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Five reasons to visit England in spring or summer
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Pub at Jamaica Inn, site of du Maurier's book of that name (Photo/McBride)
Spring is here, and it’s time to remember the five great reasons to visit England in spring or summer. They are:
- History
- Food (Really? Locavores’ heaven on earth)
- Stately homes
- Pubs
- Beaches (Yes, really. In July and August, the lovely beaches on the southwest coast are warm enough for swimming; gear up now. Or buy a wetsuit.)
History
British history is foundational for Americans. We were just a sort of overseas branch of Englishness until the Founding Fathers decided to cut our ship of state free. UK history is, in large part, US history, up until 1781.
The particular part of English history that’s essential to Americans is the signing of the Magna Carta signed by King John in 1215. Arguably, it is responsible for the rule of law in both nations. Tourists can visit two Magna Carta sites, either of which might have been the actual site of the signing. One is Runnymede, and the other is Magna Carta Island in the Thames, nearby.
Of course, Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts is named after Plymouth, England, from which the Massachusetts Bay colonists set sail. Just a minute’s walk from the medieval section of Plymouth (luckily, the Luftwaffe had lousy aim, so much of it survived their WWII bombings), you can see the commemorative stone and the erstwhile launching site of the Mayflower. (The ship is thought to have been built quite far to the north, but still in the romantic southwest of England, at a place called Bideford.).
Food
Food is arguably more important to the British than to Americans. Or at least, non-genetically modified food is; the UK government has banned it. In addition, most market towns will have a health food store as well as a number of local restaurants serving local meats and produce. Often, this will be promoted onsite. Being a locavore is not considered odd in Britain, as it is here, despite the import of foods from the rest of the EU. While it is nice to have raspberries in England in winter (from Spain), it is also nice to have local strawberries in season.
Stately homes
If you like both architecture and history, it will probably be worthwhile to join the National Trust for a year, rather than paying the entry fee each time you visit a lovely Trust property. England is littered with stately homes, infinitely more than there are in the United States, and much better preserved. Not only that: The buildings preserved run from great houses such as Sissinghurst, home of author Vita Sackville-West near London, and The Old Post Office, the medieval home of a yeoman in Tintagel.
Most large Trust houses and estates have fine gift shops with reasonable prices, and quaint restaurants using, naturally, local foods as much as possible. Most Trust properties reopen after winter closing at the first sign of robins. But check here; you can find a complete listing of National Trust places to visit, as well as what opening times, facilities and amenities are.
Pubs
Even in the United States, one can find the odd bar and grill offering a ploughman’s lunch. It is unlikely ploughmen ever ate such a lunch, especially as prepared these days in virtually ever British pub. It is now a platter—a huge, gut-busting platter—containing breads, meats, cheeses, pickles and some greens, to be washed down with a pint.
Pubs in England don’t generally do the fancy, fruity drinks so many Americans are fond of. But if you want to relax with a pint of beer or bitter, some cider (hard there, unlike in the States), a relatively simply presented quaff of some form of spirit, England’s your place. The English pub is deservedly an institution copied the world over for its friendly atmosphere, filling food and a wee drop of something to take the chill off.
Beaches
Amazing beaches with pristine sand and blue water to die for; not the Mediterranean, but the southwest coast of England. My favorite is at Porthcurno in Cornwall. During last summer’s visit, I missed the really nice days due to the press of business. On the one weekend day we had, we got up late and literally couldn’t park at the beach. So we did the next best thing; we parked up above at the Minack Theatre and took amazing photos of people enjoying the beach. Then, on our way back to our base in Tavistock, we stopped at Hayle, with three miles of open ocean beach, and went wading as the sun set.
The Minack Theatre, built by hand out of rock by a single woman and two helpers. Today it offers plays of all sorts all summer, as well as a restaurant and a museum. It is just outside the tiny town of Porthcurno. (Porthcurno is also where some of the first trans-oceanic telepgraph cable made landfall, and it has a museum for that, too.)
More About:
England ·
Cornwall ·
pubs ·
travel tips ·
Devon ·
Plymouth ·
The Barbican ·
Du Maurier ·
Jamaica Inn ·
Minack Theatre ·
Hayle sands ·
Porthcurno beach
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