These suggestions are based on places that my family and I have personally
visited and enjoyed. I've tried to include something for everyone, but
for more suggestions visit the appropriate regional guides by clicking
on the map. Get out there and enjoy exploring the UK! David Ross. Publisher
WHAT TO SEE Broads - The
Norfolk Broads are
best known as a boating centre, and rightly so. They are made
up of a multitude of broad, shallow lakes lying along five major
rivers. The lakes are the result of peat "harvest" during
the Middle Ages. The water level rose, and flooded the peat diggings,
creating lakes that are home to many rare plant and animal species,
as well as a multitude of birds.
Coast
Visit Cromer for a traditional seaside resort,
with the attendant delights of an amusement pier, acres of sand,
and enough ice cream shops to feed the huingry masses. A quieter
and, in my opinion, prettier resort is Mundesley,
just a few miles down the coast.
Walk along the coast near Horsey Mere and you'll usually see colonies
of seals basking in the sun. More in our Norfolk
Travel Guide >>
WHAT
TO SEE
Cambridge owes its continued popularity as a tourist destination
primarily to the presence of the university
which bears the city's name. The wonderful medieval architecture
of the early colleges that make up the university provide a delightful
glimpse of life long ago, and the history that is bound up in
those colleges makes for fascinating exploring. The most fasinating
of the University buildings is Kings Colege Chapel, created by
Henry VII, which must rank as the finest example of Perpendicular
Gothic architecture in England, if not the world. The chapel choir
is world famous, and if you get a chance to hear a concert in
the chapel, sieze it!
The Fitwilliam Museum in Cambridge is one of the finest anywhere,
featuring antiquities, applied arts, coins, paintings, and manuscripts.
If you're tired to exploring the museum, try punting on the River
Cam, or strolling along The Backs, wide lawns that lead from the
colleges to the river. See the 'Bridge of Sighs', modelled on
the Venetian bridge of the same name, and built without a single
nail. Within easy driving distance of Cambridge are the stately
home of Wimpole Hall, the Duxford Air Museum, historic Ely, with
its medieval cathedral, and the unspoilt nature the East Anglian
Fens. More in our Cambridge
Travel Guide >>
WHAT
TO SEE
Exmoor is home to some of the most varied and beautiful scenery
in England. The moors contain large deposits of peat, which form
bogs due to the high rainfall. Mist and fog can descend very quickly
in Exmoor, so a compass is a must for walkers. The peat moors
give way to heather uplands, replete with a variety of grasses
and plants, such as gorse and whortleberry.
Wild Exmoor ponies still graze here side by side with red deer,
the largest of England's native animals.The lush green coombes,
dominated by oak woods, are home to a variety of bird life, such
as grey wagtails, kestrels, buzzards and ring ouzels. On the western
vere of Exmoor is Lynton, a lovely old village joind by a cliff
railway with neighbouring Lynmouth. On the eastern edge is pretty
Dunster, with a beautiful castle perched on a high hill above
the village. The coastal road is one of the most beautiful in
England, but turn off the road at Oare to find mystical Doone
Country, inspiration for RD Blackmore's enduring romance Lorna
Doone. More about Exmoor
>>
WHAT
TO SEE
The Mendip Hills are a high limestone ridge in northeast Somerset.
The geloogy of the hills has led to numerous large caves, including
the most famous at Cheddar Gorge, where the showcaves welcome
visitors fom across the globe. Less crowded, but also very impressive,
are the Wooky Hole showcaves near Wells. Aside from those cave-riddled
hills, the region extends to include the marshy lowland of the
Somerset Levels and the nearby towns and villages of Glastonbury,
Wells, and Frome.
Wells is the smallest city in England, and boasts a fabulous
medieval cathedral, and a preserved 14th century street. Near
the cathedral is the moated palace of the powerful Bishops of
Bath and Wells. At Glastonbury the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey
slumber beneath mystical Glastonbury Tor, which offers fantastic
views over the Somerset Levels. For actiities, try cycling the
Levels; there are plenty of quiet lanes, and as the name suggests,
there are few hills to climb! More on Mendip
Hills - Wells
- Glastonbury
>>
WHAT
TO SEE AND DO
The Cuillin Hills offer
the highest concentration of Munros (mountain peaks over 3000
feet) in Scotland - a paradise for walkers. If you don't feel
energetic, take a cruise into the heart of the Cuillins from the
lovely fishing village of Elgol. The Trotternish
peninsula is home to the fabulous geological formations of the
Quiraing, an otheworldly landscape formed by volcanic action long
ago.
See Dunvegan Castle,
home of Clan MacLeod, and see the fabled Fairy Flag, or take a
short boat journey into Dunvegan Loch to see the resident seal
colony at rest. I could go on and on; Skye is like a breath of
fresh air if you've had enough of city life. More in our Isle
of Skye Travel Guide >>
WHAT
TO SEE
Cumbria is one of England's most visited regions - for good reason.
Much of this hilly region of north-west England is included in
the Lake
District National Park. This largest of England's National
Parks provides an exciting mix of mountain and lake scenery. Postcard-perfect
in summer, in fall the brown bracken of the mountain slopes contrasts
with the reds of oak forests and the beginnings of snow-white
frosting on the mountain peaks. The Lake District is a walker's
paradise at any time.
Take a steam-driven gondola trip on Coniston Water, or climb
Hardknott Pass to the old Roman military fort for fabulous views.
Visit Dove Cottage, where poet William Wordsworth lived, or Hill
Top, home of children's auther Beatrix Potter. There's so much
to se in the Lakes, and such a lot of activities to choose from,
you can't go wrong making this area your destination. Though the
region draws heavy crowds in the summer months, there are thankfully
so many quiet backwaters that you are sure to find somewhere peaceful
at any time of year. See our Lake
District Travel Guide for more >>
WHAT
TO SEE
Looking for a city break, with not much driving to do? The city
of Winchester is beautiful and compact, cramming a remarkable
collection of historical buildings into a small area. The prize
of Winchester is the cathedral, one of the finest examples of
Gothic architecture in the country. Such was Winchester's importance
in the Middle Ages that the cathedral was used as many as three
times a year for royal court functions. In the presbytery there
are mortuary chests containing the bones of Saxon kings and bishops.
Winchester Castle holds a prominent position in English history.
It was built in 1067, within a year of the Norman Conquest. Within
the great hall of the castle is a huge round table, once thought
to be the famous round table of Arthurian legend, now known to
be a Tudor invention. Wnchester is blessed with a wonderful variety
of old buildings, the ruins of a medieval bishop's palace, a medieval
abbey, a house once lived in by Jane Austen, and so much more.
See our Winchester
Travel Guide for more >>
WHAT
TO SEE
Located just four miles off the Hampshire coast, the Isle of Wight
has been drawing visitors from the mainland for centuries, but
interest really picked up since Queen Victoria made it her "home
away from home". Indeed, the major tourist draw is Victoria's
own Osborne House, the fanciful Italianate mansion designed between
1845-1850 by Prince Albert as a retreat for the royal couple.
If the Victorian era is too recent foir you, see historic Carisbrook
Castle, where Charles I was held prisoner before his final journey
to London and execution.
Most areas of the island still maintain an air of calm, and provide
ample opportunities for outdoor pursuits such as walking and cycling.
A cycle path circles the entire island, and a network of walking
trails combine to offer excellent recreational strolls. More in
our Isle of Wight Travel Guide
>>
Home
> Itineraries
WHAT
TO SEE
WHAT
TO SEE
WHAT
TO SEE
WHAT
TO SEE AND DO
WHAT
TO SEE
