What do people DO on UK holidays?

[JudgeRindersMinder]

We’re sun worshipers, and go abroad for the sun 2-3 times a year. Except this year!
We have a few days off in September, Thurs-Sun, and wouldn’t mind getting away for at least a couple of nights.

I’ve been looking at nice hotels in various UK locations (ie NOT Premier Inn type places) We aren’t super active people who are into bracing walks in the countryside (both have issues with arthritis 🙄), and if we stay in Scotland, any spas, pools etc are no go.

If you were us, where would you go and would you do?
Budget is fairly healthy, and travel by plane or car isn’t an issue

Find a really nice accommodation with a glasses conservatory with a beautiful view (lakes/mountains), take your books and read inside?
Visit a spa?

I couldn't imagine anything worse than being somewhere so hot the only option was to laze by the pool all day. The British country side and coastal national parks are absolutely littered with pretty villages, short walks and country pubs. We have small harbour towns and villages, off the beaten track secluded beaches, conservation / heritage centres, museums, castles, cathedrals. The only thing that limits you is your imagination.

If it was just a few days I’d go to York. Such a beautiful city and so much to see and do just mooching around. Lovely restaurants and tea shops. Also visit Whitby and the beaches.

@Yester

Just as an aside. One of the best ways of reducing arthritic symptoms and as a preventive measure to stop it getting worse is regular exercise. As a medic my heartsinks when people say they don't want to exercise because they have a chronic pain condition. I say this as someone with Fibromyalgia and mild arthritis.

Don’t worry, we do both exercise for precisely that reason, just not walking!

Thank you everyone for all the suggestions, and apologies to @Pobblebonk-I totally misread your tone!
I’m definitely going to look into Cornwall, but it will depend on what flights are available.

Scilly isles. Beaches are like the Caribbean!!

What do you like doing OP? What would a day out in the uk look like for you?

We camp but it doesn't sound like your thing and equipment etc but maybe glamping?

We went on holuday last year to a lodge with a hot tub . Was a bit about the hot tub but was anazing, among the forrest was so relaxing and the waters warm so you dont need the sun. Forrest holidays have lochside loges - i yearn to be sat in a hot tub at the side of a loch.

Look up local resturants have lovely dinners.

Museums

Just finding an old town with antique (ok junk) shops

Pub - but that isnt so attractive this year.

It sounds like you dont want to DO anything on your holiday and i can see the attraction of that. So book yourself something beautiful and just chill. The uk has so much to offer

We've just been to Cornwall, swam/kayaked in the sea every day and took long walks. Had ice creams and played lots of games. The kids didn't even ask to do anything else.

I’m not a fan of just walking for the sake of it.

I like exploring new places but I hate going for walks! So I sympathise, OP!

We’re roughly same age range with same achey joints.
We holiday in U.K. quite often and do quite different things in different places. We also like holidays abroad and sunshine but not generally just sunlounger, all inclusive, places. It might be fun to try new things.

Try thinking about
Boating holiday - a barge or canal boat somewhere nice is gentle fun, with nice pub meals, pleasant flat walks etc.

Lake District near Keswick- the launch, nice meals, Honister slate mine, a nice Spa hotel at Lodore, gentle but beautiful walking around the lake, swimming in the lake if you’re feeling brave.

Snape Maltings have a lovely old barge to hire or a cheaper AirbnB. Nice pubs, the Suffolk Coast, pottering around Aldeburgh, Southwold. Orford Castle, kayaking on the river or boat trips, a few day trips out.

A city break in York or overnight sleeper train and Edinburgh. Or a two city break or motor tour staying at gastro pubs and seeing hidden England. Maybe up one coast or going coast to coast.

Dartmouth or nearby is lovely regardless of weather. Boat trip on Dart or out to sea. Fabulous restaurants, nice beaches if you get some good weather. Dartmouth Castle, lots of NT places. The train/boat/ bus circular. Dartmoor. Darlington glass. A swim in the Dart, if you want an exhilarating feeling.

Isle of Wight is a bit mixed. Some of the lovelies beaches and countryside in the South. Microclimate on south of island so tends to get better weather. Good NT and EH places to visit. Some quirky places like the garlic farm. Huge range of accommodation to suit all pockets and tastes. Very good swimming. Very foodie, with excellent local produce. Good for dogs. Ferry adds to holiday feeling.

National trust places are good. I suggest somewhere near Newcastle - Cragside at Morpeth is one of the most interesting National trust houses I've been too (there was a bbc4 documentary on it a while back, might be on iPlayer) then there's Newcastle it's self, beaches, my favourite fish and chip shop with gelato shop next door is on the beach (covered seating area in case of bad weather), kielder forest (walking I admit) Holy island, castles etc ... failing that the metro
Centre. We alternated U.K. and abroad but I admit not to being a sun worshiper

Have a think of some touristy type areas and then go on tripadvisor and search for things to do. You’ll get info about different tourist attractions, museums, National trust places, etc. Find an area with a few to appeal.

