Things That Are British

Welcome to our list of things that are British!

We have a huge list of British things for you to look at split into categories of bands, brands, celebrities, tourist attractions and more. Whether you’re planning to travel, wanting to learn more about British culture, or are interested in trying out different foods, we hope you find what you’re looking for here!

Here’s a visual list of things that are British:

British Foods:

  • Marmite: A British condiment (spread) made from yeast extract.
  • Tea: A hot drink made from tea leaves that comes in many varieties, strengths and flavours.
  • Full English Breakfast: A hot breakfast that generally consists of bacon, egg, sausage, mushrooms, baked beans, toast and grilled tomatoes.
  • Yorkshire Pudding: A common English side dish. A baked pudding made of eggs, flour, milk and water.
  • Bubble and Squeak: A fried vegetable dish generally made of leftovers. Named for the noise it makes when in the frying pan.
  • Crisps: The English name for chips.
  • Crumpets: A small, round griddle cake made from unsweetened batter. Generally eaten with sweet toppings like syrup, jam, berries, sugar or cream.
  • Worcestershire Sauce: A fermented sauce used as a flavouring in cooking.
  • Sticky Toffee Pudding: An English sponge cake made of a moist sponge cake covered in toffee sauce. Generally served with custard or ice cream.
  • Bread and Butter Pudding: A pudding made of layered slices of buttered bread with raisins scattered throughout.
  • Welsh Cakes: Flat-baked bread with sugar, dried fruit and fat added.
  • Spotted Dick: Also known as “spotted dog” or “railway cake”. A British pudding made of suet and dried fruit. Typically served with custard.
  • Eccles Cake: Small, round pastry cakes filled with currants and topped with sugar.
  • Fish and Chips: A common, casual meal. Battered and deep fried fish served with deep fried chips.
  • Cornish Pasty: The national dish of Cornwall. A pasty filled with beef and potato.
  • Laverbread: A traditional Welsh dish made of laver seaweed.
  • Scotch Egg: A boiled egg coated in sausage meat, then coated in bread crumbs and deep-fried.
  • Shepherd’s Pie: A pie filled with beef and gravy, topped with potato.
  • Steak and Kidney Pie: A savoury, self-explanatory pie.
  • Cottage Loaf: A traditional English bread made of two loaves stacked vertically.
  • Simnel Cake: A light fruitcake made with marzipan and almond paste.

British Brands:

  • Bentley: A British luxury car manufacturer.
  • Cadbury: A famous chocolate company.
  • Ben Sherman: A men’s clothing company.
  • Burberry: An expensive luxury brand known for their monograms and patterns.
  • Marks and Spencer: A British multinational retailer.
  • Twinings: A tea company that sells affordable flavours and varieties.
  • Reebok: An American (previously British) sportswear company.
  • Twix: A popular chocolate bar. Composed of two biscuit sticks topped with caramel and covered in milk chocolate.
  • BBC: Short for the British Broadcasting Corporation. A public service broadcaster.
  • Skittles: Brightly coloured chewy candies coated in a hard sugar shell.
  • Lipton: A tea manufacturer that sells affordable teas.
  • Tetley: A tea brand that sells affordable flavours in supermarkets.
  • Daily Mail: A British daily newspaper published in London.
  • Aston Martin: A British car company that sells luxury sports cars.
  • Jaguar: A brand of luxury cars.
  • Land Rover: A British brand of four-wheel drive cars. Focuses on manufacturing luxury sport utility cars.
  • Morris: A British car company. Known for their small cars.
  • Rolls Royce: A luxury car maker that is also a subsidiary of BMW.
  • The Financial Times: An English daily newspaper owned by the Japanese company Nikkei (and headquartered in London).
  • Johnnie Walker: A brand of Scotch whisky now sold in almost every country.

