23 reasons to explore the UK in 2023

Days out, Activity, Destinations

Posted by Ruth on 22nd December 2022

Explore the UK in 2023

2022 saw our holiday cottages grow to a record number of more than 14,500, giving you a phenomenal amount of choice when it comes to booking your 2023 holiday.

Wherever you choose to stay, one thing’s for sure: with so much to see and do across Great Britain, adventures await on the doorstep of all our holiday homes.

So, before you go splashing out on a flight halfway around the world, let us show you what you might be missing a little closer to home with our top reasons to holiday in the UK in 2023.

Holiday cottages in the UK


Westminster Abbey

1. The Coronation

Most people in the UK will have never witnessed a coronation before and 6th May will be the historic day when King Charles III is officially coronated in front of the nation at Westminster Abbey. It will likely be the biggest event of the year, and one that will be remembered for decades, if not centuries, to come. So, why not get the group together and celebrate in one of our big houses with enough space for everyone to see the TV, whilst you feast on crumpets and scones and sip English breakfast tea? If you need inspiration for your group getaway, take a look at our pick of the best big houses perfect for the special occasion, or stay in a cottage that’s fit for royalty!

Cottages fit for a king


Eurovision

2. Eurovision

Mere days after the coronation, the UK will witness another historic event – one that we haven’t seen on our shores for 25 years. That’s right: Eurovision is coming back to the UK for a record ninth time! After war-stricken Ukraine triumphed in the 2022 competition, the country passed the baton onto the second-placed act which was the UK’s Sam Ryder, and Liverpool has been chosen as the venue for the biggest party of the year. Whether you watch it live or on TV, it’s an evening not to be missed.


Porthcurno Beach, Cornwall

3. Beaches

We may be biased, but we believe the UK has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, whether you’re walking on the white sands of the Scottish Islands or taking a dip in warm Cornish waters. Time by the beach is said to de-stress you, with blue spaces such as the sea proven to have positive effects on your physical and mental well-being. And with family-friendly, accessible and dog-friendly beaches too, there’s no excuse not to visit our fabulous coastline in 2023.

The best British beaches


The coast path in Wales

4. England Coast Path

While we’re on the subject of beaches, 2023 is a great year to begin walking the new England Coast Path. While the full coast path is not yet complete, there are more seaside stretches of walking paths than ever before, so it’s a great opportunity to lace up your walking boots, take in some stunning coastal vistas and boost your health in the process. You could spot seals on the Norfolk Coast Path, marvel at geological landforms on the Jurassic Coast from the South West Coast Path or wander past windswept beaches and iconic castles on the Northumberland Coast Path – with many more walks beside the sea to tempt you.

Our guide to coastal walks


Surfing in the UK

5. Surfing

2022 saw the creation of only the 12th surfing reserve in the world, and the UK’s first: the North Devon Surfing Reserve. This area of protected coastline boasts some of the best waves in the world as well as a strong surfing community, so if your new year’s resolution is to try a new sport in 2023, why not give surfing a go in one of the best places in the world to try it? As well as North Devon, the UK boasts some fantastic surfing beaches in areas such as Cornwall, Wales, Yorkshire, and Scotland – find the best beach for you with our guide.

Discover the best surfing beaches


A family day out on the pier

6. Piers

While you’re at the seaside, why not seek out one of the many fantastic piers in the UK? These seaside staples hark back to a bygone era, but still have so much fun to offer – whether it’s an end-of-the-pier show at Cromer, a wander down the UK’s longest pier at Southend, or a trip to see the hauntingly atmospheric ruins of the old pier at Brighton. 2023 sees the 150th anniversary of Cleethorpes Pier in Lincolnshire as well as the opening of the Pier to Pier Way in Somerset – a 13-mile cycle route between the Clevedon and Weston-super-Mare’s piers, so there’s never been a better year to visit these lovely landmarks.


The Cairngorms National Park

7. National parks

Cleethorpes Pier isn’t the only place celebrating an anniversary this year; 2023 marks 20 years since the Cairngorms National Park got its official designation, so it’s the perfect time to appreciate everything this beautiful part of Scotland has to offer. The UK boasts an incredible 15 national parks, all with their own unique charm; whether you want to drift along the placid waterways of the Norfolk Broads, scale the heights of the Lake District’s peaks or discover the myths and legends of Dartmoor, 2023 is a great year to visit a national park.

