Great churches

Durham is a small but elegant university town dominated by England's finest Norman cathedral. You might have the feeling that you have seen this grand 11th century cathedral before, for it was used in the Harry Potter movies as the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - a fact they are strangely shy about. Both the gorgeous cathedral and the next-door Durham Castle are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are the centre for the cobblestone old Durham town. It would have been picture-perfect, if it wasn't for the collection of drab concrete extensions of the university. For the best views of the cathedral and its massive towers, take a stroll through the woods on the other side of River Wear.

Rumoured to have been the site of King Arthur and Guinevere's tomb, the Abbey ruins are over 2000 years old and a great place for a bit of architecture photography and solitude. Enjoy the daffodils in spring and the snowbells in winter, you can spend a good hour wandering through the 36 acre parklands that surround the romantic ruins. There is an Abbot's kitchen that is a 14th century octagonal building complete with period food sets and the lives of monks; as well as a herb garden and the Holy Thorn Tree that only blooms twice a year. The Lady Chapel has an alter, and you can light a candle for a small donation in St Patrick's Chapel; picnicking is encouraged and they make cider from the apples in their orchard if you fancy a drink or two. Right in the centre of town next to the local hall, Glastonbury Abbey can be visited anytime of the day and is also popular with wedding photos.

York could be yet another medieval English town, if it wasn't for its gothic cathedral. York Minster is quite frankly jaw-dropping. Firstly, it is massive. It is so big that it is hard to photograph the entire building unless you have an ultra-wide angle lens. Secondly, it is packed with wonderful stuff, like the giant (23.7 m x 9.4 m) stained-glass window (Great East Window) depicting Genesis and the Book of Revelations, that it will take days to see it all. So it's natural that you will keep circling around the cathedral, but York has more to offer. Cute old houses along curvy streets, ancient city walls and the lazy river of Ouse, not to mention Jorvik, a viking museum slash theme park.