travelled

WHITE sand beaches, enormous castles, and peaceful canals – no I’m not describing France or Spain or Portugal as you can find all of this in the UK without spending much money.

Sometimes we Brits don’t appreciate what we have on our doorstep, and let’s face it, exploring the country can be costly – but here are some truly bucket list spots that you can see on a budget.

Richard Madden has been exploring the country on foot, by rail, road even boat for his new book Great British Journeys – and has given Sun Travel an insight into his favourite finds.

Richard says: “Obviously travelling on a budget depends where you start from – but walking, whether it’s on the coast or in the countryside is free.”

By foot

He started by saying: “I was brought up around the Lizard Peninsula, and here are some incredible places to walk to, like Kynance Cove.

“In Sussex, my most favourite walk is along Seven Sisters which is spectacular with Cuckmere Haven, where the estuary meets the sea.

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£9.50 holiday spot with shipwrecks, seals offshore & horseshoe-shaped waterfalls

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“It’s also big news that the King Charles III England Coast Path has just opened.”

The coastal path project was 18 years in the making – it’s now the longest coastal path in the country and is around 2,700 miles long.

It circles the entire English coastline with it’s start (or end) point at Berwick-upon-Tweed all the way to Land’s End.

By train

But, if you don’t fancy walking miles, give your legs a rest and hop onboard a train because you can see plenty from a train window.

Along the East Coast Main Line (which stretches from Newcastle to Edinburgh) you’ll get pretty views of beaches and seaside towns like Alnmouth and Berwick-upon-Tweed.

On the fastest services, the full length of the journey takes around 1hr38 and one-way tickets can cost as little as £7.70.

Richard says: “That whole line is beautiful with coastal views and castles.

“You don’t even have to do the whole thing – just go on a couple of stops like to Alnmouth, or go further up and you’ll pass Dunstanburgh Castle.”

On the full stretch of the line, passengers will also see the Tyne Bridge, Lindisfarne Castle, the Edinburgh skyline and Firth of Forth.

Further south, another popular route is onboard the Bluebell Line which is just around the corner from National Trust‘s Sheffield Park.

Tickets for adults to board the heritage steam train start from £27 and when you book, check for children’s rates which are just £1 with their ‘kids for a quid’ offer.

The West Highland Line, also dubbed the ‘Hogwarts Express‘ is another incredibly scenic journey.

Actually called the Jacobite Steam Train, the 41-mile round trip goes between Fort William and Mallaig in the Scottish Highlands (from £72.75).

However if you’re on more of a budget but still want to get the views, hop on a public service line instead.

A ticket from Fort William to Mallaig which crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, typically starts around £9.20.

When exploring the UK – why not check into some of our favourite hotels?

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Margate House, Kent

This stylish boutique hotel is in a seaside townhouse, a short walk from Margate’s coolest bars and restaurants. Decked out with plush velvet sofas, flickering candles and striking independent art, inside feels like a warm welcome home. Rooms are stunning, especially the ones that give you a glimpse of the sea.

BOOK HERE

The Alan, Manchester

The Alan looks extremely grand, built into a beautiful Grade II listed building. Spread across six floors, with 137 rooms, each one looks like a fancy design magazine. From the concrete coffee tables to the pink plastered walls, the industrial-inspired designs perfectly replicate the history of the city.

BOOK HERE

The Queen at Chester Hotel

This historic hotel has welcomed the likes of Charles Dickens and Lillie Langtry through its doors. Rooms have richly-patterned carpets with super soft bed linen and premium toiletries in the bathroom. Go for a superior room for extra goodies including bathrobes and snack boxes.

BOOK HERE

The University Arms Hotel, Cambridge

This Cambridge hotel is in the ideal spot, within walking distance to bars, shops and hotspots like the university colleges and Parker’s Piece. The inside couldn’t be prettier, with huge stained glass windows, grand chandeliers, and rooms with enormous clawfoot bath tubs.

