaped York Castle. It was an extremely memorable trip that I will never forget. 

Dover became a shorter trip than I intended, although I did stumble upon one of my favorite ruins to date! I hiked the Cliffs of Dover, which were incredibly beautiful and sunny and was able to take in the sight of Dover Castle on the hill. Dover Castle has a vast history beginning in the Norman era and reaching all the way to the second World War! 

For anyone traveling to the Cliffs of Dover I would recommend taking the train as parking was fairly limited from what I saw. The town of Dover is on the smaller side but there was still plenty to see as the castle likely takes the whole day to explore.

This was the final bucket list item for my trip, and made sure that I ended on a memorable note! Visiting Hampton Court Palace has been my dream since I was a child. It is one of, if not the most iconic pieces of architecture associated with the Tudor era, is my favorite era post medieval to study, and has some of the most intricate hidden architectural easter eggs due to its rich history. I made sure to see the Great Hall, where Henry VIII would have eaten and the prayer room, which featured the borrowed Book of Hours belonging to Anne Boleyn. I was also able to see traces of Katherine of Aragon in the pomegranate symbolism as well as many Tudor roses. The garden area was beautiful to walk around in and quite extensive and I found out that the deer that exist on site are descended from the same heard that Henry VIII hunted! The experience was incredibly intimate and memorable as I went early in the morning and had the opportunity to wander the hallways by myself, giving me the chance to really take in the sights. 

To anyone visiting Hampton Court Palace I would highly recommend arriving when they open to the public. It got very crowded after 12 PM and it made it harder to fully explore.