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Beautiful UK getaways you shouldn’t miss this summer
The Independent
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7/19/2025
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News
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00:00
looking for a break a little closer to home with the UK currently basking in sunshine there's
00:13
never been a better time to explore what's right on your doorstep from stunning landscapes to
00:18
cultural city breaks trips with the family or just a partner in this episode of travel smart
00:23
we're running down our favorite great british getaways perfect for a weekend away or something
00:28
a little longer no passport required just great places to discover right here in the UK
00:34
so if you're looking for a romantic escape there's got bags of quirky character and lots to do
00:48
rye might be the one for you this little east sussex town is full of charm crooked old buildings
00:53
and a classic seaside vibe even though it's set slightly inland and it's very easy to lose track
00:58
of time exploring all that it has to offer the whole town has a really artsy creative vibe on
01:04
the high street you'll find independent galleries that host local and international artists a mermaid
01:10
street the most photographed in the town has tudor cottages and cobbled streets and a gorgeous view
01:15
over the coast if you head a little bit downhill you'll find the antiques emporiums and lots of
01:21
quirky boutique shops which you need to make time to explore but if you're looking for a unique date
01:26
idea you can visit rye castle and if you're looking for something else to do you could hop on the bus
01:32
down to rye harbour and the nature reserve it's home to 4 000 species including rare birds and has
01:38
this really unique setting amongst the marshlands and if you're looking to escape to the seaside
01:44
camber sands is really close to rye it's a sandy beach which is rare on the south coast has sand dunes
01:50
and it has this vintage seaside feel that i really liked and close by something a bit different is
01:57
dungeon s this beach is quite eerie but very beautiful in its own way it's a stony beach there
02:04
are clapboard houses all along the front which have this kind of scandinavian vibe there's an imposing
02:10
power station and an iconic lighthouse there but it's just an interesting place to take a stroll
02:15
so if you're looking for a romantic escape that's got bags of quirky character and lots to do rye might
02:21
be the one for you
02:22
when thinking of a uk city break people often consider places like london manchester edinburgh
02:32
but i recently visited newcastle and i think it'd be a great place to visit this summer you've got
02:38
loads of history culture it's full of character it's got a proper buzz of its own
02:44
on the gates head side of the tyne you'll find the glass house which is this massive modern music
02:50
venue sitting on the river that hosts local artists classical music and new and emerging talent
02:57
while i was there the staff told me a little secret if you head into oosburn on a sunday afternoon
03:03
you'll likely catch a folk music session in pubs like the cluny or the cumberland so if you're into
03:09
grabbing a pint and listening to some music that's the place to head
03:13
however before grabbing a pint you should check out some of newcastle's historical offerings
03:18
such as newcastle castle hidden in plain sight in the middle of the city it's not on a big hilltop
03:24
like you would expect and when you reach right to the top you get a brilliant panoramic view of the
03:28
city if you're looking for something a little different i'd recommend checking out the baltic
03:34
center for contemporary art it's housed in a massive converted flower mill and they've got free
03:39
exhibitions from artists around the region one thing that sets newcastle apart from the rest
03:44
is that it's a proper walkable city you can hit most major landmarks all by foot if you want to get
03:49
a real feel for newcastle i'd recommend heading down at grey street which is full of grand georgian
03:55
architecture independent shops cafes and it all leads up to the famous earl grey monument yes earl grey
04:03
the guy that the tea was named after i think newcastle is a great choice for a weekend away
04:08
or even just a day out it packs in so much history culture art and it's even a great place for a proper
04:15
night out
04:15
so we've talked a little bit about england but emily you went to union wales do you have any places
04:25
you'd recommend yes i always say escape from the city and get to the gower peninsula it's home to
04:30
these dramatic cliffs and golden bays and i think it's really good alternative to cornwall it can
04:36
often be less crowded a bit cheaper with accommodation and it's really a perfect place
04:41
to go if you love hiking surfing or just getting out in nature and actually if you like hiking you
04:47
can start at worm's head which is at the west and end of the gower peninsula and you can take this
04:53
four mile track that goes along to a beach called rosilli bay which is just unbelievable like when the sea
04:59
rolls out it feels like you've got this massive expanse of golden sand and you're just looking
05:05
out towards the horizon it's really special or if you have a bit more time on your hands you can head
05:10
west to pembrokeshire i like the little coastal cities of temby and st david's they're really
05:15
colorful lots of history and i just think they're fantastic breaks to feel like you've actually you
05:21
know gone somewhere how about you where's next on your list where do you want to travel this summer
05:27
so if i have a little bit of time this summer one of the places i'd love to tick off my bucket list
05:33
is the outer hebrides in scotland the islands there are so remote and wild and one of the things i'd love
05:40
to tick off is the hebridean wave walk which goes along the coastline you've got the isle of lewis
05:46
which is home to the callanish standing stones which is actually older than stonehenge and then there's
05:52
barra where you can see seals bobbing right off the shoreline so cute and to get there the airport
05:59
runway is literally on the beach imagine that landing right on the sand so cool amazing however
06:05
one of the places i really want to go to is luskan tyre beach on the isle of harris
06:10
it's got turquoise waters white sand you'd think you'd be in the caribbean although i think the weather
06:17
would probably give it away it seems so remote and some place that i could really switch off
06:23
oh that sounds like one for my bucket list too
06:25
hopefully we've inspired you to discover more of what the uk has to offer this summer
06:33
but if you need more inspiration you can visit independent.co.uk
06:38
slash travel and for more episodes of travel smart head to independent tv or watch on the independent app
06:44
bye for now
06:47
bye
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