British Literature:

  • The Chronicles of Narnia: A series of fantasy books written by C. S. Lewis about a land called Narnia.
  • Lord of the Flies: A novel written by William Golding about a group of British schoolboys trapped unsupervised on an island and their attempts to organise and govern themselves.
  • Nineteen Eighty-Four: A dystopian novel written by George Orwell about a society that is overwhemlingly surveilled. Is the origin of “big brother”.
  • Frankenstein: A gothic horror story written by Mary Shelley when she was only eighteen. About a scientist who creates a “monster” from dead body parts, and the monster’s struggle to live as a human.
  • Animal Farm: A dystopian novel by George Orwell about a group of farm animals who rebel against their farmer in the hopes of a life where animals are free and equal.
  • Dracula: A gothic horror novel by Bram Stoker. About a vampire named Count Dracula.
  • Peter Rabbit: A character and series of children’s stories written by Beatrix Potter, an author, illustrator and botanist.
  • Winnie the Pooh: A character and series of children’s books written by A. A. Milne. About a boy named Christopher Robin and his adventures with his toys/friends Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tiggr and Roo (among others).
  • Pride and Prejudice: A romantic novel written by Jane Austen.
  • Great Expectations: A novel by Charles Dickens about the education of an orphan named Pip.
  • His Dark Materials: A series of fantasy novels by Phillip Pullman. Has been made into a TV series.
  • A Clockwork Orange: A dystopian black comedy novel by Anthony Burgess. About a society with a youth subculture of extreme violence.
  • Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: A fantasy children’s story by Lewis Carroll.
  • The Wind in the Willows: A children’s novel about four anthropomorphic animals – Mole, Toad, Rat and Badger. Written by Kenneth Grahame.
  • Punch: A British weekly satire magazine. No longer in circulation.
  • Wuthering Heights: A classic English novel written by Emily Bronte.
  • Tom Thumb: A character in English folklore. A boy no bigger than his father’s thumb.
  • Three Little Pigs: A fairytale about three pigs who are trying to build homes for themselves.
  • Jack and the Beanstalk: A fairytale about a poor boy who trades family-owned goods for some magic beans.
  • Goldilocks: A fairytale about a girl who finds a house belonging to three bears in the woods.
  • Humpty Dumpty: A nursery rhyme about a fragile egg.
  • Robinson Crusoe: A novel by Daniel Defoe. About the adventures of a castaway named Robinson Crusoe.
  • Heart of Darkness: A novella by Joseph Conrad about a voyage up the Congo River.
  • The Canterbury Tales: A collection of 24 stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer about a group of pilgrams and their travels.

British Movies and Shows:

  • Harry Potter: An incredibly famous franchise based on the novels by J. K. Rowling. About the struggles of a wizarding society.
  • Doctor Who: A much-loved sci-fi series about the adventures of a Time Lord named “the Doctor”.
  • Black Mirror: A sci-fi series which consists of separate stories about human relationships and interactions with technology.
