With UK-based travel still the norm, here’s an area-by-area guide to some of our top homegrown holiday treasures

THE NORTH WEST

1 The Lake District

It’s a national park and a world heritage site, with mild winters, cool summers and an awful lot of rain – around 80 inches a year – but not enough to deter the millions who visit one of Britain’s most beautiful landscapes. They come for the views of mountains, plunging into long lakes that have filled valleys carved by glaciers. This is serious walking country, with four of its peaks – Scafell Pike, Scafell, Helvellyn and Skiddaw – topping 3000 feet.

Catbells, at 1481 feet, is one of the more accessible fells and is a favourite with families. It offers 360-degree panoramic views that take in Derwentwater, Keswick, Skiddaw, Blencathra and the Western Fells.

Cruise boats on Windermere, Derwentwater, Coniston Water and Ullswater get you to points of interest. Cruise the five-mile long Coniston Water, where Donald Campbell attempted his speed records, on the rebuilt Victorian steam yacht Gondola, or catch one of the vintage boats plying Ullswater, said to be the most beautiful lake in England. It’s also one of the deepest, plunging to 205 feet, and is known as the Dark Lake. In medieval times it was believed to be home to monsters and during World War II it was used to test mini-submarines.

Pottering about

Towns around the lakes accommodate those wet-weather days, but there are other places to visit. These include The World of Beatrix Potter at Bowness-on-Windermere; Beatrix Potter’s

A Plas Mawr in North Wales B The Needles, on the Isle of Wight C The Derbyshire village of Castleton D The Lake District National Park E Peak District hills F The Cairngorms National Park G The Valley of the Rocks on the North Devon coast H Castle Acre Priory in Norfolk I Chesil Beach in Dorset

house, Hill Top, at Near Sawrey, Hawkshead; the Ruskin Museum, the Lakeland Motor Museum, Wordsworth’s House, the Keswick Museum, the Pencil Museum, and Lowther, Muncaster and Sizergh castles.

The area’s mining heritage should not be forgotten. Graphite, copper, silver, lead and slate have all been mined here and a visit to the famous slate mines and the daredevil walks of the Via Ferrata Classic and Ferrata Xtreme at Honister give you some idea of the kind of conditions that the miners had to endure.

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For brilliant sites in all these regions, see our Top 100 Sites Guide!

2 The coastal towns

This ancient county is rugged and mysterious, with an industry of tin mining that dates back 4000 years and a 700-year history of disreputable smuggling activities. It’s a place of myths and legends, of rock-throwing giants and, of course, the noble King Arthur. It is also one of the prettiest counties in England: warmed by the Gulf Stream, it has a sub-tropical climate, producing exotic flora within glorious gardens, and a oncethriving and still-important fishing industry.

The mild climate and a long coast packed with picturesque fishing villages, secret coves and some outstanding surfing beaches make the narrow Cornwall peninsula a much-loved holiday destination. Among the favourite coastal hot spots are Newquay, Perranporth, Porthtowan, Padstow, Helston and Sennen. In the fishing villages of Fowey, Charlestown, Mevagissey, Mousehole, St Mawes, Port Isaac and St Ives, you can relax and watch fishing boats bob about on a blue sea.

St Ives has also been attracting artists since the late 19th century and has its own Tate Gallery. To explore the town, use the park and ride from Lelant Saltings or St Erth stations.

At Marazion you can brave the causeway out to St Michael’s Mount to visit the castle and explore the gardens. Make sure you check the tide times carefully, though, so as not to get stranded on the island. Further west along the coast, the vast sandy beach at Porthcurno is overlooked by the famous open-air Minack Theatre, built into the cliff. The first telegraph communication cables connecting England to the US landed at Porthcurno. Visit the fascinating museum there to find out more.