24 of my Favourite Places to Visit

This week is a big week for me - I turn 24 tomorrow! Previously I've written posts on turning 22 and 23 things I learnt before turning 23, and to mark the occasion this year I thought I would round up 24 of my favourite places to visit. These range from places I've been to once but would like to visit again, to places that I've been to too many times to count and continue to return to! I love visiting places, both new and old, and I'd love to know where your favourite places are so I can add them to my list to visit! (These are merely in alphabetical order and not any order of preference).

Bakewell

Bakewell is a cute little town in the middle of the Peak District. This photo was actually taken back in 2012 when we came up to the area on holiday! I'm very baby faced and Tilly's a fluffy little puppy.  There's lots of shops to visit, cafe's to eat at, and beautiful scenery to look at. I'm actually returning to Bakewell on my birthday to go out for lunch!

 

Bungay

Bungay is the closest town to the village I grew up in (more on that later); it's the place I went to school, had my first job, and spent many a penny in the cafe's. It's a small town but has a lot to offer, including the myth of the 'Black Dog', a fabulous homeware shop, and about 15 hairdressers. If you're in the area I'd recommend going to Jester's Cafe for a panini, and then the bakery for a vanilla slice. 

Castleton

Castleton is a village in the Peak District out in the Hope Valley and near Mam Tor - there's lots of little shops, the landscape in beautiful, and it's a great place to go for a dog walk!

Chatsworth

Before moving to Sheffield, I had been to Chatsworth a few times when we were up in the area on holiday, and it's been a firm favourite since the first visit! There's lots to see in the house and the garden is massive so you can spend a good few hours here. In the summer they open up more of the house, and when it gets to winter they host 'Chatsworth at Christmas' which Tom and I visit annually. (They change the theme every year, in 2014 it was Alice in Wonderland, 2015 Wind in the Willows, 2016 The Nutcracker, and last year it was Dickens).   

Cromer

I have spent many a day in Cromer over the years, it's situated in North Norfolk and is a lovely seaside town. It's nice without being too fancy; there's a beautiful beach with a walk along the seafront to get into the town, and they have great fish and chips! My grandparents used to go on holiday a lot in North Norfolk when my mum was little, so this was always a place I regularly visited with them and my parents. 

Derwent Reservoir

Derwent is one of my favourite places to take Tilly for a walk - it's the closest thing to walking by the sea as there's such a large expanse of water, and the views are beautiful! We tend to park the Ladybower side of Derwent as it's free here and there's a long walk up alongside the reservoir up to Derwent Dam from here. In the summer we parked up behind the Dam and walked up the hill on the opposite side - it was such a beautiful place to eat our lunch looking down on the Dam! 

Disneyland Paris

I've only been to Disneyland twice but I would love to return (it's just so expensive!). The first time I went was for my sixth birthday, and Tom and I went back in 2012 when we went to stay with my aunty. I like that there's a mix of levels of how 'extreme' the rides are (Thunder Mountain is one of our favourites), there's lots of parades going on and the fireworks at the end of the day amazing! I'd like to go back so I can spend some time in the Studios side of the park as we didn't get enough time to explore it properly. 

Dovedale

Dovedale is another one in the Peak District, and is a beautiful spot for a walk. It's one of my mum's favourites so I've been a few times whilst staying up this way on holiday, and it's a place I like to go to if it's a sunny day and I want to spend the day outside. It's about an hour's drive from where I live, but it's worth it for the views! It's got the famous stepping stones across the river (I'm too scared to cross lol) and the walk follows the river - Tilly loves it too!

Dunwich Beach

Dunwich beach is in Suffolk and was about a 20 minute drive from where I grew up. There's a vast expanse of beach to explore and there's a mix of stoney/sandy areas and Tilly loves to dig in the sandy bits! Dunwich Heath is next to the beach which you can also explore, and there's a cute cafe near the car park that serves great cakes and they even have dog biscuits in a jar for your hungry doggies!

Edinburgh

Tom and I went to Edinburgh in December last year, and we had such a great time! I had been to Edinburgh with my parents when I was younger (I think we even stayed in the same hotel), and Tom and I spent our time exploring the shops and cute cobbled streets, as well as going to the fabulous Christmas Market. 

Flatford Mill

I had been to Flatford Mill as a child and we actually have a painting of it that my grandad painted hanging in our lounge, and Tom and I took a trip there during our staycation to Suffolk. There's both the Mill and Willy Lott's House (made famous by a painting by Constable) and it was such a serene and calm place (a bit too quiet for Tom!). There's a few walks mapped out, but when I next go I would like to take a longer walk alongside the river.

Kraków

Tom and I visited Kraków back in 2015, with the primary reason being going to visit Auschwitz as I was about to start my dissertation on perpetrators of the Holocaust, but this was tied in with staying in Kraków for a few days and also going to the salt mines (which were amazing!). Kraków is a beautiful city, and to this day it remains the place where we've had the best pizza we've ever had! 