  • Luther: A crime drama series about a Detective Chief Inspector.
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey: An epic sci-fi film directed by Stanley Kubrick. Inspired by the short story “The Sentinel”. About a voyage to Jupiter with a sentient computer named HAL.
  • Sherlock: A crime show based on the character and stories of Sherlock Holmes.
  • The Crown: A drama series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
  • Downton Abbey: A historical period drama about the lives of an aristocratic family.
  • Lord of the Rings: A series of movies based on the fantasy novels (of the same name) by J. R. R. Tolkein.
  • Thomas the Tank Engine: A children’s animated show about a train named Thomas and his friends.
  • The IT Crowd: A sitcom about the staff members of an IT department.
  • The King’s Speech: A movie about King George VI and his struggles to cope with a stammer.
  • Wallace and Gromit: An animated show about an inventor and his companion Gromit (an anthropomorphic dog).
  • Vanity Fair: A historical drama based on William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel (same name). About the life of Becky Sharp.
  • Killing Eve: A spy thriller show about an intelligence investigator who is hunting an assassin.
  • Monty Python’s Flying Circus: A British comedy show.
  • Hot Fuzz: An action comedy about police officers.
  • The Great British Bake Off: A British baking competition where amateur bakers compete against each other.
  • The In-Betweeners: A coming-of-age comedy movie based on the sitcom of the same name. About a group of teenage boys who are on holiday after their final year of school.
  • Shaun of the Dead: A horror comedy movie about two Londoners who are trapped in a zombie uprising.
  • Billy Elliot: A drama about a boy who aspires to be a professional ballet dancer.
  • James Bond: A series of action spy movies about a fictional Secret Service agent James Bond.
  • Moon: A sci-fi film about Sam, a man who is near the end of a solitary mining job on the far side of the moon.
  • Paddington Bear: A children’s show about a bear named Paddington. Now also has two movies based on the show.
  • Robin Hood: A movie based on Robin Hood, the legendary outlaw who steals from the rich and gives to the poor.
  • Noddy: An animated children’s show based on Enid Blyton’s books about toys.
  • Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels: A crime comedy movie about a heist.
  • The Full Monty: A comedy film about six unemployed men who decide to create a striptease act to raise money.
  • Slumdog Millionaire: A drama film based on the novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup about 18 year old Jamal from the Juhu slums.
  • Man On Wire: A documentary about Phillipe Petit’s high-wire walk between the Twin Towers.
  • Trainspotting: A comdy crime movie about a group of heroin addicts. Based on the novel.
  • The Benny Hill Show: A comedy show that consisted mainly of comedy sketches.
  • Fawlty Towers: A sitcom about a group of people and their attempts to run a hotel.
  • Borat: A satirical mockumentary featuring a fictitious journalist and his travels through America.
  • Four Weddings and A Funeral: A romantic comedy film.

