Log on for solstice
THIS summer solstice, watch the sun rise or set over Stonehenge live from the comfort of your own home. English Heritage – which manages the ancient site in Wiltshire – will be putting on the livestream on June 21 because it has had to cancel the physical ritual. It will start at 9.26pm on June 20 and end at 4.52am the next day. See english-heritage.org.uk.
MANY holidaymakers who’d normally head for the Med every summer are having to settle for a staycation this year. But we think it is an opportunity to see how much wonderful variety exists in our own backyard…
Beach Britain Southern shores
The UK has a magnificent range of beaches, just waiting to be explored. On the south coast the pick of the bunch are Camber Sands in East Sussex, the Witterings in West Sussex and the sands of Bournemouth.
And don’t forget Knoll Beach in Dorset, Torbay in Devon and the multitude of creeks and coves in Cornwall, where you will always find a quiet spot if you’re prepared to walk.
Offshore, Jersey and Guernsey bring the temperature up a couple of notches, being further south, and the Isles of Scilly have scrumptious sands but are more exposed to westerly winds.
Tanned midriff
Moving upcountry there are fabulous beaches all round Wales, from Pembrokeshire’s Barafundle in the south up to Anglesey’s Newborough on the north-west tip – but there’s a good reason why Wales is so green!
When the rain starts rolling in, you can easily hike the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path or visit the huge range of Welsh castles instead.
Meanwhile there’s less drama and softer seas on the other side of the country, where East Anglia has broad and never-ending expanses of sand along the North Norfolk coast, particularly around Holkham and Cromer. There are also thinner strips along the east by the retro resort of Great Yarmouth and posh Southwold.
Bright lights
Further north, there are beaches with all the traditional trimmings at Blackpool and Morecambe Bay on the west coast and Skegness and Scarborough on the east.
The beautiful sandy beaches are why the resorts opened up in the first place – but perhaps the finest stretches up north are on the Northumberland coast, from Alnwick and Alnmouth towards Berwick.
Here the handsome coastline is studded with castles and fishing villages.
There is a lot more truly spectacular scenery beyond the border into Scotland, but this is a place for more active exploration. On these beaches, you’re unlikely to be stripped down to your bikini and lying out in the sun.
Country retreats National parks
Inland, the priority for most holidaymakers is soothing scenery – and more often than not, that involves hills, forests, rivers and lakes.
Our national parks deliver all of this in spades, especially in the Lake District, but the area is likely to be one of the most-visited places this summer. If you’re hoping to head there, seek out its quieter western side.
Of the parks, Exmoor and Dartmoor are more barren, therefore less crowded. But there is plenty of lush scenery to be found too, like the waterfalls at Lydford Gorge.
There will be room to roam in the Yorkshire Dales as well, particularly on its western side towards Appleby-in-westmorland.
And then of course there’s the Norfolk Broads – a maze of waterways where home is a rented cabin cruiser or traditional sailing boat. Be sure to visit the ruins of St Benet’s Abbey.
Upstairs downstairs
Does any country in the world have a richer array of castles and stately homes than us? For castles, you can’t beat coastal strongholds like Harlech and Caernarfon in Wales, while in Scotland, Eilean Donan has its own little island and Edinburgh Castle sits atop a city centre hill.
For stately homes, the wealthy aristocrats of the past knew exactly where to find the best views, so visitors to their former homes will get an eyeful of glorious countryside to boot.
Try Chatsworth House in the Peak District, or Castle Howard in the Yorkshire Moors.
Explore galore Roads and waterways
If you prefer life on the road, there are some glorious road trips to be had in the UK – although securing accommodation on popular circuits such as Scotland’s NC500 might be tricky this summer.
Campervan rentals, with companies such as