Road Trip through England for a week
- danilogan91
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
I know I promised to detail our van conversion but the excitement of starting our trip has been flourishing, so instead I’m taking you on a road trip through England instead.
Living in London for five years, so many day trips or weekenders are researched, added to the Wishlist and not all are able to be ticked off in that time. With this in mind, we gladly dedicated the first month of our van travel to exploring the UK.
The feeling of heading back to London for work or routine, is far beyond the visible horizon, allowing for what feels like more space and capacity to take in and appreciate each stop.
There is such a rich history to this kingdom of countries, and so many varied and beautiful landscapes beyond the Greater London borders.
Having been exploring throughout this month, I can tell you - a road trip around the UK is a must.
But let’s start with a road trip through England first - specifically, the East.
Oxfordshire
Our first stop, one that was largely to tick off Harry Potter day dreaming, delivered beyond any anticipated expectation.
Oxford itself, is so deeply woven throughout the seams of time with beauty. The architecture and history blend to create a scene that shines, immersing and taking ahold of you.
Make the most of Oxfordshire
Visit a PYO Farm for seasonal picking, and buy delicious local produce from their farm shop. Checkout their website above for seasonal opening times.
An Oxford day out ensuring the following stops:
Christ Church self guided tour with audio book
Lunch from Najar’s Place
Museum of Natural History
Walk the streets, see the architecture, learn the history
Norfolk
A couple of days in Norfolk is a country escape that feels further away from London (because, well, it is). Let me explain: Living in London, you become so familiar with the areas that are more immediate to the Greater London border, that the variance as you place more distance between you and the city, becomes quite striking and beautiful.
Besides the natural beauty visible to the eye, the people of Norfolk are so kind and happy - it was so refreshing.
Make the most of Norfolk
Britains largest protected wetlands, The Norfolk Broads is a unique National Park, made up of over 200km of navigable water ways, they’re a joy to experience.
The village of Thurne is a must when in the region. The 300 year old Wind Mills standing tall above the landscape, add to the quaintness of the visit, while The Lion Inn ensures you’re well fed and hydrated.
A van-made coffee in the morning while watching the house boats to set off on their days adventure, is the peacefulness in your own road trip that’s magic.
Norfolk Coast (Blakeney - Holkham)
A coffee and pastry from Two Magpies Bakery and coastal walks are the main activities here. And if you pick the season, you even have a chance to sea seals as they come back to shore to shed their fur and breed.
If Seals aren’t laying about, the sea breeze and km’s of coastal walks are before you to enable hours of basking in coastal charm.
Yorkshire
A beautiful pocket, that was so different to the landscapes already explored. No road trip through England is complete without Yorkshire.
The rolling hills traced with hand-laid stone fence lines. A crumbling old stone house here, a restored heritage listed cottage there. Quaint villages standing proud in their history throughout.
Make the most of Yorkshire
A charming medieval and viking city of the past. A visit to York is a stroll along a path through the history books.
Be sure to visit York Castle Museum, to learn about the past.
Browse the Shambles to walk the medieval charm.
Definitely delight in scones and tea at Parlormade Scone House
Take time in the Museum Gardens to admire St Mary’s Abbey ruins.
See where Roman Kings ruled their civilisations from, and walk the city walls, to admire from a different perspective.
When road tripping through the UK, farm shop stops are a must. Yolk Farm is one of those musts; Fresh eggs, beautiful honey, jams, an array of local delights. When you do visit (because you will), don’t skip the homemade tiramisu in your morning indifference, that blasé attitude will be regretted for the days to follow. When in doubt, buy homemade tiramisu.
Hike the Yorkshire Dales
We chose one the Three Peaks for our walk, but there are ample walking options in this stunning national park. England just does walks well, there’s no plainer way to put it.
To walk through fields, up mountains and peaks standing tall among farm lands. Past streams and rivers, to big open plains. The Yorkshire Dales are just beautiful. Rolling, expansive, unique with charm to the region.
Remember to always be mindful and respectful when walking any public bridal way, as they are largely belonging to farm lands with livestock or crops.
Northumberland
If the name doesn’t give it away, you’re now in Englands north, bordering Scotland.
Not far from Yorkshire, but different again.
Take in the beauty of the landscape from its inland pockets, all the way to the beautiful coast line.
Castles now appear more frequently on the drive, some still inhabited, others in ruins. To learn Northumberland is tied to the once ruling power of one of the Seven Kingdoms, is not surprising.
It’s the charm of these grand royal structures that reels me in, and the beauty of the coast that makes me stay.
Make the most of Northumberland
A beautiful drive and I’m sure even more incredible walks. It’s the type of drive that you can pull up at picturesque stream, horses grazing to the side, cottages lining the hill.
The gateway to the Farne Islands and see Puffins and Seals. The adorable coloured beaked bird and the floppy sea friend were at the centre of our bingo card. Doing a Billy Shiel’s boat tour could not have been a better choice to tick these off.
Without over exaggerating it was like being in a David Attenborough documentary. The close yet respectful proximity we were able to get while being politely educated ont he specifies was an incredible experience. Even the windchill off the North Sea couldn’t dampen this.
Admittedly we visited in April which is peak breeding season - when they’ve returned from their winter living at sea - so the flocks were in abundance.
Standing for 1,400 years, this castle has been an integral part to the region. It’s presence dates back to Northumbria, during its reign as the most powerful of the Seven Kingdoms
The castle saw its fall, to gun powder (the first in the England at the time) in 1464 having survived (though batter) an earlier Viking invasion.
In more modern history, after it left royal lines and became privately owned, it was bought by William Armstrong who restored it.
Today it is England’s largest inhabitable castle.
There we have it, a beautiful quaint and gorgeous road trip through England.
See you next time xx
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