Dark Academia: Best Places To Visit In The UK
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Dark Academia: The Aesthetic
Dark Academia as an aesthetic has really taken off over the last couple of years. But what is Dark Academia? Well, the Dark Academia definition isn’t cut and dry but, in short, it’s an aesthetic based around academic themes such as classic literature, ancient history and the arts.
Works linked with this Dark Academia genre include Dead Poet’s Society, The Secret History and Kill Your Darlings. I have seen plenty of guides on style, works to read or watch, music, even Dark Academia themed activities to keep you busy. These are all an integral part of the Dark Academia subculture.
I haven’t, however, seen a comprehensive travel guide on Dark Academia related locations. So, here it is!
I have listed ten locations in the UK that I think have the biggest Dark Academia vibes.
Many of them are connected to universities, all of them are traditional, historic cities. Many of them are linked to certain literary works or writers, and many of them have museums or libraries for you to visit. This is a must to enjoy the classic dark academia library aesthetic!
I have also included my top places to stay and eat in each city that I think fit the Dark Academia aesthetic. This way, you can fully immerse yourselves in the aesthetic for your visit! Put on one of your best Dark Academia outfits and enjoy the Dark Academia decor.
Without further ado, here are the best Dark Academia places to visit in the UK.
York
York is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the UK. It is full to the brim of old buildings, as well as a grand old university, which makes it the ideal Dark Academia day out.
The Shambles is the oldest street in York, over 900 years old, and is a must-visit. It is full of amazing historical Dark Academia architecture. This is a wonderful place to do some shopping. Head to an antique shop in York to pick up some Dark Academia style treats.
York Minster is also one of the largest churches in the UK, and has connections to Roman history. It is designed with beautiful Roman Architecture, and you can even observe the impressive details in the ceiling via a mirror.
Also worth a visit is St Mary’s Abbey, now only the haunting ruins of the grand old abbey that stood there. These sum up the Dark Academia style perfectly.
Clifford’s Tower is also worth visiting, the only remaining section of the old York Castle. There is also York Art Gallery and York Castle Museum for you to soak up the culture.
Top Spot: The Shambles
Top Place to Eat: Countess of York
Top Place to Stay: The Mount Royale Hotel
Check out my post on York to find out more.
Oxford
Oxford is home to the oldest university in the UK and is definitely one that should be at the top of the list. This is a clear favourite among Dark Academics for multiple reasons. Home to the Oxford University, this academic institution is as Dark Academia as it gets. With amazing historical study spaces, settings that inspired classical literature and Romantic authors, as well as a history of mysterious secret societies, this is an amazing city to visit for any Dark Academic.
With the old prestigious university buildings scattered throughout the town, it is hard to find somewhere that is not picturesque. When it comes to Dark Academia schools, Oxford University is top of the list.
You are even able to take tours around some of the university buildings so you can get up real close and personal. It is home to a number of iconic Dark Academia colleges.
Make sure to visit the Ashmolean Museum to see art and architectural history collected here. This is one of the most iconic buildings related to Dark Academia architecture.
The Bodleian Library is a must-see too, as the main research university library of Oxford University, and one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It is the perfect place to enjoy the Dark Academia library aesthetic, and soak up it’s collection of Dark Academia books.
Also worth a visit is Oxford Botanic Garden – the oldest botanical garden in the UK.
Oxford University often hosts events and lectures that are open to the public, so make sure to check these here before you go.
Top Spot: Bodleian Library
Top Place to Eat: Acanthus Restaurant
Top Place to Stay: Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel
Read my guide to Oxford to find out more
Check Out This Video To Learn More About Oxford
Cambridge
Cambridge has the second oldest university in the UK, after Oxford, and is therefore another educational centre with a big academic identity in the UK. This is another prestigious university that will make you feel like you’ve fallen straight into your favourite campus novel.
This city feels somewhat more quant than Oxford. However, like the other university town, you can see the impressive old university buildings as you wander through the town.
Some of the buildings are worth going out of your way to see, such as the King’s College and it’s connecting chapel. These are both great examples of the Dark Academia style. Dark Academia colleges are a crucial part of the aesthetic, and can be enjoyed around the town. You can see why it inspired so many classical authors.
Fitzwilliam Museum is a must-visit here, especially with its collection of Renaissance-style sculptures and its Grecian architecture.
