The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
THE VERY BEST OF BRITISH
Thanks to a raft of exciting new activities, you don’t have to go abroad to have fun in 2019, says Sarah Baxter
FIND EXTRA ADVENTURE, SNOWDONIA
The action in this north-west corner of Wales is expanding beyond the water at Surf Snowdonia. The inland surf lagoon – home to the UK’s only guaranteed break – will be joined by a new Adventure Parc. Outdoor thrills include a mountain-bike trail, pump track and bouldering area; inside activities include climbing, via ferrata, artificial caving and a parkour course. An adventure concierge can also organise more adventures off-site, from gorge walking to paddleboarding.
Adventure Parc Snowdonia opens July. Activities from £12 (01492 353123; surfsnowdonia.com).
PARTY FOR THE PARKS, PEAK DISTRICT
To mark the 70th anniversary of the National Park Act, the UK’s protected wild places will run events throughout the year. In the Peak District, the country’s first national park, a People’s Landscapes celebration (April 27) will be held at Winnats Pass, complete with ranger-led walks, guest speakers and other activities. Elsewhere in the park, bike, hike or ride the Monsal Trail to stop at the revamped Millers Dale station, which is being transformed into an information centre and café.
Millers Dale opens spring 2019 (01629 816200; peakdistrict.gov.uk).
CYCLE UP THE DOWNS, SURREY AND KENT
Before the North Downs Way National nal Trail’s 40th anniversary in 2018, you u couldn’t legally cycle its entire length th – some parts are pedestrian-only. But ut Cycling UK has now designed a viable ble route for two wheels, using alternative tive rights of way and quiet roads, as well ll as bike-permissible sections, to enable ble a 150-mile (240km) ride between Farnham and Dover, handily broken n down into three 50-mile (8okm) train-accessible chunks.
Free (01483 238300; cyclinguk.org).
FIND CAPITAL CULTURE, LONDON
This year sees the launch of the London Borough of Culture initiative, ve, with the first title-holder being Waltham Forest. The opening festival val happened in January and is being followed by diverse, communityfocused, often-free happenings throughout the year – from all-night t art and magical theatrics in Epping Forest to music from Waltham-raised ed Damon Albarn’s Africa Express and a May Day Fayre celebrating the modern ern bicycle, invented in the borough.
Events throughout the year (wfculture19.co.uk).
ADMIRE ART NOUVEAU, LIVERPOOL
Get a glimpse of Glasgow Style by the banks of the Mersey. Liverpool Museums’ big Charles Rennie Mackintosh exhibition explores the art nouveau niche that thrived in Scotland around the dawn of the
20th century. The collection spans everything from mosaics and metalwork to books, furniture and architectural drawings by Mackintosh and his contemporaries – exquisite objects that also chart the changes occurring in
Glasgow at the time.
Runs March 15-Aug 26. From £9/£2 adult/child (0151 207 0001; liverpoolmuseums.org.uk).
DELIGHT IN DA VINCI, COUNTRYWIDE COUNT
Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519; to mark the 500th anniversary, 12 simultan simultaneous exhibitions will be held across the country – from Southamp Southampton to Sunderland – featurin featuring the Royal Collection’s finest drawings d by the
Renais Renaissance genius. The scatter scattered works will then be brough brought together at Buckingham Palace Palace, part of the largest exhib exhibition of Leonardo’s work in more mor than 65 years.
Countrywide Cou exhibitions, Feb 1-May 6. Buckingham Palace, Palac May 24-Oct 13; £13.50/£6.70 £13.5 adult/child (0303 (030 123 7300; royalcollection.org.uk). roya
CELEBRATE SCULPTURE, YORKSHIRE YORKS
This summer sum four great galleries – the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Art Galler Gallery, the Hepworth Wakefield and Yorkshire Sculpture Park – will host the new triennial Yorkshire Sculpture International. This artist artistic abundance will feature world-cla world-class pieces from the four collectio collections as well as new work
from l local and international sculptors, including new public commissions for the centres of Leeds and Wakefield by Ayşe Erkmen and Huma Bhabha.
Runs June 22-Sept 29. Free (0113 246 7467; ysculpture.co.uk).
WANDER ‘WESTEROS’, BELFAST
As the final series of Game of Thrones airs in April, the Seven Kingdoms: the Game of Thrones Touring Exhibition will make its UK debut at Belfast’s Titanic Exhibition Centre. Walk through sets such as the wintry North, King’s Landing and the Iron Throne Room. Props from the HBO series will also be on display. Beyond the exhibition, you can also explore real filming locations such as the Causeway Coast and the Dark Hedges (aka Kings Road).
Runs April 11-Sep 1. From £15/£10 adult/child (028 9018 3300; gameofthronesexhibition.co.uk).
MARVEL AT MICHELANGELO, HAMPSHIRE
No need to crane your neck with the crowds in Rome. Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: A Different View is coming to the Winchester Discovery Centre – the UK premiere of the exhibition. Officially licensed by the Vatican Museums, a high-resolution, scaffold-mounted true-to-life fabric-printed reproduction of the world’s most lauded ceiling (detail below) will be on display, so you can appreciate the artistry and mastery of Michelangelo’s masterpiece close up.
Runs July 5-Sept 29. Free (01962 873603; hampshireculture.org.uk).