Got your camera, bottle of water, all your travel essentials? Oh, you might want to bring an umbrella too, just in case. English weather and all that! Good, then let’s get going. It’s time to leave the capital for a bit and head for the top places to visit outside of London.
Yes, you really should leave the big city behind for a while. Explore the regions and stretch the legs a little. Say goodbye to Buckingham Palace, the West End and the South Bank. We’re off to explore outside of London, beyond the city walls, a towering skyscrapers of the city, there’s a whole lot more than just the capital to investigate.
Full of Surprises
You’ll be surprised what you find a couple of hour’s journey time away. Hop-on the bus or board a local train, and let’s head North, South, East and West of London. Each region offering very different experiences. Strange apocalyptic landscapes in the Southern corner. Flat, dense watery landscapes to the north and east, rolling hills to the west. Whichever way you go there are places to explore and enjoy.
Don’t forget your camera; you’re going to need it!
North of London:
Where better to start than heading a few miles north? Watford in-fact! It’s not the most glamorous of places, but just outside the town, you’ll find a world of magic! A tour that’ll that you into a magical world of… want to guess?
No? Here’s another clue, think Wizards! Bet you’ve got it now. Yep, we’re in Harry Potter country, well, the studios anyway. Enjoy an afternoon at one of the UK’s premier attractions. Don’t worry; you’ll be back before the witching hour!
Head further north, and you come to the university city of Cambridge. Punting on the Cam, Kings College, history and tradition are waiting for you to discover it. It’s doesn’t get more middle England than here.
Head West a little and ‘Where for art thou?’ – Well here, in Stratford-upon-Avon. Birthplace of the bard, with classic old charms of an English town. Yes, it’s where everyone goes, but so should you. Just a little further back East is Warwick. Here there is a spectacular castle, so well worth a diversion to visit it.
South of London:
Take the train for your southern trip, and within a couple of hours, you arrive at the beach! Golden sands, micro-climates that give you barmy, beautiful weather.
No seriously, the South coast has some lovely weather and plenty of attractions to suit all ages. Places like the popular seaside town of Bournemouth are perfect for their sandy beaches, Portsmouth further to the east is the town for maritime history, and there are plenty of pleasant, non-descript seaside towns as you work your way along the coast.
You’ll notice as you look out to sea, the Isle-of-Wight. Now that’s a step back in time for an authentic blast. The island is a favourite for family holidays and has some old-skool places to visit. Oh, and then further along the coast you really can’t forget the party town of Brighton, and the stunning countryside of the South Downs in-between. On the south coast you really are spoilt for choice!
West of London:
Out west things take a mystical turn. Especially beyond Salisbury way. That’ll be Stonehenge territory and onwards to the famous Roman city of Bath. Not forgetting Glastonbury, the centre of the mystical, and base for the world-famous music festival.
To visit these places, you may need to do a little more pre-planning than when you head to the south or take an organised tour. It’ll just depend on how long you want to spend in each location.
Not to be outdone by Cambridge, university city rival Oxford is also West of London. It’s a comfortable train ride away and like its partner university town offers punting, classical architecture and academic excellence. A tour around the colleges is always worth doing.
East of London:
The east side of London is probably the most easily accessible. Certainly until you think about heading out the Norfolk Broads.
Head to Southend for some proper seaside ambience, and the world’s longest pleasure pier. It stretches out for 1.3 miles (2.16km) into the estuary. Across said Thames estuary, the seaside town of Whitstable is a world away from Southend. Quaint and famous for its oysters if you’re wondering why you should visit.
Canterbury, just down the road is the Garden of England’s (Kent) centrepiece. Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, home to the Church of England and it’s impressive Cathedral. It’s another of England’s famous cities, but well worth a trip out. The other-worldly landscape of Dungerness is another place to explore. It’s unique landscape is like nothing you’ll see in any other part of the UK.
Back across the estuary and a little further north you have the flatlands of the Norfolk boards. This is boat holiday territory, and home to famous artist Constable. You’d have to hire a car to really enjoy the best of this region.
Get set and go
London is the big draw, we know that, but once you venture beyond the city limits and head into the regions, you start to see the real England. Yes, I realise it’s the Southern half of the country, (the Northern half is just as thrilling and pretty), but it’s delightful seaside, ancient towns and cities, stunning, unique countryside and mystical charms make it unique and an adventurers paradise.
Make the most of your time exploring the capitals attractions, and then when you need a break head outside of London. Go, explore north, south, east and west.
Oh, and when you do, let us know in the comments below what you thought of the places you visited. Did you go somewhere different to where I recommended? There are always places we haven’t visited so your recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
