Brock Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Looks like the missus and I will have more spare time next year so we want to cross off the places we should have visited in a motorhome in the UK. So we'd welcome any polite suggestions. The continent can wait for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 So much to choose..... Do you want history, scenery, sea side, city centre, wild countryside? Have you bikes, bus passes, a car? Recently I have been to Whitby, Bath, Bristol and the Cornwall coast. The kids have been to Harry Potter World, Alton Towers and Chatsworth. So many places, so little time...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted January 1, 2015 Author Share Posted January 1, 2015 We walk, pay for public transport, or take the van. The latter to get to the places. We like driving around in the van. Prefer inland scenery, market towns, social history but open minded because we want to see places we wouldn't normally think of seeing but are worthwhile. And so little time is spot on and why we want to try and narrow things down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 If you want specific events, then I would say Great Dorset Steam Fair, we may well be there for at least a couple of days this year. Last year we returned to Glastonbury Carnival, we like this one as campsite is only a few hundred yards from the procession route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 That's a wide canvas but, OK, here's some suggestions, which will include coastal locations because they are, quite simply, beautiful: Portmeirion Village: Quirky, whacky. What's it doing in Wales? But it's in a stunning location - take a walk in the woodlands and out around the estuary and gawp at the fantasy buildings in the Village. Stackpole Estate in Pembrokeshire. Time your visit so that you go when the water lilies are in bloom on the Bosherton Lily Ponds. Do the circular walk that takes in these ponds and 2 glorious beaches [barafundle and Broadhaven] and have tea at the National Trust tearooms at Stackpole Quay - where you can park easily and start and end the walk. [And while in the area, call in at the National Trust Merchant's House in Tenby - I may even be volunteering there on the day you visit.] Little known waterfalls of the Neath valley. The path goes UNDER one of the falls. Park at Pont Nedd Fechan. Edge of Brecon Beacons National Park. The Gower peninsula. The first area in the UK to be designated an AONB. Stratford-upon-Avon: PM me for a place to park - we use it all the time. And if you don't want to see a play [i'd recommend seeing one] have a backstage tour of the theatres. Dunster Village in Somerset: It's got everything - a Yarn market; cobbled pavements; a castle; a dovecot; a working mill; a stream; a pack horse bridge; a deer park; tea rooms galore. Cotswolds: picture postcard villages - if you like "twee". I do! Totnes in Devon & Glastonbury in Somerset: Hippydom! Great Little Trains of Wales: various locations. Open Air Museums: Beamish; Black Country Museum; Ironbridge; St Fagans. Hay-on-Wye: Second hand bookshops galore. That's scratching the surface of the stuff we enjoy ...there's so much in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkc Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 For me, Shrewsbury, we stay at Ebury hill CCC site, and take the van down to the park and ride at Harlscourt next to the Tesco superstore for the day. There is a hight barrier at the car park but you are allowed to park at the bus terminal behind Tesco, there is a bus into town every ten minutes. Next, Stratford on Avon, stay on the racecourse site, great walk down the river Avon into town. York, railway museum, Yorvic centre, too much to list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 West coast of Scotland from Fort William north. Best coastal scenery in Europe, perhaps take in some islands. Drive right up to Durness and then along the top, cross over to Orkneys. Would not bother with Outer Hebrides, bit overrated, scenery nowhere near as good as the mainland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Thanks for these, keep 'em coming. A few I've done, most I've either not thought about or not thought enough about. Probably the Great Dorset Steam Fair is the greatest event I've ever attended - three times actually. Missus loves it. We stay three nights which gives us two days in the show, the minimum we think we need. Not sure I'll be there this year but I hope Colin has a great time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownsat259 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Beaten to it by Rupert123. Was also going to suggest north west Scotland and the drive along the north coast. We were lucky with the weather when we visited the Outer Hebrides, and would go again but agree with his comments. Stop over at Shieldaig, north of Lochcarron - there’s a community campsite at the top of the hill, no facilities though public loos nearby, and you can walk to the pub along the lochside. If feeling brave then take the road round the coast to Applecross and return to the main road via the Pass of the Cattle - hair raising double bends and amazing views from the top (Scottish mist permitting!) In England I loved Alnwick Castle gardens - amazing water features - and also the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, best visited out of main tourist season. Happy travelling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Cumbria especially Keswick lots of great scenery and walks etc. Grassington in north yorks with Hawes close by Northumberland coast around Alnwick stunning coastline and a trip to Lindisfarne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiesgrandad Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 All lovely and enjoyable on their day, but I think I would still want to have the Ferry Terminal at Dover, and the Eurotunnel Terminal at Folkestone somewhere near the top of the list, just in case the weather turns out to be normal. AGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I'd only say to John in response to his "the continent can wait for now" is don't wait too long. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 We prefer to take pot luck on sites, its all part of our getting about attitude. 'Must Do' sites can sometimes be filled with those who only 'Do' the popular sites. We find that having no set aims is what makes a site interesting. We can then return to which ones suit us. Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Don't forget the cheese place in the SW, think its called the Edam Project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Lydford Gorge in Devon. Isle of Arran. ....and if you're into wildlife - the Abbotsford Swannery in Dorset.. .. but,as hinted by others, if you intend to go to the continent, don't keep putting it off. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Not been to the Continent for getting on to 10 years. We loved it with our two boys but it began to lose its appeal when the Euro came in and the variation between countries started to disappear as the bureaucrats had their way. Also we've had personal commitments and still have which deter us. However, they will cease soon. It's still an awful trip to the ports from the Wirral! Northern Germany, because we are both blonde Anglo Saxons and Denmark because of the Wirral link to Vikings beckons first unless Ireland sorts out its awful roads. What the missus and I need now is time together, rambling, nosing around the location, and minimal hassle. Neither of us like it above 20C. We can get all that in the UK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Scotland NW side for Highland and coastal scenery. Inner Hebrides for wildlife. Do Mull and Iona then take a boat trip to visit the uninhabited Isle of Staffa (Fingals Cave). You won't see any Basalt columned rock anywhere else other than the Giants Causeway. Worth going just to see the skill of the boat skipper docking at Staffa....an experience you won't forget! Outer Hebrides. You don't go here primarily for scenery but more the unique way of life. They lead a very different lifestyle to mainlanders. I found Barra the most enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Brock - 2015-01-02 3:10 PM Not been to the Continent for getting on to 10 years. We loved it with our two boys but it began to lose its appeal when the Euro came in and the variation between countries started to disappear as the bureaucrats had their way. I can certainly sympathise with that view - it's certainly not the " adventure " it used to be. We started camping over there in 1963. Booked a ferry crossing through the RAC - who would then send us stickers of continental road signs to stick on the inside of our windscreen ( as most of the signs were different to UK ). No credit / debit cards - in fact the amount of cash we could take was limited. We put different currencies in different envelopes and would change over at each ' exciting ' border crossing. Nowadays it's just a case of driving a long way - hardly exciting but worth it if you enjoy the better weather ( usually ) at the other end. The nearest thing to an adventure these days I reckon is Norway - as long as you go north of Trondheim - or divert to the Lofotens. The main reason I encourage anyone not to put off exploring the continent is travel insurance. Once you get to a certain age, regardless of health, charges are higher. ... and if are are unlucky enough to have to declare a ' medical condition ' the sky is the limit ! Have a good trip in the Uk All the best . ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Northumberland, Beautiful and Ludlow Shropshire Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Brock - 2015-01-02 3:10 PM Not been to the Continent for getting on to 10 years. It's still an awful trip to the ports from the Wirral! Northern Germany, because we are both blonde Anglo Saxons and Denmark because of the Wirral link to Vikings beckons first unless Ireland sorts out its awful roads. I only live a few miles south of you and the Wirral is a day trip for me. In fact i often go up to Liverpool for a wander round as i love the folk there! Germany will certainly satisfy your 'social history' interest. There is plenty of that out there and i've spent years touring around, particularly in the East (ex DDR) areas. Peenemunde is a very important place to visit and has a brilliant Museum. Needless to say there is a huge amount of history in and around Berlin and thanks to the excellent system of U-Bahn (underground) and S-Bhan (above ground) trains, is simple to get to places quickly. One easily accessible yet often missed (because people don't know of it's relevance) is the ex- East German border crossing at Helmstedt-Marienborn on the A2. Conveniently there is now a large Service area there from where the Museum is just a two minute walk. Hard to think that just over 25 years ago people were still risking their lives to get through this border. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmstedt%E2%80%93Marienborn_border_crossing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 By the way, Ireland HAS sorted out it's roads. Motorways run out from Dublin in all directions with tolls of about €3. Something to do with EU grants I believe. Brilliant holiday if you can find an offer on the crossing, they drive on the left, speak English, and yet it is very different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsymu Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Don't forget to visit North Yorkshire. If you watched the Tour de France you will have seen how beautiful it is. In particular I recommend Malham (especially good for walking) and Hawes is also good for walking. It is a very pretty town and also has the famous Wensleydale cheese factory & showroom. You can sample dozens of different cheeses before you buy. The scenery in both places is magnificent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Much Wenlock in Shropshire.Couple of nearby campsites etc.Little jewel.Ruins of a beautiful and interesting old Abbey, lots of lovely walking, small independent shops and good pubs.Attractive main street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 You can see a lot of this country by using CCC temporary holiday sites lots of good locations from spring to autumn from as little as £5pupn with many on local bus routes. Even if you like to " Wild Camp " they are handy to spend 1 night on just to refresh your tanks . We used to use them a lot during July / August whilst giving France a rest. Although we have had to give up motorhoming we are hoping to spend more time touring the UK , but this time using hotels etc . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Joe90 - 2015-01-02 12:50 PM I'd only say to John in response to his "the continent can wait for now" is don't wait too long. ;-) Why ? is it, or are we, Drifting away ? or are their local Councils getting as vindictive as ours ? another vote for the Scottish Highlands and islands from me. Give me natural beauty to the man made kind, every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.