Archive for the 'Trips - UK' Category
The UK Blog of The Nomad…A Summary
Wednesday, October 17th, 2007I’ve just completed a 2,000 mile road trip in the UK. Here is a summary of my route and some tips and tricks for your next UK trip.
Starting from the London area, my stops included the South Downs, New Forest, the Source of The Thames, and Avebury Stone Circle. I then continued into South Wales and up through the middle of Wales to North Wales and finally to the Lancashire Coast and Dales, finishing up at the Yorkshire Moors.
There were many fine pubs and tea shops enroute and they were all worth a visit. Do stay at the Plas Derwen pub in Abergavenny for some fine food, accommodation, cask ale and the friendliest staff who never stop smiling and joking.
The Vale Hotel in Cricklade, Wiltshire offers a fine pint of Horizon bitter and good accommodation, food and a good place to walk the Thames Path before visiting the Avebury Stone Circle.
Always try and make a stop in the market towns for morning tea, lunch or overnight and try a pint or three of local cask bitter.
Wales is a magical place to tour. A visit to LLangollen with lunch at The Corn Mill, and a day trip on the canal to cross over the amazing aqueduct is memorable. Try and fit in the steam train as well and have some tea whilst listening to a local Welsh Male Voice Choir…a real treat.
In season (September/October) take in the Blackpool Illuminations by tram and walk on the huge beach by the Irish Sea. Just a little north of Blackpool in Fleetwood you can find an outlet shopping centre and some fine cockles near the ferry terminal. Cleveleys also has some excellent butcher shops offering the finest meats, bacon and pies, often close to a bakery for some other local treats.
The Dales and Moors are some of the most beautiful places to walk or drive with superb towns and villages, all with their individual attractions, from pubs to tea shops to churches and the ruins of the Abbeys from the 1500’s.
I found the perfect pub, but it takes a bit of finding. The Pack Horse at Widdop between Burnley and Hebden Bridge offers superb food (try the beef barley soup and house pate), a tasty Black Sheep ale and accommodations with perfect views of the hills. Enroute you might even get to see some belties (belted galloway cattle) which are just a little different.
A tip…when touring the UK…get off of the motorways and try the B roads and white roads on your map. Stop frequently, even in a layby for a bacon sarnie and a cuppa or take a picnic lunch from a local bakery or deli. Even get off of the map and take a country road or two and you will find something quite unique….a tractor, some sheep, or the ubiquitous ‘white van’….beware of these white vans!
Gas/Petrol is about a quid per litre but distances are relatively small and the small cars are usually quite efficient (40+mpg). Apart from restaurants in the evenings you will find breakfast and lunches all reasonable priced and normally very good…..believe me!
Another tip….if you have a full breakfast at a B&B you will probably need to forego a fine lunch at a local pub but then you will need an afternoon tea in a traditional tea shop. Even for evening meals, you can normally find a reasonable pub menu/price and can always find a takeaway (but seek out local knowledge first)….
’till the next time….cheers…The Nomad
North West England…
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007If you are in the North West of England in September or October, be sure to take in the Blackpool Illuminations by tram from Cleveleys. For a snack buy a Grimes prok pie from their shop in Cleveleys and then head up to Fleetwood for some outlet shopping and try some cockles , whelks and mussels from the ‘kipper store’ near the ferry…and even send home some kippers by mail!
The Nomad
The Nomad in London
Thursday, September 20th, 2007Having completed The Path, it was back to London for The Nomad:
When visiting London it is not necessary to stay in town at pricey hostelries. Consider the Travelodge at Morden (end of Northern Line Tube) for only 26 gbp and try a local English fry up at the Central Cafe across from the hotel. Get a travelcard at any tube station for 5.70 gbp and you can use the trains after 9.30 am and the buses and tubes all day. A great, cheap way to get around the city.
While you’re there, take the Original Tour. The bus tour includes a great two hour cruise on the Thames, and has an excellent guide commentary. You can get on and off the bus at will during your tour.
Other must visit sites are of course are The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Thames Path walkway and the Cheshire Cheese pub on Fleet Street.
Next, it was onto The New Forest and the South of England. Things to do here include enjoying a pleasant walk or drive in the New Forest and visiting Poole and Corfe Castle in Dorset. While there, try to find Breamore House near Fordingbridget, the Queens Arms at Birley or the Cross Keys at Mannington for good pub grub, a pint, or tea and coffee.
The Nomads Tips for Driving in the UK.
- Stay away from Motorways if you want to see the countryside or want a relaxing drive.
- Take A or B or white roads.
- Stop at village pubs or tea shops and walk around the next corner to local churches for some free history lessons.
- Buy your lunches at local bakeries or deli’s and find a quiet place to picnic and feed the ducks.
- Beware of White Vans in your rear-view mirrors!
- Get used to tailgaters in your rear-view mirrors!
- Watch out and slow down for all speed cameras.
- Keep on the left unless getting off of the ferry in France!
- Try and enjoy traffic roundabouts by only going around once!
