Northern England
1. Lake District National Park
If you’re looking for beautiful lakes, rolling hills, adventurous hikes, and cute towns, then the Lake District is the place for you! It’s like England’s version of cottage country in Canada and I’m here for it! We spotted the finger lakes on a map while driving from Scotland and we knew we had to stop. We climbed a footpath for epic views of the district, and explored the town of Windermere, which is on Lake Windermere. Albeit, it was early April when we visited, so the weather was chilly, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying an ice cream, walking the shops, and going for lunch. Unfortunately we only had time to spend one night, but it was worth it. We will definitely return again in the summer!
2. Alnwick Castle
Before we left for England, we purchased a travel book (old school, I know!). In this book it recommended a few castles to visit in Northern England, so we decided to do a castle tour on our drive from London to Scotland. Our first castle was Alnwick and luckily we visited on the perfect day! Daffodils were in full bloom and there were rows upon rows of gorgeous white and yellow flowers which popped vibrantly amongst the stone castle. And to make it even more magical, there was a saxophone playing live music while we strolled through out the grounds. We didn’t pay to tour the castle inside, we just walked the grounds, but that is an option if you choose.
3. Dunstanburgh Castle
This Castle is located on the eastern coast of England, just south of Scotland and is definitely worth a gander. From the parking lot, you’ll enter a field of sheep and walk the coastal trail to the castle. You’ll take in the windy views of the North Sea as you stroll your way to the castle ruins.
4. Bamburgh Castle
As you drive north from Alnwick, you’ll come across Bamburgh Castle nestled along the coast. There are tours available if you’d like to walk the grounds, but we just pulled off to the side of the road and admired this beauty from a distance. We loved wondering through the long grasses and catching glimpses of the North Sea and castle in the background. If you do choose to drive up to the castle, I’ve heard that there is a fabulous beach walk, beautifully manicured grounds, as well as a tea room!
