Explore then relax after a great day out
EXPLORE some of England’s prettiesttti t spotst byb boat,b t steam train or bike before retreating to your very own holiday home.
GO BOATING ON THE BROADS
THE BROADS National Park is a vast watery playground, home to endless miles of lock-free cruising. Soak up the area’s unique sense of tranquillity and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life by following the rhythms of the tides below wide open skies.
Keep a look-out for the wide variety of wildlife that calls the Broads home, from shimmering topaz kingfishers to the otters that occasionally disturb the peace with their playful splashes.
Not sure where to start? Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden are offering guided canoe trips on their very own private stretch of the Broads on June 7.
ENJOY DEVON’S AGE OF STEAM
BOOK yourself on a Round Robin trip with the Dartmouth Steam Railway Company, a day-trip that lets you soak up almost every glorious nook and cranny of the south by steam train and ferry. There’s nothing quite like chugging along the coastline with views of harbour towns, rolling hills and pristine beaches all neatly framed in square windows, whether you’re six or 60.
Visit between July 17 and 19 and you’ll be able to drink up local beers and pretty views of the River Dart as the Dartmouth Steam Railway Company hosts its second beer festival on the embankment at Kingswear. Travel to the festival via steam train, entry is free.
SAIL AWAY IN DORSET
THE GLISTENING waters of Weymouth were made for cruising and racing. Brit Ben Ainslie won gold in the Men’s Finn Olympic event here in 2012. Take a leaf out of his book at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, which offers Olympic-standard facilities, expert tuition and ideal practice conditions.
If you’re already confident on the water, hire one of the academy’s world-class dinghies to skim across the water and take in views of Jurassic Coast — Lulworth Cove and Chesil Beach nearby — or if you’re still finding your sea legs, join a coastal cruise from Weymouth Harbour.
SEE NORTH YORKSHIRE BY BIKE
USE PEDAL power to explore 21 miles of off-road freedom along an old coastal railway line between Scarborough and Whitby.
It’s fairly level cycling for the most part as you pass smuggler coves, hidden beaches and tiny hamlets.
Refuel with tea and scones or a ploughman’s at The Station House Tea Room in Cloughton before heading towards the mysterious Ravenscar — the ‘Town That Never Was’ — and then freewheel over a 120ft-high viaduct towards Whitby where tales of Dracula and Captain Cook await.
SEE visitengland.com for ideas.