Discover the UK's national parks


Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland

8. Castles

As well as being home to the spectacular Cairngorms, Scotland is also well known for its castles, being home to around 1,000 in varying conditions. But it’s not just Scotland where you can see these exemplary edifices – there are thought to be around 4,000 castles in the UK, with Wales boasting the most castles per square mile in the whole of Europe! Wherever you choose to visit, castles showcase some of the greatest architectural achievements in history and tell fascinating tales of days gone by. From the medieval marvel of Bodiam Castle in East Sussex to the blushing Craigievar Castle in Scotland (which supposedly inspired Walt Disney’s Cinderella castle), where will you visit in 2023?


Bamburgh Castle

9. Film locations

You may recognise many of the UK’s castles from the silver screen, for example, Alnwick Castle in Northumberland which doubled as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. But castles aren’t the only famous UK landmarks that you may recognise from the cinema. Since World War II, the UK’s most prominent exports have been cultural, with film and TV crews making the most of our country’s unique landscapes by using them as the backdrops to some of the biggest films and TV shows ever made – and many of them are open to visitors. Indiana Jones 5 and Mission Impossible 7 are both hitting the big screen in 2023, with Grosmont in Yorkshire and Northumberland’s Bamburgh Castle featuring in the former, and Buttermere in the Lake District and Derbyshire’s Stoney Middleton in the latter. See them for yourself in 2023 before watching their star turns in the cinema!

The UK's most famous filming locations


A Great British pub

10. Pubs

You may also recognise a few British boozers from the big and small screens, and nothing encapsulates our culture quite like the Great British pub. Unique to the UK, no other country seems to have quite mastered the correct amount of weathered charm and unique atmosphere within their drinking establishments. You’re never too far away from one with over 50,000 dotted around the country, with so many famous pubs amongst that number. Take a look at some of them that you may have spotted in film and on TV.

Visit these pubs from TV and film


A roast dinner

11. Food

Not only do British pubs showcase our country’s finest beverages, but many have expanded to offer a smorgasbord of UK cuisine too. We could fill this whole blog with delicious reasons to visit the UK in 2023 – whether you’re visiting a food market or dining out in a Michelin-starred restaurant – but here are just a few to whet your appetite: roast beef and Yorkshire puddings, freshly landed seafood, a cream tea, fish and chips by the beach, sticky toffee pudding, haggis, Welsh cakes, pie and mash, tikka masala, and a good cup of tea. Hungry yet?

The best British foodie destinations


A crowd at a festival

12. Festivals

Festivals are a reason to celebrate and a great way to bring people from all walks of life together, as well as immerse yourself in British culture. Here in the UK, we have a festival for everything, whether you want to tuck into some of the delicious food mentioned above or see some of the world’s greatest acts at iconic music festivals. For something a little different, there are also festivals celebrating cheese rolling, bog snorkelling, egg throwing, gravy wrestling and knob throwing (before you get any ideas, it’s a Dorset biscuit that’s very aerodynamic). Whether you opt for a famous event or something a little more unusual, 2023 is a great year to soak up the culture at a UK festival.


The Globe, London

13. The Arts

Festivals are a great way to immerse yourself in UK culture, but this country is packed to the rafters with all manner of artistic events outside of the festival season too. The home of Burns, Bronte and Thomas, to name but a few, the UK has plenty of destinations to please lovers of literature, while fantastic galleries peppered around the country showcase homegrown artists such as Turner, Constable and Millais. Or head to the theatre to see productions of famous works by Shakespeare, Pinter and Churchill. You could fill all 365 days of 2023 with artistic pursuits and still not be able to see it all!  

Literature hot spots in the UK


Stonehenge

14. History

Arts in the UK tell stories of our country’s colourful past, but there’s no better way to immerse yourself in centuries of history than at one of the many heritage sites across the country. Hear tails of war, rebellions, the monarchy and, at its peak, the largest empire the world has ever known. There are many places around the UK dedicated to preserving these stories, from museums to the 5,000-year-old ancient stone circle of Stonehenge. 2023 marks 250 years since James Cook and his crew became the first Europeans to sail south of the Antarctic Circle; visit the Captain Cook Memorial Museum in Whitby to learn about his seafaring apprenticeship in Yorkshire. 2023 also sees the 75th anniversary of Empire Windrush’s arrival in the UK, with plenty of museums and groups holding exhibitions and events to mark this occasion.


Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

15. World Heritage Sites

Another way of immersing yourself in the history of the UK is by visiting a World Heritage Site. As of 2022, the UK has 28 cultural, one mixed and four natural places on the list of World Heritage Sites. These are places that are considered of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ and are deemed important to cultural and natural heritage. Famous World Heritage Sites include The Taj Mahal, the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Wall of China and the Grand Canyon. Sites you’ll find on the list from the UK include the multi-cultured frontier of Hadrian's Wall in Carlisle, the well-preserved ruin of Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, and Blenheim Palace – the birthplace of Winston Churchill – in Oxfordshire. Thanks to its Roman remains, 18th-century architecture and 18th-century town planning, UNESCO also added the city of Bath as one of its important European spa towns in 2021.


