One day – it’s true! – travel to, from and within England will be far less limited than at present and it’ll be possible for visitors to once more check out all that this terrifically diverse, fabulously fascinating and undeniably beautiful country has to offer.
And when that day arrives, where in England should you plan to go – perhaps using London accommodation (like the Montcalm Royal London House) as a base or a starting point – when you’re free to go anywhere in the country again? Well, here are some fine suggestions to get you in the mood for travelling…
Dedham, Essex
Fancy experiencing some idyllic countryside? Well, if you head to the ‘Home County’ of Essex and, in particular, the town of Dedham, you’ll find yourself in exactly the world of Olde England. This place is simply charm incarnate; located, as it is, on the picturesque River Stour, it’s overspilling with characterful pubs, little village stores, restaurants and cafés (offering up the delicious local Tiptree jam and scones – and a lovely contrast to, say, fine restaurants near Finsbury Square) and, come the spring and summer, verdant trees to top off that escape-from-it-all atmosphere. More than that, though, the surrounding countryside is some of the most stunning in the country; just check out the paintings of the landscape master that’s John Constable – this area inspired many of them.
Isle of Sheppey, Kent
At the time of writing, Kent may be a definite no-go in England, but that definitely won’t last forever. When travel and tourism across the land gets going once more, one of the finest out-of-London locales has to be this county – known as the ‘Garden of England’ – what with its delightful Agatha Christie-style trapped-in-time villages, the ready-for-romping Kent Downs and thoroughly jolly seaside resorts like Margate.
Yet, in particular, the unique Isle of Sheppey is a real must-visit. Why? Well, it has that idiosyncratic island vibe that sets it apart from other nearby tourist-traps on the mainland, while it’ll be terrific fun during 2021 early summer’s Estuary Festival – there’ll be so much going on; pretty unmissable, then, after a stay at not-that-faraway hotels near Finsbury Square London.
Norfolk
If you like the sound of an English vacationing spot with lots of open space that’s ideal for social-distancing, then you could do an awful lot worse than giving the eastern county of Norfolk a go. Wide and flat, it may be, but Norfolk’s also rurally beautiful and, in British terms, pretty vast.
Boasting beauty spots like the pinewood-fringed, sandy Holkham Beach and, of course, the ebullient national park that’s the Norfolk Broads with all its navigable rivers and lakes, which are simply perfect for exploration via a self-contained canal boat, this is somewhere you can disappear into and, well, find yourself amidst all the stunning scenery.
England’s Coastal Path
Finally, don’t doubt it, 2021’s the year to check out England’s ‘Coastal Path’ because it’s the year in which so many of its pre-existing coastal walking routes will all be officially linked up to make up one complete route. In fact, it’ll be the first such nation-wide single coastal route in the world, totalling an impressive 2,800 miles in length. So, something to check out, for sure, during a 2021 trip to the UK, when you may be making the most of London city hotel deals.
Even more impressive, though, is the fact the project will see the tidying up of hundreds of walking routes throughout the country, as well as the creation of new ones; all in an effort to make England’s coasts as accessible as possible for hikers, ramblers and curious visitors from overseas, alike.
