Besides baking the odd cake, assembling flat pack furniture from Ikea, and playing every board game I can get my hands on, I have been making a solid effort to do as much travelling within the south of the U.K. as I can during lockdown. International travel restrictions have now eased somewhat, but I still don’t feel super comfortable going to different countries. Over the last 2 months I have gone on some lovely day trips around the south of England and thought it would be helpful for others to read. Also, if anyone has any suggestions for where I could go next, drop a comment below!
My local area:
You would be amazed at the hidden gems you can find right under your nose! When I was living with my boyfriend, Peter, we came across some beautiful countryside spots, mostly within walking distance from his house. We took some trips around the neighbouring villages and found meadows and a forest, perfect for some cute photos, which I took full advantage of!
Bramley
Winchester:
Peter and I actually visited Winchester to visit one of my friends who was working in a hospital there at the time. We had a picnic outside Winchester cathedral before climbing up St. Catherine’s Hill, a viewpoint overlooking Hampshire. Very nice day out and it was great to catch up with an old friend, even if it was from a distance!
Winchester
St. Catherine's Hill
Margate:
I had never been to the beaches on the east coast of the U.K. before visiting Margate, and I am so glad I did! Peter and I went on a weekday when the weather wasn’t too hot to ensure we wouldn’t get stuck in crowds of people. Kingsgate Bay and Botany Bay were particularly lovely, perfect for a lil’ picnic on the sea front while admiring the views of the white cliffs. Kingsgate Bay is now one of my fave U.K. beaches! (Also shoutout to Peter for doing the long drive, love ya)!
Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Ham House:
This National Trust house and its beautiful lavender gardens were a delight to see! With the entrance fee only being £5 per person, I would say it’s well worth the money to enjoy a morning or afternoon admiring the purple flowers and impressive house. Also a FAB place for some cute pics!
Entrance to Ham House
Lavender Garden at Ham House
Lavender Gardens at Ham House
Kew Gardens:
Kew is honestly one of my favourite places to visit! I’ve been going every few years since I was very little (I even dragged my hay-fever-suffering boyfriend there for our 2-year anniversary 3 years ago)! Our trip here happened to coincide with the hottest day of the year. Luckily 37 degree heat didn’t stop me from enjoying the wondrous glasshouses and multitude of exotic plants. Entrance for me was £9, but it changes depending on your age.
Waterlily House
Palm House
Temperate House
It’s amazing that it took a global pandemic to see all these places which are (mostly!) right on my doorstep. It’s definitely given me a new appreciation for the beauty of the country I live in and I will certainly be making more of an effort to see more of it soon!
Before I sign off, a huge thanks to everyone that has helped me reach 50,000 views in time for my blogs second birthday! Documenting my life over the last 2 years on my blog has been a pleasure and has been made infinitely better by the love that I have received in the form of views, comments and messages!
Thank you <3
B x
Thanks for sharing, so many of these places I would like to visit or visit again :)
ReplyDeleteNic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes
My pleasure, hope my post was helpful! x
DeleteThanks for sharing! I go to London once or twice a year for work, and I now looking for other fun places to visit outside of the city. Kew Gardens looks beautiful. It is funny because I live near Kew Gardens in New York City, and so many places here are of course named after other ones in the UK.
ReplyDeleteThe Kew Gardens in London is lovely! I hope you get to visit it some day soon. Thank you for leaving some love on my blog post! x
DeleteWow I would love to explore more of the England. Botany Bay looks
ReplyDeleteabsolutely stunning. Amazing pictures, so artistic..
Botany Bay is my new fave beach now. It's amazing how many beautiful spots you can find right under your nose! Glad you enjoyed my blog post and all the photos on it! x
DeleteThese all look like really beautiful places! I keep meaning to go on more day trips but it's difficult when I don't drive and I'm trying to avoid public transport!
ReplyDeleteSerena / http://www.ramblingsofanotherunigraduate.com
It's definitely a blessing that my boyfriend can drive and has a car! Although a lot of these places are accessible by overground train which is quite a safe way to travel. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! x
DeleteHam House and gardens looks like a great place to relax (and also for a photoshoot like you say :D). Would love to visit if I'm ever that way.
ReplyDeleteMeaghan | http://www.megbeth.travel.blog
It's such a great find! The lavender garden is especially pretty. Thanks for reading my blog! x
Delete