Things to do before you 1 1 go abroad CREDITS AND COPYRIGHT CONTENTS Authors: Katie Rowe, Chris Moore and Alexandra Szydlowska FOOD & DRINK 14 Editor: Emma Field Picture editors: Chris Moore and Katie Rowe Design & layout: Ann Cannings HISTORY & HERITAGE 36 Cartography: Katie Bennett Production: Charlotte Cade Project management: Ian Blenkinsop (Rough Guides) ARTS & CULTURE 58 Rebecca Holloway (Visit England) WILDLIFE & NATURE 80 Published 2013 by Rough Guides Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL All text © VisitEngland, 2013 HEALTH & FITNESS 102 Image © see p.128 Printed in the UK by Ashford Colour Press BECAUSE It’s AwESOME! 124 ISBN 978 1 40933 7614 The publishers and authors have done their best to ensure the accuracy and currency of all the information contained in 101 Things to do before you go abroad; however, they can accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained as a result of information or advice contained in the guide. Food & Drink SCOTLAND 61 History & Heritage 22 Arts & Culture Wildlife & Nature 22 49 27 Health & Fitness Because it’s Awesome! 97 96 97 15 96 88 90 77 74 10 13 40 27 76 96 48 26 54 46 51 99 50 52 69 94 31 25 98 62 2 72 18 11 57 4 WALES 71 3 23 85 58 78 24 91 19 7 101 63 59 100 6 12 14 32 33 84 34 36 41 43 95 16 53 39 68 47 35 89 45 1 17 72 44 86 30 65 70 28 79 37 87 29 42 80 21 86 67 55 83 75 81 N 64 5 93 73 86 9 20 56 8 60 38 64 66 0 50 miles MAP LISTINGS 26 Royal Armouries 53 See Banksy’s graffiti 79 Dungeness FOOD & DRINK 27 Ride the Settle-Carlisle steam train 54 Yorkshire Sculpture Park 80 Watch starlings circle West Pier 28 Sissinghurst Castle gardens 55 Dress up for Bestival 1 Oysters in Whitstable 29 Maritime history in Buckler’s Hard 56 Tate St Ives 2 Have a pint in England’s oldest pub 30 Visit Stonehenge 57 Shop ‘til you drop at Birmingham’s 3 HEALTH & FITNESS Fish ‘n’ chips in Aldeburgh 31 Chester Rows Bullring 4 Ludlow Food Festival 32 58 Discover Shakespeare’s Stratford 81 Coasteering in Cornwall Sleep at Hampton Court Palace 5 Tour Brixham Fish Market 33 59 Ashmolean Museum 82 Scale England’s highest peak See the Changing the Guard 6 Mix martinis in Bond’s spiritual home 60 83 Sail like an Olympian ceremony Watch an open-air play 7 Indulge with The Pudding Club 34 84 Walk to the White Horse at Uffington Royal Observatory at Greenwich 8 Eat a proper Cornish pasty 35 85 Go ice skating on the Fens Follow in Roman footsteps WILDLIFE & NATURE 9 Tour a Gin Distillery9 36 86 Walk the South West Coast Path Tower of London 61 10 Afternoon Tea At Bettys 37 Farne Islands 87 Pony trekking in The New Forest Portsmouth Historic Dockyards 62 11 Go for a curry in Birmingham 38 Holkham Beach 88 Mountain biking in Dalby Forest St Michael’s Mount 63 12 Start the day with a full English 39 Catch the Severn Bore 89 Soak in Bath’s thermal waters Windsor Castle 64 13 Eat chocolate in York 40 Eden Project 90 Caving in the Yorkshire Dales York Minster 65 14 Brixton Village and Market Row Twitch on Lundy Island 91 Canoe along the Wye Valley 66 15 Taste Grasmere gingerbread See exotic plants and animals 92 Wild swimming in Grassington ARTS & CULTURE 67 16 Dine in Bray Glimpse rare red squirrels 93 Surfing in Newquay 68 17 Tour an English vineyard 41 Experience London’s South Bank Spot deer in the city 94 Rock climb in the Peak District 69 18 Taste Colston Basset stilton 42 A weekend in Brighton Roam the Peak District 95 Up at the O2 70 19 Drink real cider in an orchard 43 Visit free museums and galleries Search for monkey orchids 96 Trek from coast to coast 71 20 Have a truly English cuppa 44 Follow in Jane Austen’s footsteps Spot damsels and dragons 97 Learn the art of mountain biking 72 45 Dress up for Royal Ascot Join a bat patrol at Cheddar Gorge 98 Go Ape in Sherwood Pines 73 46 The Lost Gardens of Heligan 99 HISTORY & HERITAGE Devote a weekend to football Walk the Pennine Way 74 47 Art in Margate Bempton Cliff’s bird colonies 100 Raft down an Olympic course 21 Tintagel Castle 48 See the Blackpool Illuminations 75 Dartmoor’s ponies 22 Ancient history in Northumberland 49 Have a night on the toon 76 Malham Cove 23 BECAuse it’s AwESOME! Punt along the Backs 50 Escape to Another Place 77 Snowdrops at Fountains Abbey 24 Visit the code-breakers 51 John Rylands Library 78 Havergate Island 101 Cheese rolling at Cooper’s Hill 25 Lincoln Cathedral 52 Take a Magical Mystery Tour FOREWORD In my role, I am regularly asked enthusiastic public. Between us, made no attempt to arrange the what makes England such an we were able to choose this 101 