The British tourist destinations shunned by Brits Despite an increasing number of Britons who are abandoning plans for foreign travel and are instead embarking on “staycations”, comparatively […]

Despite an increasing number of Britons who are abandoning plans for foreign travel and are instead embarking on “staycations”, comparatively few are likely to visit Hadrian’s Wall or the Brecon Beacons, according to a new poll.

The survey reveals the top 10 UK tourist attractions that are consistently being ignored by Brits.

Topping the list of unloved sites is Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway, made up of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns that are the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. Although renowned across the globe, nine out of 10 people who live in Britain have not been to see it, including almost a quarter of people from Northern Ireland.

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Hadrian’s Wall, the ancient Roman defensive fortification in the north of England, came second, followed by The Angel of the North, the iconic 1998 sculpture near Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, which only just under a quarter of respondents had visited. In addition, just one in four Britons have been to see South Wales’ mountain range, the Brecon Beacons.

The full list The Giant’s Causeway John O’Groats The Gower Peninsula The Angel of the North Loch Ness Land’s End Windsor Castle Brighton Pier Stratford-Upon-Avon Lake Windermere

And it is not just the countryside landmarks that people are failing to taking advantage of on their holidays, according to the British Heart Foundation, which commissioned the survey. In joint-fifth place of Britain’s most unvisited national landmarks are the UK’s two oldest Oxford and Cambridge. Seven in 10 have not visited, the survey found.

Also named are the Peak District National Park, with close to two-thirds not having visited, and the largest, most populous island in England, the Isle of Wight.

While staycations have been steadily gaining popularity since the start of the year – the falling pound has been named as one factor – the charity found that a third of people chose not to take a short break in the UK last year.

The British Heart Foundation is encouraging Britons to explore more of their own country with its programme of walks and treks, and raise money for heart research in the process.