Born and raised in England, I feel very lucky that I can hop in a car, on a bus or train and I am somewhere completely different each time, just within a couple of hours. I am a big fan of the English Countryside and small quirky towns, filled with homemade crafts and family made baked goods. Most of the time, I spend my weekends hopping from small village to big city, as much as I can within those 48 hours. Every time the New Year rolls around, I exclaim on this blog that I will do my best to visit more destinations in England and that I have a never ending bucket list.
I’ve recently realised however, that I’ve never shared that bucket list with you all! So I’ve put together this post which shows all the places I want to see and those that I’ve seen (not in order). Most are villages/cities that I want to see, but a few are castles or places with fancy houses. This post will be mostly talking about the places I’ve already seen, so you can add them to your bucket list too!
P.S. If you’re from one of the places I’ve listed and don’t agree with it being on my list or you think there’s nothing to see, let’s not ruin that fantasy just yet! Sometimes, some lessons aren’t learnt the hard way! Haha.
Arundel
One of my favourite places I’ve ever visited in England! I would say it makes the top 5 for sure! Why? This place is just everything I ever want from a weekend trip away. I love walking around the shops of independent businesses and small cute cafés. There was also a quirky ice cream shop too! This topped off the visit for me, I love weird and wonderful! We visited out of season so it was unusually quiet. The castle isn’t during this time, but it was beautiful to look at. We also managed to get a castle view room too.
Since I posted my weekend in Arundel blog post, a few people have said that they visited because of me and loved it! One even described it as a “hidden gem”. The fact that you guys have visited on my recommendation makes me incredibly happy, and it couldn’t have been for a better place!
You must Visit:
– The roofed market
– The Parlour (Ice cream shop)
Lymington
I never covered this destination on my blog, but we went there for a weekend on a whim. It was the middle of summer 2019 and I ended up walking around the town in flip flops while it was raining! We camped at this destination (which will be a regular theme throughout this post!) and thought the beach was near our campsite. We were so wrong. Again, I ended up walking for miles in flip flops! Great little fisherman’s town to visit for a day or weekend, but never again in flip flops!
Canterbury
Canterbury had been on my list for a really long time actually! It’s always labelled as a must see destination on bucket lists. I really enjoyed my time there, but I’m not sure I’ll head back. You kind of get that feeling while on trips, don’t you? A feeling that you won’t be returning! We visited all the usual sights and strolled around the town. We mostly enjoyed Westgate Gardens and spent a lot of our time there!
You Must Visit:
– Canterbury Cathedral
– Westgate Gardens
Bath
Everyone ones favourite day trip I think! I’ve stopped by several times now and it’s good for a stroll around. I wrote a guide to bath (click here) that you can check out yourself!
Cambridge
Cambridge was so lovely to visit! I went in the autumn time so I could really enjoy the atmosphere. I spent most of the day wondering around with my friend but we had a really great time. We jumped onto a boat as well (I think it is called Punting?) and the guy who paddled us around answered so many of our questions and gave a brief tour. My friend Jade and I always charity shop hop whenever we’re together, so Cambridge was no different. There was an added bonus of antique markets too!
Must do: Punting along the river in the sunshine!
Oxford
My partner actually surprised me with a trip here for my birthday! The actual trip wasn’t really about Oxford, but more of a stop off. So although we did see some parts, I didn’t explore it to the maximum. From what I did see though, really pretty! Even in off season. We had the best pie and mash here and honestly I’ve been dreaming of it since.
You must eat at: Pieminister
Brighton
Ahh… Brighton. I feel like it’s everyone in London’s go-to day trip because it’s so easy to get to! I’ve been so many times in the past few years but I feel like it’s always changing, so I’ve placed it on my bucket list again for now. I really need to step away from the arcades and actually explore the surrounding area a little more. It’s those grabby machines! Why are they so addictive? I actually have no photos from Brighton, because I’ve been so much it doesn’t register as photogenic! That sounds so sad, but it’s a good thing too because I completely immerse myself in this little English seaside resort!
Bournemouth
This destination was where I wanted to camp for so long! I wanted a sandy beach and I kept seeing those pretty beach huts on Instagram in the summer. It actually surprised me though! I really enjoyed everything the sea front had but also the secret little gardens I kept coming across. We camped outside of Bournemouth for the night and had an amazing sunset!
You must see: The pastel coloured beach huts on the sea front.
(First image of my partner on the blog and look at the sunset! and our cute tent)
The next 4 places that I’ve visited all really have my heart in one way or another. Of course, I will talk about them individually but I really loved them all for their own reasons! Just a heads up!
Stratford upon Avon
From Ghost tours to a cat cafe, there really is so much to see in this English town. If you also love any of William Shakespeare’s work, you’ve come to the right place. You can read about my weekend in Stratford upon Avon > Here <
Bourton on the Water
Remember when I said I love the whole family owned bakeries? Bourton has got you covered. Also known as the English Countryside’s own Venice, we stopped off here in the autumn season. Which I think is the most perfect (read: photogenic) time to go! There weren’t a lot of people here at all and the family run cafe that sells tea and scones was the perfect cure for the cold! I waited quite a while to get a shot here, and was actually re-posted by the official Great Britain account on Instagram! I loved it here truly and again, one of my favourite places I’ve ever visited. Definitely a must on your English bucket list!
Must visit: Any tea shop! All are so quirky and family run. (Support small businesses people!)
Rye
This year’s birthday trip! I’ve been nagging my partner to come here for a really long time! He thought it was *just* Mermaid Street to see and that’s it! But we had a great time strolling around. This little town is incredibly photogenic! I actually recently created a door’s –around-the-world Instagram and most of my photos are actually from Rye so far! Haha. My partner and I love to walk, so this place was perfect! We took the car down to the local beach (Camber Sands) the next day too. It’s only around a 10 minute drive. Another town that is a must on your English bucket list.
Must visit: Mermaid Street & The view by the castle!
York
This place is special in my heart for three reasons, Harry Potter, my first sponsored trip and how beautiful and magical it is! It had been on my bucket list for a really long time so I was so glad to finally visit. I also wrote a guide to York on the blog if you didn’t already see, so you can click here to have a read!
You must visit: The Harry Potter shops down The Shambles (& try Chocolate flavoured tea!)
That’s all for my bucket list! Did you find any destinations that you want to visit? Do you have your own English Bucket List? Or do you disagree with any places listed above? Where are you heading now lockdown has eased? I would love to know!
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