experiences into any order exciting and beautiful place to ultimate list of English “must-dos” – that would have been almost visit. There is no easy answer which we hope will inspire you impossible. to this question. There are so to explore this wonderful country After days of passionate many wonderful experiences and discover some hidden gems debating, here it is. I’m thrilled that define this country that I find on your doorstep. that some of my own personal it almost impossible to choose The selection process favourites have made the final my favourites. Choosing the wasn’t easy. We wanted list but am equally delighted to top 101 therefore proved to be the final 101 to be a mix of see some experiences that are extremely challenging. the most incredible, unique new even to me. I was thrilled to work with and quintessentially English I hope you enjoy the panel of experts brought experiences. We have such an experiencing 101 Things to do in to help narrow down the embarrassment of riches in this as much as we have enjoyed Lady Cobham thousands of suggestions that country, that we couldn’t include compiling it. Penelope, Viscountess Cobham were put forward by a clearly every single landmark, and we Chairman, VisitEngland INTRODUCTION Given the modesty of its But all too often England is It’s been a huge privilege scale, England deservedly sits stereotyped and pigeon-holed as for Rough Guides to have amongst the tourism big-hitters. the land of Big Ben, Buckingham collaborated with VisitEngland Packed into its borders are Palace and Stonehenge. Whilst on this book and great peerless historical and heritage those iconic sights really should fun to have witnessed first sites; vibrant, blink-and-it’s- be experienced at least once hand how passionate and changed cities; truly unique in a lifetime, this book is also generous people have and seductive landscapes and interested in uncovering all the been in nominating their a food and drink culture that places in between, the places favourite places. I hope you has quietly snuck up on the that the locals love and enjoy enjoy discovering England’s global competition to gain time and again – the places unmissable 101 best as much international renown. that make England special to as I have. the English. ManagingClare Director, Rough Currie Guides THE PANEL Food & Drink Wildlife & Nature Meet our expert: Skye Gyngell Meet our expert: Bill Oddie A critically acclaimed chef, Skye has worked in Wildlife spotting is a lifelong passion for Bill some of the best restaurants in the world. She as well as his day job. He knows the call of a moved to London from her native Australia, joined blackcap from the chirp of a chiffchaff and is The Dorchester, and has since fallen head-over- an expert on the best spots in England to get up heels with England’s ever-evolving food scene. close and personal with everything from otters For her, nothing beats perfectly ripe English to rare butterflies, although twitching is still his strawberries with lashings of Cornish clotted cream number one reason to go on holiday. on a summer’s day. History & Heritage Health & Fitness Meet our expert: Yeoman Warder Meet our expert: Sonali Shah Barney Chandler Sonali is a health and fitness guru. She was Beefeater Barney lives and breathes history part of the presentation team for the London and heritage. For a start, he calls the Tower of 2012 Olympics and a judge for Young Sports London home. He also works there as a Yeoman Personality of the Year. When she’s not busy Warder, looking after the Tower’s famous presenting sports programmes, Sonali loves ravens. When he’s not looking after mischievous nothing more than tramping through the English birds, Barney shows visitors around the royal countryside on a long-distance walk through the palace, filling them in on its rich and somewhat charming Cotswolds countryside followed by a gruesome history. well-deserved pub lunch. Arts & Culture Because it’s awesome! Meet our expert: Clemency Burton-Hill Meet our experts: Wallace and Grommit Clemency is crazy about culture. She’s a When Wallace isn’t inventing labour-saving regular on BBC2’s Culture Show, has her own gadgets, he’s roaring along the lanes of show on BBC Radio Three and has previously Lancashire on his motorbike. In the sidecar is his presented The Proms. Clemency can often be faithful four-legged friend Gromit, who would spotted mooching around the John Rylands most likely rather be knitting, or reading the Library in Manchester admiring the first edition paper in a nice comfy chair.