UK holiday suggestions, please

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

spen666

Legendary Member
The Lake District - sometimes in the summer if traffic isn't too bad you can get there in less than 3 hours from Carlisle


How about walking or cycling the wall built by that immigrant Mr Hadrian. You know the one I mean, the one he built without planning permission and without undertaking a proper environmental impact assessment. I bet he never took steps to consider the newts either.
 
OP
OP
Sandra6

Sandra6

Veteran
Location
Cumbria
Corbridge is good for the Roman Forts on Hadrians Wall but you have to drive 20 minutes east to the A1 and then minimum 45 minutes north to get to Banburgh Sandra... t.
Thanks for that, my geography and sense of direction isn't the best and I hadn't got so far as looking on a map. The little arrows always look so close together on google :-)

Ah France, that well known corner of England.

The Lake District - sometimes in the summer if traffic isn't too bad you can get there in less than 3 hours from Carlisle


How about walking or cycling the wall built by that immigrant Mr Hadrian. You know the one I mean, the one he built without planning permission and without undertaking a proper environmental impact assessment. I bet he never took steps to consider the newts either.
Been there, done that, the girls are a bit over the whole Hadrian thing now.
Vernon - forbidden corner is another on the list of must dos.
Not keen on the tour idea tbh, I'd rather be settled in one spot and venture out and back.
Some great suggestions though.
 

Hyslop

Veteran
Location
Carlisle
Mr6 and I have the same week off in august and are looking for some inspiration.
Ideally within 3 hours drive of Carlisle, and with something to do or visit nearby suited to girls of 10, 13 and 15, but not exclusively "girly" they love the rail museum after all.
Hit me;!
I vote for Northumberland as well-awesome scenery-wonderful people.And,if you forget something,you can nip back and get it!
 
I plan on taking my parents on day trips to Northumberland in August when they visit us. Head over to Berwick and then downwards.

A bit non-specific...
 

NorthernDave

Never used Über Member
The Alnwick area has the added advantage of the station at Alnmouth meaning you can quickly whizz up to Edinburgh or down to Newcastle if you fancy a day out.
There is a place in Seahouses that does mountain bike hire too if you don't fancy taking your own bikes - they deliver them to you as well, if I remember correctly.
 

shouldbeinbed

Rollin' along
Location
Manchester way
Spooky coincidence, I've just been looking at Durham on airbnb and found a nice let in corbridge.
We've been meaning to go to alnwick castle for ages.
Corbridge is a good base for south northumberland stuff, but there's not much actually there. Close and good for the attractions of Newcastle and Gateshead & Hadrian's wall. A short hop to Hexham for essential shopping if you are self catering, also Metro Centre if its raining or the family fancy it, close enough for Tyneside beaches.

Bit more of a hike to Alnwick, Bamburgh and Lindisfarne as a day out.
Dunno if books are your thing but if you get to Alnwick: Barter books. The Poison garden at the castle is a very interesting mini tour.
For me the Farne Islands (off Seahouses) are a must do, my kids of similar age loved it, going out on proper sea, the birds and seals are just great to see, island drop offs and in amongst the Puffins as well as getting more of an appreciation of the Grace Darling story.

I don't know what you think of holiday camp places but Haven have Haggerston Castle a junction further up the A1 from Lindisfarne. On site entertainment, kids activities and a short drive for Alnwick/Berwick etc. Close on the depths of rural Northumberland for biking &+1 to Wooler (Hexham lite), you'rea bit further for getting to the south amenities mentioned above but maybe less of an issue if you weren't necessarily travelling out every day *edit* good points on trains from Alnwick & especially if you've done the Hadrian thing then Haggerston would be easy for Newcastle heritage/ quayside & metro centre shopping

Beadnall is lovely and Blyth down to Seaton Sluice and Whitley Bay to Cullercoats/Tynemouth is some of the best sandy quiet beaches you'll ever find.

Blyth has a fantastic beach side chippy & ice cream parlour after a day of frolicking in the sand.

Durham itself is nice for a day trip but having lived and worked close, I think I'd rather go for Corbridge or further up into Northumberland as a holiday base if they were the 2 options.
 
Last edited:

AndyRM

XOXO
Location
North Shields
The NE England recommendations have been excellent, so I'll chuck the West Coast of Scotland into the mix. You can get to some very nice Inner Hebridean islands and the Trossachs in around 3 hours. A beautiful part of the world with plenty to keep you occupied.
 

winjim

Straddle the line, discord and rhyme
Whilst the remember, if you do go think about joining National Heritage. I couldn't be bothered but kicked myself as I would have saved a fortune on visits to castles etc. I think its national heritage, blooming memory....... Nurse !!

Shaun
National Trust / English Heritage

NT have more outdoorsy stuff, moors and coastline etc, and loads of stately homes. EH have more castles and industrial heritage stuff.
 

HF2300

Insanity Prawn Boy
I'd upvote Northumberland as well. I'd guess most places you'd be staying won't want you there until the afternoon, so if you haven't already done Hadrians Wall from Carlisle you can leave early-ish and make a day of it by taking the Military Road (B6318), which takes you past most of the major sites, instead of the A69. Best picks for me are Vindolanda and the adjacent section of wall from Once Brewed to Housesteads, which is the best preserved and most spectacular. Turn left at the Vindolanda / visitor centre crossroads and you can drive up to a car park by the Wall, then walk along the best part of the Wall to Sycamore Gap, or even Housesteads & get a bus back if you fancy it.

In Northumberland I'd suggest basing yourself around the Alnwick to Seahouses area, possibly a bit further south, depending where you want to visit. I'd take issue with the Bamburgh recommendation - for me, it's overpriced, the access in the buildings is very limited and there's not actually much of interest to see in there. Best viewed from outside - it looks spectacular from the surrounding area. A boat trip round or to the Farne islands is worthwhile, particularly if you're there when the seabirds are nesting, though August is towards the end of the season and a lot of them may have left. Cragside, south of Alnwick, is interesting and well worth a visit, and Lindisfarne (Holy Island) has already been mentioned. If you like total eccentricity you absolutely must go to Chillingham Castle, which is crammed full of the weird and wonderful and incredibly interesting. Wark Castle is worth doing, followed by a walk along the river and ferry across to the Hermitage (check when it's open). I'd suggest all these places have something for everyone.

Alternatively, try south of the industrial belt and go to the North York Moors / Yorkshire Wolds area; Whitby, Scarborough, Bridlington, Malton, Pickering area. Like Northumberland, there's beautiful countryside, spectacular coasts, great beaches, lots of things to do (that will interest everyone) in a fairly small area and decent roads so everything's accessible. Whitby, York, the Moors, Pickering, Helmsley, Rievaulx, Robin Hood's Bay or Staithes, Filey Bay and the Brigg, Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head all worth visiting. There's too much to list really, but as with Northumberland there are castles and stately homes, walks, activities, cultural stuff - too much to list really.
 
Top Bottom