Beautiful landscapes less than an hour from UK cities
Anyone that lives in a city knows that it’s been fairly hot under the collar this week. The heat has been emanating from the pavement and any slight breeze has felt a little like being gently yet relentlessly attacked by a hairdryer.
If you’re looking for an escape, we’ve found some spectacular landscapes to enjoy less than an hour from some of the UK’s largest cities.
London – Epping Forest
There is no shortage of options if you want to leave London behind. Epping Forest is one of our favourites. Straddling the border between Greater London and Essex, this once royal forest is home to the oldest wooden church in the world (Greensted Church), as well as the closest heritage steam railway to the capital. It’s great for a cycle or a woodland stroll, and there are lakes, like popular Connaught Water, that are a good place to spot wildlife. You can even see deer around Great Monk Wood and Deershelter Plain before stopping off at the pub for a well-deserved drink.
How to get there: The Central Line goes as far as Epping. You can also access the area via the Overground at Chingford, near Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge.
Where to stay:Town Hall Hotel & Apartments in Bethnal Green is a great choice for a foray into the forest. You can hop on the Overground to Chingford or take the Central Line to Epping, with either journey taking less than 40 minutes.
Top 5 | Escapes under an hour from London
Birmingham – Cannock Chase
Mountain bike trails and Go Ape's Tree Top Adventures make a trip to Cannock Chase a great day out for families. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Cannock Chase also has plenty of hiking routes including the gentle Ladyhill Trail as well as longer walks around the picturesque Fairoak or Sherbrook valleys.
How to get there: 25 miles from the heart of the city centre, Cannock Chase is a 40-minute drive in good traffic, while Rugeley Trent Valley (a 55-minute journey from New Street) is the nearest train station to Birches Valley Forest Centre, where the car park can be found. It’s worth noting that George Ezra is playing a concert here this Sunday (July 1), meaning that the car park will close at 3pm.
Where to stay: If you want a break from the city, try The White Hart Hotel, an old Staffordshire coaching inn in Uttoxeter, just a 20-minute drive north of Cannock Chase.
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Manchester – Peak District National Park
Mancunians are blessed. They have one of the nation’s finest national parks right on their doorstep for when city life is all getting a little too much. Walking country around Edale is some of England’s finest, with Mam Tor to the south and Kinder Scout to the north-east. If you’re up for a challenge, the 7.5-mile Kinder Downfall trek takes you to the tallest waterfall in the area.
How to get there: You can drive the 29 or so miles to Edale from the centre of Manchester in 55 minutes (if the traffic is good), or hop aboard a train towards Sheffield and be in the quiet village in just under an hour.
Where to stay: Not far from Chinley, The Old Hall Inn in Whitehough is on the way to Edale and offer characterful buildings, comfortable rooms, excellent food, warm atmosphere and a belting selection of beers. Everything you could possibly want, basically.
Leeds – Yorkshire Dales
You’re technically in the Dales just a mile or so north of Otley. While the area is vast, stretching north-east to the Lake District and north-west towards the North Pennines AONB, you can be in the south of the park, in pretty Beamsley, in just 50 minutes. Just a three-mile walk from here are the ruins of waterside Bolton Abbey, offering some superb, gentle walks along the Strid through rolling green hills.
How to get there: Driving the 24 miles from the heart of Leeds to Beamsley takes around 55 minutes. Rail access is a little trickier and you will need to hop on the train to Skipton (40 minutes) and then get an 10-minute taxi if you’re heading to Bolton Abbey.
Where to stay: The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa is just half a mile from Bolton Abbey on a beautiful spot by the River Wharfe.
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Newcastle – Northumberland Coast
The Northumberland Coast AONB is quite possibly one of the most underrated seascapes in the UK – and it’s less than an hour from the northern city of Newcastle. It’s packed full of history; there’s the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, which the Vikings famously sacked in the 8th century, Alnwick Castle, which starred in the Harry Potter film series, and Bamburgh Castle, the ancient royal seat of the Kings of Northumbria. There’s also seals to spot and beautiful coastal walks to enjoy.
How to get there: This is another location that’s best suited to driving, although you can hop on a train from the city to Alnmouth, at the southern tip of the AONB, and be there is less than 30 minutes. The drive to Alnmouth takes around 45 minutes, while Bamburgh is about an hour away.
