One of my favorite counties to visit in the UK is Yorkshire. I slightly favor the Dales over the Moors - but both are beautiful. I just received this months Travel + Leisure magazine and read the article "Over Hill, Over Dale." It made me want to start planning a trip to Yorkshire again! Do you have a favorite county to visit in the UK or one that you have gone back to over and over again?
Margaret
Not a single place; but we hope to see quite a few places all over Scotland and a bit of Northern England. Hopefully next year (Aug/Sept), or the year after that. We should have been there now, if not for the pandemic.
I have a whole trip planned! We will arrive in London, then go to Highclere Castle. Then off to Bath for a few days. Then about a week in Wales, then a couple of days in York. Then a few days in London before we fly home. I'm so excited, I was planning this for Spring 2022. But then my daughter, who will graduate high school in Spring 2020, said although she loves the UK (we went in 2018), she would rather go to France, since she hasn't been there before. So, I'm now planning a trip to France. My England plans will merely be postponed, however, not cancelled.
But Wales is beautiful and my favorite place.
I continue to be intrigued by Norfolk, and East Anglia overall. It seems that Sandringham, Holkham Hall, and Norwich don't attract too many American visitors. It would be a dream come true to spend a couple of nights in the Victoria Inn and attend one of the chamber music concerts in the Marble Hall. Don't know if I'll ever actually get the chance, though.
Merseyside, definitely
There's so much I haven't been to - even near London. It seems that once I get there I can't bring myself to leave for more than one day trip, even though my stays are a week or longer. On my list (have no idea abut counties): Cambridge, Oxford, Yorkshire, Scotland and a return to Ireland. . . . maybe in summer 2022.
For me it will be of course London, and I would like to get to Rye (East Sussex) and York (different directions, I know).
As for Scotland, I am dreaming of a week to 10 days back at Glenfinnan, in Inverness-shire. And some days in Aberdeenshire, and in Sutherland, and of course a few days in Glasgow, and if I had a few extra days, well, a few days in Edinburgh, and Perthshire . . . .
I do miss my Travel + Leisure magazine. Whenever I get home, I go through all the issues that have arrived !! There will be a LOT by next time since it will have been so long since I can go home.
I have 3 options - Pembrokeshire in Wales to see more of the best coastline in the U.K. and walk more of the coastal path, using St David’s as a base. It’s like Cornwall but without the tourist masses.
Secondly Norfolk - a great mix of pretty brick and flint villages, an interesting coastline with tidal marshes, so good bird watching, the Broads, (inland waterways) and Norwich is a decent city.
Thirdly, Northumberland. A great mix of castles, stunning beaches and hills for long walks, Holy Island I never bore of and the friendliest locals in England.
Jennifer,
I love the Norfolk Broads and Sandringham, but I have not been to the coast of Norfolk (which is really not far from my family in North East Essex/Suffolk boarder). Sometimes we overlook whats really on our doorstep. I am intrigued by Northumberland and I have not been there. I could easily add this to a Yorkshire Itinerary. I will keep on dreaming of places to go.
Yorkshire is clearly England's best county, but I'll put in a mention for Dorset (I'm doubly biased, having been lucky enough to be born and grow up in the West Riding (of Yorkshire), but also having lived in Dorset for several years in the 80/90s).
Dorset seems often overlooked on this forum as people rush across it towards Cornwall or swerve north into Wiltshire. It's true Dorset doesn't have a famous cathedral (or any cathedral), and it's most famous castle is more than a bit battered (but very evocative). However, there is plenty of beautiful countryside, a wonderful coastline (some Jurassic), some ancient, Roman and medieval sights, great literary connections (Hardy and Lawrence in particular), and it abounds with pretty thatched-cottage hamlets/villages and market towns. Plus, of course, there's this:
https://www.visit-dorset.com/things-to-do/cerne-abbas-giant-p133383
Hi Margaret -
You may be interested as a Yorkshire aficionado (I’m biased, I live there!) to learn that UK’s Channel 5 are currently showing a new version of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, the adventures of James Herriot in the Yorkshire Dales. It’s beautifully shot and captures the Yorkshire countryside wonderfully, although as a local I spend much of each episode playing ‘guess the location’! (Knew many, Googled the rest so far!).
Not sure how you’d get access to it in the USA at the moment but I’m sure that it will eventually show up somewhere given the popularity of the books.
Cheers,
Ian
2021 possibilities;
Trip 1: Train to Manchester from London, spend a couple of nights and then drive to the Yorkshire Dales. Stay a minimum of 3 nights. Hike, relax, photography.
Trip 2 option from London train to Plymouth and then drive to Mousehole to see the harbor Christmas parade.
Or simply stay back in Richmond and continue to explore outlying London neighborhoods. Love having the option of staying out of the city but able to train or tube in to see theatre!
We had to cancel a planned week in Yorkshire this fall so that is high on my list but I am also drawn to Dorset and the Jurassic Coast. Decisions decisions!
You may be interested as a Yorkshire aficionado (I’m biased, I live there!) to learn that UK’s Channel 5 are currently showing a new version of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, the adventures of James Herriot in the Yorkshire Dales.
Lana, Yes, we can see this series in the US. We've watched the first two episodes and planning the next two for this week! I love the Dales, Grassington being my favorite village for basing ourselves.
