This guest post is by Kara Landhuis, a writer and graphic designer from Des Moines. After eleven months in the UK, Kara reflects on the top four places in the UK you should make time to travel to while visiting.
Before I moved from Iowa to England in the autumn of 2015, I’ll admit I knew as much about British geography as the average American – that is to say, not much. It seems that most Americans traveling to England rarely venture beyond the bustling capitol city.
You could spend months in London without running out of things to do, but it’s great to escape to the North and experience some of the quaint villages and historic towns that the United Kingdom has to offer.
York
I’ll admit, I’m a little biased about this one. During my 11-month stay in England, I lived with a host family in a little village just north of York. I spent many weekends strolling through the winding cobbled streets, popping into stores and ducking into coffee shops.
York is surrounded by a beautiful 700-year-old wall that is wide enough to walk on and accessible to the public during daylight hours. From atop certain sections of the wall you can see the stunning York Minster Cathedral – the second largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. Other sections of the wall house a museum and a coffee shop.
There’s also a coffee shop that turns into a gin bar on weekend nights (The Attic). In fact, there are tons of great coffee shops, each with its own charm: The Fossgate Social, The Perky Peacock, Brew and Brownie, and Coffee Culture were a few of my favorites. There are plenty of pubs as well, with names like The Cross Keys, The Habit, The Duke of York, and The House of Trembling Madness.
York is also home to one of the UK’s most important railway stations. Because York is so central in the country, train services are excellent. A train from York to London takes just over two hours. If you stay a while in York, I recommend taking some day trips (on the train) out to smaller neighboring cities and villages such as Harrogate, Leeds, Knaresborough, and Durham.
Final recommendations: Walk down by the River Ouse or stop at a restaurant with a river view, shop The Shambles (the street that was inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter), and at the end of a busy day, settle down with a pint in a cozy pub.
Whitby
One of the reasons I love Whitby is that my first visit was on one of the first beautiful, sunny days after a long (and I mean LONG), wet English winter. Whitby is a seaside town located on the east coast of England.
Because it is right on the coast, Whitby is one of the best places in the country to get a famous English delicacy: Fish and Chips. The Magpie Café is the best in town, and it has options for dining in or take-out. Be sure to keep your take-out box covered if you go for that option, as seagulls may try to swoop in and snag a taste!
The best way to view Whitby is to climb the famous 199 Steps. From the top, you can look down on all of Whitby below, including the beach and the bay. Also at the top of the 199 Steps is Whitby Abbey, a ruined stone abbey that is several hundred years old. Whitby Abbey is as eerie as it is stunning, and it was a source of inspiration for Bram Stoker, acclaimed author of Dracula.
Final recommendations: Burn off the fish and chips calories with a climb up the 199 Steps, stroll down the pier with an ice cream cone in hand, and pick up a copy of Dracula in one of Whitby’s quaint bookshops – the perfect souvenir.
Keswick
If you can manage a jaunt over to the west side of the country, you absolutely must visit the Lake District. The Lake District boasts some of England’s most spectacular scenery. It is beautiful and mountainous, and lakes are plentiful (as the name suggests).
Keswick lies in the heart of the Lake District, near one of the largest lakes. It’s a charming little market town filled with shops and cafes. Nearby Ambleside is equally quaint. (If you haven’t noticed yet – most English towns are incredibly, undeniably quaint.)
But the real draw of the Lake District is the lakes and mountains. They’re not like the Rockies – the tallest peak in the Lake District is just 3,000 ft. Instead, views are of low, rolling hills (also known as fells) with wide, clear lakes in the valleys. Surprise View is a particularly stellar spot to view Derwentwater, the large lake near Keswick (pictured at the beginning of this blog post).
Final recommendations: Get into nature when you go to the Lake District. Consult with local people and tourist information areas to find walks and hikes of appropriate length and elevation to suit you. Most of all, enjoy the stunning setting! (And don’t forget a waterproof jacket, as this is one of the wettest areas of the country as well!)
Edinburgh
My final recommendation for Northern UK cities to visit is Edinburgh, Scotland. This isn’t an English destination, but it is British (I know, these distinctions are incredibly confusing). Here are some things you should know, for starters:
- Yes, you’ll see people wearing kilts
- Yes, you’ll hear people playing bagpipes
It is a nearly eight-hour train journey to reach Edinburgh from London, but it takes less than three hours if you’re traveling from York. If you stay a while in York, it’s easy to pop up to Edinburgh for a few nights and it’s definitely worth it.
Edinburgh is the capitol city of Scotland, and it’s absolutely gorgeous and fun to explore. There’s a new side of town with lots of great shopping opportunities – H&M, Anthropologie, and other popular retailers. On the old side of town is where the real fun is, though. The Royal Mile is Edinburgh’s oldest street, and it has tons of cool little shops and old pubs. At one end of the Royal Mile is Edinburgh Castle, an impressive stone fortress.
Final recommendations: There seemed to be an infinite number of little side streets and alleys in Edinburgh, each with its own hidden gems – bookshops, cafes, and pubs aplenty. Wander a bit, and don’t be afraid to get a little lost.
Things to know:
- It’s absolutely not necessary to rent a car when you visit England. The Tube (The Underground) is more than sufficient for transportation around London, and the train network throughout the rest of the country is completely brilliant. It’s fast and relatively cheap to book a train anywhere in the UK.
- England is cold and wet 90% of the time. An umbrella is good, but a waterproof jacket with a hood is better (Brits don’t tend to use umbrellas). Rain boots (“wellies”) are good to have too.
- Don’t eat fish and chips in London.
- Remember that chips are fries.
- If you want potato chips, they’re called crisps.
- “Cheers” is often used in place of the following: Hello, goodbye, thank you, excuse me, you’re welcome.
Final recommendations: I was in England for 11 months, but I realize most people only come to visit for a week or two. Don’t make the mistake of staying in London. Even if your time in the UK is part of a bigger European trip, plan a few days to see what the North has to offer. It will give you the best taste of what England is actually like – a taste of history, culture, and nature that London alone simply can’t provide.
Kara Landhuis is a writer and graphic designer from Des Moines, Iowa. She loves reading novels and drinking tea, preferably at the same time. She is passionate about the power of storytelling. She writes short things on her blog (karalandhuis.tumblr.com) and shorter things on Twitter (@karalandhuis).