BOOK HERE

By Boat

To explore the country, most of us will hop into the car, but Britain is so well connected through its waterways.

Richard is no stranger to canal boating and reveals some of his favourite journeys to do around the country.

He says: “The Shropshire Union Canal is one I’ve done on quite a few occasions.

“That one goes to Cheshire, and you get these fantastic views of the Roman walls, so it’s a particularly good one.

“Another that I’ve done quite a few times is the River Wye, on the border of Wales.

“It’s Wordsworth country and it’s got incredibly beautiful surroundings in that area like Tintern Abbey which go past on the water.

“To make it better, there are lots of pubs along riversides, so you can moor up and go in.”

One very famous waterways spot is the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, where you’ll find the Bingley Five Rise Locks.

Renting a 6-berth narrowboat for a week generally costs between £900 and £1,500.

If you split that between a group of six, it can work out as little as £21pppn – but this varies depending on the season.

Richard also has some top tips for those planning a staycation or day trip around the UK to reduce the costs.

He says: “My key tip is to work it all out beforehand – the further you book in advance, the cheaper things will be.

“Go through your options as well, like how you’ll travel there and if it’s cheaper to take the bus, or if it’s worth going by train than by car.

“You can consider options like camping to keep costs down, but I would say it’s only worth doing that if you enjoy it – don’t if you’re not going to have a good time.

“There are so many different landscapes in the UK and generally, you don’t have to go far to see them.”

Great British Journeys by Richard Madden (National Trust Books, £14.99) is out on April 9.

The pretty market town is famous for many things, including being the home of former Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith

A pretty market town home to an iconic TV judge blew me away – not least because of its high street. Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds clearly attracts a remarkable number of visitors, judging by the sheer volume of eateries lining its streets.

A visit to the town’s high street reveals an almost unbroken row of bakeries, cafés, pubs, and artisan bistros – quite the sight for a town with a population of just over 5,000 residents (5,015 according to the 2021 Census).

Philip, 53, a cellarman at the local brewery, reflected on the changes: “It’s more touristy stuff. You don’t get so much. The old tour shops gone, the old card’s shop gone. Some of the shops have disappeared, definitely got more touristy. It’s got pluses and negatives. Got a supermarket and the market’s still here.”

When asked whether he ever crosses paths with the town’s most celebrated resident – former Great British Bake Off star Prue Leith – Philip was blunt: “I don’t.”

It seemed only fitting to pen this piece from within The Bell Inn. This much-loved establishment was once frequented by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, reportedly inspiring The Prancing Pony Inn featured in The Lord of the Rings.

We won’t Tolkien the micky (apologies…) and claim any resemblance to that literary giant, but there are certainly far worse spots to settle in than a pub crowned winner of The Pub of the Year in the North Cotswold Campaign for Real Ale Pub of the Year competition, reports Gloucestershire Live.

Inside, the atmosphere is wonderfully unpretentious – a lengthy rope allows dogs to wander freely, locals chat about everyday matters, and a map of Middle Earth adorns the wall.

The walls are adorned with vintage cameras, motorsport posters advertising motor oil, and numerous plug sockets for customers to charge their laptops and other devices.

According to two staff members I chatted to, regulations stipulate that no single pub can claim victory two years running, meaning the Bell may miss out on silverware this year.

Nevertheless, the establishment, which I selected after Google reviews highlighted its affordability, delivered a peppermint tea alongside fish and chips for a reasonable £12.50.

This followed a £3.90 cappuccino from Grouch Coffee, a nine-year-old enterprise near the local train station that began life serving coffee from the rear of a Piaggio.

Fresh from a 100-mile journey in my cherished MINI, and despite my reservations about Allpress beans, it was unmistakably a vital fixture in the community.

The proprietor and staff engaged warmly with families, while comedy posters and tea towels were scattered throughout the tastefully furnished cafe; a cafe situated in a town brimming with spring sunshine.