Then intersperse such trips with days bimbling around local towns, finding places to eat, etc

Ps some national trust places have either vehicles to take you round the grounds if walking is difficult or courtesy all terrain scooters

I’m very happy to potter about, have a nice lunch, or even a coffee and sit and people watch, but dh....
Before anyone says it, I know that in that respect I don’t have a holiday problem, I have a dh problem!

So like the previous poster mentioned Northumberland when I had a holiday to Northumberland we did the following.....

Anwick castle and gardens
Cragside
Bamburgh castle
Holy island
Some bird of prey centre
Newcastle for a day

Had a holiday in Cornwall and did

Eden project
Lost gardens of heligan
Fowey, hires a boat
Tintagel castle
Padstow
A monkey sanctuary

@JudgeRindersMinder

I’m very happy to potter about, have a nice lunch, or even a coffee and sit and people watch, but dh.... Before anyone says it, I know that in that respect I don’t have a holiday problem, I have a dh problem!

Oh I have the same problem. Dh says holidays are boring. I got myself a caravan and leave him at home!

How about the Lake District op? We go and don’t ever do long walks. Book a nice hotel like the Langdale Chase and then just mooch about the different places. Hawkshead is a lovely little village to walk around. Then you’ve got Ambleside and Windermere. Loads of nice places to eat- look at the Drunken Duck. You can do lots of reading but probably without the sun!

@Redshoeblueshoe

We have just had the hottest summer in record So can't you just sit and read books

Not all of us have. We don't all live in the south of England.

I'm struggling to understand why the OP can't think of anything to do TBH.

We often stay in different parts of the UK and do what a lot of posters have already written. On one fabulous holiday in Shropshire we visited Ironbridge Gorge, with all the places of interest that entails, went to a safari park, looked around some National Trust properties, had a day on the Severn Valley steam railway, went to a farmers market, went to gorgeous Ludlow for the day, looked around Much Wenlock priory. A week wasn't long enough for us.

I think the key question is what else do you enjoy doing?
The number of children I’ve taught who described their exotic holiday as ‘There was a pool, and we ate pizza/burgers/etc’ and nothing else registered. Generic sun, water, safe food.
Sometimes they remembered the name of the place, sometimes just the country.
So if you don’t want to sunbathe in your local area, what else do you like?

Dartmouth in Devon is lovely... boating town with lots to do including some really fancy restaurants and plenty of pubs. There is a nice spa hotel called the Dart Marina or you could hire a lovely house. You could have a boat trip one day and visit the different islands, get a ferry to some of the gorgeous restaurants and just enjoy the scenery. It’s a really beautiful town with lots to offer

Rent bikes, get a map & a tent and just go for it. Went away for a week to the peak district a couple of years ago with friends and we started in Bakewell and went for it (walking up the hills because we're not that good). Even at a slow, plodding rate it's amazing how much ground you can cover - we stopped about 4pm each day to make camp and gather wood then spent the evenings eating and chatting round the fire.

One night we nearly drowned in a flash flood due to a rainstorm too so there's always a rain chance, but the holiday was amazing despite that.

Not all NT type places are open yet, so check carefully beforehand.

What about Dorset? You can visit the swannery and tropical gardens at Abbotsbury; Corfe Castle is definitely open (but quite uphill walking if that's an issue); you can get to the beach if you have nice weather; several NT type places if open by then.

What do people DO on UK holidays?

The same as we do on any holiday. Visit museums, old buildings, religious buildings, ancient sites, walk around towns, find nice places to eat and drink. Spend some time relaxing and reading, just maybe on a sofa rather than a sun lounger.
.

We always holiday in the UK.

a week away for us (We have young kids) involves:-
A NT type place
A beach or two for a day each
An attraction (zoo, safari, theme park)
A long walk on a designated trail
A waterfall/lake/river for a paddle

We bring suitable clothing for whatever the weather is supposed to do.

For @pobblebonk and anyone else who can’t understand why anyone would enjoy beach holidays....

Some of us who enjoy them, or have in the past, don’t do them simply to lie and bake in the sun all day. The sort of beach holidays we enjoyed for years with dds included thoroughly enjoying swimming in lovely warm sea, early morning walks along beautiful beaches, snorkelling and scuba, and lots of waterskiing.

And in between, certainly for me and dh, sitting in the shade with a good book and a nice cold beer!

We explore towns and villages, go to castles, go for walks, nice meals out in picturesque settings, read books, . I guess to sum it up in one word, we explore.

Look on trip advisor for the ten most popular things to do in that location, or go on local tourist sites, or even post on mn for suggestions as to what to do in your chosen area.