Natural Wonders Of The UK

Durdle Door on a busy day...

Having recently walked along to Durdle Door from Lulworth Cove, I can certainly understand how some people get evangelical about the places we have in the UK....

The British Isles rock. That's a subjective cultural claim, certainly, but it's also an empirical truth – because it's geology that has created our diverse and extraordinary natural wonders. We owe the creation of vertiginous cliffs and sea stacks to deposits of sandstone and chalk; soft limestone has been etched and scoured to carve craggy gorges, coastal arches and echoing caverns; and sculpted from extrusions of volcanic basalt are the weirdly geometric columns of causeways and sea caves.

But if science speak doesn't thrill you, the sheer wildness of our landscapes can't fail to enthral. The UK's wonders may not top the lists of the tallest, deepest, widest or loudest in the world, but the canyons are grand, the waterfalls dramatic and the coastline is, frankly, as spectacular as any. And yet, we rarely celebrate these natural marvels. Typical British reticence, perhaps, though another factor might be the weather – of which we have plenty. Indeed, the power tools that cut and shaped these masterpieces are largely meteorological. It is waves, wind, rain and ice that have moulded our land.

"The UK is one of the most varied regions in the world, geologically speaking," says Joe Cornish, a landscape photographer whose new book, This Land (published 1 October), showcases Britain's most beautiful scenery. "And thanks to the auspicious location of this gnarly, ancient chunk of rock in the path of the Gulf Stream, we also enjoy some of the most varied and interesting weather conditions."

But while extreme weather is great for forging natural wonders, it can make reaching them trickier – which is why now is the time to explore, while access is generally easier and more comfortable than in winter. Most of our most magnificent sights are best enjoyed on a self-powered expedition.

The UK's extensive network of public footpaths provides access to most of our most amazing spectacles, and 15 waymarked National Trails of England and Wales (nationaltrail.co.uk) take in many of the most impressive natural monuments.

What's guaranteed is that seeing our natural wonders will set your shutter finger itching. Charlie Waite, founder of the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition (take-a-view.co.uk) and the specialist photography tour operator Light and Land (01747 824727; lightandland.co.uk), is evangelical about the idea.

"In the context of the world, we are not a physically large country but the variety and beauty of our landscapes is second to none, from the limestone scenery of the Yorkshire Dales to the basalt columns of Fingal's Cave on the isle of Staffa," he says. "And the camera is a wonderful conduit through which one can connect with the myriad natural wonders."

Take a look at the map above, how many of these iconic geological sights have you seen?

Take some time to visit these areas, look around and spend an hour or two just looking, or exploring...

Safe Cities

York

Holidaymakers have voted the historic walled city of York the safest place to visit in the world. The survey, by Post Office Travel insurance, found only one per cent of British travellers considered the city to be ‘risky’. And it revealed tourists - considering the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to be the most dangerous - placed three other British cities in the top ten  

The survey of 2,075 UK adults showed that 72 per cent felt the traditional country town of Yorkshire was safe, compared to one per cent considering it risky, and 26 per cent having no view. 

In contrast, only seven per cent thought Cairo was safe - and 56 per cent felt it was dangerous to visit. But London did not even make the top ten - with 58 per cent deeming the capital safe and 16 per cent risky. A stolen wallet (24 per cent) was the most common occurrence for those who had had problems in cities. Bangkok, Istanbul and Marrakech were also deemed most risky to visit on a short break. Of the eight UK and Ireland destinations in the survey, the least-safe was Belfast with only 37 per cent deeming it a sensible destination choice. 

But although 53 per cent reckoned Manchester was safe, 20 per cent thought the city was risky - a higher figure than that for Belfast (19 per cent). 

Top ten safest cities in the world -

1. York

2. Bath

3. Edinburgh

4. Brighton

5. Venice

6. Vienna

7. Dublin

8. Florence

9. Stockholm

10. Copenhagen

Top 25 Beaches

This is Woolacombe.....

While the summer may feel a long way off there is no better time to start planning your holiday than now. And where better to go than the world’s best beach, Brazil’s Baia do Sancho.

Trip Advisor have announced the winners of its Travellers Choice awards for the best beaches. Completing the top ten were beaches from Italy, Spain, Puerto Rico and Greece.

