Activities & Interests
There are so many things to see and do in Britain that we cannot hope to adequately cover them all. Here are a few ideas to whet your appetite!
Tell us your passion using our enquiry form and, for a nominal fee of £27, we will construct a personal Outline Itinerary. If you like what you see then we can construct a full package including a Detailed Itinerary which that takes in as little or as much as you would like.
Houses & Gardens
In most areas of Britain you do not have to go far to see a variety of different architectural styles, dating from as far back as the middle ages right through to the modern day. Just wander through the villages and towns to discover for yourself the evolution of British architecture.
Almost every town and village had a manor house at one time where the most affluent and influential family of the area lived. As they became too expensive to maintain many were given over to the nation for posterity. Often restored to former glory by the National Trust, these grand country houses are open to the public to visit and sample life as it was, upstairs and downstairs!
The English have always had a passion for gardening. When the Lord of the Manor built a fine house he usually also cultivated a beautiful garden. Often you can pay a lower price just to visit the grounds.
‘Gardens’ cover a whole range from the grand scale landscapes created by ‘Capability’ Brown in the 18th century to Victorian kitchen gardens and the romantic gardens of the early 20th century. There are also many public gardens and parks to enjoy. Each Summer local communities across all parts of the UK take part in the ‘Britain in Bloom’ competitions sponsored by the Royal Horticultural Sociey. The resulting displays in public flower beds are spectacular!
Historical Buildings & Monuments
Needless to say there is a wealth of these all over the country. England alone has 370,000 listed buildings!
Every period of history is represented: simple standing stones of circa 3500 BC, remains of Roman times, medieval abbeys, colossal cathedrals, palaces, grand Victorian edifices and even some notable 20/21st century buildings. The list is endless!
In most areas of Britain you do not have to go far to see a variety of different architectural styles. Of course there are the great works of famous architects such as Lutyens or Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of St Paul’s cathedral, however you can just wander through the towns and villages to discover for yourself the evolution of British architecture. Here are just a few arichitectural styles from in and around our village alone.
If there is some aspect of history that particularly interests you then we can take that into account while planning your itinerary. However, we do appreciate that you can have too much of a good thing! In the detailed itinerary that comes with your package we guide you towards the best examples of castles, cathedrals, houses etc and leave you to pick as many or as few as you like.
Fine Food & Wine
Britain is no longer in the doldrums when it comes to dining out. There is now much emphasis on fresh and/or organic produce. Many of the guest houses or small hotels you will stay in will pride themselves on their home cooking with locally sourced produce.
In most parts of the country you can now find restaurants and ‘gastro-pubs’ with a reputation for good quality, imaginative food. We can point you towards the best, and even pre-book for you.
Some of the top chefs run cookery courses, if you would like to do something different.
International food of all kinds is well represented, but traditional british food has been making a come back. Try haggis and neeps in Scotland, cornish cream teas, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, bangers and mash, fish and chips by the sea side.
Sporting Events
If you would like to soak up the atmosphere of a traditional British sporting event while on your trip then we can arrange that for you too.
Britain’s foremost spectator sport is soccer (generally referred to as ‘football’) which is played from August until May. The World famous Premier League clubs, such as Manchester United and Chelsea, charge a small fortune for their match tickets and sometimes tihere is very limited availability as the club members have priority. However there are many lesser clubs to choose from if it is the game that is of interest. The big clubs also open their grounds to the public, so you can stand on the turf of Old Trafford!
Rugby football (the kind where you run with the ball as opposed to just kicking it) is also played from September to April.
During the summer a lazy day watching cricket can be very pleasant whether at one of the major cricket grounds, such as Lord’s, or on a local village green.
Horse race meetings can also provide an entertaining afternoon or evening out, with many famous events throughout the year, such as the Grand National in March, Royal Ascot in June, or fit a lesser known meeting into your itinerary. Ireland in particular is famous for breeding fine race horses. There are 27 racecourses in Ireland, more per head of population that any other country in the world!
Tennis at Wimbledon, horse trials at Badminton, sailing at Cowes, the list of possible events is endless. However, be warned the premium events such as Wimbledon, are vastly oversubscribed and ticket prices can be extortionate.
Outdoor Activities
Fresh water fishing is the most popular participation sport. Permits are needed for most rivers and lakes but it is usually possible to buy visitor permits.
Golf is also very popular. The premier courses are very expensive and are usually fully booked long in advance but there are good courses everywhere.
Walking gives the visitor a different perspective. In towns guided walks will help you appreciate the history (and there is hidden history everywhere!). Certain areas are renowned as good walking country but all over Britain there are well marked footpaths which are protected rights-of-way, even across planted fields! There is plenty for everyone from the most experienced hill walkers and rock climbers to the casual rambler.
Likewise cycling brings you into closer contact with the countryside. There is a National Cycle Network of quiet roads and traffic free paths to follow.
The Water , the sea, rivers and lakes, offer a variety of activities, such as kayaking, dinghy sailing, waterskiing or idling along at a slower pace on a barge.
Horse Riding and Pony Trekking are also available across Britain and Ireland. Another great way to discover the countryside.
Culture
Britain abounds with museums and art galleries. The British Museum and the National Gallery in London, are world renowned and are indeed treasures, but every major, and indeed minor, town has at least one, usually free of charge. Everywhere you go there are small museums illustrating a particular aspect of British life.
All the major cities, and some of the smaller ones too, have theatres and concert halls. The West end shows go "on tour" across the country and this is often a less expensive way of seeing a new production. Smaller theatres may offer less commercial productions for the discerning theatre goer. There are even some pretty good amateur productions!
In the height of Summer many stately homes and castles also host open air events which provide great opportunities for grand picnics! These include concerts of all types of music (often accompanied with fantastic firework displays), plays, and mock battles!
There are also regional events, such as the Scottish Highland Games, (a mixture of sport, music and dancing) and Country shows which feature traditional country activities and much more these days.
In the Summer the UK abounds with festivals of all kinds – music, literary, art and often a mixture of everything. The cultural higlight for many is the world renowned Edinburgh Festival and the Fringe which takes place every year throughout August.
Special Interest or Theme
Maybe you have a passion that you would like to use as a theme for an itinerary. Here are some ideas for starters:
Literature
Places of interest attached to famous novelists and poets are scattered all across Britain. Austen, Bronte, Hardy, Scott, Shakespeare, Waugh, Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter, to name but a few.
Did your ancestors come from Britain? Do you know where they lived? Why not do a bit of digging into your Ancestry and go visit the old family territory?
Let us take you on a tour of the best places to find good antiques and pick up some bargains to send home.
Stay in some really romantic places on your honeymoon. Why not even get married here, perhaps in a real castle? We can put you in touch with a good wedding planner.
Breweries, Whisky (or Whiskey in Ireland) distilleries and vineyards. Yes, vineyards, we do have some! A positive side of global warming is that they are on the increase, again (The Romans grew grapes here).
The list is endless. Tell us your passion and we will construct an itinerary that takes in as little or as much as you would like.
