16 Things (Still Left) to Do in the UK this Summer

16 Things (Still Left) to Do in the UK this Summer

Think summer’s almost over? Think again. From the best live music to the UK’s most-talked-about wild-food festival, there’s plenty of fun still to be had in the UK before autumn arrives.



It’s
not time to pack away your festival wellies and sunblock
quite yet. In fact, your biggest problem in the upcoming weeks will
be working out how to squeeze in your pick of inspiring things to
do from the bumper late-summer line-up on offer. From the
much-anticipated return of live-music performances to sublime
open-air feasting, this is the stuff to book now.

What to do in the UK this September


Escape to a picture-postcard English garden at The Newt

Offering what is quite possibly the most quintessential of
British staycations, The Newt in Somerset has flung open its doors
to London day-trippers with its exclusive “Great Garden Escape”
experience. The first-class round-trip journey from Paddington
includes a gourmet breakfast and afternoon tea on the move, and,
while in situ, a specialist tour of the acclaimed grounds – whose
latest look has been conceived by Italo-French architect Patrice
Taravella – a guided cider tasting and chef-hosted lunch at the
hotel’s Garden Café.

Book here.


Take a punt down the river in Oxford

Oxford
is one of the first cities to truly embrace “pleasure punts”, a
somewhat eccentric British pastime but none the less enjoyable for
it. Either hire your boat from Magdalen Bridge Boathouse and float
past the Botanic Gardens, St Hilda’s College and Christ Church
Meadow, or start further upstream at Cherwell Boathouse to take in
University Parks, Parson’s Pleasure and Wolfson College, ending at
The Victoria Arms pub for a well-deserved post-punt pint.


Explore the interplay between Nordic and Japanese culture at Pantechnicon

Belgravia’s handsome Pantechnicon building was built in 1830 as
an arts and crafts centre, then repurposed as a kind of early
self-storage unit for the well-heeled locals. Today it houses a
dazzling line-up of shops, cafés, bars and restaurants that
showcase the Japanese and Nordic way of life. Ideal creative and
culinary bedfellows, the two cultures have long had in common an
appreciation of simplicity, delicacy and attention to detail. Each
artfully designed floor brings something different to eat, drink
and do: from an array of workshops and tasting experiences, to two
design-led concept stores, a roof terrace and Sachi, a subterranean sushi
restaurant featuring a knock-out art installation from master plant
artist Satoshi Kiwamoto.

Explore Pantechnicon here.


Discover your local lido

Fancy a dip but no swimmable open water in sight? Head to your
local lido. Not only is the water cleaner, but changing rooms also
mean there’ll be no hanging around in wet swimsuits afterwards. The
result? More time to enjoy the finer things in life, like a massage
at Bristol Lido’s renowned urban spa, or tapas from the poolside
bar at Thames Lido in Reading. On the hunt for a pool in the
capital? Don’t miss our round-up of the best
lidos in London
.


Take a day trip to the beach

Sometimes a free Sunday and a bucket and spade are the only
things you’ll need to make the most of a spontaneous late-summer
trip to
the seaside
. Hop in the car, jump on a train or just grab your
bike and go. We’ve scoured the coastline of our green and pleasant
land, from Cornwall to Kent, to bring you a definitive list of
our
favourite beaches in the UK
. Fish and chips not included.


Tick off a city staycation at Sea Containers

This funky copper-coloured hotel delights with its South Bank
location – plum in the middle of central London and within
rolling-out-of-bed distance of some of the capital’s top
attractions. Dreamed up by left-field designer Tom Dixon, interiors
give a nod to the building’s shipping heritage, taking inspiration
from the golden age of transatlantic liners – think glamour meets
brutalism. Stay in one of 359 river-facing bedrooms and suites and
you’ll almost feel like you’re on a cruise, too.

Book
here
.


Watch a play at Shakespeare’s Globe

After over a year devoid of live performance, blow away the
cobwebs with a Shakespearian play performed at the great
playwright’s very own theatre, set on the banks of the Thames. From
world-acclaimed old classics to contemporary crowd-pleasers, the
theatre’s summer roster of entertainment has been carefully curated
to suit all tastes. Plus, tickets start at just £5.

Summer 2021 line-up on until 30 October, book here.