British Bands/Musicians:

  • Queen: One of the most famous bands in the history of music, composed of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon. Famous for songs like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Somebody to Love”.
  • The Beatles: A famous rock band composed of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Collectively they are the best-selling music artist in history.
  • The Spice Girls: A pop girl group composed of Melanie Brown (“scary” spice), Melanie Chisholm (“sporty spice”), Emma Bunton (“baby” spice), Geri Halliwell (“ginger” spice) and Victoria Beckham (“posh” spice). Their debut album is the best-selling album by a gemale group in history.
  • Led Zeppelin: An English rock band. The members were Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham. Most famous for the song “Stairway to Heaven”.
  • Black Sabbath: A rock band with occult themes and lyrics inspired by horror themes.
  • The Rolling Stones: A rock band that was associated with the rebellious counterculture in the 1960s. Known for songs like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Paint It Black”.
  • The Police: A British rock band made of Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. They emerged in the new-wave scene and were musically influenced by reggae, jazz and punk.
  • Pink Floyd: A rock band formed in 1965. Known for sonic experimentation and live shows that were extended and elaborate.
  • Oasis: A rock band formed in 1991. Best known for their song “Wonderwall”.
  • Freddie Mercury: The frontman of the band “Queen”. Born Farrokh Bulsara. Was known as one of the greatest singers in the history of rock music and had a four-octave vocal range.
  • Elton John: A singer, pianist, songwriter and composer who is perhaps best known for his work on the Lion King movie, and for songs such as “Tiny Dancer” and “Your Song”.
  • Coldplay: A rock band formed in 1996. Known for songs such as “Yellow” and “Viva La Vida”.
  • Radiohead: An English rock band formed in 1985. Best known for songs like “Creep” and “Paranoid Android”.
  • Muse: A rock band formed in 1994. Known for their alt-rock style and falsetto vocals. Famous for songs like “Starlight” and “Supermassive Black Hole”.
  • Beegees: A pop music group formed in 1958. Considered prominent performers in the disco era.
  • Sex Pistols: An English punk rock band that formed in 1975.
  • Iron Maiden: An English heavy metal band formed in 1975 with a discography of 39 albums.
  • The Who: An English rock band considered one of the most influential of the 20th century. They have sold over 100 million records internationally.
  • The Smiths: A rock band formed in 1982. They emerged from the independent music scene and made it to Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.
  • Jethro Tull: A British rock band named after Jethro Tull (an agriculturist). The sound involves hard rock, folk rock and progressive rock.
  • Dire Straits: A British rock band formed in 1977. One of the world’s best-selling bands.
  • Def Leppard: An English rock band and part of the new wave heavy metal movement.
  • Judas Priest: A heavy metal band that has sold over 50 million albums.
  • The Cure: A rock band which has experienced many member changes, with frontman Robert Smith being the only constant member. Part of the post-punk and new wave movements.
  • Blur: An English rock band that was part of the Britpop movement.
  • Rod Stewart: A singer and songwriter who has sold over 120 million records internationally. Is known for his distinctive raspy vocals.
  • Sting: A musician and actor who was part of the band “The Police”. Born as Gordon Matther Summer.
  • Kate Bush: A singer-songwriter and producer. Topped the UK singles chart with her debut single “Wuthering Heights” for a month.
  • Joy Division: A rock band who were influenced by early punk. Part of the post-punk movement.
  • Gorillaz: A virtual band created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. The members include “2D”, Noodle, Russel and Murdoc. The exist in a fictional universe which is explored through their music videos and short cartoons.
  • John Lennon: One of the lead vocalists of the band “The Beatles”. Known for his violence against women and children.
  • Paul McCartney: One of the lead vocalists for “The Beatles”. Since the ending of The Beatles, he has worked with international charities to help with animal rights, land mines, poverty, music education and seal hunting.
  • George Harrison: A member of The Beatles, best known for his contributions “Here Comes The Sun” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.
  • Ringo Starr: A musician, actor, songwriter and singer who is best known as the drummer for The Beatles.
  • Pete Townshend: A multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter who is best known as the guitarist and leader of The Who.
  • Ozzy Osbourne: An English actor, singer and reality TV star. Best known as the lead vocalist for the metal band Black Sabbath.
  • Mick Jagger: A singer, songwriter, actor and film producer who is best known as the founder of the Rolling Stones.
  • Keith Richards: A musician, singer and songwriter who is famous as being part of the Rolling Stones.
  • Mel B: A singer who achieved fame through the Spice Girls.
  • Duran Duran: A new wave band formed in 1978. Have sold over 100 million albums worldwide.
  • David Bowie: A singer-songwriter and actor who has sold over 140 million records worldwide. Known for having sex with underage girls and groupies.
  • Morrissey: Best known as the frontman of the Smiths. Also has a successful solo career.

