I

t’s impossible to know just what makes England such a culturally rich country. Is it the history? The diverse ethnic mix? Maybe even the weather? It’s probably all these things, and we say hooray for that.

For a relatively small country, it’s amazing just how much England has contributed to the cultural world.  We’re talking Shakespeare, The Beatles, Turner, Hockney, and Hitchcock to name but a few. And, as if too rub it in, the country is bursting with galleries, museums and theatres flaunting all this fantastically creative fayre.

London is without doubt the cultural heart of England. With incredible museums like the   V & A and   British Museum ,   Shakespeare's Globe , and literally hundreds of new bands rocking out venues across the city every night – it’s world-beating. And if you love art then you’ve certainly arrived.

Kick things off at the  Tate before getting the free shuttle boat along the Thames to the  Tate Modern to see just what we’re talking about.

But London doesn’t have a monopoly on culture. In the north-west, with its own  Tate , Liverpool is practically bursting at the seams with cultural cool and Manchester manages to produce ground-breaking bands as regularly as clockwork.

The Baltic in NewcastleGateshead is at the centre of Tyneside’s resurgent art scene; with no permanent collection it keeps things fresh and provocative.

Over in the South West, Bristol  street artist Banksy’s satirical works adorn the street as well as the   Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery . And it’s not just art, these innovative cities push boundaries across all cultural fields. If you’re a culture vulture, prepare to get tired wings.