.....this is Baia do Sancho....Brazil.

Out of the 2,333 reviews of Baia do Sancho, 2,193 were rated at five star. Although some holidaymakers complained that the beach had “poor access”, others said it was “worth the effort to get down”. Access to the beach requires you to either climb down a set of metal ladders or walk a kilometre via the Bay of Dolphins where, on occasion, hundreds of dolphins can be seen.

One reviewer described the beach as “paradise”, adding: “Wonderful beach and wonderful view from the top of the hill. Going down the stairs between the rocks is not as difficult as I thought.”

Here is the top ten:

1. Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

2. Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

3. Rabbit Beach, Lampedusa, Italy

4. Playa Paraiso Beach, Cayo Largo, Cuba

5. Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain

6. Anse Lazio, Praslin Island, Seychelles

7. White Beach, Boracay, Philippines

8. Flamenco Beach, Culebra, Puerto Rico

9. Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia

10. Elafonissi Beach, Elafonissi, Crete, Greece

Surprisingly, coming thirteenth was Britain’s very own Woolacombe beach, a popular surfing hotspot on the coast of Devon. Woolacombe was also rated the fourth best beach in Europe.

The results were determined by the quantity and quality of traveller reviews and ratings gathered by the travel website in the last 12 months.

If you want to see the complete list click HERE

For Travel Insurance, quotes and tips, click HERE

Tourist Attractions?

Long Crendon Court House - just one of the many under visited attractions England has to offer

Tate Modern, Stonehenge, Big Ben - all names you'd expect to see in a list of the most popular tourist attractions in England. But spare a thought for the attractions where queues are replaced with tumbleweed.

VisitEngland have conducted a survey of 1279 of the nation’s attractions to see which were the most and least popular last year.

The British Museum was the most popular free attraction, followed by the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum in London. The Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey made the top three spots for the most visited paid for attractions. But what about those who struggle to entice visitors through the door?

The Radar Tower in Essex came bottom of the list with only six visitors throughout the year. Built in 1941, the tower was used to detect German 'E' boats in the Harwich Harbour approaches during WWII.

The Gissing Centre in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, came 5th from bottom. The museum, which celebrates the author George Gissing (who some believe to be one of the best three novelists of his generation alongside George Meredith and Thomas Hardy), was only able to attract 118 visitors in all of 2013.

Chief Executive of VisitEngland, James Berresford said: “This survey is open to all attractions to participate, from large attractions attracting thousands of visitors a year, to those with few visitors, but that have local appeal and importance, sometimes even just as well-known local landmarks. At the local level these attractions can make their own unique contribution to the local area, by providing interesting things for visitors to see and do.”

Here are ten of the lower attractions you might want to visit if you live locally - obviously you might not want to travel too far....!

Old Buckenham Mill, Breckland, Norfolk.

An old, and particularly wide mill worth a visit.

Astley Cheetham Art Gallery, Stalybridge

Tameside's oldest gllery - but only open 20 days a year!

Longcrendon Court House, Aylesbury, Bucks.

Early 15th Century timber framed courthouse in an idyllic village

Barton Village Ghost Walks, Barton-upon-Humber

Fancy a scare?

Calverton Folk Museum, Calverton, Notts

Local Victorian Artfifacts your thing...?

The Radar Tower, Harwich, Essex

The site of early radar developement during WWII

British In India Museum, Pendle, lancashire

Swords, soldiers and The Raj

North Ings Farm Museum, North Kesteven, Lincs

Agricultural Equipment and a narrow gauge railway

St Andrews Church, Durham

Two Saxon Crosses here

The Gissing Centre, Walkfield, Yorks

A Museum dedicated to George Gissing teh novelist.

For great Travel Insurance quotations click HERE

Blackpool Celebrates

With the inevitable decline of Britain's seaside resorts over the last decades as Holidays in the Sun have become more accessible to all, we have seen many such towns re-inventing themselves in recent years.

Amongst the largest of these re-vamps have been the Jerwood Gallery in Hastings and the Turner Contemporary in Margate which have attracted millions since opening and now it seems it is Blackpool's turn.

