Countryside
Both genteel and wild, there’s nothing quite like the English countryside for rural escapes with its patchwork hills, dramatic dales, ancient woodlands and winding country roads. All well and good, but what is there to do in England’s countryside exactly? Quite a lot, actually. Admire the grand interiors of a stately home before catching a play in the surrounding gardens, travel back in time with visits to ancient stone circles and crumbling castles, or step into a chocolate box of quaint villages and market towns and live like a local, trying farmhouse cheeses, cream teas and real ales along the way.
Savour your scoops at The Ice Cream Farm
Keep the kids happy with more than 40 delicious flavours of ice cream, an outdoor play area, farm, quad bikes, mini golf and more...
Location: Tattenhall, Cheshire
Be at one with birds of prey at Rosliston Forestry Centre
There’s something special about being close to a bird of prey; those round watchful eyes on high alert, fixing you with a dominating stare.
Location: Rosliston, Derbyshire
Star gazing like a Roman at Cawfields Roman Wall
Built in AD122, Hadrian’s Wall was once the largest frontier in the Roman Empire and remained that way for 300 years.
Location: Haltwhistle, Northumberland
Take a bargain break with all the trimmings at Totland
On the west coast of the Isle of Wight, YHA Totland has the beach, heaps of countryside walks and great local attractions on its doorstep.
Location: Totland, Isle of Wight
Trip-trap along the Red Squirrel Trail
This family-friendly cycle and walking path encompasses an exciting trail of artwork, sculpture and trolls under bridges.
Location: Newport, Isle of Wight
Take on adventures aplenty in Dalby Forest
See some of Yorkshire’s beautiful countryside from a mountain bike, Segway, tree-top trail and by night, at one of the UK’s premier activity centres.
Location: Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire
Discover wildlife and the history of Derwent Reservoir
Spot red squirrels, adders and bog plants at Derwent Reservoir and Pow Hill Country Park in the Durham Dales.
Location: Durham Dales
Pedal along 100 miles of off-road cycling tracks
Pedal the extensive, year-round network of cycling routes criss-crossing the woodland, heathland and quiet country roads of the New Forest.
Location: New Forest, Hampshire
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
Head off-road on two wheels in Sherwood Forest
From family cycle trails to extreme mountain biking, Sherwood Pines Forest offers the best when it comes to getting active on two wheels.
Location: Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire
Go wild camping on Dartmoor
When it comes to experiencing the unspoiled and unique environment of the wilds of Dartmoor, nothing compares to wild camping.
Location: Dartmoor, Devon
Enjoy a family day out at Batsford Arboretum
Experience the wild beauty of Batsford Arboretum in autumn and the splendid sight of rare birds of prey soaring above the surrounding Cotswolds Hills.
Location: Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire
Discover the UK's only crocodile zoo
Come face to face with some of the most feared predators on the planet - Nile crocodiles, American alligators, black caiman and more!
Location: Brize Norton, Oxfordshire
Set out on a family cycling break in the Heart of Devon
Enjoy a cycling break with friends or family and discover the windswept scenery of the Exe Estuary, just south of Exeter, and its abundant wildlife.
Location: Exeter and East devon, Devon
Cycle across two national parks
The new Lakes and Dales Loop takes in two National Parks and some of the most scenic landscapes across Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales.
Location: Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria
Cycle country and coast along the Crab and Winkle Way to Whitstable
With 7 miles of almost traffic-free cycling, the Crab and Winkle Way trails between Kent’s historical heart, Canterbury, and Whitstable on the north Kent coast.
Location: Canterbury, Kent
Free-wheeling fun in Leicester & The National Forest
From a city full of fresh cycling ideas, to off-road biking excursions in The National Forest.
Location: Leicester, Leicestershire
Enjoy sculptures and breathtaking views on the Spa Trail
Enjoy a family friendly cycling route following an old section of the Horncastle to Woodhall Spa railway route.
Location: Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
Relax with a day's birding at Langford Lakes
Open bodies of water are a rarity in south Wiltshire, making Langford Lakes nature reserve an attractive stopping-off point for a host of wild birds.
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire
Cycle along the old coastal railway line to Whitby
Ride 21 view-filled and traffic-free miles along the ‘Cinder Track’, the old coastal railway line between Scarborough and Whitby.
Location: Whitby, Yorkshire
Trot over to meet Redwings Horse Sanctuary's rescued residents
Come nose to nose with some of Redwings Horse Sanctuary's most delightful residents at Redwings Ada Cole Rescue Centre in Essex.
Location: Nazeing, Essex