What About England Outside London?

If your idea of England is somehow tightly associated with London, and every trip you take brings you to one or the other end of this megacity, then you are missing out on a quintessentially English experience, which you can only get when you abandon the frantic city pace and try going up the country.

For those of you, who have not ventured out to other parts of England yet, here’s a short list (8 points) of places to visit and things do in order to get an idea of what England is all about:

1. Go for a walk in Peak District and then do some vintage shopping in Matlock or Bakewell.

It turns out vintage is really big in the English countryside and these two small towns (as well as many others) have an incredible number of shops with quaint vintage items.

2. If you are a history enthusiast, York is a perfect place to dig deep and explore history stretching back 2,000 years. This short video gives a perfect idea of what is celebrated in this vibrant city.

3. Visit Chatsworth and satisfy the romantic in you, who will absolutely love the magnificent house and well-groomed gardens as well as some modern art pieces dotted here and there.

Did you know that some parts of 2005 Pride and Prejudice were filmed here? (In the film Chatsworth was presented as Mr, Darcy's home).

4. Do something unexpected in Leeds – from secret supper clubs to lingerie making, this place has some very intriguing things to offer.

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For the full list of unusual things to do in Leeds, click here

5. Spend a day on water in Norfolk broads.

Norfolk broads is a hugely popular holiday destination with the locals. You can hire a boat and spend the whole day navigating the canals.

Watch out for those speed limits, you are not supposed to go faster than 4m.p.h. – ha! did you think you can hire a speedboat and go wild…?

6. Whatever you do, remember to visit some stately homes – there is a huge number across the country and they have played a key part in the social fabric of English society throughout history.

Many of them, like Felbrigg Hall, for example, are managed by National Trust.

Others are still home to some families whose family trees go back a few centuries or even more.

Some wonderful examples include Haddon Hall and Castle Howard.

7. Get the afternoon tea experience.

Here’s the thing, in London, and especially city-centre, it’s almost impossible to find a tearoom (and if you do find one, it’s impossible to get in).

In the meantime, everywhere else in the country you can find plenty of them, serving tea and cake from dainty vintage china.

Try looking through this list and see if you like any, click here

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Don’t worry if you can’t get to the tearooms mentioned in the article above – most places have their own version of this pleasant English afternoon ritual.

Only be very careful – it’s easy to overindulge!

8. Go anywhere….

In England you can go almost anywhere and discover places with very deep traditions and interesting history.

For example, while visiting some friends in a tiny place called Hoo, I came across this little church – it turns out some parts of it go as far back as 11th century….

So on your next visit to England, take a deep breath, choose a place somewhere outside London and go, see, explore!

Travel Egland, enjoy your life!

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