The Best Places To Explore In The UK
For me travelling is the ultimate escape. When you hop on a plane and can’t be reached for a few hours, end up in a different location and can immerse yourself in exploring and having new adventures, nothing makes me feel further from reality, and I love it. As soon as I start to get that itchy feet feeling of wanting to explore somewhere new I’m instantly on Skyscanner or Kayak, looking for the next plane to hop on to give me that adventure & escape. To me, that kind of escapism has always had to be abroad, but more recently I’ve been re-thinking things and have started to embrace local travel a little more, and I have been thoroughly enjoying it.
In the Instagram world of white sand beaches, turquoise oceans, dramatic sky scrapers and perfect lavender fields it can reinforce that idea that the only way to have an adventure and feel as though you’ve taken a step away from your every day life is to crack out your passport. Not only is that wholly unattainable for most people but it’s also not true. At the start of 2017 I realised how little of my own country I had actually seen, despite living here my entire life. People who had only visited for a matter of weeks could tick off more UK cities than I could, so I wanted this to change. Last year I set myself the challenge of seeing 3 new UK cities, I smashed that by visiting 6, and so far this year I have kept that up.
The UK has so much to offer, bustling cities (that aren’t just London), stunning countrysides and dramatic coastlines, you just have to look for it. By taking the time and exploring not only the towns and cities further away but also the places a little closer to home I’ve found out so much more about my country, and have loved seeing areas I didn’t even know existed. There are so many benefits to visiting your own country, and so many places in the UK that I have fallen for.
Exploring your own country is quicker and cheaper than flying abroad. Yes flight prices have dropped in recent years and you can fly from London to mainland Europe in under an hour, but there is still plenty of brilliant locations closer to home. For the price of a couple of flights, you and a friend can fill up your car a couple of times, or you can jump on a train and head to a new city for a fraction of the price. If you’re not venturing too far you won’t even have to worry about accommodation, and as far as food goes, pack up a picnic and you’re sorted.
It’s also great to be able to make the most of the places around you, since I’ve been more open to local travel I’ve discovered so many beautiful places that aren’t too far from home, really gorgeous spots that I would never have otherwise discovered. It’s also lovely to be able to actually talk to people about the country that I live in and know about more areas of it.
If you’re from the UK and want to see more of it, or you’re planning a trip here and want to see more than just London and the other big cities (although I still adore London as much as ever) then see some of my top suggestions below.
Dorset & The Jurassic Coast: I absolutely adore this part of the UK. The coastlines are incredible, the towns and villages that surround the area are beautifully quaint and there’s tonnes to do, from long walks to relaxing in sandy beaches to gorging on Cream teams. Be sure to check out Durdle Door (get there early to avoid lots of tourists and be mindful of the steep steps down if you have young children/ struggle with stairs). Swanage is a beautiful town explore with plenty of coffeee shops and beach side cafes and Studland is perfect if you're craving a sandy beach.
Menai Strait & Snowdonia: North Wales has some of the most spectacular scenery that I have seen. Driving through the mountains makes you feel as though you are in a scene from Lord Of The Rings. It’s truly breathtaking. The coastline again is totally beautiful with plenty of towns to explore including Betus y Cowed and Beaumaris. If you’re a fan of walking then the North Wales Costal path is one not to miss.
The Cotswolds: At the start of the summer in visited The Cotswolds for the first time and fell head over heels for it. The cute towns & villages, beautiful rolling hills and endless opportunities for Cream teas made it my ideal spot. Despite the number of fellow tourists Bourton on the Water is worth a visit, along with Lower Slaughter, Stow on the Wold and, of course, winner of Britain’s prettiest village, Castle Combe. The photos from this post were all taken in the Cotswolds, Bourton on the Water & Lower Slaughter are the two villages featured here and Castle Combe can be seen in this post.
Edinburgh: If you fancy going further north then you can’t miss Scotland’s capital city. There’s something about Edinburgh’s charm that captured me instantly. It has all the beautiful architecture, independent places, things to do and beautiful streets but also all the things you want from a larger city too. We spent a couple of late September days exploring the city, wandering around and generally getting lost in all the side streets. If you head here you NEED to check out Bread Meats Bread, honest to god the best burgers either of us have ever eaten and Urban Angel do brilliant teas & cakes. If it wasn’t so far from London I’d move there in a heartbeat.
Winchester: The perfect little spot for a day trip & just an hour from London, this beautiful old market town has so much character & bustling markets but also offers you plenty of shopping (with independent shops too), gorgeous places to eat and the most beautiful parks to relax in. We found the Park by the cathedral the perfect spot to relax in all afternoon, watching the world go by. For a quick coffee (with plenty of vegan & gf options) I'd recommend The Square, it’s just outside of the Cathedral.