Tuscany

Dorset’s take on the Mediterranean

Mudeford feels like one of England’s best-kept secrets, the sort of place visitors from abroad might never imagine exists here. Golden sand and sparkling water give it an almost Mediterranean feel, while Hengistbury Head adds beautiful coastal walks and wide-open views. Our perfect day is simple: arrive early, wander along the headland, let the children play on the beach, then stop at one of the relaxed cafes for lunch or an ice-cream. My tip is to take the little ferry across the harbour – it turns an already lovely day out into a proper seaside adventure.
Priti Singer

Lancashire’s Forest of Bowland

The Forest of Bowland covers a staggering 312 square miles of moorland, forests and valleys, dotted with the occasional village. It may be one of the best places for peace and quiet in England, and is also a Dark Skies area. It’s perfect for walkers and cyclists. I visited Gisburn forest (where I only met two other people during a five-hour hike); Barley village, which attracts lots of walkers who climb Pendle Hill; and, for spectacular scenery, a trip through the Trough of Bowland is a must. For town life, I’d recommend Skipton, a 35-minute drive away, which has it all with a castle, canal and plentiful shops and restaurants. It’s also the southern gateway to the Yorkshire Dales.
Cat

Crabbing and clean beaches in Suffolk

Walberswick is popular with walkers and birders, and young families who come here to relax and go swimming on the clean beach or crabbing in the creek. A brilliant way to arrive at the town is on the rowing-boat ferry (March to November) across the River Blyth from Southwold. It’s been in the same family for five generations. We had great seafood at heritage pubs like the Anchor and the Bell. Across the water, there’s a lot of wonderful fish shops and the famous Harbour Inn.
David Innes-Wilkin

In search of the Lundy Bunny, Devon

Lundy, off the north Devon coast, offers a hidden adventure for all ages by following the treasure trail of 27 Lundy letterboxes spread over the island. Some are wooden boxes, some metal, but they are all hidden. There’s a set of clues to follow, and stamps collected including the elusive Lundy Bunny. My two preteen boys and I loved our exploration of this remote granite island, binoculars and compass in hand, identifying letterboxes, birds and wildlife during our magical trip there.
Carol Godsmark

A spectacular rail trip in County Antrim

No trip I’ve made as an adult has matched the buzz of my annual childhood day trip from Derry to Portrush. The Troubles were at their peak but Portrush was still largely unscathed and had a totally different atmosphere to Derry. The journey was completed by train from Coleraine, and what a train journey it is. The train hogs the coast the whole way and we would be beside ourselves when the big dipper of Barry’s Amusements came into view. We would spend the morning on the beach, fish and chips for lunch and a few hours in Barry’s before heading home. Tuscany may be beautiful but do they sell sticks of rock?
Eve Kearney

An arty town in Shropshire

Foxholes campsite sits on a hill above the arty west Shropshire town of Bishop’s Castle. The views across the Shropshire hills are splendid, and a 10-minute walk through fields leads you past a stone Buddha into the town stretched along a medieval high street. Visit the House on Crutches museum to get a feel for Shropshire rural life history, and be sure to check out its two brilliant pubs: the Three Tuns is probably Britain’s oldest licensed brewery, having started in 1642, while the Six Bells provides an unpretentious family-friendly welcome. For us, though, the highlight was the Chai Shop and its charismatic owner Tahira. She serves delicious Indian snacks like bhajis and dal as well as traditional Indian sweets.
Matt Lunt

Camping in south Wales

We’re by no means an experienced camping family, but we pitched up on Rhydywernen Farm near Brecon after the last August bank holiday and were able to feed goats that were as happy and hoppy as it gets. Before falling asleep to the whisper of a nearby stream and mini-waterfalls, we spent time stargazing as there was no light pollution – it felt we were somehow closer to the stars. A cool stream helped soothe us after a day of hiking on Pen y Fan, the tallest peak in Britain south of Cadair Idris in Eryri (Snowdonia). We had only just bought a tent that summer and then we fell in love with Wales, so we keep coming back for more.
Izabela

Northumberland’s atmospheric border town

Berwick-upon-Tweed is one of those places that feels more dramatic than its size suggests. I have visited twice, and I loved simply walking around, camera in hand. Its slightly strange sense of being a border town seems to permeate everything. Stand beside the River Tweed and you can see three bridges together: the old Berwick Bridge, the elegant Royal Tweed Bridge and the great Victorian railway viaduct of the Royal Border Bridge. Add the Elizabethan walls, the North Sea and castle ruins, and Berwick feels perpetually poised between countries, centuries and land and sea. It makes a wonderfully atmospheric short break.
Susanna Callaghan

The natural wonders of the Wirral

The Wirral and its country park, south-west of Liverpool, is a brilliant under-the-radar place for a UK summer holiday, full of walks and beaches. Birkenhead Park is 57 hectares (140 acres) of meadows, fields, gardens, woodland, lakes and structures – we had picnics and family treasure hunts last summer. Opened in 1847, it inspired the 19th-century US landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted in his design of New York’s Central Park, so close your eyes and imagine you are in the Big Apple! Since 1995, it has been listed as a Grade I landscape by English Heritage. With its paths, fossil-hunting areas, bike trails and dramatic sunsets, Wirral country park helped us entertain our teenagers. Thurstaston beach and Port Sunlight village are great options too.
Nicoletta

Winning tip: Caribbean vibes on the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides

David Balfour’s Bay is a remote and breathtaking sandy bay with clear turquoise waters and pristine white sands in a stunning setting – the tidal island of Erraid, just off south-west Mull. The play of bright sunshine on crystal clear water and waves is dazzling – it’s a literally brilliant place to visit. Throw in a few palm trees and, on a clear day, you could imagine you were in Barbados – and the sea temperature can reach a pleasant 18C in August and September. To reach the bay, walk from lovely Knockvologan beach at low tide. This scenic walk can be extended to explore the north side of Erraid, where there are magnificent views of the Sound of Iona. Just be careful of tides so you don’t get caught there – a swim back is invigorating – as I found out after an overlong afternoon snooze when some lapping waves woke me up.
Peter