Embark on long country walks on well-trodden paths through shady woods and summer meadows and grab a pint in classic English Pubs to taste some local delicacies and sample real ales.
Plan a family adventure with your kids or your significant other in a canvas cottage. Discover rarely visited destinations of the English seaside resorts or eat your way around a foodie city.
Whether you opt for a camping trip, enjoy a vacation or want to escape to the country, we have tons of ideas for making the most of a weekend break in England, including some of the most fabulous breaks the country can offer.
1. Step Back in Time in Oxfordshire
Gliding by boat to Oxfordshire is a fantastic way to step back in time and explore some beautiful historical areas in this favourite part to the South of England.
Enjoy a narrowboat in Oxfordshire from Banbury, Oxford and other delightfully named places such as Thrupp and Cropredy. The canal route takes you near many family-friendly attractions such as:
a. Windsor castle
b. Legoland – a great theme park for younger children
c. Hampton Court Palace
d. Banbury
f. Beal wildlife park
2. Alnwick’s Poison Gardens
Alnwick’s Poison Garden is the only unusual botanical garden in England where poisonous flowers are grown. It was opened in 2005 and was the brainchild of Duchess Jane Percy. Numerous permissions had to be sought from the government as the garden hosts many deadly flowers and plants such as cannabis, nightshade, hemlock, and magic mushrooms.
Before entering the gardens, warning signs are plastered on the walls warning visitors not to touch the flowers and plants or even to smell them as doing so could be deadly. It is a walk on edge but it’s a fun walk nevertheless.
3. World Worm Charming Championships
This bizarre English sport played in Willaston; northern England is played with only one question in mind: How many worms are you able able to extract out of the ground.
Because everything in life appears to be a race, the little village of Willaston hosts an annual World Worm Charming Championship where competitors descend from around the globe to try and convince as many worms as possible to rise to the surface.
Worms are harvested as bait for fishing, and the idea is to create vibrations in the ground dirt to coax the worms to climb to the surface.
The championships began in 1980 when contestants were invited to furiously tap the grounds in Willaston to get some worms. It has taken place each year since then, and wormers are given a 3×3 square of land to grunt, fiddle, and charm and collect more worms than anyone else.
4. Golf Holidays in Wales
If you’re looking for a weekend golf break, then playing golf in Wales is a fantastic option. Wales golf courses rank among the top and regularly appear in the top 100 listings. With the famed Celtic Manor Resort, and the parkland resort courses heading the pack, and offering outstanding facilities to the golfer and non-golfer alike. For great value and superb choice, a golf-playing holiday in Wales is hard to beat.
5. The Forbidden Corner, North Yorkshire
Check out the Forbidden Corner for a bizarre and spooky brain-teasing afternoon. Explore the tunnels, creepy passages, mazes and mausoleums at the large garden where getting hopelessly lost is part of the fun.
You’re promised a checklist of things to track down without the aid of any maps. You’ll encounter a barrage of tricky challenges, including the occasional artificial rain. Just keep your eyes open for the markings that offer direction to your final mission. Children will have great time-solving problems while adults will fall in love with the garden’s wit business and imagination.