Oakham Castle

" United Kingdom 32 Hidden Gems in The UK To Escape The Crowds  28 Feb Table of Contents Hidden gems in England Cadgwith Cove, Cornwall Minack Theatre, Cornwall Rottingdean, Brighton Guernsey Stanton, Cotswolds Wittenham Clumps, Oxfordshire Oakham Castle, Rutland Heights of Abraham, Derbyshire Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire Knaresborough, North Yorkshire Dovestones Reservoir, Greater Manchester Lud’s Church, Peak District Heptonstall, West Yorkshire Rievaulx Terraces, North Yorkshire Staithes, North Yorkshire Horsey Beach, Norfolk UK hidden gems – places in Scotland Duncansby Stacks, John o’ Groats Luskentyre Beach, Outer Hebrides Callanish Standing Stones, Outer Hebrides Dunbar, East Lothian Craigievar Castle, Aberdeenshire Plockton, Scottish Highlands  Glasgow – East End & street art UK hidden gems – places in Wales Rhiwargor Waterfall, Powys Haford Estate, Aberystwyth Church Door Cove, Pembrokeshire Picton Castle, Haverfordwest Ogmore Stepping Stones, Glamorgan Holy Island, Anglesey UK hidden gems – places in Northern Ireland Cuilcagh Boardwalk trail, Co. Fermanagh Binevenagh, Londonderry White Rocks Beach, Portrush This post may contain affiliate links to things like tours, hotels, Amazon associates and products. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Been to Big Ben and done Durdle Door? These hidden gems in the UK should provide you with travel inspo! The UK is packed with spectacular natural attractions as well as cool cities and cultural heritage in abundance. The only problem? The UK is a VERY popular place to travel, especially in the summer. To feel less like cattle, you may want to forgo the big names in favour of more hidden places in the UK, made up of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. UK TRAVEL ESSENTIALS Lonely Planet guidebook – Great Britain, Scotland, Wales, Ireland Accommodation: Hotels & apartments – Booking.com / Hostels: Hostelworld.com Activities: GetYourGuide / Viator Getting around: Trainline / Busbud Another benefit of visiting the lesser-visited places in the UK? They’re usually cheaper than the tourist hotspots. For UK travel on a budget, I’d highly recommend ditching the crowds and getting off-grid. Hidden gems in England After growing up near Oxford, there are corners of England that I know like the back of my hand. But there are plenty of secret places in England I’ve yet to discover; a lifetime would be too short! Even popular regions like Cornwall and the Cotswolds have their lesser-visited spots if you know where to look. Here are a few hidden places to visit in England… Cadgwith Cove, Cornwall  Hidden away in a quiet corner of the Lizard Peninsula, the pretty fishing village of Cadgwith Cove is one of the unusual places to visit in Cornwall. Surrounded by craggy coastline with a turquoise bay gently lapping at the shore, this picturesque hamlet is picture-postcard perfect. Whitewashed cottages with thatched rooves and flower-filled gardens add to the charm, and it’s a great place to watch the fishing boats while enjoying some crab soup and a pint at the inn. The cove is car-free, so you’ll have to park at the top and walk down, which makes the experience even more charming. Entry submitted by Heather from the Conversant Traveller. Minack Theatre, Cornwall  Minack Theatre is situated in Cornwall, almost as far southwest as you can go in England. It’s a working theatre where you can see productions like Shakespeare, local plays and musical concerts… But that’s not what’s special about it.  What makes it a UK hidden gem is the open-air venue clinging to the side of a rocky cliff with the most spectacular view. When performances aren’t on, you can visit and learn about this quirky theatre and enjoy a cream tea overlooking the turquoise sea. Entry submitted by Kirstie from Lost in Cornwall. Rottingdean, Brighton  Rottingdean is a wonderful small village located four miles away from Brighton. Centuries ago, Rottingdean used to be one of the main smuggling points off the south coast of England because of the natural break in the limestone cliffs. Today, there’s still a network of tunnels underneath the village, connecting different buildings. One of the best things to do in Rottingdean is visit one inside Ye Olde Black Horse pub.  The village was home to many artists over the years including Rudyard Kipling who wrote his famous poem A Smuggler’s Song here. Entry submitted by Joanna from World In My Pocket. Guernsey  The small island of Guernsey, found off the coast of England, is another hidden UK gem. There are rural areas on the island, but the most popular areas to visit are the beaches, as well as St. Peter Port, a quaint marine town with a harbour full of history and cobblestone streets filled with shops and homes. In St. Peter Port, visitors can explore the historical Castle Cornet dating back to the 13th century, or browse the town’s many seafront restaurants. Guernsey can be reached by a short flight, and is the perfect destination for a weekend getaway.  Written by Olivia from the Girl With Blue Sails. Stanton, Cotswolds  If you rely on Instagram to tell you what you can expect in the Cotswolds, chances are you will have only seen photos of popular Cotswold villages like Bibury, Bourton-on-the-Water and Castle Combe. But there’s more to this gorgeous Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty than just those three towns. An English hidden gem plucked straight out of a fairytale is Stanton, close to Broadway, in Worcestershire. Not many people know Stanton, which means you’re more likely to share its streets with people on horseback than people with selfie sticks! In fact, one of the best ways to explore this charming village and the surrounding countryside is on horseback. The local riding school offers brilliant rides up the hill to a viewpoint where you can see 16 counties on a clear day. And to top it off, you can quench your thirst upon your return at the local village pub. The best way to reach Stanton is by car, however if you’re travelling the Cotswolds by train, it’s best to arrive in Moreton-in-Marsh and arrange a 20-minute taxi journey to Stanton. Entry submitted by Bea from Bea Adventurous. Subscribe to Where Goes Rose! Get travel tips and guides from Where Goes Rose straight to your inbox. I agree to my personal data being used for interest-based advertising as outlined in the Privacy Notice. Subscribe  Wittenham Clumps, Oxfordshire  The history, architecture and Oxford Harry Potter attractions bring tourists to Oxford by the busload. Indeed, it’s a wonderful city but there’s much more to do in Oxfordshire from walks to picturesque villages. One such gem is Wittenham Clumps in South Oxfordshire near the village of Dorchester-on-Thames. These twin hills make for a lovely walk with beautiful views from the top. The smaller Castle Hill displays the remainder of an ancient Iron Age fort. Park beside the Clumps or take a leisurely circular walk from charming Dorchester-on-Thames passing Days Lock, home to the World Poohsticks Championships until 2015!  Oakham Castle, Rutland  Oakham Castle in Rutland is a captivating place to visit for history lovers in the UK. Over 300 horseshoes from Royalty and Peers of the Realm hang on the walls. Ancient tradition demands that peers present a horseshoe to the Lord of the Manor on their first visit to the town. Many of the first horseshoes were nailed to the Castle Gate. Later, the horseshoes became more ornate and were gilded and inscribed with the donor’s name. In the 1700s, it became the fashion to add a coronet (a small crown) denoting the rank of the donor. The horseshoes are hung with their ends facing downwards as they have been for centuries as depicted on the County Coat of Arms. The earliest mention of the custom was found in Henry VIII’s State Papers from 1581. "