- Rent a small car if only 2 people - you’ll get better gas mileage (40 - 50mpg) and the smaller car makes it easier to enjoy driving the small country lanes.
- Get quotes on rental cars. Rates vary quite a bit between companies.
- My quotes for 25 days with a drop-off at Manchester Airport were:
Keydrive 595 gbp - Europcar 525 gbp - Alamo 509 gbp - Enterprise 430 gbp - 1car1 423gbp - Kendal and Thrifty had no drop-off
…so take care and do your homework!
Crop Circles…believe them or not!
I have always been curious and fascinated by Crop Circles, both in Wiltshire and around the world, so I had to stop at the Avebury Stone Rings (Sarson Stones) to learn more. Unfortunately I was a little late in the year to see them, so I’ll have to return again with my info book in hand. Something is out there!
Even though there were no crop circles, this part of England is a great place to enjoy country walks and drives. Places to visit around here are Marlborough, Calne, Devizes and Pewsey. And don’t forget to check out the Chalk Horses and ancient settlement areas dating from 4,000 BC.
The Nomad
The Nomad Saunters the Thames Path Walk
Wednesday, September 19th, 2007The Nomad is in the UK right now, continuing his epic walk along The Thames Path. His last saunter along the walk ended short due to inclement weather. Here is his first report back from his latest meanderings.
So far I’ve only managed to cover a couple of sections of The Path, and both were totally different in their appeal.
From Runnymede, through Windsor Great Park, and on to Cookham you see a river full of pleasure activities, surrounded by history and fine homes. The finest of these homes belongs to The Queen. The Long Walk through Windsor Castle should be taken instead of the Thames Path as you can stop for a good pint at the Two Brewers, at the entrance to the Long Walk. Buy a pastie in the town and play the tourist for a while before continuing by the Watermans Arms, dating from 1542 AD, on to Cookham. If you have time in Windsor, take the open bus to Eton and the surrounding countryside for a nice hour or two.
I drove on to Cricklade to do the final section of The Path through meadows, and it is here where The Thames is merely a brook. It is not as interesting a stretch as the previous sections of the wal, but there is some history here in that the water meadows have been preserved and you can find the old Thames/Servern canal that is now dry. I recommend staying in Cricklade at the Vale Hotel and having a pint of Horizon bitter while enjoying the village.
The Nomad.
The Nomad Wraps Up His UK Trip
Tuesday, November 7th, 2006Well, its time to wrap up my trip to England and a little of North Wales.? I rented a Renault Clio 1.5 diesel and was very impressed with it.? It handled well at both high motorway speeds and on the twisty country lanes.? With a range of 600 MILES per tank,? its really is a great little car. Ideal for 2 adults and luggage for a long trip and great for day trips with 4 adults.
The last day of driving was spent on my favourite Yorkshire Moors at the village of Dent,? but not before a stop at the Barbon Inn in Barbon ( a 17th century coaching inn) (BarbonInn@aol.com) for a fine pub lunch.
My 30 days of walking, driving, enjoying fine cask ales, good traditional pubs with good pub grub and many a tasty cream tea at a variety of tea shops was, all in all, an excellent trip out of high season.? Give it a go yourselves.
We hope you have found this trip blog of England to be useful for any future trip planning. In closing, when driving in England - you need to be ‘aggressively defensive’ and aware at all times either on the motorways, ‘A’ roads or ‘white roads’ (which are my favourite roads ). It is nice to rekindle these driving skills though.
The Nomad
Useful links for your UK trip:
Caravaning: www.caravanclub.co.uk
Settle-Carlisle Railway: www.settle-carlisle.co.uk/walks
Ingleton: www.ingleton.co.uk
White Scar Cave: www.whitescarcave.co.uk
Dent Village: www.dentvillageheritagecentre.com
Shacklabank Walking Holidays: www.shacklabank.co.uk
Caravan and Camping: www.highlaning.co.uk
England Tourism: www.enjoyengland.com
Britian Attractions: www.britainsfinest.co.uk
At toptravelsites.com we are introducing an interactive forum for travellers to nominate their favourite ‘TopTraditionalPub’ and ‘TopTeaShop’ in Britain…stay tuned and let us know about your favourite places…The Nomad
North of England
Tuesday, November 7th, 2006Back in the North of England for a day trip to Chester for some history, fine food and ale at The Albion and another day out to Llangollen in North Wales. The scenery is spectacular and its a wonderful place to spend a few days. There is a steam railway, motor museum, canal, abbey, castle ruins, tea shops and much, much more.
Another nice area for a walk is the Loggerheads Park just outside of Mold.
The Nomad.
Useful Uk travel links.
