Banksy, Shakespeare and cheese-rolling: 101 quintessentially English things to see and do

Artwork by the renowned Graffiti artist Banksy is seen on the side of building on Wilder Street in Bristol Credit: Anthony Devlin/PA Archive

Banksy's original art work and the world's largest greenhouses have featured on a list of the best and most quintessentially English things to see and do.

Suggestions for VisitEngland's 101 things to do before you go abroad, revealed to mark St Georges Day, were submitted by the public and chosen by the national tourist board.

Ian Fleming's former watering hole, and Banksy's original art work featured on the list alongside the John Rylands Library in Manchester and Exmoor national park.

A close-up view of the 1623 edition of the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays, on display at John Ryland's Library in Manchester Credit: Dave Thompson/PA Wire

The selection process also revealed some interesting facts about the country, such as the second most photographed clock in the world after Big Ben - the Chester Clock in Chester.

The eccentric and incredibly English past-time of cheese-rolling took the position of the 101st experience, the centuries old annual event takes place at Coopers hill in Gloucestershire.

Competitors race in the annual Cheese Rolling competition at Coopers Hill near Browckworth, Gloucestershire Credit: Tim Ireland/PA Wire

Here is a sample of some of the experiences that made the list:

History and Heritage

Unsurprisingly, suggestions for castles, cathedrals and heritage sites were some of the most popular, with Tintagel, Lincoln and Stonehenge all making the list.

Stonehenge in Amesbury Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA Wire

Hidden gems which did not make the final cut included Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight: the oldest pier in the world, and Dry Doddington's St James Church spire in Lincolnshire, which leans over one degree further than the Tower of Pisa.

Wildlife and Nature

From snowdrops at Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire to the monkey orchids of Kent, flowers featured alongside red squirrels, puffins and greater horseshoe bats in the second most populated category.

Fountains Abbey near Ripon, North Yorkshire Credit: John Giles

This section revealed that England is home to one of the most important wetlands in Europe, the Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire, and the second highest tidal range in the world, The River Severn.

Food and Drink

Traditional English fodder featured on the list, Cornish pasties, fish and chips and gin all getting a mention.

Quintessentially English: Fish and chips Credit: Alistair Wilson/PA Wire

England's oldest pub, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham, and Ian Fleming's former watering hole, Dukes Hotel in St James' both secured a place on the list.

Arts and culture

The most varied of all the categories, Europe's smallest cinema, Screen 22 in Nottingham, and the book shop where the original Keep Calm and Carry On poster was found, Barter Books in Alnwick, both competed for a place on the list.

'Keep Calm and Carry on' Credit: Simon Cooper/PA Archive

Described as a "tough category to judge", Manchester's Football Museum, Newcastle's nightlife and Banksy's original street art were all included in the final 101.

Health and Fitness

A nation of sports fans, Britons pledged their support to the Olympic legacy by nominating Sailing in Weymouth and white water rafting in Essex, which both featured on the list.