With the continued good weather, it seems the National Trust wants to give us some inspiration as to where we can eat out on a great British picnic.
Naturally many of their selections happen to involve National Trust owned properties, but there are quite a good selection here with a wide variety of location types from fells (hills) to historic houses.
1) Kynance Cove in Cornwall is about the most southerly picnic spot you could chose on the British mainland, being very close to Lands End and Lizard Point. You can chose from clifftop views across the Atlantic, to sitting on what many regard as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
One advantage of this over the Lizard Point and Lands End is since most tourists are likely to head there, you might find it a lot less crowded especially during the Summer. There’s a good picture of Kynance Cove here.
2) Stourhead in Wiltshire is a celebrated historic house and huge 18th-century gardens which attract visitors from all over the world. With a combination of chalk downs, ancient woods and farmland, you can meander around the 2,650 acre estate and picnic down by the lake while watching the local wildlife.
3) Box Hill in Surrey has to offer some of the most spectacular views of any National Trust property, with views that stretch for miles almost seemingly to infinity. There’s so much space around Box Hill that you will always find a quiet place to picnic, then just lay back and enjoy looking over the Surrey countryside.
4) Tennyson Downs on the Isle of Wight offers one of the best places to picnic on the island, sitting atop the 482 ft grassy chalk down with only views across the sea.
5) Dunwich Heath in Suffolk provides the perfect place to eat out if you want to become more at one with nature. The conservation area is home to several special species such as the Dartford Warbler, Nightjar and Woodlark darting amongst the heather. Close by are the Dunwich beaches, ideal for digging in the sand after your picnic.
6) Croome in Worcestershire is a public park of historic importance including the first major work created by the famous landscape architect and garden designer Lancelot Brown, aka Capability Brown. Sit on the lush grass or amongst the many monuments of the park looking over to the magnificent Croome Court.
7) The Kymin in Monmouth is a wooded landmark hill with pleasure grounds, a Georgian banqueting house, Naval Temple and stunning views over the surrounding countryside as the National Trust themselves describe it. Situated on the Offa’s Dyke footpath, the park is a good place to picnic both for day visitors and those taking this ancient footpath route.
8) Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire is a world heritage site, and looking around the estate that comes as no surprise. Containing one of the largest abbey ruins in the country along with spectacular Georgian water gardens and 800 acres of countryside, this is one of the places to visit in the country.
9) Fell Foot in the Lake District is situated at the southern tip of Lake Windermere in what has to be the nicer end of the lake, and certainly less crowded than up by Bowness. The Victorian lawns and garden sweep down to the lakeshore and make this an ideal picnic spot in the Lake District. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, why not hire a rowing boat or even bring your own and explore the lake too.
10) Florence Court in Northern Ireland is situated around 8 miles from Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, and surrounded by a large area of parkland, garden and woodland. The classically styled house and inviting gardens was formerly home to the Earls of Enniskillen and today invites visitors to wander around and eat their picnics on the lawns while enjoying the views.
More Links:
More details on the Daily Mail National Trust Picnics
Hotels right around the UK
UK Self-catering cottages
Campsites and caravan parks in Britain
4 Comments
Of course half of the ten are in the south and none in Scotland. What does this say about those who did the selection?
Oh, and as a Cumbrian, I could suggest dozens of potential sites better than Fell Foot [which, NT, has far too few facilities!] but I won’t as I like keeping them to myself!
Probably mostly based in London I suspect so don’t think anything exists north of the Watford Gap. As a fellow Cumbrian (honest), I’d agree – keep ‘em hidden so those pesky southerners don’t find the really good spots. ;-)
But Ron, the National Trust does not cover Scotland. Its coverage extends to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. You would probably need to rely on the National Trust for Scotland – a separate organisation – for a Scottish bias.
But, admin, you entitled it the best ten picnic sites in Britain, not in the NT area! BTW, my friends from Lancashire are livid none of theirs have been chosen!