Rural Retreats in the English Countryside | Visit England.com
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Places to visit

Rural retreats

Flee the city and explore the natural wonders England has to offer with a countryside break. Find country cottages, the best camping sites and a variety of other destinations for rural adventures.

Visit East Anglia’s holiday gems in Suffolk and Norfolk , or marvel at the breathtaking natural beauty of the Cotswolds and Lake District . Wander rural coastlines in Northumberland and Kent , and hike the unspoiled landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors . For countryside steeped in history, explore Wiltshire and Somerset . Trek through ancient woodlands in the New Forest or climb undulating hills in the Peak District

 


From Brontë country to Arthurian legend

Matlock Bath, Peak District; VisitEngland/Visit Peak District;

Peak District

Our first National Park, inspiration to the Brontës and Creswell Crags' stunning Ice Age legacy.

Mendip Hills, Somerset; Scott Thomson;

Somerset

Explore Arthurian legend at Glastonbury and descend into Cheddar’s spectacular caves.

Sutton Bank, North Yorkshire; Copyright: Visit Britain Images;

North York Moors National Park

Thousands of archeological sites to explore; chock full of abbeys and priorys.

Chalk horses, cathedral spires and windmills

On the beach at Aldeburgh, Suffolk; VisitBritain Images;

Suffolk

Let the kids loose in Thetford Forest and take a trip to the home of horse racing at the National Stud in Newmarket.

A rider and white horse,  Westbury, Wiltshire; VB Images;

Wiltshire

Sample local ales in Devizes, international arts in Salisbury and explore stone circles and Iron Age Forts in the Wiltshire countryside.

Hunstanton, Norfolk; VisitEngland/Rod Edwards;

Norfolk

Get lost in the Priory Maze and Garden and take in world-class music and performing arts at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival.

Ancient oak forests and rolling meadows

Longborough village, Gloucestershire; VisitBritain Images;

Cotswolds & the Forest of Dean

Escape to the country's largest oak forest and pay a visit to Beechenhurst Lodge Scultpure Trail.

Reculver, Kent; VisitEngland/Alex Hare;

Kent

There's plenty to see and do, from Dover’s white cliffs to the cathedrals of Rochester and Canterbury.

People riding horses, Blue Lagoon, New Forest, Hampshire; VisitBritain Images;

New Forest

Pony trek through open heath and ancient woodland where William the Conqueror once hunted.

The wild and breathtaking north

Autumn trees in Lake District; VisitBritain images;

Cumbria & the Lake District

As beautiful as it is cool - from walking in literary footsteps to ghyll scrambling in the mountains.

Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland; VisitBritain images;

Northumberland

An area of incredible natural beauty and a place that radiates calm, despite a violent past evidenced in the bruised castles.

Swaledale, Yorkshire Dales; JauntyJane;

Yorkshire Dales

Explore this ancient, unspoiled landscape on foot, or by throwing mountain bike around its crags, peaks and valleys.

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Durham Dales

Part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...

Durham Dales