Spot seals at Blakeney Point

We may not have big-game safaris in the UK, but we have Blakeney
Point – home to one of Europe’s largest (and most travel-savvy)
seal colonies. Migrating from Brittany to Norfolk each year for the
summer, these wide-eyed creatures are best spotted from one of the
ferry trips on offer, such as the family-run Bishop’s Boats, which has been in
business since the 1960s.


Feast on foraged food at the Scottish Wild Food Festival

Celebrating all things foraged, the Scottish Wild Food Festival
is a hands-on affair set across the rolling Cardross Estate,
perfectly positioned in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National
Park, a 20-minute drive from Stirling. As well as grazing on all
manner of native delicacies, visitors can take part in craft and
foraging workshops, embark on folklore walks and watch cookery
demonstrations. There’s also a marketplace and live music in the
main festival hub, where those who haven’t eaten themselves into a
foraged-food coma can dance till the sun goes down.

18-19 September 2021, book here.


Visit the Beatles’ childhood homes in Liverpool

Step back in time with a visit to where it all began for The
Beatles. This combined tour of John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s
childhood homes in Liverpool takes music lovers through Mendips –
the 1950s semi-detached house where John Lennon grew up – to 20
Forthlin Road, a run-down post-war council house that was home to a
young Paul McCartney. From the threadbare sofa where She Loves You
was written, to the secret spot where The Beatles practised some of
their earliest songs, this trip down Penny Lane is pretty much
guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

On until 28 November, book here.


Scale Ben Nevis

In search of an end-of-summer challenge that’ll leave you
feeling fit and fresh for autumn? We suggest lacing up your hiking
boots and scaling Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak. Scratching the
clouds at 1,345 metres above sea level, this popular Scottish Munro
is found in the Highlands, at the western end of the Grampian
Mountains. Don’t be put off by its credentials as Britain’s tallest
mountain, though: even amateur walkers manage to scale the summit
in a day, with those taking on The Three Peaks Challenge usually
completing the hike in less than five hours.


Dance on the moon with The Eden Project’s live-music summer sessions

Our favourite eco-powerhouse, The Eden Project has this summer
opened its doors to a killer roster of live music from the likes of
Ben Howard, Snow Patrol and Idles. Staged in one of the complex’s
otherworldly, crater-sized biomes, the gigs are your chance to
dance the night away amid a veritable rainforest of tropical
plants. As an added bonus, your visit will be planet-friendly,
thanks to The Eden Project’s zero-plastic policy.

On until 18 September, book here.


Have a pint at London’s biggest beer garden

London might already be known for its big pub
gardens
, but take a trip to Between the Bridges and
you’ll be entering a whole new world of open-air boozing. Handily
located between Waterloo and Westminster bridges, this recently
opened Southbank entertainment hub has been pulling in visitors
from across the capital, thanks to its eclectic line-up of live
music, craft markets, street food and larger-than-life drag
brunches.

Explore Between the Bridges here.


Dive into skate culture at Somerset House

Explore the transformative impact skateboarding has had on
Britain’s subcultures and communities with Somerset House’s latest
free exhibition, No Comply. Presenting the story of skateboarding
in the UK across the last 45 years through a mix of film, sound,
art, design and photography, this comprehensive exhibition unpacks
the enduring allure of the sport through three main themes: the
city as playground, skateboarding communities and DIY culture.

On until 19 September, book here.


Soothe your soul at Cross the Tracks jazz festival

An annual celebration of soul and funk, Cross the Tracks is
London’s jazziest music festival. With performances in the pipeline
from Sister Sledge, Lianne La Havas and The Cinematic Orchestra,
visitors can expect sublime sounds in the surrounds of south
London’s favourite green space, Brockwell Park. The festival is
about more than just music, though. There’ll also be over 40
street-food traders and a craft-beer fair, as well as wellbeing
workshops and a creatives market.

5 September, book here.


Get back to nature on a Wilderlands Wild Weekend

Forge a deeper connection with the land by taking advantage of
West Sussex’s Wilderlands Wild Weekends project. Curated with both
mental and physical wellbeing in mind, this new initiative was
created with the intention of encouraging rewilding in the UK.
Taking place at a secluded campsite in the woodlands of
Chiddinglye, the weekly schedule of immersive weekend events
includes live music, a woodland spa, an ethical clothing boutique
and talks and performances from world-leading teachers, speakers
and musicians.

Every weekend until 19 September, book here.

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