At the very heart of the Lancashire town lies the iconic Winter Gardens dating from the late 19th Century - a Grade II listed building that combines theatres and halls that have been used for almost a hundred and fifty years. It is this building that is now to become a Museum to the resort's history.

Blackpool's Heritage Museum will be housed inside the Pavillion Theatre - previously used as a Bingo Hall. Billed as a Celebration of both the town and the Manchester and Stockport factory workers who flocked to the town in droves for the only entertainment available, the £21 million museum is due to open in 2018.

The Exhibitions will show through mixed media the story of how the town became one of the World's largest resort towns - the Las Vegas of Lancashire and the Architects of the project hope to attract millions to the town again in the future.

For UK and Worldwide Travel Insurance - Click HERE

Birmingham - Top City

Birmingham has been named one of the top 10 cities in the world by Rough Guide.

The UK city, which is as famous for spawning the likes of Ocean Colour Scene, Duran Duran, UB40 and Black Sabbath as it is for its 'balti triangle', has beaten Paris, Rome and Milan to make it on to the travel handbook company's list of best cities.

Its 'creative hotspots' get a particular namecheck - from the old industrial district of Digbeth, where vintage shops and street food stalls have begun to appear alongside Victorian buildings, to the Bird’s Custard Factory, with its vintage kilo sales and live music performances.

But it's also famed for having the largest public library in Europe, for being the youngest city in Europe and for having more canals than Venice - which didn't make it onto the list.

The travel handbook company says that this year is "the ideal time to make a trip", with a nod to Birmingham New Street station reopening in 2015 after a much-needed renovation.

The city is also described as having cultural variety, excellent shopping and a buzzing live music scene and joins Johannesburg, New Orleans and Wellington as one of the "best places to travel in 2015".

The guide warns: "There's no pretending that Birmingham is packed with interesting sights - it isn't - but, along with its first-rate restaurant scene and nightlife, it's well worth at least a couple of days."

But it maintains that Birmingham has "long outgrown the squalor and misery of its boom years", and is now one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Britain.

What's more, it is the only UK location on the list.

Take that, London.

World's top ten cities:

• Birmingham, UK
• Wellington, New Zealand
• Malaga, Spain
• New Orleans, USA
• Johannesburg, South Africa
• Hamburg, Germany
• Nizwa, Oman
• Belgrade, Serbia
• Salta, Argentina
• Yangon, Myanmar

St Ives Wins....

St Ives, the idyllic seaside town in Cornwall, has been voted the ‘most ideal’ place to live, according to research conducted by Rightmove.

The town, population of around 11,000, and was this year named the most expensive seaside resort in Britain, has now topped the list of 10 most ideal places to live in the UK.

St Ives was closely followed by seaside towns Poole and Brighton, the historic cities Edinburgh and York, and then Liverpool, Harrogate, Bristol, Cardiff and Dartmouth.

The report found that if money were no object, the majority of people would choose to live in a three bedroom house with two living rooms and two bathrooms, with the majority of people opting for a practical utility room over more luxury add-ons to features, such as a conservatory or a walk in wardrobe.

Only around one per cent of the 2,606 respondents would choose to live in a castle.

While living close to good transport links has long been classed as a staple of an ideal area to live, a new ‘ideal’ has topped the list of desirable qualities for a home: being within walking distance of a pub. This was outlined by respondents as more important than a home being close to a park, a supermarket or a restaurant.

Salisbury

Salisbury Cathedral (Photo: AP)

In its list of the world's top 10 cities to visit in 2015, Lonely Planet found room for just one UK city. Not Edinburgh, Bath, York or Brighton, of course. Or even Paris or Rome. In a surprising, some may say eccentric move, the Wiltshire town of Salisbury has taken seventh place, elbowing Vienna and Toronto into eighth and tenth positions, respectively.

Quite why this attractive, unassuming market town has been propelled to global stardom is difficult to fathom. Until now it has been notable chiefly for its 13th-century cathedral, with the highest spire in Britain (404ft), and its proximity to Stonehenge, about nine miles from the city.

True, Salisbury has other draws: the largest and arguably the loveliest cathedral close in the country and the oldest working clock in Europe (in the cathedral). Turner and Constable painted here, William Golding drew inspiration for Lord of the Flies from his teaching years at the city’s Bishop Wordsworth’s school and Trollope’s Barchester is said to be largely based on Salisbury. The parish church of St Thomas and St Edmund houses the Doom painting - the largest chancel arch painting in England, dating back to 1475.

