What vacation spots in England are loved by locals?

16.08.2023 - 17:07 / lonelyplanet.com

Our Where Locals Go series features holiday destinations that are often overlooked by international visitors but cherished by locals. Here, we ask four England experts for their top ideas. 

Who can resist the lure of world-class cities like London, Liverpool and Manchester? Still, it’s in the idyllic countryside where visitors can find the true soul of England.

And that’s why well-traveled country routes like those running through the Cotswolds and the Lake District draw so many visitors. Where can you find spirit-stirring rural beauty – and even some urban delights – without the crowds? Let our quartet of England experts take it from here.

Piers Pickard is the managing director of publishing at Lonely Planet and has lived in the Lake District for over a decade

I first camped at the tiny coastal village of Ravenglass in England’s Lake District National Park nearly 10 years ago, and I’ve been back every year since – even if I take the softer option of staying in a cottage these days (I also recommend a stay in the old stationmatser's lodge or a railway carriage or even a room above The Inn at Ravenglass).

The Lake District is hardly a secret: 16 million people visit each year to hike its fells (the local word for a mountain), paddle its lakes and eat at its Michelin-starred restaurants (more than anywhere outside London).

But Ravenglass has all that’s best about the region – without the crowds. The village’s main street ends abruptly on a beach where three rivers meet. From here you can walk past Roman ruins (this was the northernmost port of the Roman Empire) to 13th-century Muncaster Castle, with its gardens and bird displays.

For the more adventurous, drive 20 minutes up to Wasdale, home to England’s highest peak and deepest lake. Or puff seven miles up to quieter Eskdale on “L’al Ratty,” a tiny steam train, from where you can cycle back down to Ravenglass for fresh seafood and waterfront views at The Inn. End your evening on the village green slurping a Ravenglass Handmade Ice Cream procured from the “honesty box” next door.

Where Locals Go: Ireland

Claire Naylor is a London-based travel writer and editor

One summer, some friends and I rented a cottage in a village between the port of Dover and the town of Deal. We swam in the sea, whimpering at the cold water while regular Channel bathers chuckled at our absurdity before wading out without a single shiver. Later, as light still lingered in the sky, we spent the evening wrapped in hoodies and damp towels, enjoying scampi and chips at the beachfront picnic benches of the Zetland Arms.

The Kent coast in the southeast of England has been a staple day-trip destination for me to take the kids over the years, with many road trips along the north side. We