A BIT ABOUT THE REGION
England, England, England the Wembley crowd cries. The spiritual home of football, home of Rugby, home of Formula 1, home of the English Monarchy, home of the industrial revolution, home of the Chelsea Flower Show, home to some of the world’s foremost explorers and adventurers and home to 51 million people and 130, 395 km² of prime green countryside.
You could literally spend months, maybe even years exploring every minute, nook and cranny of England. Most visitors to England tend to stick to the tried and tested e.g. A seven day trip through England would include London, Stonehenge, Bath, a thatched roof cottage in the Cotswolds, a day in the Lake District, may be a tour of the Coronation Street studios and the obligatory trip to either Oxford or Cambridge.
England is so much more than the former. If any European country has been there done that then England has surely earned the t-shirt and more. History that goes back to prehistoric man, England has had a major hand in shaping the history of the modern world during the last 2 millennium.
One of the best places to start your trip though would be to drop down south and take in the south coast of England starting with a look at the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Canterbury Cathedral or King Henry the VIII’s Leeds Castle. Of course no visit to England would be complete without a visit to Battle where William the Conqueror and King Harold strutted their stuff in the Battle of Hastings.
The South Coast of England has played such an important part in repelling all comers from invading England. From Dover, the command site of the D Day Landings, the white chalk cliffs continue far along the coast to the west. Beachy Head, Brighton and Portsmouth are just a few must do’s on the South Coast.
Drive northwest from Brighton and Portsmouth and you will soon arrive in the mystical Stonehenge areas, no one quite knows what went on here in the past, but there have been a few good guesses. Unfortunately the stones for preservation's sake are beyond public reach. However if you want to hold hands, wander through a stone circle without paying or ring your bells in a Morris Dance then check out Avebury.
Of course by now if you have caught up with the Morris Dance you may have realised that England is quite diverse culturally and the locals are really keen to preserve their traditions. There are so many festivals and different activities that have been going for many generations, Cheese Rolling, Morris Dancing, and the sport of Conkers are to name just a few. Check out the Festivals section for weird and wacky things to do on your trip.
From the Stonehenge area head west to Bath to check out the Roman Spa Town of Bath. Now more Georgian than Roman , the old Roman baths are definitely worth a look. If you‘re not venturing further west, now is the time to start heading north through Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. Lovely lush rolling pasture and thatched roofed cottages are pretty much the norm. A visit to the Westonbrit Arboreum is worth a stop before continuing through to Oxford.
It’s easy to spend a morning or afternoon enjoying the university city of Oxford before heading north to Shakespeare’s Stratford upon Avon. A word of warning! While a really charming and picturesque town, Stratford Upon Avon often gets overrun by tourists, especially in the summer months.
Further northwest and the Industrial Revolution starts to rear its head. Iconic places such as Iron Bridge Gorge where the start of the Industrial revolution took place and Manchester with its rag trade and Liverpool, the 18C industrial super port.
Of course times have since changed somewhat with Liverpool and Manchester more known globally for their football teams' prowess these days. There has always been a competitive rivalry between the 2 cities not only football-wise but also musically. Liverpool stole the march in the 60’s and 70’s but since then Manchester has come back strongly with the likes of the Stone Roses and Oasis.
Away from the big cities. England continues to be stunningly beautiful in its own way and nothing shows this more than the Lake District, The Pennines and the Yorkshire Dales. From the Irish Sea across to the North Sea in the east this area is absolutely mega for campervans and travellers. Wide open spaces, mountains, rivers, lakes, wild moorland. You name it, it’s got it.
Some of the passes in the Lake District are fantastic. Try the Kirkstone pass which runs from Windermere to Ullswater. The views are pretty terrific and it is really easy to loop back to Lake Windermere. There are plenty of walks to do in The Lake District National Park and the visitor centres in Windermere and Ambleside have all the info.
If you have forgotten your hiking boots or raincoats, don’t worry there are many outdoor sports shops that specialise in adventure clothing and because there are so many they tend to be really competitive, so it’s a great place to get a bargain.
Moving east across the top of England takes you across the Pennines from Lancashire and Cumbria to Northumbria and Yorkshire. If you haven’t had enough of wild places then definitely visit Hadrians Wall. The emperor Hadrian built the 80km long wall across the North of England to keep the rampaging Scots out of England. You can actually walk the whole length of the wall, some of the way on the wall and some of it along side it.
If you like a bit of a night out, drive even more North East and spend a night in Newcastle. The Geordies are famous for not only their football club and accent, but also for their hospitality, brown ale, short skirts and high heels even in the middle of winter.
Drop south from Newcastle and you are in Yorkshire. Yorkshire is a mix of green rolling pasture and moorland. If you have ever watched Last of the Summer Wine you will get the picture. The Yorkshire National Park has many places to visit and the towns of Hawes, Skipton and the Bronte sisters Haworth are worth a stop.
Certainly no visit to Yorkshire would be complete without a visit to York and Leeds. York beside the royal history, is regarded as the most haunted city in England and is home to the National Rail Museum, Yorkminster Cathedral and Yorkshire Pudding, while Leeds is known as a lively university town with great restaurants and nightlife.
Drive further Southeast to visit the agricultural town of Lincoln before heading further south east to Norwich and the Norfolk Broads. Spend a few days in the Broads area as the wildlife and seafood, in particular the oysters, are mouth-wateringly delicious.
If time is of the essence it is only a 2 hour drive back to drop off your Spaceship down the M11. If you have more time visit Oliver Cromwell’s house in Ely, go punting in Cambridge or for something really interesting visit the Essex Seaside town of Southend on Sea - you’re in for a treat!