The iron age hill fort of Old Sarum, just outside the city, is a good place for windy walks. There is a popular international arts festival each summer and, according to the Telegraph’s chief theatre critic, Dominic Cavendish, the city has one of the best regional theatres in the country in Salisbury Playhouse.

But is Salisbury really up there with the likes of Lisbon, Kyoto, Vancouver and Singapore? Its clutch of lovely medieval and Georgian buildings ( including Ted Heath’s former home, Arudells), is offset by a couple of hideous shopping centres. Much of the architecture is undistinguished red-brick Victorian, it’s sliced up by a grim 1970s ring road and parking is an expensive nightmare.

Nor are there any top class hotels in Salisbury itself (significantly, the first two recommendations on Tripadvisor are both outside the city) and restaurants are distinctly patchy. Nightlife centres around the local pubs, while forthcoming events at the main music venue, the City Hall, include the Sensational Sixties Experience and a Fleetwood Mac tribute band.

Even Tom Hall, one of the Lonely Planet judges, described Salisbury as a “surprising choice” , though it's not unknown for Lonely Planet to publish left-field suggestions: the sole British name on last year’s list was Londonderry, a "vibrant, historic walled city undergoing a renaissance". And accusations of gimmickry were levelled at it earlier this month when it published a guidebook the the entire world.

The secret of Salisbury’s sudden stardom seems to be down to King John and the barons. The Cathedral’s Chapter House contains one of only four original copies of the Magna Carta - and the Salisbury document is in rather better nick than the others.

Next year Britain will be abuzz with celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta and Salisbury hopes to play a prominent role with a host of events and festivities planned - hence its new global importance.

Just make sure you don’t visit the city in early February 2015; the Salisbury Magna Carta will be on loan to the British Library in London, where the four surviving original 1215 copies of Magna Carta will be brought together for the first time in history.

For UK Travel Insurance - click HERE

Need An App For That? - Britain's Top Fifty Beaches

There are some wonderful beaches around Britain

From The Telegraph comes yet another App to help you find your way around the UK's best beaches:

We've listed the first 20 beaches below - but for much more information, including where to eat and where to stay, you will obviously need to download the App. But have a look below to see if there are any near you this Summer.

North Cornwall

1. Watergate Bay, Newquay

South Cornwall

2. Porthcurno, near Land's End

Isles of Scilly

3. Pentle Bay, Tresco

North Devon

4. Saunton Sands

South Devon

5. Blackpool Sands

Dorset

6. Studland Bay

Isle of Wight

7. Compton Bay

Sussex

8. West Wittering

Kent

9. Botany Bay

Suffolk

10. Walberswick

Norfolk

11. Wells/Holkham

Yorkshire

12. Sandsend

Northumberland

13. Bamburgh

Lancashire

14. Formby

East coast of Scotland

15. Lunan Bay

West coast of Scotland

16. Sandwood Bay, Cape Wrath, Sutherland

Scottish Islands

17. Luskentyre, Outer Hebrides

Northern Ireland

18. Portstewart Strand

Wales

19. Marloes Sands

20. Rhossili beach

Try and spend time outside this summer, it's healthy, interesting and fun. If you have an enthusiasm for the outdoors then so will your kids but please always remember to take away your rubbish and leave your spot as you would hope to find it.

Take only photographs, leave only footsteps and keep only memories. 

For great deals on Travel Insurance, check out our website HERE

Hotel Wi-Fi

According to The Telegraph, Britain's hotels are among the worst in Europe when it comes to providing free Wi-Fi.

Free connection to the net is available these days in most cafés and bars on the high street and even fast food outlets have free internet availability, yet the UK lags behind the rest of Europe when it comes to hotel access. Of the 10 worst cities offering free Wi-Fi, three are in the Uk. Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester offer lower than average free availability, with the latter's hotels only offering 64% availability. 

With charges as high as £6 per hour or £20 for 24 hours, it seems that we Brits are still not vocal enough in our dissatisfaction with theses fees. 