Clovelly in Devon

16. Picture-perfect towns and villages

Bath has been recognised by UNESCO for its beautiful architecture, but it’s far from the only place in the UK that is famous for its picture-postcard looks. In fact, our country is speckled with all manner of beautiful towns and villages that are perfect locations for a spectacular stay. Picturesque towns and villages in the UK include the traffic-free, cobbled streets of Clovelly, Devon; the Italianate village of Portmeirion in Wales; and Bibury in the Cotswolds – once described by Wordsworth as “the most beautiful village in England”. Why not see them for yourself in 2023?

The UK's most picturesque villages


Mountain views in Scotland

17. Views

Not only is the UK home to some picture-postcard towns and villages, but our country boasts plenty of jaw-dropping views that have to be seen to be believed. Climb to the mountainous heights of the Lake District or the Highlands to a carpet of scenery beneath you, sit by the lapping shore of the turquoise sea and gaze for miles out towards the sparkling horizon, or wander through fields of wildflowers – wherever you choose to visit, seek out some beautiful views in 2023.

Stunning national parks views


Stargazing

18. Stargazing

It’s not just the daytime that illuminates some spectacular views for you to enjoy in the UK; with some of the darkest skies in Europe, there are some amazing places for stargazing in this country too. 2023 is the 10th anniversary of the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, which is one of the best places on the continent to gaze up at the firmament and has plenty of events throughout the year. But there are many more places across the UK that also boast the pollution-free conditions needed for a spot of stargazing – read our guide to find out all you need to know.

The UK's best places to stargaze


Cycling in the countryside

19. Cycling

In 2023, some of the world’s best cyclists will descend on Glasgow and cycle across Scotland for the UCI Cycling World Championships. The biggest event of its kind, it will showcase many different bike sports including BMX racing, mountain biking, road racing and para-cycling. Whether you live for taking on hairpin bends and gruelling ascents, or simply like feeling the wind blow through your hair as you pootle along a tranquil trail, you’ll undoubtedly be inspired by the competitors – so why not get out and explore on two wheels in 2023? The UK is home to extreme cycling routes, including the gruelling climb up Winnats Pass in Derbyshire, as well as more sedate trails such as the traffic-free Tarka Trail in Devon, so there’s something to please every type of cyclist.

8 great national parks cycle routes


Puffins

20. Wildlife

If your goal in 2023 is to give a little something back, why not visit one of the many UK nature reserves or wildlife trusts, like the RSPB reserves we support through our bookings? Even a small donation can help protect the myriad species of native wildlife, plus you can come face to face with some of our country’s most spectacular creatures too, such as puffins, seals and even whales. You could even take a volunteering holiday – not only are they rewarding to take part in but they’re becoming ever more important as we endeavour to preserve our planet.

The best places to spot wildlife


A beach clean

21. Sustainability

Another way to help the planet in 2023 is by taking a staycation – perhaps one of the most important reasons to holiday in the UK this year. By shunning flying to your holiday destination, you’ll avoid adding a large chunk onto your carbon footprint, but you can holiday even greener by taking the train to your destination or staying in one of our eco-friendly holiday cottages. Give a little more back when you’re on your holiday by getting involved in one of the Marine Conservation Society’s beach cleans, taking the plastic-free challenge, or committing to only shopping locally.

Take part in a beach clean


A rainbow over the beach

22. The weather

We know the UK weather is famous for all the wrong reasons – but hear us out. There aren’t many places in the world where you can walk past blossom and spring bulbs, watch the sun set over the sea as you tuck into a BBQ on a hot summer’s day, wrap up cosy and crunch through copper-toned leaves, and feel the warm glow of a fire after a crisp winter’s walk all in one year – and sometimes, seemingly all in one week! The many delights of the UK lie in our country’s ever-changing seasonality, so embrace the variety and enjoy a holiday whatever the weather. In partnership with the RSPB, we’ve been celebrating the joys of each season, so you can get some holiday inspiration all year round.

Holiday watch with the RSPB


A family around a fire pit on holiday

23. Make memories together

There are so many reasons to holiday in the UK in 2023, but ultimately there’s only one that really matters – to spend time with the ones you love and make memories together that will last a lifetime. Wherever you choose to visit, our holiday cottages across the UK are the perfect setting for whatever a holiday means to you: a chance to unwind, a chance to spend quality time together, and a chance to be yourself. Where will you visit this year?

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Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing, please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.