Where to stay: If an adults-only B&B in Alnmouth ticks all the boxes, opt for St Valery Boutique B&B. If you’d prefer to be nearer Bamburgh, try the St Cuthbert's House, an unusual B&B church conversion with four-star hotel standards in Seahouses.
Cardiff – Brecon Beacons
While residents of the Welsh capital may be tempted by the coastal breezes to the west of the city, to the north are some of the country’s most impressive natural landscapes in the Brecon Beacon National Park. While many people head straight up the A470 in the middle towards Brecon, the west is filled with quieter bucolic spots that are perfect for a weekend escape from the city, like Crickhowell.
How to get there: The drive from Cardiff to Crickhowell takes around an hour, while a train to Abergavenny, the eastern gateway to the park, can whisk you there in under 45 minutes.
Where to stay: If it’s peace and quiet you’re after, head for Gliffaes Country House Hotel in the shadow of the Black Mountains and on the edge of the River Usk. The hotel has some great walks right on its doorstep, including circular Mynydd Llangorse.
Swansea – Gower Peninsula
People that live in Swansea benefit from being enviably close to the beautiful Gower Peninsula, named the UK’s very first AONB back in 1956. Home to famed Rhossili Bay – often named the best beach in Wales – as well as the stunning Three Cliffs Bay and the rugged cliffs of Worm’s Head, this is the perfect place for a coastal drive. Bluepool Corner also has one of the best plunge pools in Britain – great for a little wild swimming.
How to get there: The Gower Peninsula really is ideal road trip territory and Rhossili, its furthest westerly point, is just 45 minutes from Swansea. If you’d rather go with public transport, it’s buses all the way, taking 15 to 20 minutes longer than a car.
Where to stay: Fairyhill in Reynoldston is one of the best hotels in the area, surrounded by 24 acres of woodland and around six miles from Rhossili Bay.
Edinburgh – East Lothian
While Edinburgh does have its own beach, it’s worth getting out of the city and heading east (surprisingly enough) to East Lothian. There is 40 miles of coast to explore, watersports to try out, walks to tackle and scenery to enjoy. Head to Aberlady to visit the wetlands of the UK’s first local nature reserve or to take the three-mile walk to Gullane. Other highlights include 14th-century Tantallon Castle, North Berwick Law (a conical hill) and Bass Rock.
How to get there: You can get to Aberlady by changing from train to bus at Longniddry in just 35 minutes, with the car journey taking around the same amount of time.
Where to stay: Greywalls Hotel & Chez Roux in Gullane is luxurious and unashamedly traditional and has a whopping 22 golf courses all within ten miles.
Glasgow – Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
Yes, this one may be blindingly obvious, but with a world-class national park on the doorstep, why would Glaswegians go anywhere else to escape the city? There’s everything on offer here from climbing and hiking to paddleboarding and fishing. Loch Lomond is the biggest lake (or loch) in the UK and its southern shore is just 25 miles from the city centre. Head to the top of An Ceann Mòr (Inveruglas) or Conic Hill for some superb views. Alternatively, head towards Aberfoyle to explore the picturesque Trossachs.
How to get there: The roundabout near Balloch where you branch either east or west around Loch Lomond is a 40-minute drive from Glasgow, while the train takes around 45 minutes.
Where to stay: Head to Aberfoyle and you can stay in a castle. Surrounded by woodland, Duchray Castle couldn’t look more like it was plucked straight from a fariytale.
Belfast – The Glens of Antrim
People flock from all over the world to drive the Causeway Coast, and while the lucky folk in Belfast have it right on their doorstep, there are parts of it worth taking a liitle more time to explore, including the Glens of Antrim. Definitely road trip territory, once you’re out of the city, you can continue north to the nine glens. Highlights include the walks and waterfalls of Glenariff Forest Park, the pretty villages of Glenarm, Cushendall and Cushendun, and Torr Head.
How to get there: The Glens of Antrim can be reached in a fraction over an hour by car. Public transport is a bit of a nightmare around here, and while you can tack buses and trains together to get you there, it will take at least two hours.
Where to stay: Less than ten miles from the Glens of Antrim is the cosy, old-fashioned (in the best way) Londonderry Arms Hotel in Carnlough.