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UK travel

Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

Original poster

Everywhere is England is rammed

221 replies

Hyperfish101 · 31/08/2020 08:09

Maybe different elsewhere in UK but Covid has certainly wiped out options for a peaceful day out anywhere. Or so it seems.

Went to a local beauty spot for a walk yesterday. At 10 am cars queuing for the car park. All the NationL Trust type places swarming. Even little walks by our local river are overrun with people.

Had a week in a usually quiet place in the Scottish Borders. Nope. Jammed. The usual quiet beach was overrun. Car park rammed. Rubbish everywhere.

It’s horrible. I realise I was there too so limited grounds to complain but I’ve been going to these places for years and suddenly I can’t even park.

That’s even before mentioning the ‘wild camping’ we saw in the Lakes. Tents abandoned, rubbish everywhere.

I’m hoping when people can stop ‘staycationing’ and go abroad, things will settle down. I feel as if there are no unspoilt areas left now.

OP posts:
LouLou789 · 31/08/2020 08:58

Can’t really complain how crowded places are if you’re visiting them yourself. I really feel for local residents being invaded by the masses, though, and the peeing everywhere EURGH.

When we have had occasional outings we’ve gone very early morning, hardly seen a soul. Been to the coast once, on a cold (therefore unpopular) day, and had a walk.

Once Covid is under control everyone will flock aboard again.

cologne4711 · 31/08/2020 08:59

I don’t think we realised how much we owe the spanish for taking some people off our hands in the holiday period

This!

lazylinguist · 31/08/2020 08:59

The litterers are disgusting obviously, but I'm not sure why anyone is surprised at how busy places are, given that loads would normally going abroad.

I live on the edge of the Lake District. It's extra busy in the small bit of the National Park that all the tourists always go to (Windermere, Grasmere, Ambleside), but as usual the many other fells and lakes are pretty quiet.

InDeoEstMeaFiducia · 31/08/2020 09:01

Given the ire, anger, spite and judgement on here for people who go abroad, it's unsurprising there are so many rammed places here.

cologne4711 · 31/08/2020 09:01

We always go to Cornwall. It was rammed and i didn’t like it all

??? Cornwall is always rammed!

MsTSwift · 31/08/2020 09:02

The words “flock” and “swarm” used by tabloids in disapproving way to describe people doing perfectly ordinary things like going on holiday or to the beach. Interesting that also used on this thread - the morally right thing to do seems to be to go to the beach on a shit day so no one can actually have fun. It’s like the new Puritans.

justanotherneighinparadise · 31/08/2020 09:02

@Abraid2

I don’t think we realised how much we owe the spanish for taking some people off our hands in the holiday period.
Ain’t that the truth!
topofthewardrobe · 31/08/2020 09:02

@Walkley18

Was in a seaside area yesterday, amazed at how busy it was, no social distancing or sanitizing of pleasure boats before next occupants, but no rubbish that I noticed.
I don't understand the logic here, people saying they weren't somewhere and being surprised how busy it was if you were the only people you expected to have the idea of going there. We went to the coast, we just picked carefully. This was about lunchtime, we hardly saw anybody.
Everywhere is England is rammed
Fizzingsherbert · 31/08/2020 09:03

@Abraid2

I don’t think we realised how much we owe the spanish for taking some people off our hands in the holiday period.
This!! Grin
Unescorted · 31/08/2020 09:05

BUT you were there too? Adding to the erosion and footfall. I don't understand how you can be grumpy about the number of other people there?

I live here & it isn't the number of people it is the mess that they leave behind and the chaos they cause with their poor parking. The sad thing is we have a carpark that isn't full because it requires people to walk a further 1.5 miles to the start of the main walk from the village and it costs. Derbyshire CC - so the funds get spent in other areas of the county. The schools have had funding cut, bus services reduced and library closed in the last budget. So we aren't seeing any benefit from the increase of numbers. I recognise this is not the visitors fault. All we ask is that the rubbish is taken home so when they leave we don't have to go around picking up rubbish and faeces and while they are here they don't block roads, gates and drives.

Kaktus · 31/08/2020 09:05

@MsTSwift

The words “flock” and “swarm” used by tabloids in disapproving way to describe people doing perfectly ordinary things like going on holiday or to the beach. Interesting that also used on this thread - the morally right thing to do seems to be to go to the beach on a shit day so no one can actually have fun. It’s like the new Puritans.
Funny isn’t it? When people go to the beach themselves, they’re just ‘going to the beach’. Everyone else at the beach... well they’ve obviously ‘flocked’ or ‘swarmed’. It’s like food threads... the competitive undereaters always describe other people as ‘guzzling’ fizzy drinks or ‘stuffing down’ pizza. Not just drinking, or eating.
Bicnod · 31/08/2020 09:08

I live in the New Forest and it has been crazy busy this year. And so much litter. I haven't been into my local town at all this summer as it's permanently packed and have only gone to the beach very early or late (or during the storms!) Currently holidaying in Dorset and avoiding the busy bits... Plenty of quiet places. We went to West Bexington yesterday and couldn't park in the car park as it was rammed but parked further up the road. All the wild campers and party people on the beach cluster near the car park so if you walk for five minutes you have it all to yourself... Not many people walking on the coast paths either.

