As 2021 draws to an end, many of us I am sure will have stayed local because of the continued difficulties with foreign travel. My wife and I have confined ourselves to occasional weeks away around England, revisiting some classic attractions which may already be very familiar to you. What follows, in our last post from 2021, is a checklist of our favourites…
But first a confession. I’ve struggled to find the inspiration to write engaging posts about revisiting such familiar destinations. So how do YOU approach that situation? Perhaps you can let me know your own tips about overcoming ‘writer’s block’ in the comments below. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy my simple lists! If you’re an overseas visitor to the UK, they might offer you some inspiration for your travels. For those of you from the UK, what highlights might I have missed in your opinion?
May 2021 – North Yorkshire
A week in a cottage close to the Castle Howard estate. Trips out to the City of York (always a brilliant destination), Castle Howard gardens, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and one of our most popular seaside towns, Whitby.
York deserves a post all to itself, though others have covered this in detail far more eloquently than I ever could. The area within the old city walls is easily walkable and contains many of the best tourist attractions: York Minster, the Shambles, St Mary’s Abbey ruins, Yorkshire Museum, riverside walks or cruises along the Ouse, and so much more. A few minutes walk outside the old city walls is the impressive National Railway Museum next to York Station.
July 2021 – Wiltshire
Another week in a cottage, this time on the outskirts of Salisbury. Places within easy reach include Stonehenge, Salisbury (Cathedral), Avebury stone circle, Marlborough, Winchester (Cathedral), and the seaside towns of Christchurch and Bournemouth.
September 2021 – London
A four night midweek hotel break in the Capital (while our dogs enjoyed their own countryside holiday with a pet sitter). London has so much to offer, so we planned everything in advance and booked tickets online. We travelled on East Midlands Railway from Derby to London St Pancras International, and stayed at the Premier Inn London King’s Cross – comfortable, good value and an excellent location for train travellers.
Arriving around lunchtime, we spent the first afternoon exploring the King’s Cross and St Pancras area, including the relatively recent shopping and housing redevelopment area in the old goods yards around the Regent’s Canal immediately north of the stations.
{Railway trivia – the lines from St Pancras go over the canal on a bridge, whereas the lines from King’s Cross go under the canal at the Gas Works tunnel}
During the course of the next three full days of sightseeing, we visited Kew Gardens, the Tower of London, the War of the Worlds immersive theatre experience, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern art gallery and the Sir Henry Wellcome Collection (a real hidden gem, this free museum and library explores topics around health and the human experience). Plus lots of dining-out opportunities, such as the Royal Thai near King’s Cross!
So those are our travel highlights. But where did you go this year? Do let me know in the comments below. It would be great to hear how others have coped during another difficult year for travel!
Stay safe and keep travelling!
Stuart
Places I've Been and Things I've Seen 
December 1, 2021 at 6:12 pm
You’ve definitely made the best of staycation travel with the varied selection of places you’ve managed to get to since we were all allowed to travel again back in April. In addition to overseas travel we have also explored parts of the U.K. unfamiliar to us including our recent trip the west coast of Ireland, Cheltenham and Durham – all lovely in their own ways. We’re planning a couple more trips before Christmas, fingers crossed they can still go ahead! Take care and good to read a blog post from you again after a little while. Marion
December 1, 2021 at 6:36 pm
Hi Marion, thanks for your comments, they are always appreciated!
I noticed that you wrote an interesting article about London walks mentioning the coal drops and gas holders, which I particularly enjoyed reading since we had visited so recently. I think you might have also done articles about York and the rail museum earlier in the year?
Maybe 2022 will see all of us able to travel further afield once more!
Best wishes,
Stuart
December 2, 2021 at 4:39 am
Despite lockdown measures and restricted movements, you did a great job of your “staycation” in your country! I’ve likewise stayed within my home state in the US (California), primarily confined to my hometown of Los Angeles. It wasn’t until later that I ventured out of the county and later out of state, to travel. Despite limited travel, I still managed to come up with new ideas to write about, as I wrote about past trips, crazy travel stories, and travel poetry to keep active. I even participated in photo challenges and awards/tags to spice things up. While all travel-related, each post offered a different genre to keep the blog fresh and interesting! That can be an option for you. đŸ™‚
December 2, 2021 at 10:17 am
Hi Rebecca, thanks for commenting and for all the ideas! Good to hear that you have also been able to do some limited travelling within the US.
Your photo challenges have set me thinking. I’m toying with the idea of more frequent but very short posts, maybe just a snapshot with a caption, to try to keep things fresh and alive. A little less writing, perhaps, which is where I’ve struggled to regain some momentum this year.
I envy your ability to write poetry – clearly the poetry gene is not in my DNA!
Best wishes and thanks for the suggestions!
Stuart