As Alpine travel is becoming increasingly unlikely (again) this year, i’m curious what unexpectedly excellent travel experiences folk here have found within the UK. There’s the usual honeypot areas of course (Lakes/Devon etc), but where else has surprised with fine countryside/history? I’ve sampled some of the Highlands and was naturally impressed but suspect the region will be swamped over the summer…

Really like Shropshire. Oh also Caernarfonshire in NW Wales. Oh also like the Highlands.

A small number of my friends regulars visit Dumfires and Galloway. Not somewhere thats ever been on my list, but they absolutely rave about it for family holidays, including a lot of good biking. So, one we are keen to explore too.

We have really enjoyed cycle touring. If you take a relaxed approach and cover just a few miles per day (30 to 40 maybe) you can stop off en route to explore interesting areas. Coast-to-coast-to-coast was great, from Workington to Tynemouth on the classic route then back via the Reivers Route. Another really enjoyable trip was around the irish sea: we started on Anglesey, took the ferry to Dublin and rode down to Rosslare, then took the ferry back to Fishguard and rode back up Cardigan Bay. Outer Hebrides was stunning, though in that one we were vehicle backup to the cycle crew

If you don’t fancy point-to-pint touring, we’ve also done trips where we stayed in one location and rode out each day, usually without even needing to drive to a start point

We’ve enjoyed trips like this to D&G, Northumberland, the Cotswolds, Hay-on-Wye / Kington area and Llandovery. We’re using this approach for our next trip where we’ll spend a week in Pembrokeshire then a week in the Forest Of Dean

Our last 3 holidays have been to D&G. Going back again in the autumn. It’s quite a big area but you’ve got a bit of everything. Interesting towns, mtb trail centres and natural trails, proper hills and glens, fantastic beaches, forests, historical sites, kids activities etc. Also never gets totally mobbed in summer. Perhaps because it always rains and the swarming midges?

Some other non obvious but cool bits for me
– Argyll, some bits are a tourist mecca but loads seems very underappreciated. Kilmartin Glen is on of my top places in Scotland.
– Kintyre. Atlantic beaches and many beautiful sheltered and quiet beaches on the Arran side. Plenty forests etc
– The whole coast from the Tees to the Humber. Weird villages / towns and mix of moors and sea. Some of it is a tourist hotspot but loads that’s not. Actually there is amazing coast line from East lothian all the way down if you skip the obviously shit bits.
– Calderdale. I found the place really interesting ride around. Interesting towns and history to add to the riding. It just felt different to others parts of the UK.
– Herefordshire and welsh border. Rivers, hills and rolling countryside.

Everywhere farthest away from the most cars is a great experience IME.

Herefordshire and welsh border. Rivers, hills and rolling countryside.

+1. & Include S Shrops.

Park up at Monmouth, head N/NW (or @ Church Stretton, head W/SW) and you can get lost cycle-touring/bikepacking/airbnb touring for weeks without ever needing to pedal along an A Road*

*Good large scale map/s recommended

Dumfries and Galloway, and Northumberland. Possibly a connection that they practically intersect.

Local to me, the Derbyshire Dales, just below the Peak District, and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage area. Lovely scenery, great walking and riding, stunning industrial architecture.

Really random, but if you’ve never been, the Fens. Huge open sky for a very different landscape, beautiful cathedrals at Peterborough, Lincoln and Ely.

D&G is rubbish don’t go.

mid-Wales is rubbish too, all those deserted back roads, forest fringed lakes, beautiful river valleys and wild lonely moorlands. Absolutely awful, don’t come here, it’s terrible 🙂

Not typical STW if I can’t bivvy there it’s crap but for history London, it’s a tourist trap for a reason. The city (which is quite nice on a Sunday morning) usual cathedrals and palaces, hipster bits our east and river Thames out to Greenwich.
If you can get on a boat, Mourne Mountains and Newcastle are nice, as is a lot of the north. Derry is supposed to be a great city too and on my list. Maybe avoid second week in July though.

Gower Peninsula, just don’t tell anyone.

Really enjoyed our seaside holdiay last year near Cardigan. One of my favourites. Oh, but also Abersoch was good too.

Gower Peninsula, just don’t tell anyone.

No need, everyone already knows. See the queues to get to Oxwich bay car park for evidence of this.

where else has surprised with fine countryside

I think we sometimes forget, or take for granted, that about 90% of this country is, well, countryside, and most of it is at least fairly nice, a good chunk is positively lovely and that’s without the obvious ‘Top End’ stuff like the Lakes etc.

