Walk Edinburgh’s Water of Leith
The castle and Arthur’s Seat get plenty of attention, but walking a section of this 24-mile river, from Dean Village to Leith, delivers leafy views and some of the city’s best eateries as you pass through Stockbridge along shady riverside paths, past the Royal Botanic Garden, historic mills, Antony Gormley installations and bridges. waterofleith.org.uk
Walk Chester’s city walls
Gain an overview of Cheshire’s county town – with its 1,000-year-old cathedral and Britain’s largest Roman amphitheatre – by walking its walls,. Dating back to medieval and Tudor times, they can be accessed at Eastgate, the original entrance to the Roman fort. You’ll pass a Roman shrine to Minerva, 12th- and 13th-century towers, and glimpse the River Dee and the cathedral. visitcheshire.com
Wander London’s South Bank
The South Bank of the Thames has been a beacon of culture since the 16th century – just look for the reconstructed Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Now there’s Tate Modern, the BFI, National Theatre, Southbank Centre, Leake Street graffiti arches, Hayward Gallery and Oxo. On an Unseen Tour with London-born guide David – who has experienced “hidden homelessness – you’ll also visit bustling Borough Market, one of London’s oldest pubs and see Roman ruins and hidden alleyways. £15, unseentours.org.uk
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SUP in Sheffield
From Victoria Quays canal basin, soak up the waterside street art, then hop on a paddleboard for a tour of the city with a difference. The Outdoor City SUP Experience sets off on a peaceful – but energetic – journey along the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, a green and serene contrast to the 19th-century industrial city centre. £40pp, dcoutdoors.co.uk-off-the-shelf-adventures
A black history of Norwich
Paul Dickson’s Black History tour celebrates the contributions of black residents to the city, including Pablo Fanque – the UK’s first black circus impresario – and 19th-century boxerJem Mace. It also looks at the history of slavery and abolitionism in the city. £7.50pp, pauldicksontours.co.uk
Titanic Belfast
The imposing canary-yellow cranes of the Harland and Wolffe shipyard provide a fitting introduction to the Titanic quarter. It was here that White Star Line ships, including RMS Titanic, were built. The Titanic Experience explores the city’s shipbuilding history and offers a chance to step on board the Titanic’s surviving tender, SS Nomadic. A 2.5-mile Titanic Trail presents a historic walk, concluding at the visitor centre. £19.50pp, titanicbelfast.com, walkni.com
Blackpool’s beaches
The tourist gaze of this Lancashire resort tends to be on the Pleasure Beach and Tower, but one of Blackpool’s most impressive attractions is right beneath visitors’ feet. Along the Golden Mile of sandy beaches, there are three piers packed with old-school attractions; further afield are the “Spanish Steps” sea defences and Mythic Coast art trail. visitblackpool.com
Southampton’s walls
Stroll Southampton’s imposing, two-mile medieval walls, built to protect the port city from pirate attacks, then visit its newest attraction. Within the walls, God’s House Tower is a 13th-century gatehouse that reopens this spring as a contemporary art and heritage centre that explores Southampton’s history while celebrating contemporary creativity. godshousetower.org.uk
Cultural Cardiff
The Welsh capital is packed with attractions. Start with a free visit to the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings outside Paris at the National Museum of Wales, then head to Cardiff Bay, is home to the Wales Millennium Centre, which incorporates an opera house, theatres, restaurants and bars. visitcardiff.com
Regency ride in Cheltenham
The spa town of Cheltenham – favoured by George III, who hoped its waters would cure his maladies, and regarded as the UK’s “most complete Regency town” – can be explored on a self-guided cycle trail. Over six miles of cycle paths and back streets, it takes in the Promenade, Pittville Pump Room and several parks and gardens. From £5, bicycle-hub.co.uk
Wonderwalk tour of Manchester
Invisible Cities is a social enterprise that connects tourists with guides who have experienced homelessness in their city. Currently operating in a handful of cities, from Cardiff to Glasgow, it has a number of walking tours in Manchester. Here, Nic will bring to life the city’s musical heritage via the Hacienda and rave culture, Madchester and classical opera. £12, invisible-cities.org
Banksy tour of Bristol