Emerging from New Road onto the fittingly named High Street, a bustling market was trading trinkets, carpets, fruit, vegetables, and antiques. Venture past the market, beneath which lies a sizeable car park, and you’ll find yourself facing an extensive row of shops, seemingly positioned every six feet or so.

Most of them, as Phil mentioned above, are coffee shops and cafes. Choosing where to grab a bite proved tricky, but if anyone’s concerned about the decline of the high street, Moreton’s appears to be thriving – particularly with a large Co-Op and Tesco Express nestled amongst the independent coffee shops and pubs.

Was it attractive? Certainly in the surprisingly mild spring sunshine, it felt like somewhere you could do more than simply pass through. It had the feel of a town worth pausing at during a long journey – a worthwhile and peaceful pit stop.

Regarding the former Bake Off judge, I’d also enquired at Grouch whether Prue was frequently spotted, and the response was no, not particularly; though perhaps she travels through on her way to the station to catch the 1h 31m £32 15:54 service to London Paddington for an evening out.

Prue has opted to make her home here, in a property she constructed with her husband John Playfair, and it seems to be an excellent town. The key question, though, remains: ‘Should I visit?’.

Absolutely. It would be a pru-dent choice.

Nate McFall has spent the past six years travelling the globe curating tourism content for social media, but he says a cold North East beach town is still one of his favourite places

A globetrotter who has dedicated the last six years to travelling the world claims the finest destination he’s discovered is a “cold little beach town” in the North East of England.

Nate McFall, whose videos focus on highlighting unusual accommodation and travel adventures, posted on Instagram where he admitted there’s nowhere quite like home.

“I spent six years travelling the world, and yet somehow this is still one of my favourite places I have ever been,” he opened in a clip filmed on the shoreline. “I didn’t realise when I left, but this place shaped me in more ways than I can explain.”

While he may have visited Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia recently, Nate maintains this chilly North East coastal spot still “hits different” whenever he returns.

“It was actually here about eight years ago that I tried surfing for the first time,” he went on, displaying a photograph from the moment in 2018.

“It was cold – like properly cold – but something shifted in me that day because if I could surf in the freezing cold North Sea, what else is possible?”

Nate admitted that throughout his journeys he had been “chasing something” he’d already discovered.

“This is Tynemouth,” he revealed. “A small coastal town, but it’s full of life. Wherever you look, people are enjoying this place running along the seafront, swimming in the sea and surfing.”

Nate also pointed out the wealth of coffee shops dotted around the town, noting that at weekends, Tynemouth’s Victorian railway station “turns into a bustling market” of people selling “delicious food, crafts and handmade trinkets.”

The traveller also declared Tynemouth home to the “best chip shop in England”. He made his way back down towards the beach to show the reasons why.

“It’s served out of what is basically a shipping container [called The View],” he explained. “There’s a fresh sea breeze and with fishcake in hand, I top it off by looking at 1,000 year old ruins [Tynemouth Priory and Castle] right next to me.”

Nate concluded by stating he’s utterly convinced the UK possesses beauty that countless people fail to appreciate.

Enjoying a chilli fish empanada from Riley’s Fish Shack, he closed: “It’s proof that you don’t always need palm trees or plane tickets. Some of the most unreal places are right here on our doorstep.”

Writing in response, one Instagram user enthused: “I love this – I’m from Whitley Bay and am a wild swimmer so am always at the beach when I visit home. It’s such a special place.”

A second person declared: “Love Tynemouth and Riley’s fish shack, on a summers night as it gets a little chillier, sitting around one of the fire pits with friends is such a good way to finish a weekend.”

A third commented: “Love this. I am in New Zealand. So many beautiful places in the world. No country has the title of best place. Tynemouth looks cool. I will visit it now when I next visit UK.”

And a fourth person praised: “Thanks Nate. Spent many lovely days at Tynemouth as a child. Haven’t been back in 50 years since my family moved to Florida, USA. But still have fabulous memories. Thanks so much for reminding me.”