The Bridge of Sighs over the River Cam is one of the most impressive sights in Cambridge, and the best way to see it is my taking a punting tour up the river. Punting is one of the things Cambridge is famous for, and Dark Academia fans will recognise it best from the film Maurice.
Top Spot: Bridge of Sighs
Top Place to Eat: The Pickerel Inn
Top Place to Stay: Christ’s College Cambridge
Find out more in my ultimate guide to visiting Cambridge
Durham
Funnily enough, many of these locations are based around universities. Durham is another, home to one of the other top old universities in the UK – another one of the iconic Dark Academia schools on this list.
This one is up north, so has a fairly different culture to the towns down south. Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle are two of the old buildings in the city that definitely worth a look around. These are some of the most Dark Academia buildings in the UK.
Durham Cathedral, in particular, is one of the country’s most grand and impressive. This will make for a perfect Dark Academia background for your photos.
The Finchdale Priory ruins are also worth looking at, as well as the Durham Botanical Gardens. Palace Green Library is also open to the public and allows us to view it’s unique collections. This will allow you to immerse yourself into the intellectual life of the city, connecting to it’s deep history of academic ambition.
There is also a beach nearby, if you wanted to take a pondering stroll along the seafront and soak up the impressive views.
Top Spot: Durham Cathedral
Top Place to Eat: Tealicious Tearoom
Top Place to Stay: Farnley Tower Guesthouse
Read my guide to Durham to find out more here
Lacock
Lacock is a little bit different to the other locations on the list. This one’s out in the countryside, a small village in the Cotswolds.
If you’re looking for quaint English villages, the Cotswolds is the place to head.
Lacock is particularly significant due to its use in many films and TV shows, including Pride and Prejudice, Downton Abbey and Harry Potter.
A lot of these productions used the iconic Lacock Abbey as their filming location, and Harry Potter fans will be able to recognise the halls here clearly.
There is also the Fox Talbot Museum, where you can view exhibitions and the history of photography.
Otherwise, you may wander around the quaint old village, or stroll out on a countryside walk and soak up the views as inspiration for your poetry or paintings.
Top Spot: Lacock Abbey
Top Place to Eat: King John’s Hunting Lodge
Top Place to Stay: Sign of the Angel
If you want to discover more Cotswold Villages to visit, check out my list of the top 10
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is particularly popular with Dark Academia fans, and for good reason. As the capital of Scotland, it’s full of history, culture and arts. It’s old Dark Academia architecture makes it one of the most Dark Academia cities in the world.
Edinburgh Castle is particularly grand and iconic, and the Royal Mile walk will take you past many historic Dark Academia buildings until you end up at the Scottish Parliament. Go for a drink in the café here to really soak up the amazing views of the city.
St Mary’s Cathedral is constructed with the most Gothic style of architecture you can imagine, as is St Giles’ Cathedral.
Greyfriars Kirk is an old church with a large churchyard, and many a ghost story to go with it.
The National Museum of Scotland is a great one to visit while you’re here. As is The Writer’s Museum, paying tribute to Edinburgh’s many iconic writers.
If you visit in the summer time, you will also find the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the world.
Edinburgh is also home to some great shopping experiences. So, head into town where you’ll find some great record stores where you can pick up your favourite classical music on vinyl, or head to a wonderful historic bookshop to find some amazing Dark Academia books.
Edinburgh is also a top spot for picking up some vintage clothing. Edinburgh is well known for its tweed production. So, why not pick out one of Edinburgh’s amazing tweed jackets – a staple of Dark Academia fashion.
Top Spot: Edinburgh Castle
Top Place to Eat: The Grain Store
Top Place to Stay: The Haymarket Hotel
Read my post on Edinburgh to find out why its one of the UK’s top Dark Academia spots.
Check Out This Vlog To Experience Book shopping In Edinburgh
St Andrews
St Andrews is another Scottish location, and another famous university town. It is the oldest university in Scotland, and the third oldest university in the UK.
St. Andrews is most famous for being where Prince William went to university and met his future wife, Kate Middleton. This gives it an impressive regal status, for those who are also fans of the royalcore aesthetic.
This is one of the smaller towns on the list but has a massive amount of historical sights. The streets themselves are cobbled and lined with historical buildings.