Take yourself on a street-art spotting tour of central Bristol, home city of the reclusive Banksy, and discover the artist’s legacy via 13 of his own works as well as graffiti and other works of street art. Audio commentary is provided by John Nation, “the godfather of Bristol urban art”. £10 for two devices, wherethewall.com
Bath Thermae spa
From the swirling steam of the rooftop, open-air pool at Britain’s only natural thermal spa, you can soak up the mineral benefits of the waters, as well as the view of the town’s Regency rooftops. While bathing isn’t allowed in the Roman baths below, this modern addition is a magnet for visitors, who come to enjoy the thermal springs first discovered in around 863BC. £35, thermaebathspa.com
In hot air over Leeds
Survey the city that invented Cluedo from the wicker basket of a hot air balloon as you soar above Leeds from 18th-century Temple Newsam mansion. Participants can help inflate and deflate the balloon, and enjoy a glass of prosecco after landing. From above, there are views of the River Aire, the Calder Navigation Canal, West Yorkshire countryside and Leeds city skyline. From £124pp, virginballoonflights.co.uk
The Box, Plymouth
The Box opened to mark the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage to America last year. The museum and gallery hold historic collections, from 16th-century oils to contemporary paintings by Kurt Jackson. Its focal point is a glass-panelled, cantilevered “archive in the sky”. Mayflower-themed events are being carried forward to this year. thebox plymouth.com, mayflower400uk.org
Get lost in Brighton’s Lanes
This web of narrow alleys, lined with independent shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs, is the beating heart of Brighton. Set off from the train station then work your way down to the seafront via the original settlement of Brighthelmstone, where the streets were developed in the 16th and 17th centuries. There is plenty of offbeat interest – antiques and jewellery shops, the historic Cricketers pub, flint cottages and more. Finish by taking in a different view from the i360 tower. visitbrighton.com
The Story of Oxford
Engaging younger minds than the city’s university cohort, The Story Museum is a recently renovated family attraction that celebrates the power of literature. Visitors are taken through the Whispering Wood indoor forest, Enchanted Library and Treasure Chamber exhibition space, while the youngest can be entertained by picture books and nursery rhymes. Theatrical productions are staged in the Woodshed and themed walks, workshops and talks are planned for April and beyond, including a city-wide festival of Alice in Wonderland on the first Saturday of July. From £5pp, storymuseum.org.uk
Nottingham Castle reopens its gates
The story of Robin Hood and rebellion will be brought to life at the 1,000-year-old Nottingham Castle, which will reopen after a £30m restoration this summer. Interactive exhibits and immersive film are new features, and there is an adventure playground in newly landscaped grounds. Prices tbc, nottinghamcastle.org.uk
Coventry: UK City of Culture 2021
The Midlands city will be at the heart of the country’s cultural scene this year. Renowned street artists are being given access to unexpected places to encourage exploration of the city, the UK Asian Film Festival will take place in June, while a four-day festival will take place in the Canal Basin in November. Coventry-born Terry Hall is also curating a three-day music event. coventry2021.co.uk
York’s sweet spot
The city’s chocolate-making history is told at The Chocolate Story, a visitor attraction that tells of the Rowntree, Craven and Terry families, as well as the chocolate-making process from bean to bar. Vintage favourites such as the KitKat are brought to the fore, and you can follow a chocolate trail around the city. £15, yorkschocolatestory.com
Take a punt in Cambridge
Gliding along the River Cam is a classic way to see the city’s historic colleges. Settle into one of the long, flat-bottomed boats, as a chauffeur guides you along the College Backs from Magdalene College Gardens, past weeping willows and under the Bridge of Sighs. From £90 for up to six, cambridgepuntcompany.co.uk
Get into hot water in Penzance
This Cornish port town is graced with a magnificent Art Deco seawater lido on its shores. Opened in 1935, Jubilee Pool has been recently restored, its triangular shape – whose longest side is 98m – built to withstand the force of the tides on Battery Rocks. Book a swim in the main pool or simply soak up the views in the geothermal pool. From £4.25pp, jubileepool.co.uk
