It has felt like a long time to be deprived of the richness and fulfilment travel brings - exploring new places, spending a night at your favourite hotel, unwinding in a spa, or enjoying an afternoon tea in a beautiful garden. While we might have forgotten how good this all feels, our desire to travel has not been lost. This issue is all about health, wellness and meaningful travel – ‘slow travel’ (as it has recently been dubbed). So, if you’re looking for an unforgettable trip, to be enjoyed at your own pace, then we hope you will find plenty of inspiration within our summer features. Our top ten life-affirming Health Breaks, are guaranteed to reboot the body and mind, while our Best Tall Ship and Sailing Adventures, offer the ultimate active escapism. The brand-new collection curated National Trust experiences, are not to be missed, and our Top Eco-Attractions, showcase the very best of our natural world. Wishing you safe and magical, extraordinary summer of staycations!
9 FOSSILS, FORAGE &
9 FOSSILS, FORAGE & FEAST, NORTH YORK MOORS Join our experienced leaders to explore a hidden cove such as Boggle Hole or Runswick Bay on the North York Moors Heritage Coast. We’ll help you to find the secret creatures hiding in rock pools, to discover Jurassic fossils, forage for seashore snacks, and then to cook and eat some of the food you’ve found, which is extra tasty when cooked on an open beach fire! Depending on the wishes of the group the experience can include hunting for Jurassic fossils from 200 million years ago, including dinosaur footprints and the worldfamous ammonites and Whitby Jet and exploring the rock pools and rocky shoreline to meet the animals and plants that live there. Some of these (seaweed, shell fish, crabs and lobsters) we will forage to provide a beach cooked meal and depending on the time of year/day, it may also be possible to add in an evening of stargazing. Priced from £45 North York Moors National Park — A place of extraordinary heritage with countryside to match, the North York Moors have rolling hills, deep wooded dales, captivating coasts, ancient abbeys, tumbling streams and timeless villages – this is a National Park mixing both unexpected and quintessential beauty. There is also a heritage railway system, part of the National Parks Experience Collection. HIDDEN GEM — Hayburn Wyke: Found along the Cleveland Way National Trail, hidden beyond deer-dwelling woodland, the secret cove of Hayburn Wyke offers a pebbled paradise, home to a host of shallow rock pools at the foot of dramatic cliffs. A place to explore from both above and below, those longing for a relaxing coastal walk can dream of strolling along the clifftops, discovering an old railway line and wandering through ancient woodlands. 42 BritishTravelJournal.com
HIDDEN GEM — Winterton-On-Sea: Nestled between sweeping sandy beaches and the natural beauty of the Norfolk Broads, Winterton-On-Sea is a picturesque British seaside village ideal for those longing for a taste of the quiet life. Lighthouses, traditional thatched cottages and inviting sand dunes pepper the area, as well as a 14th century historic church whose tower is sometimes open to the public, for sweeping panoramic views of the lowland landscape. Norfolk Broads National Park — A spot known for its idyllic and vast waterways and some of our rarest wildlife. Along the 200km of waterways and between the vast reed beds, visitors will find majestic windmills and ancient monasteries. They may also spy the otters, swallowtail butterflies, kingfishers and seals that call this area home. 10 NATURE KAYAK ADVENTURE, BROADS This fun and serene activity will take you on a journey through the usually hard to reach areas of some of the Broads National Park. You can admire some of the best nature has to offer and discover Hickling Broad – one of the jewels – with highly experienced guides. You’ll be met at the launch point with your kayak and all other safety equipment needed, ready to be transported out onto the water for this amazing miniadventure. Using stable and easy to paddle sit-in style double or single kayaks (depending on group size) there will be every opportunity for you to see/hear Marsh Harrier, Bearded Tits, Reed Buntings and Warblers, Avocets and perhaps Bittern, Otter, Water Voles and more! 4 hours, priced from £85 BritishTravelJournal.com 43