Costs to set up Wi-Fi can range from £10 a month for smaller properties to around £300 per month for a 100 room establishment, yet many of our UK firms (Premier Inn, Travelodge,) still charge and expect us and our European visitors to pay.

The ten best cities are in Sweden (top two and number 5), 2 in Turkey, 2 in Spain, 2 in France and St. Petersburg in Russia.

Of the top 10 worst cities, 5 are German, 2 are Swiss, 3 English and 1 is Italian. 

In the high tech age of iPads, Smart Phones and Lap Tops, travellers should check whether their hotel has free internet access before booking, this may make the hotels think twice before charging in future.

If you do have Free Wi-Fi, why not check out our website HERE

Best Places To Visit In The UK

Elgol, Skye...included in The Telegraph's list...

Well....see if you agree...

According to Trip Advisor, London is the top place in the UK to visit as measured by the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings for hotels, attractions and restaurants, Edinburgh is in second place and the seaside resort of Torquay lies in a surprising third.

The full list is here:

1. London
2. Edinburgh
3. Torquay
4. Liverpool
5. Belfast
6. York
7. Bristol
8. Llandudno
9. Leeds
10. Birmingham

It seems quite an old fashioned list to me...memories of holiday camps, knotted handkerchiefs, and donkey rides and other 50's and 60's attractions seem still relevant to Trip Advisor users perhaps.

The Telegraph sees it differently, with places as far flung as Elgol on Skye, Brighton and Hay-On-Wye featuring in its list which seems a touch more modern:

1. London
2. Edinburgh
3. Elgol, Skye
4. Chester
5. Hay-on-Wye
6. York
7. Bath
8. Brighton
9. Harrogate
10. Manchester

With my own home town featuring in the polls recently (HERE), I'm quite interested in these and still believe that the UK offers superb choices when it comes to holiday times - and, of course, many can be reached for day trips or weekends away. 

For holiday travel insurance at home or abroad click HERE...

Deal - Ghosts of the past

Deal Town has been listed as one of the top 30 best places to visit for a weekend retreat by The Times newspaper.

The Times commented on the town’s view of France on a clear day and its award-winning High Street as voted by the Daily Telegraph, with a busy Saturday market and numerous bars, cafes and restaurants.

The Times commented on the cottages in Middle Street, Deal

It also mentioned the cottages in Middle Street, a conservation area, just metres from the beach and picked up on Smugglers Cottage in Dolphin Street, a two-bedroom property currently on sale for £249,500.

Deal is known as one of London weekenders favourite places to visit with St Pancras only an hour and a half by train.

The town has recently announced its high speed services to London will continue with new plans to introduce high speed stops in Martin Mill and Walmer.

Deal town mayor Marlene Burnham said: “After Deal won the High Street of the Year award out of the whole country, then to hear that Deal was 17 out of 30, well, what an accolade.

“It’s the real Deal, that’s what they’re getting. It’s splendid news and extremely exciting.

“I’m very interested in tourism for the town and it seems Deal is on the up and up. Perhaps next year, we’ll be in the top three. Well done everybody.”

Peter Jull, chairman of Deal and Walmer chamber of trade, said: “It is pleasing that Deal keeps coming up top in a number of these polls.

“Earlier in the year it was the High Street and now it’s a great place for the weekend.

“Our members will be pleased that their dedication to good customer service has been recognised.”

Broadstairs also made it on to the list, featuring at number 21. The town has been long primed as the next Whitstable with its cliff top promenade and was once described by Dickens as “our English watering-place.”

(With thanks to KentOnline)

 I might add, personally, that Deal is my home town - my family moved here when i was in my early teens and I have many fond memories. It's a warm, friendly seaside town, oozing with history and legend. The ghosts of smugglers, miscreants and rogues still walk the centuries old alleyways, side roads and hidden shanty properties of the town and the pier is still open, accessible and always busy. It offers more pubs per hundred yards than many places in the UK and each of these caters for all tastes and requirements, and, if that was not enough, it has three (yes three) castles along its entire seafront.

Take a trip down and see for yourselves, but if you feel a draught, it's probably not the sea breeze, but the loitering remnants of an ancient mariner or the mischievous shadow of a 15th century smuggler sneaking past.

Holsure offers Travel Insurance for your UK trips too....HERE