Visit the home of tourism
Thomas Cook launched his first excursion from Leicester to Loughborough 180 years ago this July, with a one-day temperance excursion from Leicester train station. Set off on your own tour by taking in the city’s street art. The biennial Bring the Paint festival returns this August, with activities supplementing the world-class art. You can also get a flavour of the subcontinent by strolling the Golden Mile, with its spice and jewellery shops, Indian restaurants and the largest Diwali festival outside India. visitleicester.info
Make for the Mumbles
The Mumbles headland marks the start of the glorious Gower peninsula. At the western end of Swansea Bay, you can walk along the converted line of the world’s first passenger railway, whose views some compare to the Bay of Naples. Once in Mumbles, there are Welsh-Italian ice cream parlours, a Victorian pier and the Norman Oystermouth Castle. visitswanseabay.com
Arty Aberdeen
The Granite City has recently added splashes of colour, courtesy of world-renowned street artists. The Nuart Aberdeen festival was postponed last year, but self-guided tours of existing art are possible, as are visits to the redeveloped Aberdeen Art Gallery. 2020.nuartaberdeen.co.uk, aberdeencity.gov.uk
Treasure Trails
This initiative encourages families to explore towns and cities in unexpected ways. The self-guided trails – around two miles long – have clues which participants must solve as they progress. Clues may appear on road signs or statues and there are more than 1,000 routes to choose from. £9.99, treasuretrails.co.uk
A fine time in Finnieston
This is one of Glasgow’s most desirable neighbourhoods, packed with artisan coffee shops, old-school pubs, specialist food shops and fine dining eateries such as The Gannet. Zaha Hadid’s Riverside Museum provides a cultural landmark on the Clyde and the Clydeside Distillery is nearby. peoplemakeglasgow.com
A Baltic break
Gateshead’s landmark centre for contemporary art occupies the shell of an industrial 50s flour mill on the Tyne and has emerged to become an cultural beacon on the waterfront. The three-day Gift event in May invites collaborations to push boundaries. baltic.art
A Blinders tour of Birmingham
The cult series began filming its final season earlier this year, which is likely to increase demand for tours of its filming locations in and around Birmingham. Brum Tours leads walking tours of the city’s industrial heritage and Jewellery Quarter, as well as sites from the series, embroidered with tales of real gangsters from the turn of the 20th century. From £34.95 per tour, brumtours.com
Ferry cross the Mersey
Add Pop Art colour to a crossing of Liverpool’s arterial river by boarding the Dazzle Ferry, Sir Peter Blake’s interpretation of a dazzle vessel (designs that date from the First World War that would make them difficult to target). The cruise passes the Unesco World Heritage waterfront, with commentary on the port’s history. £11, merseyferries.co.uk
Dundee designs
The opening of the angular V&A, Scotland’s first design museum, in 2018 was the showpiece of the ongoing £1bn transformation of Dundee’s City waterfront. It reopens on 1 May with an exhibition focusing on club culture and design. vam.ac.uk, dundeewaterfront.com
Zip wire from Bournemouth Pier
Bournemouth’s golden sands are a magnet in summer. Beyond the arcades, you can create your own amusement by whooshing back to shore from the pier alongside a friend on a twin 250m zip wire. From £15pp, rockreef.co.uk/pierzip
Look for ospreys in Poole
Birds of Poole Harbour operates several boat trips. A relatively new addition focuses on a translocation project from Scotland that is re-establishing ospreys in their former breeding grounds. The birds migrate through the harbour to and from West Africa and are at their most populous here in late August. £25pp, birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk
Shakespeare’s Stratford
Extend a trip to the Cotswolds by visiting Shakespeare’s birthplace. The market town is well supplied with historic architecture and buildings, including the Bard’s childhood home, schoolroom and grave. The Royal Shakespeare Company will also resume live performances at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre; dates for The Comedy of Errors will be announced later this month. visitstratforduponavon.co.uk
You can read the first part of this series, costal experiences, here. Don’t miss the final instalment, rural experiences, next weekend