British Celebrities/Personalities/People:

  • Emma Watson: An actress and activist best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films. Currently working with HeForShe, an organisation working towards gender equality. Cited by Malala Yousafzai as an influence.
  • Daniel Radcliffe: An actor and producer best known for his role as Harry Potter.
  • Tom Holland: An actor who gained fame through his role as Spiderman.
  • Jameela Jamil: An actress, model, activist and writer best known for her role as Tahani Al-Jamil in The Good Place. Is a body neutrality activist.
  • Rupert Grint: An actor best known for his role as Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter franchise.
  • Daniel Craig: An actor famous for his role of James Bond.
  • Ewan McGregor: An actor best known for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars franchise. Has been in other successful films such as Moulin Rouge and Big Fish.
  • Daniel Day-Lewis: An actor famous for his dedication to method acting. Considered one of the best and most respected actors of his generation. One of three actors to have won three Oscars.
  • J. R. R. Tolkein: A writer, poet and academic who is famous for his fantasy novels The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
  • Charles Dickens: A writer who is famous for his novels Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and A Tale of Two Cities. Known for social critiques.
  • Jane Austen: A novelist known for the books Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park.
  • Eddie Redmayne: An actor known for his roles in The Theory of Everything, The Danish Girl and in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
  • Isaac Newton: An English astronomer, mathmetician, physicist, author and theologian.
  • William Shakespeare: A poet and playwright. Widely considered the world’s greatest dramatist.
  • Emily Blunt: An award-winning British-American actress.
  • Gemma Chan: An actress best known for her role as Astrid in Crazy Rich Asians.
  • Cara DeLevigne: A model, singer and actress. Perhaps best known for her role in the movie Suicide Squad.
  • Lily Collins: An actress, model and writer.
  • Tom Felton: An actor who is famous for his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series.
  • Millie Bobby Brown: An actress best known for her role as Eleven in Stranger Things.
  • Tom Hiddleston: An actor who is also a musician and film producer. Most famous for his role as Loki in the Marvel cinematic universe.
  • David Beckham: A famous footballer.
  • Princess Diana: Former Princess of Wales.
  • Julie Andrews: An actress, author and singer who is best known for her roles as Mary Poppins (from the movie Mary Poppins) and in The Sound of Music.
  • Kate Winslet: An actress best known for her role in The Titanic.
  • Beatrix Potter: A natural scientist, illustrator and writer. Best known as the creator, author and illustrator of The Tales of Peter Rabbit.
  • John Cleese: A comedian, actor, screenwriter and producer. Best known for co-founding Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
  • Jeremy Irons: An actor who is perhaps best known for voicing Scar from The Lion King.
  • Idris Elba: An actor, producer, writer and musician. Currently playing John Luther in the series Luther.
  • James Corden: An actor, television host and comedian. Known as the host of The Late Late Show with James Corden.
  • Ian McKellan: An English actor best known for his role as Magneto in the X-Men films.
  • Patrick Stewart: An actor best known for his role as Charles Xavier in the X-Men films.
  • Sean Connery: A retired actor and producer. The first actor to play James Bond.
  • Charlie Chaplin: An actor and comedian who became famous during the silent film era.
  • Rowan Atkinson: An actor and comedian who is best known for his work as Mr. Bean.
  • J. K. Rowling: A writer who is best known for creating and writing the Harry Potter series.
  • Olivia Newton-John: An actress who is best known for her role as Sandy in the movie Grease.
  • Agatha Christie: A writer who wrote detective stories and novels.
  • Maggie Smith: An actress best known for her role as Professor McGonall in the Harry Potter films.
  • Naomi Watts: An actress and film producer.
  • Orlando Bloom: An English actor whose breakthrough role was as the elf Legolas in the Lord of the Rings film franchise.
  • Jude Law: An award-winning English actor.
  • Thandie Newton: An actress who has appeared in various successful films, like Solo: A Star Wars Story and The Pursuit of Happyness.
  • Twiggy: A model, actress and singer who is considered a cultural icon for her modelling work in the 60s.
  • Stephen Fry: An actor and comedian and writer. One half of the double comedy act Laurie and Fry.
  • Liam Neeson: An actor who is best known for his role as the protagonist in the Taken film series.
  • Tilda Swinton: An actress who is known for taking on independent and arthouse films as well as mainstream blockbusters.
  • David Attenborough: A broadcaster and historian who is famous for writing and presenting the Life history docuseries.
  • Tom Hardy: An actor who commonly takes on action movie roles. Best known for his role as Max in the movie Mad Max: Fury Road.
  • Alfred Hitchcock: A film director and producer known for his suspenseful thrillers.
  • Charlotte Gainsbourg: An actress and singer who is best known for her work with the director Lars Von Trier.
  • Sally Hawkins: An award-winning actress who has appeared in numerous blockbusters including both Paddington films, Godzilla and The Shape of Water.
  • Keira Knightley: An actress who is best known for her roles in Love, Actually and in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise.
