Being on a budget doesn’t mean you have to scrimp and save on fun. We’ve plenty of ideas for cheap weekend breaks to take the pressure off your purse. With such rich landscapes you won’t need to spend much at all, just grab your bike or pull on your hiking boots and explore the countryside before tucking into a picnic hamper in front of a panoramic view that inspired Brontë or Turner. Next, soak up the works of those creative masterminds in any number of free museums and art galleries on cheap holidays in UK cities too. And nothing helps you get under the skin of a place like a free guided tour from a local Greeter.
Budget
Budget
Being on a budget doesn’t mean you have to scrimp and save on fun. We’ve plenty of ideas for cheap weekend breaks to take the pressure off your purse. With such rich landscapes you won’t need to spend much at all, just grab your bike or pull on your hiking boots and explore the countryside before tucking into a picnic hamper in front of a panoramic view that inspired Brontë or Turner. Next, soak up the works of those creative masterminds in any number of free museums and art galleries on cheap holidays in UK cities too. And nothing helps you get under the skin of a place like a free guided tour from a local Greeter.
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Barnard Castle in the Durham Dales
A walking architectural history lesson.
Location: Barnard Castle, Durham Dales
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Cycle Bristol’s Clifton Suspension Bridge on a free tour
Celebrate Bristol's year as European City of Sport 2017 and pedal to your heart’s content along its cycle-friendly routes.
Location: Bristol
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Uncover Northumberland’s Neolithic rock art
Lace up your hiking boots and discover the mysterious rock art set within the dramatic beauty of Northumberland National Park.
Location: Northumberland National Park, Northumberland
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Activities for all ages at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens
Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens is a great place for the whole family to spend the day – and it’s free.
Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
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Experience contemporary art in Margate
Contemporary art is leading the way in Margate alongside retro shops and funky bars framed by the trappings of the classic English seaside.
Location: Margate, Kent
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Join in this most colourful of parades at Bristol Pride
Take in some drag queen cabaret or chill out to some pumping tunes; whatever you decide to do at Bristol Pride, it won’t be boring.
Location: Bristol
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Relive the sights and sounds of wartime Britain at Eden Camp
Be transported back through time from an ex-POW camp in Malton, North Yorkshire, to life in wartime Britain on both the home front and on the front line.
Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
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Join Bristol's International Balloon Fiesta
As Europe's largest hot air balloon event, the fiesta includes morning and evening balloon lifts and two nightglow events.
Location: Bristol
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Follow the Ancient Sherwood Route
Take in the best of north Nottinghamshire on this 20-mile cycle route, which explores the extensive area covered by Sherwood Forest.
Location: Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire
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Take a wander around Brotherswater
The Lake District in Cumbria is famous for its stunning landscapes of lakes and fells and is the perfect place for family walks of all ages.
Location: Ambleside, Cumbria
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Discover the Naze seascapes and landscapes
Enjoy a day exploring the cliffs, searching for fossils on the beach or admiring the artworks on display in the Naze Tower.
Location: Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex
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Enjoy a weekend of free outdoor arts across Birmingham
Head to the Birmingham Weekender this September, where the city centre will be bought to life with music, dance, theatre, art, literature, food and fashion.
Location: Birmingham, West Midlands
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Explore the Lake District on two wheels
The Lake District was made for cycling, with everything from challenging off-road mountain biking routes to gentle country lanes on offer.
Location: Lake District, Cumbria
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Learn about North Yorkshire’s past in-depth
From archaeology to earrings – discover a rich and colourful history in the heart of Skipton.
Location: Skipton, North Yorkshire
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Explore a wild playground in Exmoor
Cycle past ancient sights and ramble amongst towering trees on a walking or cycling holiday spent exploring two National Parks.
Location: Exmoor & Quantock Hills, Devon
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See Pre-Raphaelite art at Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery
Tullie House in Carlisle is home to a nationally important collection of Pre-Raphaelite works of art by the likes of Rosetti and William Morris.
Location: Carlisle, Cumbria
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See Nottingham’s sights on a budget this winter
Keep a tight rein on the purse strings as you explore Nottingham by tram, and discover a string of free attractions that are perfect for those on a tight budget.
Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
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Stay in your very own hobbit hole in the Lake District
Escape on a budget break to the Quiet Site in Cumbria, a family-run site overlooking Ullswater in the north of the Lake District.
Location: Ullswater, Cumbria
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Walk, cycle or ride the Longdendale Trail
Cycle, walk or bring a horse...
Location: Glossop, Derbyshire
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Revel in pageantry at the Henley of the north
There's nothing weary about the Wear, at northeast England's premier rowing event.
Location: River Wear, Durham
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