There are also the ruins of the old castle, as well as the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral. Soak up the mystery here as you learn about the cathedral’s resident ghost. Here, you can climb up the still-standing St. Rule’s Tower and see views over the whole historic town, countryside, and stormy Scottish sea.
There are two quiet beaches you can walk along, as well as an old stone pier that stretches into the sea.
With a long, historic academic history, this is a unique and wonderful town to visit.
Top Spot: St Andrews Cathedral
Top Place to Eat: 18 Restaurant
Top Place to Stay: University Hall
Chester
Chester is another historic town in the UK, although not connected particularly to the university. It has a lot of Roman history, but the streets are lined with black and white tudor style buildings too.
You can best view these from the Chester Rows. It is very picturesque, and a walk along the old city walls is a great way to see the sights.
There is also Chester Cathedral to visit, as well as St John the Baptist Church, which has a section dating back to the 12th century.
Around the corner from the church is the remains of the old Roman amphitheatre.
There are also the Roman Gardens to explore, containing many old Roman artefacts. The Grosvenor Museum contains even more of these, if this is what you’re interested in.
The Dewa Roman Experience also offers a reconstruction of what life may have been like in Roman Chester.
Top Spot: Chester Rows
Top Place to Eat: Ye Olde King’s Head
Top Place to Stay: Crabwall Manor Hotel
Bath
Bath is any location connected to Roman History. It’s namesake is the historic Roman Baths that you can visit within the city – a unique and amazing insight into Roman life in Britain, you must see these if you visit. This classical locations is certainly one of the top Dark Academia cities in the UK.
While classical Greek architecture is a beloved subject of many Dark Academia lovers, this ancient Roman architecture can hit the spot just as well for those who are interested in classics.
The golden Bath stone is used in the Georgian Archetecture in a way that takes you straight back to Regency England, and it’s no surprise that Bridgerton is filmed here.
Must-visit historic spots include the grand Bath Abbey, the Royal Cresent, and the Pulteney Bridge. These will all perfectly fulfill your Dark Academic urges.
The Roman Baths are also an amazing historic place to visit, filled with Roman antiquity. Not only can you explore classical Roman life in Britain, but you can learn about the local mythology of Sulis Minerva – Goddess of the hot springs.
The Holbourne Museum holds a collection of period artefacts, as well as Britain’s only surviving pleasure gardens for a real insight into Georgian Society.
Bath is known for being home to various famous writers including Mary Shelley and Jane Austen. You can visit the Jane Austen Centre to immerse yourself in her world and learn more about the literature of Bath.
Top Spot: Roman Baths
Top Place to Eat: Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House
Top Place to Stay: Henrietta House
Go and read my post about Bath to find out more.
Whitby
Whitby is most famous for being the inspiration for the Gothic thriller novel Dracula, so you can already see why it’s on the list. This is the perfect place to explore the Dark Academia goth aesthetic, with it’s melancholic atmosphere and sinister associations.
In particular, Whitby Abbey is said to be Stoker’s main inspiration for the novel, and has previously been names Britain’s Most Romantic Ruin for it’s stunning gothic architecture.
The 199 steps were also an inspiration for the novel and provide impressive views. At the top, you can find St. Mary’s Church, which is certainly worth the walk.
You can walk along the golden sand and look out at the wild Yorkshire coast. There is also a large number of alternative and gothic shops in the town centre, as this is the centre for gothic subculture in the UK, so you can really dive into the “dark” part of dark academia.
Additionally, the Museum of Victorian Science is especially suited to the dark academia fan, allowing you to learn more about the gothic era of the Englightenment.
Top Spot: Whitby Abbey
Top Place to Eat: The Stables
Top Place to Stay: Saxonville Hotel
Go and read my guide to Whitby to find out more about this great location
Thank you for reading!
I hope you enjoyed my list of Dark Academia places to visit in the UK. Hopefully, you will find yourself inspired by at least one of the places listed here.
Make sure to take your notebook, sketchbook and camera so that you can capture the inspiration of the place you choose to visit while you’re there.
By visiting these locations you can truly feel like you’re in your favourite Dark Academia book or a character in one of your favourite Dark Academia movies.
Please feel free to leave a comment telling me about any other places in the UK that remind you of the Dark Academia aesthetic, or if you want me to make a post dedicated to any of the locations listed here.
So, get your trench coats on, grab your favourite classic novel, and get out there.
Ta-ta for now! x