  • Catherine Zeta-Jones: An actress who became famous through her work in The Mask of Zorro and Chicago.
  • Helena Bonham-Carter: An actress who is known for taking on roles in blockbusters and low-budget arthouse films. Best known for playing Bellatrix in the Harry Potter film series.
  • Richard Dawson: An evolutionary biologist and author who is well-known for his novels, introducing the word “meme” and his sexist comments.
  • Michael Caine: An actor, author and producer who is best known as Albert in the Batman film franchise.
  • Christian Bale: An actor best known for playing Batman in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.
  • Christopher Lee: An actor, singer and author. Best known for playing villains.
  • Colin Firth: An actor who has appeared in various blockbusters such as Bridget Jones’ Diary, The King’s Speech and Love, Actually.
  • Hugh Laurie: An actor and comedian who is famous for being one half of the comedy duo Laurie and Fry, and for playing Dr. House on the TV series House.
  • Gary Oldman: A filmmaker and actor who has won numerous awards and is known for his versatility.
  • David Tennant: An actor who played the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in the TV series Doctor Who.
  • Cary Elwes: An actor and writer who has appeared in numerous blockbusters like The Jungle Book, The Princess Bride and Liar, Liar.
  • Cary Grant: An actor who is considered one of the leading actors of classic Hollywood.
  • Adele: An award-winning, record-breaking singer who is known for her intense, soulful music.
  • Eric Clapton: A guitarist, singer and songwriter who has made it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times.
  • Simon Pegg: An actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter who commonly takes on comedy roles, such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.
  • Kate Beckinsale: An actress who is mostly known for her work in action films, such as the Underworld film series, Van Helsing and Whiteout.
  • Joan Collins: An actress, author and columnist. Famous for her role as Alexis Carrington in the show Dynasty.
  • Minnie Driver: An actress and singer-songwriter who has appeared in multiple successful films and is likely best known for her work on the show Will & Grace.
  • Jamie Oliver: An English chef who is known for his work in reforming school canteen menus, education children and families about healthy diets and working towards a vegan lifestyle.
  • Gordon Ramsay: A chef and TV personality who is best known for his TV show Hell’s Kitchen.
  • Winston Churchill: A politician, writer and army officer. The Prime Minister of the UK from 1940 to 1945.
  • Sacha Baron Cohen: A comedian who is known for his satirical characters.
  • Judi Dench: An actress who is known for her work in theatre and TV series.
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber: A composer who has written scores for The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
  • Jane Goodall: A primatologist and anthropologist who is considered the world’s greatest expert on chimpanzees. Has also done work for conservation and animal welfare and rights.
  • Damian Lewis: An actor and producer who is best known for his leading role in Homeland.
  • Simon Cowell: A producer and TV personality best known as being a judge on the show American Idol.
  • Russell Brand: An actor, comedian, author and activist who has spoken on various political and cultural issues like addiction, wealth inequality, climate change and capitalism.
  • Elizabeth Hurley: A model, actress and businesswoman.
  • Sharon Osbourne: A TV personality, music manager, author and businesswoman.
  • William Blake: A writer and poet who was active during the Romantic Age.
  • Geoffrey Chaucer: An poet and writer who is best known for writing The Canterbury Tales.
  • Roald Dahl: A much-loved children’s author who wrote classics such as Matilda, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Boy, The BFG, James and The Giant Peach and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
  • Enid Blyton: A writer who created children’s stories and novels.
  • A. A. Milne: A writer who is most famous for creating Winnie the Pooh.
  • John Milton: A writer who is best known for writing Paradise Lost.
  • William Wordsworth: A writer who was active during the Romantic Age in English literature.
  • Mary Shelley: A writer who is best known for creating and writing Frankenstein.
  • Lord Byron: A poet and politician who was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement.
  • John Keats: A poet who wrote during the Romantic era. One of the main figures of the Romantic movement.
  • Charlotte Bronte: A novelist and poet and the eldest of the three Bronte sisters. Known for her classic novels.
  • Thomas Hardy: An English novelist and poet active during the Romantic period.
  • Rudyard Kipling: A journalist, novelist and poet who is best known for writing The Jungle Book.
  • George Orwell: A critic, novelist and essayist whose works highlight social injustices. Best known for Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.
  • Virginia Woolf: A writer who is known for Orlando, A Room of One’s Own and The Waves.
  • Thomas Hobbes: A philosopher and one of the founders of political philosophy. Served as the inspiration for “Hobbes” from Calvin and Hobbes.
  • John Locke: A philosopher and physician who is known as the “Father of Liberalism”.
  • Bertrand Russell: A logician, philosopher, writer, historian, social critic and political activist.
  • Margaret Thatcher: A stateswoman who was the Prime Minister of the UK from 1979 to 1990.