Tara336 · 31/08/2020 09:09

We live in a tourist area but people come for the beach, the traffic has been horrendous this year we have given up trying to go out at certain times of day as we know we will caught up in the tourist traffic. None of that is any surprise at all as it was to be expected this year even if it is a pain in the backside. What has shocked me though is photos put up on our local Facebook page of tents and rubbish dumped in our local woods! Tourists obviously decided to extend their holiday by camping out and leaving their shit behind for the locals\forestry commission to clear up! As well as being slobs they are stupid as their Parkdean resorts pass was left behind with name and car registration number on it so the Forestry have requested details 😊

Asuitablecat · 31/08/2020 09:09

I can't cope with 'staycation' being used to refer to a holiday in Britain. I thought a 'staycation' was the kind of holiday we had as kids-6 weeks in your own house.

diplodocusinermine · 31/08/2020 09:15

Yes, Northumberland coast yesterday - never seen the place so busy, and the stupid parking. There should be quick legislation for the police to tow cars parked illegally and then a fine of £300+ to get them back - nice bit of revenue into the public coffers in these difficult times. Same with littering - £100 fines, stringently policed.

I wish people would just sod back off to Magaluf, but feel bad for the Spanish having to put up with it.

DogInATent · 31/08/2020 09:17

Lack of imagination and a general lack of knowledge of their own country are mostly to blame. There are parts of the country that don't have the crowds, but the majority are such poor knowledge of the UK that they head to the same few places/areas.

If you're complaining that you've been to the Lakes, South West, etc. and it was over-crowded then you were part of the problem so don't try and come across as superior to everyone else. The National Trust doesn't have a monopoly on nice places to go for a walk.

Why didn't you head to somewhere you haven't been before?

MrsCollinssettled · 31/08/2020 09:17

Heard a discussion on the radio about wild camping and people just walking away empty handed from their tent, bbq etc. Their theory was it was festival goers who are used to doing the same thing when they go to events. Having seen the pictures of abandoned tents etc following Glastonbury (and other festivals) that does seem to a logical conclusion.

Darker · 31/08/2020 09:17

I don’t begrudge people the visit even if it’s busier than usual and parking is a nightmare. The rubbish is another matter.

Original poster
Hyperfish101 · 31/08/2020 09:18

There is always someone wanting to start an argument on MN....

Yes. I was also at these places, as I pointed out. However, I am usually at these places. Have holidayed in the same places regularly. I was commenting on how many more people were there this year and how previous’off the beaten track’ places were now not. And thus makes them less enjoyable. Is that not OK to say on MN?

I certainly was being judgemental about people leaving litter, bad parking etc. They deserve the judgement.

OP posts:
loulou0987 · 31/08/2020 09:19

If you’re there why shouldn’t others be there?

NotSorry · 31/08/2020 09:19

@Asuitablecat

I can't cope with 'staycation' being used to refer to a holiday in Britain. I thought a 'staycation' was the kind of holiday we had as kids-6 weeks in your own house.
I agree, it’s been driving me mad too!

Back to the topic - we’ve been in Cornwall and yes it’s busy but we realised very quickly we had to be organised - anything we’ve wanted to do, including meals out we’ve pre-booked and it’s been lovely

Kaktus · 31/08/2020 09:20

They want to go to the same places you usually go to as there is nowhere else for them to go.
Can’t say to people ‘if you usually holiday in Spain then you have to stay at home this year so the people who usually holiday in the U.K. can do so undisturbed’. The inevitable consequence of making international travel difficult is that more people holiday in the U.K.
Yes, littering and poor parking is appalling.

Original poster
Hyperfish101 · 31/08/2020 09:21

@DogInATent.....I really wasn’t being superior. I acknowledged that the Lakes was always busy. Where we went on holiday however, is really not a holiday hot spot. Yet it was ridiculously rammed. Same with the place we stay in Northumberland. Never busy usually. That’s why we go.

And of course the NT doesn’t have a monopoly. It was an example.

OP posts:
mumsiedarlingrevolta · 31/08/2020 09:22

@Hyperfish101I live in a tourist town-one with a big Castle- and we have never seen so much rubbish left on the green spaces-it is awful.

And, for example, during lockdown the McDonalds here was closed but in the park there was the rubbish remains of what was a huge McDonalds feast so someone drove here with it to leave it.

I also feel like these spots are getting spoiled for everyone. Can't wait for a rainy Tuesday in November so I can walk my dog in peace Grin

diplodocusinermine · 31/08/2020 09:22

loulou0987, it's not so much about people being there - although why they all want to crowd in the same place when there are plenty of other lovely places to go I have no idea, but it's the inconsiderate and downright dangerous parking, and the crap left everywhere by people who must know they shouldn't be doing it. Surely everyone knows without having to be told that you don't leave your rubbish where you were sitting - you brought your picnic/camping stuff with you - surely it's just as ruddy easy to take it away.......