VISIT A NATIONAL PARK

National Parks
These are home to some of the most spectacular and highly treasured living landscapes in Britain. This guide to visiting our national parks has links to each park’s own website and these in turn have details of where to go, how to get there and how to get the best out of your visit – along with advice on responsible tourism during your stay.

There are 9 National Parks in England: Broads, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Lake District, New Forest, Northumberland, North York Moors, Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales.

There are 3 in Wales: Brecon Beacons, Pembrokeshire Coast and Snowdonia.

There are 2 in Scotland: Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.

In addition South Downs in England is to become the newest National Park.

National Trails
National Trails are long distance routes for walking, cycling and horse riding through our finest landscapes. They have all been created by linking existing local footpaths, bridleways and minor roads and by developing new ones where there were gaps. There are twelve in England, four in Scotland and three in Wales stretching for 2,500 miles.

The first such route, the Pennine Way, opened in 1965 and since then another 14 have been designated in England and Wales. The others are Cleveland Way, Cotswold Way, Glyndwr’s Way, Hadrian’s Wall Path, North Downs Way, Offa’s Dyke Path, Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path, Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Pennine Bridleway, South Downs Way, South West Coast Path, Thames Path, The Ridgeway and Yorkshire Wolds Way.

In Scotland the equivalent trails are called long distance routes. The Visit Scotland website has a walking section with oodles of info about them.

The Ramblers Association
This is a great website with a database of over 200 walking paths, routes and trails throughout England, Scotland and Wales varying in length and difficulty. Some also have links to accommodation en route, tourist information centres and other helpful information. The site also has details of local groups including easier short walks led by volunteers and walks for visually impaired people.

Walking World
This is another great source of practical information and advice.

The National Trust
The National Trust is a charity that protects and opens to the public over 300 historic houses and gardens and 49 industrial monuments and mills. They also look after forests, woods, fens, beaches, farmland, downs, moorland, islands, archaeological remains, castles, nature reserves and villages. Its properties have over 12 million visitors each year.

There is also a collection of over 350 holiday National Trust cottages for rental in outstanding locations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The National Trust for Scotland protects and promotes Scotland's magnificent heritage of architectural, scenic and historic treasures. It is the largest conservation charity in Scotland. Its website has details of all its sites along with holidays it offers including NTS self catering accommodation in enchanting cottages, historic castles and grand houses, cruises, and its Thistle Camps offering fresh air and plenty of exercise.

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) have been described as the jewels of the English landscape. There re 36 covering about 15% of England which are designated by the Countryside Agency. The smallest is the Isles of Scilly, a mere 16 sq km, the largest the Cotswolds totalling 2,038 sq km. The South Hampshire Coast AONB was de-designated in March 2005 as the majority of it now lies within the New Forest National Park. This government website has details of them all.

Great British Heritage Pass is designed exclusively for the overseas international visitor.   This admits you to over 580 world renowned properties as well as hidden gems under the care of the National Trust, English Heritage, National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland, and Cadw, all together for one price on one pass.    The website has an interactive map and suggested itineraries by theme and by region.

For top rated beach resorts visit The Blue Flag which is an exclusive eco-label awarded to over 3200 beaches and marinas in 36 countries, hundreds of them in the UK. It is run by the independent non-profit organisation Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) which assesses the facilities according to water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and services. Its database provides a very useful and user-friendly guide.

There are masses of places to enjoy our wildlife, among them the 2200 nature reserves managed by the 47 Wildlife Trusts across the UK, the Isle of Man & Alderney. This is the country’s largest voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK’s habitats and species in the countryside, in cities and at sea. Its website has links to the local trusts and these have visitor information, including details of special events along with details about how to get involved.

There are over 150 nature reserves run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to visit throughout the UK. These provide excellent opportunities to watch birds and other wildlife in some of the most beautiful parts of the country.

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust has a national network of wetland visitor centres and has an outstanding reputation in the protection of ducks, geese, swans and flamingos and the places they inhabit.

Head to the country and enjoy fresh and delicious local produce.

With over 500 farmers' markets throughout the country, over half certified by the National Farmers' Retail & Markets Association (FARMA), these sell a wide range of quality, local, ethically-retailed, reared or produced, foods. This website has an interactive map to help you find them plus details of what’s in season now.

For a fun day out it’s hard to beat Pick Your Own farms. FARMA’s website helps you find these, as well as farm shops some of which are certified organic retailers, and farms with cafes or restaurants.

The Royal Horticultural Society + has its own magnificent gardens to visit at Wisley in Surrey, Rosemoor in Devon, Hyde Hall in Essex and Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire. Besides these its website lists hundreds of other gardens to see and inspire around the country along with details of annual flower shows and other events.

Anyone, regardless of age, ability or background can try horse riding. The British Horse Society website lists hundreds of approved centres throughout the country where you can take lessons, clubs to join and events and competitions. There are also links for riding holidays and for its developing national bridleways routes.

Cycling is a great way to explore on holiday and it’s cheap and healthy too. Bikeforall.net has been backed by the Bicycle Association and the Association of Cycle Traders with some government help. Its website is packed with information including details of the of the National Cycle Network and it also has an Online route planner.

Whether you want dinghy sailing, windsurfing, or boating on inland waterways the Royal Yachting Association offers courses for beginners around the country to get you started and for the experienced sailor clubs to join and lots more besides. Its website also features details of special events such as open days and major shows.

If you want to go fishing Waterscape.com is a great guide. It is the leisure site of British Waterways, the public body which manages more than 2,200 miles of canals and rivers in England, Scotland and Wales. You can find your nearest fisheries and there are online guides to the various species and what you can catch, how to get a license and listings of a range of events.

The UK Sea Angling website has extensive details for charter boats, species, rules and regulations, tides, local clubs, and much more.

Go on a wildlife cruise.  Sea Watch is a national charity, dedicated to the conservation and protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises around the UK.   Its website lists approved excursion boat operators which contribute to its monitoring work by collecting sightings data.   There are contact details for firms dotted around the coasts of Scotland, Wales, Devon and Cornwall along with information about the type of trip and vessel and the species likely to be seen. 

TOP DAYS OUT

Details of Britain’s most popular tourist attractions are revealed by the industry body ALVA (the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions). Its website is a useful source of ideas and information for anyone planning a day out. It features a nationwide map showing locations of dozens of attractions throughout the country and there are also links. The site has separate lists for museums and galleries, heritage sites, cathedrals, leisure attractions, gardens and conservation (this includes Chester Zoological Gardens, the Zoological Society of London, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew and the Eden Project in Cornwall. Nevertheless some of these links are to corporate sites so require a bit more digging to obtain visitor information.

BRITAIN'S FAVOURITE VIEW

This is the title of ITV's series shown in 2007 featuring 16 views championed by celebrities.  Why not see these views first hand?  Visit its website with info about the views featured in the series plus 45 others.  There’s also a book with a foreword by Sir Trevor MacDonald to tie in with the series - visit our Travel Books page