What to do in England, events, ideas for the weekend, places to go

whatsonwhen.com - global events guide: "If it's history and culture you want, then this corner of the British Isles certainly has more than its share.

From the Romans, Vikings and the Industrial Revolution to Churchill, the Royal Family and the Beckhams (another type of royal), England's special idiosyncrasy and vibrant diversity make it a wonderful place to visit.

Amongst its many jewels England boasts one of the most vibrant capital cities in the world as well as urban centres such as Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle - all Meccas for the arts, music and sports.

On the other hand, if you're after something more rural, this green and pleasant land holds yet more riches - from the peaceful Norfolk Broads and beautiful Devonshire beaches to the breathtaking Lake District and numerous other national parks dotted around the country. And after all that, what could be more relaxing than a nice cup of tea?"

Seahouses & The Farne Islands Northumberland Northumbria England UK GB (page 51): "Northumberland has some of the cleanest beaches in England and every major beach has been passed by the Environment Agency for the cleanliness of its water. From north to south, Northumberland's best beaches are:

SPITTAL BEACH: Soft golden sands on the south side of the Tweed estuary at Berwick. Graded 'B' or good for its absence of litter.

BAMBURGH BEACH: Mile upon mile of long, golden sands overlooked by the magnificent Bamburgh Castle. A Rural Seaside Award winner, graded 'B' or good for its absence of litter.

St AIDAN'S BEACH, SEAHOUSES : An arc shaped sandy beach with rocky outcrops and rock pools offering good views of the Farne Islands. A Rural Seaside Award winner.

BEADNELL BAY: A golden, sandy horse-shoe-shaped beach overlooked by sand dunes and a small harbour. This is the only west facing harbour along the length of England's east coast. A Rural Seaside Award winner, graded 'B' or good for its absence of litter.

EMBLETON BAY: Reached from the villages of Low Newton and Embleton, this quiet, sandy bay is overlooked by the dramatic ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. A Rural Seaside Award winner, graded 'B' or good for its absence of litter.

ALNMOUTH: Soft, golden sands on the north side of the pretty, red-roofed holiday resort of Alnmouth.

WARKWORTH BEACH: Miles of soft, golden sands backed by an extensive range of dunes, a short drive from the historic village of Warkworth. A Rural Seaside Award winner, graded 'B' or good for its absence of litter.

AMBLE LINKS: An unspoilt beach with occasional rocky pools, sheltered by an extensive range of dunes. A Rural Seaside Award winner, graded 'A' or very good for its absence of litter - the cleanest beach in the County.

DRURIDGE BAY: A long, gently curving sandy beach, best reached from the Druridge Bay Country Park. Graded 'B' or good for its absence of litter. This bay becomes very popular in the summer months"

Whether it's a cosy country cottage, a slick city apartment, a hilltop castle or a simple holiday home, you're already close to discovering a self-catering place to stay that will meet - or exceed - your highest expectations.

Your time in your own holiday home is precious; you cannot afford to get it wrong. We have developed, much to our delight, a reputation for being totally trustworthy: a reputation gathered over 10 years of publishing the hugely popular Special Places to Stay series. And, just as importantly, we are known for our ‘taste’. It may not, to the relief of our readers, always be ‘good’ taste in the conventional sense, but it will always be interesting, often magnificent."

Scarecrow festival at Rainow Macclesfield. For the next week there are some extra inhabitants of this Cheshire village. The streets are full of imaginative scarecrows themed around sports. There are teas and cakes served in the village hall every day of the week until 9pm too. If you are coming from Whaley Bridge side, make sure you notice the Charles and Camilla scarecrows which are excellent.

Close to Macclesfield, Manchester and Stoke and Trent Biddulph Grange is a small stately home kept by the National Trust. The gardens have undergone a comprehensive scheme of rennovations and are back to their former glory. Themed gardens depicting contries such as China and Egypt the areas of the garden are interesing to explore and are immaginatively linked with stone tunnels, man made caves and along the great wall of China.



Make sure you visit the shop and buy some fish food because the lilly ponds at the front of the house are full of huge magnificent carp who will eagerly come and feed almost out of your hand.



The tea rooms are excellent and run like a very traditional quality establishment in the old billiard room. This is a bright and impressive building, even more outstanding though is the selection of cakes!

Great site with information about planning a holiday or short break to the English Lake District. Featuring walks, places to visit and special accommodation in unusual locations.

World66 - Mapsonomy: "the travel guide
you write"

Virgin Trains have an excellent up to date events guide for the whole of the UK. What to do in the UK including Arts, Classical music, festivals and heritage.

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