‘None-obvious but lovely’ places we’ve had holidays/short trips to not mentioned so far are Wiltshire, North Norfolk, Isle of Wight and Northumberland (latter two being fairly obvious I suppose),

Everywhere farthest away from the most cars is a great experience IME.

This + 1

Anywhere anyone recommends is, by the inherent fact it’s recommended anywhere, popular and therefore busy.

Throw a virtual dart in the map on the other hand and this being the UK you’ll probably hit countryside, castles, and whatever else you fancy, there just wont be a trip advisor “10 things to do in ………. ”

Throw a virtual dart in the map on the other hand and this being the UK you’ll probably hit countryside, castles, and whatever else you fancy, there just wont be a trip advisor “10 things to do in ………. ”

Coupled with the OS Mapping App, and never being far from a Premier Inn, there’s really no excuse not to explore the entire UK.

and never being far from a Premier Inn,

Ugh!

Gower Peninsula, just don’t tell anyone.

Anywhere anyone recommends is, by the inherent fact it’s recommended anywhere, popular and therefore busy.

And if you can find any Insta images of the locality with a yoga pant wearing young lady looking through the back doors of a camper van with the job title of “influencer” then I would mark it like a minefield. To be avoided.

I was on the edge of the Sherwood Forest near Newark recently and it was lovely. Not much there but beautiful countryside. Will definitely go back there.

D&G is rubbish don’t go.

He’s right, it’s awful.

I’m driving down there tonight for the weekend. I was hoping that it was going to be one of the less talked about and slightly quieter places this year.

Kintyre. Atlantic beaches and many beautiful sheltered and quiet beaches on the Arran side. Plenty forests etc

I’ve seen they’ve started promoting it as a “route” now 🙄 which might see it start to get overrun. Fingers crossed not though, it’s nice down there.

Nice cycling in Sherewood Forest. We stay in Pengennfford every year, that offers a range of possibilities.

I’m going to a quiet, lovely place on Sunday for a week but I’m not telling any of you **** where it is.

Midges were out at training on Wednesday night, so don’t be too quick to moan about the cold!

Newcastle. Saturday night in the Bigg Market.

That London.

I’m not telling you lot. The money’s no object people are the wet dream of all small business people up and down the country. They are jumping for joy at the price gouging opportunities and subsequent windfall!

That London

Great, more bloody tourists clogging up the tube and pavements gawking at stuff 😜

Actually, this summer is probably not a bad shout – I’m wfh until at least September so fill your boots

The train from Glasgow to Fort William then the steam train to Mallaig. The last bit gets all the attention but the mainline service from about Balloch up is just absolutely stunning.

Road riding round North Oxford, out to Broadway through some lovely countryside and villages. There’s no mountain biking but the road rides are epic. Staying in the Deddington Arms and enjoy a choice of three other nice pubs, a curry house, and a fantastic pie pub. If you are needing to bring the less cultured,Bicester Village is near, and Blenheim Palace if you like a massive palace.
Oxford is down the road as well for Museums and old stuff.

Here a few non honey pot places we go on hols in the UK

Just had a great holiday staying just outside Pickering great mountain biking, walking and not far from the Coast, accommodation for 5 of us £450 so no price gouging there. Usually stay at forest holidays but that much more expensive.

We usually have a week staying on Cannock Chase for a week which seems mad but it’s always a brilliant week again walking, biking and running

Often spend New year week at the FOD. I much prefer these three to Sherwood

We have been to Dumfries and Galloway and is great but I’ve given up on West Scotland in summer having been bitten to death by midges more than one time. Used to go to Arann a lot but I don’t have feel for the costs there as we stayed in a friends families holiday home.

Some interesting suggestions so far, cheers! As an exiled Northerner living in the London region i like the idea of Shropshire/Marches area – never stayed just travelled through…D+G is also of interest, might be an alternative to the Lakes in peak season!

I like north York Dale’s and mid Wales for being away from things.

The Isles of Scilly is an amazing destination.
A PITA to get there but that is part of the joy. Not a cycling destination. Amazingly different considering you are still in England

Walked from Putney to Canary Wharf along the Thames this morning, freakishly quiet as nothing is open and the weather was better than expected. As above, if you don’t usually like London due to it being too busy then this might be the year for you to look around as everyone is WFH

Orkney if you like megalithic tombs & standing stones etc. Literally you might be walking across a field to see something, realize the field is suspiciously bumpy and that there’s something else underneath just waiting to be excavated…

Will be windy tho!

@BillMC the main road through Pengenffordd is still closed, so if you find yourself on the wrong side of the hole it’s a big diversion or back road hacking is possible in places.