We are planning a trip to England/Wales in early May for 2 weeks outside of London (we have been to London before). We would like to do day hikes and see scenery. We were looking at staying in the Cotswolds, Snowdonia, and the Lake District for 4 days each, with a couple of extra days to do other things. Are these the best place to hike, or are there places better? How long would you recomend in each area? Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you
It depends a bit on what you understand as day hikes. The walking in Eryri (Snowdonia) and the Lake District will be on the whole more challenging than the Cotswolds although of course there are easier walks too in both. The scenery is also more dramatic as befits their status as national parks, whereas the Cotswolds is a national landscape, the next level down. If it were me looking for three areas to walk in I would drop the overhyped Cotswolds and add either the Peak District of the Yorkshire Dales for big scenery or look to do some coastal walking in south west England.
I heartily concur with Johnnew52. I love the Peak District, and Yorkshire is just a wonderful place, although I'm partial to the North Yorkshire Moors. That said, the Dales are really charming, and there is a lot to see and do there. Both of them have some fantastic hikes, and you won't get near the tourists in those two places that you will in the other places that you've listed. I've been to both places several times, and my last time there, I was there for almost a week in each place and just loved it.
The Cotswolds, Snowdonia, and the Lake District are all great choices for walking and scenery. The Lake District and Snowdonia are better for mountain hikes, while the Cotswolds has gentler walks through villages and countryside. Four days in each area sounds reasonable. You can find walking routes and trail details on the National Trust and official national park websites. Check the weather before setting out, as conditions can change quickly in May.
We spent this summer’s trip in Wales, also with a night in Chester, England and then a few nights in London at the end. While we stayed on the north coast of Wales, in a small town just west of Conwy that provided access to challenging hiking in Snowdonia as well as other places up north (including Anglesey Island), there’s also another national park in the interior of Wales, and farther south, called Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog in Welsh - and Wales is emphasizing using Welsh names for the national parks).
We hiked more in and around Bannau Brycheiniog than Snowdonia (Eryri), and it offered many easier hikes, and some much more challenging hikes, including a long, multi-peak-bagging hike that my husband did but I skipped. He took me on another hike, “Craig Cerrig-gleisiad,” which was really a workout, a circular route that was extra steep at the end. All were stunningly beautiful, even in a drought year. The town with lodging just outside the Park is Brecon, although we stayed in a tiny community just northwest of there, in Aberyscir.
We rented a car, which was really helpful for getting around. Hiking in much of Wales means you’re in sheep country, so you’re often sharing the trails with sheep, and their droppings.
If staying in The Cotswolds, the Brecon Beacons National Park would be the nearest to reach v those in northern England & Snowdonia. It would probably be best to do The Cotswolds last so that you are nearer London for your flight home - or even do London last.
The Lake District & Snowdonia are more rugged than the other hiking areas mentioned. Consider the Brecon Beacons as mountainous with good steady hikes. Also many waterfall hikes through deep wooded valleys.
If in the BB, Big Pit coal mine is a good wet weather option.https://museum.wales/bigpit/
Also the caves:> https://www.showcaves.co.uk
Between The Cotswolds and the Brecon Beacons is Monmouthshire which has the beautiful Wye Valley.
I agree with others who have suggested the Brecon Beacons- we had a lovely three day weekend there in May and the walking was wonderful. We used Abergavenny as a base which worked well- you can get buses around the area altho for some of the places we wanted to visit we needed a taxi. Abergavenny is also just a nice town on its own and is known for its food (both in its restaurants and the local market). We also really enjoyed our visit to the Big Pit as mentioned by James- you can go down into an actual real mine which was active until the 1990s with former miners. It certainly gave me a new appreciation for what a difficult job that can be.
If you are looking for other places to hike, I would suggest having a look at the National Trails: https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/
These are well marked and maintained long distance routes through some of the most scenic areas of England and Wales (Scotland has their own separate system). You can do entire trails or just highlights. Considering the area you're looking at, you may be interested in Offa's Dyke path which follows the border between England and Wales.
The leg of your trip in between Wales and the Lake District will take you close to Chester and the Peak District, with a slight detour. Chester is a lovely old, small city, good for a sending the night and exploring.
If you then head to the Peak District, you could look at Bakewell, Castleton and Chatsworth House, good for a two night stay.
Then head north the the Lake District.
I don't know how experienced you are with driving in England, but the roads can get very congested around the large cities. The trick is the timing. Travel between 10am and 3pm, and after 7pm. It will be light until 9pm-ish in May.
Thank you to everyone for these great suggestions. We are reletively fit, but normally like half day (4 or 5 hour) hikes, so we have the rest of the day to explore the area (and the pubs). We plan to rent a car, so hopefully can get around easily. Brecon Beacons looks amazing, as does the Dales. Now we have even more things to think about (which is great). Maybe another trip will be needed! :)
Thanks again.
You might start with the Cotswolds, as a warm-up. I assume you are talking about walking the Cotswolds Way, or a portion of it.
Personally, I would choose between Snowdonia and the Lake District. Keswick is an excellent choice for a base in the Lake District, with a good many hotels, BandB's and restaurants.
Don't rule out walking in London. There's the Capital Ring walking route, the Outer Orbital Loop, Parkland Walk, and more:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_Ring
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Outer_Orbital_Path
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkland_Walk
More ideas here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_in_London
My favorite is the Thames Path through London and beyond: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Path
You can walk to Richmond then to Windsor and beyond. There are small towns, hotels, and pubs all along the way.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Path
Lovely scenery, grand historic houses, locks and narrowboats to see along the way.