Hoping to reschedule our 89-mile Hadrian's Wall walk from last August to this coming one.
Surely it's Hampshire ; )
Two national parks (comprising 45% of the county). Location of the ancient capital of England, Winchester. County of a number of Roman, Norman and Tudor castles. Huge significance with WW2 history and naval history in general. Starting point for many exploratory endeavours across the world. Birthplace of Charles Dicken and Jane Austen and also childhood homes of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Florence Nightingale. Home to medieval royal hunting grounds, ancient forests, undulating downs crammed full of iron age forts and bronze age burial mounds and miles of coastline encompassing expansive sandy beaches, wildlife rich nature reserves, hisorical ports and Victorian seaside resorts. Plus it's reached within an hour from London.
Scotland with my granddaughter for her graduation. She is beyond excited at the prospect (🤞) and this was her choice for no reason other than she thought it’s history and physical beauty “captivating”. Believe me, it will be my pleasure!
Wray - you’ll have recognised the new site of Skeldale House and the Drovers, then?!
Jone - which direction will you head in along the wall? Most go east to west. When we did it we went west to east, the same direction Pennine Wayfarers go on the coinciding section of the two trails. Not that there’s any especial advantage in one direction over the other, I’m just curious.
Ian
We did a four week drive tour of England and S. Wales in 2017 and loved every minute of it. Our favorite places were many: Bath, Stratford Upon Avon, Tenby (Wales), Winchester, York, Whitby and Durham.
Next, we want to do a week in London and a week in Cornwall.
JC is right...Hampshire wins for me. Winchester is really lovely, with nice walks in the city, good transport and even nature walks. Definitely like other places in the UK but also very charming In it's own right.
We were supposed to be there right now: London for a few days before heading up to Inverness and making our way through the "Highlands and Islands" to Edinburgh. Today would have been our day to visit Iona and Staffa. We're tentatively planning (not booking!) for next May, which would mean enjoying longer days and Puffins on Staffa, so that might be a silver lining :)
One of my favourite drives in Yorkshire is the old drovers route to Scotland. Starting from Bradford (National Science and Media Museum), through Saltaire (model village and huge mill with David Hockney exhibition) and Bingley (five rise, one of the wonders of the waterways) past Kildwick (The Lang Kirk of Craven') to Skipton. Then up past Bolton Abbey, and Kilnsey Crag through Kettlewell, Buckden and Yockenthwaite to Hawes (visit the creamery, the home of Wensleydale cheese). Alternatively, from Buckden you can go to Aysgarth Falls, then to Hawes. From Hawes, you go through Simonstone, past Hardraw Force (England's highest unbroken waterfall) and the Buttertubs towards Thwaite and Keld. From the latter you take the road through West Stonesdale to the Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in the British Isles, which sometimes has sheep in the bar. You then pass through Brough on the busy A66 and head up to Middleton in Teesdale, and past High Force waterfall to Alston. You can do a side-trip to Nenthead, allegedly one of the most remote places in the area, with a lead-mining museum nearby. The road from there goes north to Allendale, and through Langley to Haydon Bridge, and beyond that is Hadrian's Wall. North of the Tan Hill Inn you are no longer in Yorkshire, sadly.
One place I'd like to revisit is Winchester Cathedral, now 57 years since I was there last (not that it's changed much, but I have). I'd like to spend some time on the Yorkshire and/or Devonshire moors. I'd like to visit Northern Ireland as part of a longer visit to Ireland. And I'd like to see the Scottish Highlands and Glasgow (been to Edinburgh but wouldn't say no to another visit).
Hadrian's Wall would have been a wonderful walk in my younger days, but probably not now. It was a great place to visit a few years back.
And, as Claudia knows, there's no end of delights in London. I could return again and again, as she does.
Yorkshire for sure. We did the South the last 3 years and loved it but really want to explore the Viking stuff up north. Would love to go visit York, Holy Island (Lindisfarne), and hopefully find some of the M&S Lemon Curd Whitby Buns! Those things are awesome!
Although I love London, I think my trip to York was my favorite. The scenery was beautiful and the people seemed a bit friendlier. I stayed right by Holy Trinity Church and used to visit it every afternoon for a touch of calmness. So many countries so little time!
Holy Trinity website
Our next trip will be our cancelled Spain trip, but it will be followed by either Ireland or Scotland again. Haven’t been to either in a number of years.
Jennifer - we loved walking two shorter segments of the Pembrokshire Coastal path. At the time we were staying the Ramsey house B&B in St. David’s and it was about a mile walk from the B&B to the path. We picked up the coastal path at Porthclais Harbour.
We were supposed to go to England for 2 weeks and 4 days in Paris in September. We have rescheduled our trip for May and hoping that it works out.
Yorkshire is lovely. Our next trip looks like 4 nights at Leeds Castle in Kent, 3 nights in Cornwall, then 11 days in the London area. A wonderful couple who we know from Walthamstow (NE London) wants to exchange homes with us so we'll be there for a week and then the last 4 nights at a hotel in Soho. We get our 2nd vaccine shots in late February so we're hoping we can pull it off in late June. Everything is cancellable, though. Fingers crossed.
Next for me is 6 days in Yorkshire, plus a couple of Scottish Isles and about a week in norther Wales. Hopefully that will be in 2022. :) I still have a lot of England to see!
