Do you go on your holidays with a clear idea what to see and what to do? Or do you freewheel your way about, chancing upon views and attractions as they pass?
As always at Essentially England history, historical sites, food and the unusual feature heavily, with history tours, food trails and traditional festivals all covered.
Driving Tours
Driving tours are very popular with us Brits and many foreign visitors on their England holidays. You can cover large areas, see different things and still keep the rain off when it comes!But driving from attraction to attraction can have its drawbacks, because you might not notice some of the sights in between.
That's where we can help you!
All the driving tours on this site are based on tours we've done ourselves. And while they do guide you from one attraction to the next, they'll also take in interesting bits of local folklore, especially nice views and other sites that might make your tour more enjoyable.
And to be particularly helpful we'll also recommend our favourite lunch stops, tea stops, cake stops and other refreshments. On the longer tours we'll even suggest interesting places to stay the night!
Start with one of our earliest and still most wonderful ones: The Northumberland Castles Tour, which lets you explore the history and splendour of the Northumberland coast, before introducing you to the cradle of Christianity in England (and an excellent source of mead) on Lindisfarne Island. That's definitely one I can do every time of the year!
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Cycling Tours
Do you love cycling? So do we! There a few things so pleasurable during an English summer as cruising through the lanes, far from traffic, with time to admire the view, stop off at tiny, ancient churches and pick a particularly picturesque spot to enjoy lunch.
As you can see, my husband is the one who knows what he's doing.
I'm usually along to enjoy the ride, read maps, muse over the meaning of old ruins or just revel in the peace to be had so close to some major cities.
We try to have at least one tandem holiday a year, exploring a part of the country we have not yet seen. Kent, Northumberland, Norfolk, Suffolk and Dorset have all yielded amazing days out and lasting memories.
And I really need to get around to writing some of them down ... for us for next time, or for you to try. Just remind me!
- Here's my first offering: A circular ride around Rothbury in Coquetdale, Northumberland. Not the easiest area for riding a bike, but definitely one of the most beautiful. And given Northumberland's violent past, outstandingly peaceful too.
- A little less specific, here are a few more ideas, routes and tours for cycling in Northumberland.
- If you're new to cycling, or new to cycling in England, you might like to check out some of these self-guided cycling tours. Ranging from a weekend to a week, you cycle at your own pace while your luggage is taken care of and a cosy hotel awaits you at the end of the day.
Walking Tours
Walking tours and even walking holidays are extremely popular in England. The countryside is so stunning - you can't not enjoy it.Wherever you are on your England holidays, the local tourist information office will have booklets and maps of long and short walks close by - often with fascinating facts about the area you're walking through and pointers to sites, attractions and facts along the route.
Long-distance walking trails, like the Pennine Way or the Coastal Path make either a pleasant day out, or become a challenge for serious hikers. And the nice thing about the parts of England where walking is most popular? Pubs, cafes, hotels and guest houses are set up to cater for walkers!
So take off your muddy boots before you enter a pub, check out the drying room in the hotel where you can return your clothes to a wearable state ... and don't forget to take the tasty and ample packed lunch that the chef will have prepared for you!
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Boating in England
Rivers are the lifeblood of a country and English rivers are no different. Before the introduction of the railways and motorways they and the canals that connected them were the highways along which goods and people travelled.
Now they lie mostly silent, having fallen out of use.
But even as far back as the end of the 19th century (when Jerome K Jerome wrote his delightful book Three Men in a Boat), the English have loved to 'mess about on the river' and luckily not much has changed since.
So, many of the old canals are being restored and colourful boats once more criss-cross the country.
A boating holiday is not something we've ever tried before, thinking that it was somehow not 'active' enough travelling at a mere 5mph along some canal.
But - as I'm reliably informed - this is missing the point!
Colleagues and friends who have tried their hands at England holidays by boat enthuse over the peace and tranquillity, the challenge of locks and the relaxation a narrowboat holiday can bring.
And it's not all sandwiches or pub lunches, either. If you want to find out about luxury river cruising in England, read this delightful account of Kathy Newbern and J.S. Fletcher, who took a 5* cruise along the river Thames.
So this will be our next challenge. Do we dare try to explore England from aboard a boat?
Well, we might if we can get over the worries of driving (and stopping!) a 60-feet long boat. If you would like to take to the canals for your England holidays but have similar qualms, then this interview with Karen and Richard from narrowboat hire firm Canalboat Escapes might be helpful. Their passion for canals and narrowboats really sings out.
And, of course, there's more to boating in England than a narrowboat on a canal. One of England's best places for messing about on the river is the Norfolk Broads and that's a part of the country we definitely love. So next time, instead of renting a cottage close to the beach, we might take a deep breath and try a holiday on the Norfolk Broads.
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