The name Blue Lagoon suggests a piece of paradise from the tropics, however there is also a Blue Lagoon in the United Kingdom. It’s near the town of Abereiddy in Wales. The lagoon is a former steep-sided slate quarry that was flooded after it was abandoned. Today it is connected to the ocean by a [more...]
Have you ever wanted to sleep in a castle, or perhaps a tower, or a folly? Or what about a grand mansion, a tower, or a lighthouse? Or a simple cottage far from the madding crowd? There are now plenty of opportunities to have such an experience. Many historic buildings have been adapted to take [more...]
Arriving in York by train is more fun than driving in by car, grappling first with ring roads and then with parking. As soon as you come out of the station you’ll see the medieval city wall just across the road. If you aren’t going direct to the nearby Railway Museum, you can follow the [more...]
On the south coast of England, Dorset is famous for its evocative landscapes as described in Thomas Hardy’s Wessex novels. There are beautiful beaches and the famous Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site stretching from Purbeck to Lyme Regis. The seaside resorts of Bournemouth and Poole, and the timeless countryside with its tiny villages and busy [more...]
Situated on the south coast of England, Hampshire has a lot to offer for a day out for all the family. Visit Portsmouth and its historic naval dockyard; or the New Forest, a unique national park; or explore the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. Since Tudor times the naval dockyard at Portsmouth has been at [more...]
If you’re in Glasgow with children, you could spend most of the day in the titanium-walled Science Centre pictured above. As well as spacious halls full of try-it-yourself exhibits appealing to different ages, there are cleverly-staged demonstrations, a café, an Imax cinema, and fine views from the impressive rotating tower. Staying near the river, visit [more...]
Kent, often called the garden of England, has many attractions for a day out. Explore the countryside of the High Weald, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty with its rolling hills and large ancient woodlands, and dotted with Wealden villages, great houses and the site of the Battle of Hastings. Or try its varied [more...]
If you’re travelling between England and central Scotland, why not leave time to explore the Borders region as you pass through? There’s plenty of choice for tourists and for anyone planning a day out from Newcastle, Glasgow or Edinburgh. Amongst the wonderful scenery, there are great opportunities for hiking, biking and hill-walking. The River Tweed [more...]
The geology of Somerset gives it a wide variety of contrasting landscapes with dramatic changes over a short distance. The unique National Park of Exmoor and three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: the Blackdown Hills; the Quantock Hills, and the Mendip Hills, and on the coast, long sandy beaches and the holiday towns of Burnham-on-Sea, [more...]
Suffolk has a wonderful mixture of historic villages and towns, pastoral countryside, long shingle beaches, and the unique areas of outstanding natural beauty found in the wetlands and ancient heaths known as the Sandlings. Why not start with a walk on part of the Suffolk Coast Path from Walberswick to Dunwich? Starting at Walberswick walk through [more...]
Devon is a county of contrasts. From the wild moorland of the Dartmoor National Park to fertile rolling hills with picturesque villages snuggling in the valleys, and its two separate coastlines with their sandy beaches and soaring cliffs. Outdoor activities are aplenty with walking in the National Parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor, and all year [more...]
Norfolk has a wealth of things to see and do. Miles of unspoilt sandy beaches; the Norfolk Broads with its boating and wild life; sleepy villages, market towns, and the historic city of Norwich, all steeped in thousands of years of history. Norfolk is famous for its miles of sandy beaches which are definitely far [more...]