The four-week #OMGB ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ campaign aims to inspire people to take a short break at home and encourage Brits to share their own memorable #OMGB moments on social media. To help with some inspiration, VisitEngland has rounded up some of the best #OMGB activities and locations for TNT readers.
Caving in the Yorkshire Dales
Spread over 683 square miles the Yorkshire Dales are a beautiful landscape of gently tumbling countryside and wide valleys. And the limestone cliffs and gorges that characterise the picturesque scenery extend below it… way, way below. The cave system of the Dales is believed to be one of Britain’s longest and most complex, with the Ease Gill system alone making up an elaborate network of over 43 miles of known passageways and Gaping Gill cavern large enough to swallow St Paul’s cathedral. Under expert guidance, people can experience the heart-pounding excitement of caving at every level. Vertical caving, horizontal caving and potholing are all on offer as you suit-up and head down into a bewitching subterranean world. Prices are around £90 – £230.
www.yorkshiredalesguides.co.uk
Trek the Lake District with fluffy Llamas
With Lakeland Llama Treks, you can enjoy the companionship of a local Llama on a guided trek around the beautiful Eden Valley in Cumbria. A range of different treks are on offer for different levels and ages, ranging from a one hour mini trek to longer countryside trails. Complete the experience with a stay in the Llamas Pyjamas B&B and a bite to eat at the Llama Karma Café (which also doubles as a zoo). Treks from £25 per person.
Paddleboard around the Isle of Wight
What better way to explore our island nation than from the sea? Swap a boat for a paddleboard for a slower exploration around the Isle of Wight. While experienced paddleboarders have been known to circumnavigate the 60 miles around the island, less accomplished ‘sailors’ can limit their journeys to a leisurely paddle around the beaches and bays. Prices start at around £13 per person per hour.
www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/things-to-do
Visit a former ‘supervolcano’, Glen Coe, Highlands
As Scotland’s most iconic glen it’s no wonder that this epic setting appeared in the James Bond film Skyfall. Its raw beauty is best explored on a hike, roaming amongst wild deer and admiring rocky peaks shrouded in mist.
Canoe along the Wye Valley
You don’t have to go to New Zealand or Canada for a scenic canoeing experience. The River Wye leisurely sweeps and twirls its way through the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Emerald green fields, deep limestone gorges and opaque hillside forests line its banks taking you through chic Regency market towns and past ancient castle ruins and riverbank pubs. Some stretches are best left to experienced canoeists, but chose your route carefully and you’ll encounter only tranquil waters. An open-top Canadian canoe is the perfect way to experience the river in the hot summer months. Moor at Symonds Yat for some food and drink at The Saracen’s Head Inn before walking to Symonds Yat Rock for a spectacular view of the valley and a glimpse of some peregrine falcons nesting in the surrounding cliffs. Prices start at around £30 for a two-man canoe.
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Tour an English vineyard, Surrey
England is fast becoming a well-respected wine producer to rival our European neighbours. In the heart of the Surrey Hills, overlooking Box Hill, Denbies is England’s largest single estate vineyard. Its position on a southfacing slope in a sheltered valley with the fertile chalk soil of the North Downs ensure excellent vine-growing conditions, producing what many consider to be the country’s finest sparkling and table wines. Jump aboard a train for a tour of the estate and do a guided wine tasting. You can buy many of the award-winning wines in the wellstocked gift shop, including the 2010 Denbies Chalk Ridge Rosé, winner of the International Wine Challenge Gold Award, which makes it the best rosé in the world, but we think they’re best enjoyed in the Gallery Restaurant, with views across the rolling 265-acre estate. The wine tasting experience starts at £9.95.
Coasteering in Cornwall
Experienced guides are dotted along the coastline ready to take you on an adventure where the land greets the sea. Scaling cliffs and plunging into crystalline waters is an exhilarating and fun way to get to know the Cornish coast. Prices are around £40 per person for three hours, with discounts available for groups. Prices are around £15 – £45 per person per hour.
Surf the longest man-made surfable waves on the planet, Snowdonia
The epic 300-metre surf lagoon on the edge of the famous Snowdonia National Park in North Wales provides consistent and guaranteed waves, without a beach in sight. Suitable for all levels thanks to different wave profiles in different zones – beginner surfers can surf alongside elite athletes, either as part of a lesson or independently in a ‘freesurf’ session. Surf sessions prices start at £40 per adult and £30 per child.
Fly a Spitfire over the white cliffs of Dover
Step back in time and learn to fly (or just enjoy the thrill of the ride) in an unrivalled choice of classic vintage aeroplanes, from Spitfires to Harvards and Tiger Moths. Taking off from the last remaining WWII grass runway in Kent, the vintage flights bring the history of The Battle of Britain to life, whilst providing a unique bird’s eye view of the Kent coast and countryside. Prices are from £2500 depending on duration of flight required.
Rock climb in the Peak District
You don’t need to go as far as Yosemite for an awesome climbing experience. With 10,000 recorded climbs the Peak District is widely recognised as having some of the best climbing in the country. The beautiful formations at Dovedale, stark carapaces of The Roaches, dramatic gritstone crags of Windgather Rocks and the sinuous moor-top crest of Stanage Edge are places of pilgrimage for climbers from across the world. Spectacular views across this inimitable landscape of stark limestone cliff faces, tors and crags erupting from sheep-cropped fields and moors are all yours, if you can make it to the top. If you don’t know your caribiners from your crimps, get in touch with one of the area’s outdoor pursuits experts who will have your fingertips aching and your adrenaline soaring in no time. Prices start at £85 per person per day.
Images: VisitEngland