Liverpool

Tom and I took a trip to Liverpool (again in 2015) and I absolutely loved it there! It's a great city to visit with no plans - we found so much to do just by walking out of our hotel and seeing where it took us. I would like to go over to Merseyside one day (boats are a big no no for Tom), but it's a nice walk around the docks (where there's also an art gallery), and the World Museum was five floors of amazing exhibits and we couldn't believe it was free to go to! 

London

I'll never be someone who wants to live in London (it's a bit too big for me!) but I love visiting and getting caught in the hustle and bustle for a few days. I used to go with my parents for days out and long weekends when I was younger, and Tom and I have been back a few times ourselves for a few days. There's loads to do in London and it's great that so much of it is free. It's really easy to get round on the tube, and my favourite places include the Natural History Museum, and the National Gallery.

Majorca

Majorca was the first place I went to on a plane when I was younger when I went with my parents to Puerto Pollensa, and Tom and I went on holiday to Playa de Muro on holiday last year. Once you're on the plane it doesn't take too long to get to, the sun is shining, and there's lots to do! Each time I've been I've had a wonderful time, and I'd love to go back again and visit other parts of the island. 

Mettingham

Remember that little village I mentioned where I lived until I moved away to university? This is it! It's tiny (I think there's only around 200 people who live there) but it holds so many memories for me, and I love to visit it when I'm back in the area. There used to be a pub (it's now a tearoom), and I love going for walks up the lane - it's a place where I've walked (or been pushed as in the top photo!) for my whole life and it's the ultimate nostalgic place for me to visit. 

Norwich

Living in Mettingham, Norwich was the closest city to visit for shopping days (always with a stop at John Lewis cafe at the start, or Bonds as it used to be back in the day) and Tom and I spent many a Sunday in Norwich when we first got together. Norwich isn't too big a city; there's the shops, Chapelfield shopping centre (which on coming to Sheffield and seeing Meadowhall I realised was TINY), the Theatre Royal, and the puppet man (honestly look him up on Youtube). It also has one of my all-time favourite restaurants; The Waffle House.  

Rivelin Valley

Rivelin Valley is b-ea-u-tiful walk and is only a five minute drive from where we live. We've not made it the whole way along (I've been informed there's a cafe at the other end that I am determined to make it to one day!) but it's a walk alongside the river and Tilly loves going for a splash in the stream.

Sheffield

I couldn't not include Sheffield now could I? The place I moved to for university, and the place I've stayed ever since! There's loads to do here and in the surrounding areas; the city's a manageable size and the Peak District is only a short drive away and I get to see it in the distance daily on Tilly's walks! It's also home to the biggest theatre land outside of London, has lots of museums to visit, and has lots of parks to walk round. I always say that Sheffield has everything except the sea!

Sheringham

Sheringham is just up the road from Cromer, and as with Cromer, it's a place I frequently visited as a child with my parents and grandparents. Sheringham is smaller than Cromer, but has a lovely street of shops to walk down to the beach, and I found it seems to be a bit quieter than Cromer. I have fond memories of going on holiday to Sheringham with my grandparents, and going on the steam train for my mum's 40th birthday amidst the snow. 

Southwold

Another seaside town! Can you see a theme here? Southwold's probably one of the fanciest seaside towns that I've mentioned, and it wasn't too far away to get to for a walk along the seafront. Close to Southwold is a place called Walberswick where we used to go crabbing (you catch the crabs with a line and a bit of bacon, and put them back before you leave). Southwold has a cute little town, a lighthouse, and there's a row of cannons at the top where many a photo was taken of me sitting on one.

Warner Bros. Studios

I've been to the Warner Bros. Studios twice, once back in 2014, and the other earlier this year. We went back because a lot more had been added since the first time, and it's so interesting to see how everything works behind the scenes of Harry Potter. Both myself and Tom and big Harry Potter fans, and if you are too I would definitely recommend a visit as it's so cool to see all the sets and then see them when you next watch the films! 

Whitby

This is the last seaside town I promise! I've been to Whitby a few times, and myself and Lucy went on holiday there earlier this year. There's a lovely beach, cute little shops, and it's home to Whitby Abbey. There's SO many places to choose from for Fish and Chips, and there's even a steam train here too! 

York

We've made it to the last location on my list - congratulations for making it this far! York is a beautiful city, it's home to my favourite museum (the Castle Museum), Betty's Tea Room, and you can even hire a boat out and go along the river (the dogs loved it!), there's also a really good second hand bookshop close to the cathedral. It's less than an hours train ride away from Sheffield, and Tom and I went for our anniversary in 2015, and for Valentine's Day in 2016.

That's it; we've made it to the end! I hope this has provided you with some new places to go and visit, and I'd love to know where your favourite places are and why so I can add them to my to visit list. I love going for days out or going a bit farther afield for a long weekend or a holiday, and Tom does too, so please send recommendations my way!

Jess x