Clwydian Range Mountains: www.ridetheclwyds.com
North Wales Borderlands: www.borderlands.co.uk
Denbighshire’s Countryside: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/countryside
Loggerheads area of Wales: www.loggerheads-wales.co.uk
Another English Drive by The Nomad
Tuesday, October 24th, 2006Well, it seems that highways and freeways are the same all over the world - slow, slow, quick, quick and slow some more. I was heading south on the M6 to the M5 and finally left this parking lot and got on the A44 to Evesham (the Garden of England) and a nice cuppatea and scones at the CafeCraycombe in Flatbury. It is here that the tables and chairs at which you have tea are all for sale and are made onsite (nice idea). After the superb clotted cream scones we thought about getting heavenly bodies, including a body blitz and a tums and bums at the next door gym - but, fortunately it was closed today.
The A44 is a nice route through beautiful countryside, villages and away from the M-roads. Another nice place to stop and shop is Burford and if you have a flyrod….cast around a little!
The Nomad continued south around Oxford and back into the M25 ring and more heavy traffic, but all in all it was a nice day on the road.
The Nomad
Useful links for your England trip:
Get a haircut in Huddersfield: www.heavenlybodies.co.uk
Devon Fly Fishing School: www.flyfishing-uk.co.uk
Oak Furniture: www.pdrinternational.co.uk
Useful Travel Tips for Your Trip To the UK
Monday, October 23rd, 2006Motorway travel - beware of motorway restaurants for an English Breakfast….the one I visited had this staple of English cuisine at the exorbitant price of around 11 pounds. A better plan is to try a ‘greasy spoon’ in a nearby town - it’ll be around 3 quid and they have bloody good tea!
A good book to plan you trip is 365 days of Pub Walks and Cycle Rides - its available at www.theAA.com/bookshop
Cellphones (mobiles) - I had my non-UK cellphone unlocked and purchased a SIM card for 5 pounds and paid another 5 pounds for 12 p per minute calls. I did it at T-Mobile shop.
Some simple pleasures of the UK:
- Sunday papers before and after a couple o’ pints or sunday lunch at the local pub.
- Tasty bacon and ham
- Pies from Hunters of Helmsley
- Cask ales at country pubs with traditional English fodder
- Ploughman’s
- Sausages / pies / good fish and chips / strong tea and
- Affordable French wine from the local store that does not taste like fruit juice!
- Sticky toffee pudding
And still finding more,
The Nomad
A Walk, Great Pubs and Some Tea
Sunday, October 22nd, 2006Today I started with a short drive to Barlow to walk up Pendle Hill of Pendle Witches notoriety in the 1500’s and 1600’s. After another walk through the Forest of Bowlem, I got into a little bit of ‘double bubble, toil and trouble’ at the Pendle Inn. A pint of Pride of Pendle and I was off for a super walk up Pendle. I highly recommend you spend some time in this area and enjoy the ‘Cask Ale Trail by Bus’ which enables you to sample some John Smith Cask / Black Cat Mild / Premier / Pride of Pendle / Blonde Witch and some Guest Ales all by bus through this magnificent countryside. (call them at tel 01282661394). The other pub in the village looked very nice - the Barley Mow, but there is only so much time in the day, so I’ll have to save that one for next time!
Fly Fishing also available in Barlow, although its not river fishing, and there is a nice tea shop in the village. So bring your fishing rod and when your done have a nice cupa!
Well, here’s The Nomad’s tips to really enjoy your UK visit - ignore the weather, be flexible and enjoy ‘just the drive’ or ‘the walk’. There’s also lots of tourist information available everywhere. Oh, and stick to real ale and taste some real tea, but be ready to ‘walk it off’!
The Nomad
Useful links for this part of England:
Borough of Pendle: www.pendle.gov.uk
Note….today we had cause to visit the A & E section of the Burnley General Hospital and can only say how grateful we were for there superb service and caring to a visitor to the UK. Our experience qualifies us to say ….’what a great health-care system’ many thanks.
A Fun Day of Driving in England
Saturday, October 21st, 2006Today’s weather was magnificent, so I planned a longer drive, heading to Blubberhouses enroute to Harrogate for morning tea with Betty and some excellent pancakes. Harrogate is a grand place to spend 3 nights for a walk around town. Then onward to Rippon and Thirsk, which is racing country, before a grand drive over the Moors to Helmsley, where I’ll bought some of the best pork pies at Hunters on the Square. Helmsley is another place where you can rest-up for a few days at some lovely B&B’s, Pubs or Hotels while you take time to visit the ruiins of Riveaux Abbey…history definately abounds here!
From Helmsley I headed towards Pickering and the wonderful North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway where we were lucky to be at the special re-enactment event of WW2. Make sure you do not miss this trip as it it truly wonderful! I returned over the north route and went through some grand ‘white’ roads (narrow and twisty, but lots of fun in a small car!). What a day, and what a lot of fun!
The Nomad
Useful UK vacation links:
Skipton Castle, a medieval castle: www.skiptoncastle.co.uk
Bolton Castle, a midieval fortresss: www.boltoncastle.co.uk
Yorkshire Dales: www.yorkshiredales.org
Malham, Yorkshire: www.malhamdale.com
North Yorkshire Moors Railway: www.northyorkshiremoorsrailway.com
Herriot Country: www.herriotcountry.com
The World of James Herriot: www.worldofjamesherriot.org