'Must Do' British Activities / Events / Places etc

kiwimama

After ten years in the UK my DH and I have decided its time to make real plans to return to New Zealand permanently, we travelled through Europe to a reasonable degree when it was just the two of us and now that we have a preschooler and a baby our holidays have been of the cottage in Cornwall variety

I want to make sure that over the next year or two we really make an effort to 'tick off' a lot of really great British days out and any suggestions would be really appreciated... we dont know what we dont know!!

We are based in Berkshire but that really isnt a factor, we'll make plans to get out and about through the country as time permits. What were your favourite things to do as a child, historic places to visit that are really good value and interesting etc etc

TIA

Horace

For my UK hols I like to go to Swanage in Dorset, I visit nearby Corfe Castle and ride on the steam train. Swanage is great in September when the folk festival is on because you can be in the pub and people will be playing.

Avebury and Stonehenge are mystical places and are worth a visit.

Maybe watching them change the guard at Buckingham Palace? (although I have yet to see it).

I guess it depends on what you like really, you could have a polo lesson, go bog snorkelling in the Brecon Beacons LOL.

There are lots of things and on tv there seems to be loads of advertisements promoting the UK as a holiday destination and giving web details of where you can book to get 20% off (https://www.2012.com)

Horace

Another Must Do is to visit the Blossom Trail in the Vale of Evesham - this is world famous and the only one outside of the USA, there are no others anywhere else in the world. You would need to go during the Springtime though.

Maybe visit the Pudding Club in Mickleton, Glos too.

bylromarha

I'd say the london key sites are a must.

A trip to scottish highlands.

York.

Hastings battlefield

Stonehenge

A melton mowbray pie in melton mowbray, a bakewell tart in bakewell and a welsh cake in cardiff...whilst at cardiff bay visiting the dr who sites!

And yorkshire moors...beautiful.

Errata

Lake District- climb a small fell, paddle in a lake, visit a Roman fort.

Bennifred

A day out at Warwick Castle is great fun for adults and children - knights jousting, etc ..........

ellay864

North East - some beautiful beaches and lots of castles. Alnwick Castle gardens is amazing with its fountains and water displays
Liverpool - great city and lots to do by the water
Blue Planet Aquarium at Ellesmere Poret - combine with Liverpool if you do a weekend up that way
North Wales - up through Snowdonia, mountain railways and stunning scenery
Derbyshire - doing some of the caves...or
Somerset - Cheddar Gorge for more caves
Shropshire - the Ironbridge Gorge and the Blists Hill Victorian Town

kiwimama

Brilliant thanks so much for suggestions, please keep them coming! I've just been researching Vale of Evesham - gorgeous! Would the next two weeks be more or less perfect timing?? Mid March to mid May is the window, some sunshine would be needed

greenface

Snowdonia & castles . Scottish Highlands and Western Isles. Do the stuff your kids might ask if they did when your old. Historic buildings , London, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Dublin history now for time then. & i envy you for moving back good luck

susancs

Visit the Isle Of Wight as lots of old fashioned teas shops housed in thatched roof type cottages, visit the Needles and get a chairlift down to see the multi-coloured sands, see sweets being made (and sample them). There is also a lovely model village at Godshill. Osbourne House has a little cottage the royal children played in. Blackgang Chine is worth a visit as your little one would love it. Great views too. Also fun to drive the car onto the ferry boat to get there for kids. There are some nice family holiday parks on the IOW.

I second Warwick Castle as my nephews moved to Canada when little and with the aid of the photographs still remember their trip to Warwick Castle, plus were given kudos by classmates when they brought in the pictures for history lessons (lol). It is also worth doing the London tourist things and taking pictures e.g. you all on an old fashioned routemaster bus such as the no 15 bus, photos of you all standing by the mounted Queens Guard Cavalry at Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall.

Horace

I would say the next two weeks would be fab for The Blossom Trail, fingers crossed that the cold doesnt get the blooms though. The Vale is wonderful, Pershore is a quaint little place on the river with some nice eateries and you can buy local produce in the greengrocers (jam included), the Abbey is delightful too.

Another place is Bridgnorth in Shropshire - they have high town and low town and these are connected by a cliff railway that goes up and down. Close by is Ironbridge with plenty of living museums eg Blists Hill, Jackfield etc (you can get a passport to visit these places).

There are lots of castles in North Wales and the scenery is stunning plus you are likely to get four seasons in one day. What can be wierd is that you can be driving along in bright sunshine and the next you can be in rain and it is as though a line has been drawn across the road - one side dry and the other side wet.