British Tourist Attractions:

  • Big Ben: A tourist attraction. The Great Bell of the striking clockin the Palace of Westminster.
  • London Eye: Also known as the Millennium Wheel or the Coca-Cola London Eye. A huge ferris wheel/observation wheel on the River Thames.
  • Globe Theatre: A tourist attraction in London. A theatre heavily associated with William Shakespeare.
  • Stonehenge: A prehistoric monument in England. Composed of a large ring of standing stones.
  • Abbey Road Crossing: A tourist attraction. Popular because it was featured on the cover of a Beatles’ album.
  • Buckingham Palace: Where the monarch of the UK lives.
  • Westminster Abbey: Previously known as the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter of Westminster. A large gothic church in London.
  • White Cliffs of Dover: Part of the North Downs. A cliff face largely made of chalk and flint.
  • Tower of London: A castle on the north bank of the River Thames.
  • Savile Row: A street in Mayfair. Known mostly for offering bespoke tailoring.
  • Glastonbury Festival: Previously known as the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts. A five-day festival of performing arts in Somerset.
  • Stratford-Upon-Avon: Also known just as Stratford. A market town and civil parish in England.
  • Whitsun: Also known as Whitsunday. The Christian festival of Pentecost.
  • Natural History Museum, London: A natural history museum in South Kensington.
  • St. Paul’s Cathedral, London: An Anglican cathedral which is dedicated to Paul the Apostle.
  • Isle of Wight: A county which is the largest island in England.
  • Cambridge University: A public research university in the UK.
  • Oxford University: A research university in Oxford, England.
  • Eton College: A boarding school for boys in Eron.
  • Winchester College: A boarding school for boys in Hampshire.
  • The Iron Bridge: A cast-iron bridge over the Severn River in England.
  • Big Pit National Coal Museum: An industrial heritage musum in Wales which was previously a working coal mine.
  • Blackpool Tower: A tower that was inspired by the Eiffel Tower.
  • Canterbury Cathedral: One of the oldest and most famous Christian buildings in England.
  • Durham Cathedral: Also known as the Cathedral Church of Christ or the Durham Cathedral.
  • Clifton Suspension Bridge: A bridge suspended over the Avon Gorge and Avon River.
  • Angel of the North: A sculpture designed by Antony Gormley in Gateshead.
  • Eden Project: A tourist attractoin in Cornwall. Biomes which house plants that are collected from various climates.
  • Pitt Rivers Museum: A museum that shows archaeological collections in Oxford.
  • Albert Dock, Liverpool: A collection of dock buildings and warehouses in Liverpool.
  • Borough Market, London: A market in London. One of the largest and oldest food markets in London.
  • Llechwedd Slate Caverns: A tourist attraction in Wales.
  • Hadrian’s Wall: Also known as the Roman Wall or Pict’s Wall. A defensive fort in Britannia.
  • Kew Gardens, London: A botanic garden in London with the most diverse botanical collection in the world.
  • Yorkshire Sculpture Park: A gallery in West Yorkshire which is open-air.
  • Dreamland, Margate: An amusement park and funfair in Kent, England.
  • Radcliffe Camera, Oxford: Also known as “Rad Cam” or “The Camera”. The house of the Radcliffe Science Library.
  • Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester: A gallery in Manchester with about 55,000 collected items.

British Animals:

  • Mole: A small mammal with fur, small ears and eyes and large paws for digging.
  • Shrew: A small mammal similar to a mole. A close relative to hedgehogs.
  • Hedgehog: A mammal covered in spines similar to a porcupine.
  • Hare: A mammal closely related to rabbits. Extremely similar to rabbits but with longer ears.
  • Bat: Nocturnal mammals with wings that are more maneuvrable than those of birds.
  • Polecat: Also known as the common ferret, forest polecat or foumart. A smallish animal with a generally dark brown colour, light belly and mask-like markings over the face.
  • Otter: Small, carnivorous mammals which are semiaquatic.
  • Badger: Omnivorous mammals with a distinctive striped face.
  • Stoat: Also known as the short-tailed weasel or emine. A small, thin mammal with a long body, brown fur and a white underbelly.
  • Weasel: Small mammalian predators with long bodies and short legs. Generally reddish-brown in colour and a white belly.
  • Mink: Dark, carnivorous mammals which are famous for being unethically farmed for their fur.
  • Bulldog: Also known as the British Bulldog or English Bulldog. A medium-sized dog breed known for its wrinkled face and squat nose.
  • Dartmoor Pony: A breed of pony that is used as a working animal.
  • Old English Sheepdog: A large dog breed descended from herding dogs.
  • Wild Boar: Also known as the wild swine, Eurasian wild pig, or just wild pig. A large mammal with small tusks and tough, bristly fur.
  • Reindeer: Also known as caribou. A type of large deer with branched antlers.
  • Fallow Deer: A mammal with a light spotted coat and small antlers.

British Traditions/Celebrations:

  • May Day: A public holiday on the 1st of May. A traditional spring holiday.
  • Trafalgar Day: A celebration of the victory won by the Royal Navy at the Battle of Trafalgar.
  • Saint George’s Day: Also known as the Feast of Saint George. A holiday celebrated in honour of Saint George.
  • Maypole Dancing: A dance around a maypole (a tall wooden pole assembled for European folk festivals).
  • Morris Dancing: A type of rhythmic English folk dance with music.
  • Well Dressing: Also known as well flowering. A tradition where wells and springs are decorated with floral designs and patterns.

British Fashion:

  • Dr. Martens: A footwear and clothing brand known for their high-top ankle boots.
  • Trench Coat: A type of long coat.
  • Top Hat: Also known as a high hat, cylinder hat or topper. A long, cylindrical hat with a flat top. Black, sometimes with a coloured band.
  • Ruff: A large, ruffled collar.
  • Pith Helmet: Also known as the safari helmet, sun helmet, topee, sola topee or topi. A light helmet which is covered with cloth.
  • Miniskirt: A short skirt which ends above the knee.
  • Frock Coat: A coat characterised by a knee-length skirt that generally end around the knee.
  • Flat Cap: Also known as a scally cap. A round cap with a stiff brim and flat top.
  • Blazer: A jacket which looks similar to a suit jacket.
  • Bowler Hat: Also known as a bob hat, bombin or derby. A round, upturned brim with a round crown.
  • Deerstalker Hat: A cap that was popularised by Sherlock Holmes.

British Games, Sports & Other Entertainment:

  • Cricket: A bat and ball sport popular in England.
  • Football: A popular ball sport where a ball is kicked through goals to score.
  • Coconut Shy: A game traditionally found at funfairs and carnivals. Wooden balls are thrown at a row of coconuts which are balanced on posts.
  • Gurning: Also known as a gurn or a chuck. An extremely distorted facial expression where the lower jaw is projected foward and the lower lip covers the upper.
  • Pub Rock: A rock music genre developed in the UK.
  • Pantomime: A sort of musical comedy made for family entertainment.
  • Fox Hunting: An ethical “sport” where foxes are hunted by foxhounds and “hunters”.

British Culture:

  • Scouts: A voluntary educational movement for children and teens.
  • Mods: A 1960s subculture that began in London. Music and fashion-focused.
  • Punks: A subculture which involves fashion, music, film and art. Characterised by anti-establishment attitudes, individual freedom, and aggressive fashion and music.
  • Dandy: Men who place a lot of importance on appearance and fashion.
  • Skinheads: A youth subculture among the working class in London. Characterised by social alienation and solidarity, usually with short hair or shaved heads.

We hope this list of British things was useful and that you found what you needed!

We did our best to cover all of the varied meanings of “British” with our visual gallery of British things and descriptive list. But if you feel there’s something we missed, please feel free to let us know and leave a comment.

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